Wednesday 24 May 2017

WOULD, not WILL, ACCORDING TO THE MINUTES

WHAT IS THE RUSH?

WHY IS THE LEADER OF THE PARISH HISTORY SOCIETY CHAIRING PARISH COUNCIL SESSIONS WHEN THAT SOCIETY WANTS TO TRANSFER A POTENTIAL LIABILITY TO THE PUBLIC PURSE?  

DID STRELCZENIE GO TO THE COUNCIL SOLICITOR AS THE PARISH CHAIRMAN OR THE PARISH HISTORY SOCIETY DIRECTOR, OR BOTH?  

WHY DID THE CLERK ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN?  

WHY DIDN’T THE VICE-CHAIR TAKE OVER THE CHAIR FOR THE DISCUSSIONS?  

THE COUNCIL NEEDS PROFESSIONAL AND LEGAL ADVICE, NOW!

Highlighted Comment from Council Discussions.  A full recording is available. 


Chairman Jan Strelczenie.  Memorial Garden.  I went to see Solicitors with Julie (the Parish Clerk)  

Parish Clerk. The Solicitor was happy to proceed with the transfer.  She sent me a letter detailing the charges which were a bit more than Jan anticipated.  The fee for them to do the transfer from PHHHS to the Council ….

Cllr. Terry.  Should we be concerned, we’ve already voted,  …. I’ve read there are ongoing issues with the diesel tanks, the three diesel tanks, they still haven’t been fully rendered,

Are we prepared as a Parish Council to cover the costs. Is there are a certain amount of work to properly fill these tanks if they need doing?  What sort of issues are we letting ourselves in for?  We are effectively taking on the responsibility of these three tanks. Do we have to insure the site for public liability if something collapses

Parish Clerk. Yes, we would have to add it on to our insurance policy.    

Cllr. Terry.  Do we need to let them know (Insurers) there are ongoing issues with these tanks?  Will it be exorbitant costs?

Chairman Strelczenie (talking on behalf of the Parish History Society while chairing the Parish Council)  When it’s handed over to the Parish Council, when it’s teken over, the insurance will be negligible, I believe, but she (Parish Clerk) needs to mek enquiries about that.
The Society are still in the process of filling up putting concrete slurry into the tanks but it’s just a bit awkward at the moment.  There won’t be any costs to the Parish Council with regards to filling the tanks.

Cllr. Terry.  So, can we actually look into what the cost are likely to be?  Has anybody done any real investigation?     

Chairman Strelczenie.  We are working on the assumption (garbled) … petrol tank when that was filled, it was £3,400.   There are three, ten thousand diesel litre tanks.

Vice-chairman Bob Procter.  The tanks are completely safe and it’s unlikely there will be any deterioration in them for forty years and beyond, but it was suggested …..

Cllr. Chilvers.  Mr. Chairman, The danger is of water now getting in through the tank tops and lifting the whole tank into the Garden. The last day I was there,  … lifted a manhole about a yard square and it was full of water and we put a pole down it and couldn’t reach the bottom and we concluded it was from the run-off from the site before it ran into the Town Drain.  So what they did, the guys …. they said were going to leave it and cover it up, So, that’s there as well.  We ought to be looking at sites plans.

Chairman Strelczenie.  You have had an email (getting hot under the collar) from the Society.  You will see there that the site was bought after it was teken in escheat (The power of the State to acquire title to property for which there is no owner, maybe bankruptcy, for example).   There is no record of the tanks or anything. When we purchased it, WE, as a Society did all the necessary searches, so when we talked about transferring the register over to the Parish Council,  ….. …. she (the Solicitor) did say the searches were out of date.  

Cllr. Chilvers.  Mr. Chairman, There must be some plans at Selby District Council.  I know there were plans.  I worked to them.   

Cllr. Harrison.  My concern is if we take it over we are spending money of The Village People.  It’s not our  money.  It’s the village. How many people in the village know whether it’s safe or not?  If something goes wrong in ten years and we’ve got a great big bill, who then says to them, the people, the money’s spent because this society has totally gone wrong?  People say it look nice, which is fair enough.  I have got to admit I did not know this site was going to be passed over to the Parish Council.  I don’t particularly agree with it, because I don’t know enough what’s underneath …..

Cllr.  DrewThe thing is, the Parish Council has already taken over this plan.         

Chairman Strelczenie.  The fact is last month the Parish Council agreed to tek on the site.  The Solicitor is in the process of transferring the site to the Parish Council


COUNCILLOR CHILVERS THEN FORMALLY OBJECTED TO THAT STATEMENT, SAYING HIS BELIEVE WAS THE COUNCIL DID NOT DISCUSS THE PROPOSAL AN AGENDA ITEM (FOR WHICH COUNCILLORS HAVE A STATUTORY RIGHT TO THREE DAYS TO PREPARE FOR THE DISCUSSION), IT CAME UP ONLY  IN “CORRESPONDENCE” AND THE COUNCIL AGREED TO TAKE ON THE SITE IN PRINCIPLE ONLY! (PRESUMABLY AFTER DUE DILIGENCE IS COMPLETED AND DISCUSSED)      

HIS VIEW IS CONFIRMED BY THE PARISH CLERK WHO WRITES IN THE MINUTES:

“ Approved Minutes.  It was proposed by Councillor F Davidson, seconded by Councillor J Sedman and agreed with one abstention that the Parish Council would (NOT WILL) take over the site and cover any costs incurred with regards to the transfer of ownership.“