Held in Seascale Methodist Hall on 14th May 2025
Attended: Lizzie Mawson LM (Chair)
David Moore DM (Vice-Chair)
Bran Harvey-Chadwick BHC
Catherine Harvey-Chadwick CHC
Ken Mawson KM
Michael Warmoth (Clerk/RFO)
1. Apologies for absence: none
2. Announcements from the Chair:
The Chair said she had nothing further to report following the Annual Parish Meeting.
3. Declarations of interest by councillors in respect to agenda items: There were no declarations of interest
4. Ratify Minutes of the previous meeting:
Proposed by CHC Seconded by KM that the minutes were true and accurate, with all in favour; signed by the Chair.
5. Matters arising
5.1 The Clerk and DM had spoken to Jen Metcalf at Day Cummins and the planning application for the Library refurbishment has now been submitted to Cumberland Council
5.2 The Clerk had written to the Trustees of the Library and explained that the Council would continue to push forward with the refurbishment and that a new Council representative would be appointed once the new councillors were elected or co-opted.
5.3 The Clerk had written to Highways regarding the Council’s appreciation of the new lights on Hallsenna Road and had received a response from Matthew Reeves who said he appreciated the positive feedback.
5.4 LM had not ordered a bench as she was awaiting clarification as to when the present bench would be removed (see below).
5.5 DM will speak to Ian Singleton to see if he can remove the bench on Hallsenna Road. DM had inspected it and said it would be easy to remove. LM will therefore order a replacement. DM / LM
6. Councillor co-option
No-one came forward for co-option.
7. Planning
7.1 Reference Number: 4/25/2144/0F1
Location: Electricity Substation, Gosforth Road, Seascale
Proposal: – no objection
7.2 Reference Number: 4/25/2141/0F1
Location: Land to South East of Sellafield Complex, from A595 to the B5344, Seascale
Proposal: – no objection
7.3 Reference Number: 4/25/2137/0F1
Location: Lingmell Cottage, Seascale
Proposal: – no objection
8. Reports from Councillors and Working Groups
DM reported that the GDF Mid Copeland Community Partnership meetings had been changed to every two months as there is currently little engagement work. There was nothing to report from the Community Investment Fund panel.
DM reported that the West Cumbria Stakeholder Groups meetings are no longer minuted but the recordings of the meeting are available on the website https://wcssg.co.uk
9. Finance
9.1 Report from the RFO
Bank balances at 30th April 2025
| Seascale Parish Council General Reserve | £98,365.12 |
| Seascale Parish Council Current Account | £35,016.30 |
| Unity Trust Bank Card | £100.00 |
| Total | £133,481.42 |
Payments for April 2025
| Payee | Amount | VAT | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seascale Sports Hall | £200.00 | Christmas lights | |
| Waterplus | £40.00 | Late payment fee | |
| Waterplus | £97.94 | Toilet block water bill | |
| Quality Cleaning | £162.00 | £27.00 | Litter bin emptying |
| Cumberland Council | £549.72 | £91.62 | Playground inspections |
| Octopus Energy | £40.82 | £1.94 | Toilet block electricity |
| Octopus Energy | £593.86 | £98.98 | Library electricity |
| Cumberland Council | £25,510.00 | Precept | |
| Wilf Rollason | £23.00 | Paint for boat | |
| EE Limited | £25.82 | DAV monthly SIM maintenance | |
| Unity Trust Bank | £8.40 | Service charge | |
| Nuclear Waste Services | £2,750.00 | Grant for Game on Sports Camp |
9.2 Payments for May to date
| Payee | Amount | VAT | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| T & C Biggins | £901.00 | Sports Hall/Toilet Block repairs | |
| Reece Robinson | £2,750.00 | Game on Sports Camp | |
| Millers Roofing | £3,048.00 | £508.00 | Toilet block roof repair |
| Quality Cleaning | £126.00 | £21.00 | Litter bin emptying |
| Octopus Energy | £37.14 | £1.77 | Toilet block electricity |
| Octopus Energy | £499.54 | £83.26 | Library electricity |
| Unity Trust Bank | £7.65 | Service charge |
9.3 AGAR 2024-25 Report
The Clerk reported that the AGAR (Annual Governance and Accountability Report) 2024-25 had been signed off by the Internal Auditor and was ready to be approved by the Parish Council before submitting to the External Auditor as well as publishing. The Parish Council approved the individual sections of the report and the relevant sections were duly signed off by the Chair, the Clerk and the RFO. The Notice of Public Rights will be from 2nd June 2025 to 14th July 2025.
