LITTLE ECCLESTON WITH LARBRECK PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING
Thursday 13th March 2025, 7.00pm at Elswick Village Hall, Roseacre Road, Elswick.
PRESENT: Cllr P Bull (Chair)
Cllr A M Bull (Vice Chair)
Cllr Steve Milton
Cllr D May
Cllr Sandra Milton
Cllr G Stead
Cllr J Smith
Cllr P Hayhurst, FBC – item 8 onwards
IN ATTENDANCE: Diane Baker (Clerk)
Public Participation
No public attendance.
1000/25 1. Apologies for Absence
Cllr John Singleton, LCC
1001/25 2. Declaration of Interests and Dispensations
Cllrs S and S Milton. Item 5.c. pecuniary (contract)
Cllr P Bull. Item 5.c. pecuniary (reimbursement)
1003/25 3. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
| It was resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 13th February 2025 as an accurate record. | AP: Clerk to update website accordingly.
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1004/25 4. Action Tracker
The action tracker of previous decisions of the Council was noted. Cllr Singleton addressed the pruning of West End trees in his note to Council (see item 9)
1005/25 5. Finance
- To receive and approve the monthly bank reconciliation.
- To receive and approve the cumulative budget report.
- To authorise payments.
- To acknowledge receipt of income.
| It was resolved to approve items a) to d). Further discussion took place regarding the need to present the monthly bank reconciliation report to each meeting.
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AP: Clerk to incorporate the bank reconciliation information into the new spreadsheet and liaise with Cllr May before it goes ‘live’.
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1006/25 6. Monthly Health and Safety Risk Assessment
No new risks were identified.
1007/25 7. Planning and Licensing
No planning applications to consider. Cllr Milton updated the meeting regarding the licensing restrictions for the showground event.
1008/25 8. Amenities/Maintenance/Environment
To discuss and consider any issues and resolve any actions required.
- Cllr P Bull had purchased a plaque and would arrange for it to be placed by the Christmas tree at West End of Blackpool Old Road. It was agreed that concrete would be purchased to secure the fixture.
- It was noted that a contribution of £1000 had been made to the Little Eccleston Village in Bloom Community Group by NISA stores in Great Eccleston, under the charity ‘making a difference locally’. The Council wished to formally thank NISA for its contribution.
- It was agreed that the East End planter would be replaced with new sleepers. Cllr Stead to advise the VIB group of the decision.
| It was resolved to purchase a bag of cement for the plaque. | AP: Cllr Steve Milton to make the purchase and arrange for the fixture. |
| It was noted that the supply of electricity for the seasonal period was still ongoing. | AP: Clerk to continue to liaise with utility provider. |
1009/25 9. County and Borough Council
To receive updates from County and Borough Councillors
| Cllr Hayhurst advised the meeting that FBC’s Local Plan (LP) was due to expire in 2026 and at present, a new LP had not been developed due to the devolution discussions. | AP: None |
| An update on the 20mph campaign on Cartford Lane was received from Cllr Singleton. | AP: Cllr P Bull will write to Mr Snowdon MP, to request a visit and will also involve media to highlight the issues. |
| A give way sign had been requested for Cartford Lane by Cllr Singleton. This prompted further discussion about inadequate signage at Windy Harbour and the approach to Larbreck Hill.
The current state of rubbish around the Windy Harbour to Little Eccleston area was also discussed as unacceptable. |
AP: Cllr Steve Milton to raise the issue on Love Clean Streets. AP: Cllr A Bull to write to Highways England on this issue. |
| Pruning of trees on Blackpool Road. Cllr Singleton had requested the tree team attend this area again and provide substantial pruning. | AP: None. |
| Cllr Singleton advised Cuadrilla had commenced work to decommission two wells and the last flare stack was removed on 5th March 2025. | AP: None |
| Cllr Singleton was happy to advise that funding has been secured for the resurfacing of Blackpool Old Road to the sum of £113,776. | AP: None |
1010/25 10. Business Continuity Plan
No revisions required.
1011/25 11. Training
Cllr May provided an overview of the ‘whistlestop tour for new Councillors’ training event she had recently attended and agreed to provide copies of the training slides to all Councillors.
1012/25. 12. Items for Next Agenda:
- Update on Internal Audit submission.
1017/25 13. Date of Next Meetings:
Thursday 10th April 2025
Thursday 8th May 2025
Thursday 12th June 2025
Thursday 10th July 2025