10. Parish Assets
10.1 Library
Updates covered in Matters Arising above.
10.2 Play areas
Nothing to report
10.3 Toilet Block
The roof of the Toilet Block has now been fixed. Dawn Dennett is drawing up a list of items to be fixed, and is awaiting an estimate from the contractor she has sourced.
10.4 CCTV
BHC reported that a few issues have arisen following the recent fly-tipping incident. The new recycling bins were blocking the view of the trade waste bins and these have now been moved so that they are in full view of the CCTV. There have been a few technical issues which are being sorted by DAV. BHC suggested that a motion detection system may be a solution as it would record more accurately when the trade waste bins were being accessed.
10.5 Sports Hall
BHC reported that a new Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) had been created and the old one would be closed down. The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer had been re-elected at the Sports Hall AGM, but the Sports Hall Committee were actively looking to recruit more volunteers and trustees. The five-year electrical testing certificate needs to be reissued. BHC will forward the instruction document relating to the online booking system to the Clerk so that the Parish Council has a copy in its records. BHC
11. Highways
KM asked if now that the potholes had been filled on the Gosforth Road was there any money left from the Holmrook road improvements to resurface it. DM has said that the resurfacing work is scheduled to complete in Cumberland Council’s current financial year as there was no budget left from the Holmrook works.
There is an issue about the parking across the entrance to the Fire Station. Pavement parking is a Police matter (not Highways); the Police Officer had been hoping to attend this meeting and she will clarify the issue when she does attend.
12 AOB
DM requested that an item relating to grass cutting on the Seascale Sports and Recreation field be included in the next meeting. He said that they have lost their grass cutter and have asked if Seascale Parish Council could do it. Seascale cannot cut the grass on a commercial basis as the terms of the grant to purchase the mowing equipment only covers amenity areas. The SRA currently pay £500 to have the grass cut. The Parish Council could probably cut it if the SRA make a donation to cover the mower’s maintenance costs as the SRA hold the field on behalf of the village.
DM reported that Cumberland Council are initiating Operation Ford UK Policing; the project is responsible for supporting Council and elected officers and minimising disruption at meetings. DM is attending a presentation on 20th May 2025.
BHC reported that the contact email for the Clerk is being changed over to the new address connected to the website. He recommended that the councillors also took advantage of their individual email addresses.
KM noted how successful the Imagine Festival had been and asked that the Whitehaven Town Crier was thanked for all the work he had done on the day. There had been some communication issues with promoting some of the individual events, but all in all it was a very successful day. LM asked the Clerk to also write to the organisers to thank them for all their work and effort. Clerk
13. Correspondence
13.1 Letter from Clerk of Ponsonby and Calderbridge Parish Council regarding the NDA Properties meeting for representatives of the local Parish Councils. DM reported that he would be attending.
14. Members of the public questions submitted to the Parish Council
A resident commented on the overnight parking in the car park as well as the Sellafield licence to occupy. She requested that the submission to the GDF for the mowing equipment be published. DM responded that information on awards is available on the GDF website.
A resident was very pleased with the new street lighting project but reported that the Highways had left a lamppost stump outside Dr Walker’s House; DM responded that he would check. She also asked if the Parish Council were aware of a traffic road survey being conducted on Hallsenna Road; DM responded that he had not been made aware of it. DM
A resident reported that some volunteers had cleared the mess in the Remembrance Garden and removed a tree beside the Audrey Jackson bench. He asked for assistance to pressure wash the bench. He also updated the Parish Council on an issue he discussed at the last meeting regarding the dumping of disposable vapes. As recommended by the Parish Council he had contacted Hazardous Waste section of Cumberland Council who have come and cleared them, but new vapes have already been dumped there. He also reported that the bins on the foreshore needed cleaning, LM said she would look into getting them pressure washed and would discuss it at the next meeting. He also offered to remove the bench at the corner of Hallsenna Road which the Parish Council gratefully accepted. The Parish Council also reported that they appreciate all the work he does clearing the foreshore and the Remembrance Garden. LM
A resident asked if the hearing loop in the Methodist Hall could be utilised for Parish Council meetings. The Parish Council will look into this. The resident further asked if the Parish Council could do anything about the parking issues on the Banks. DM responded that he was arranging for Cumberland Council to come and look at the parking issues in Seascale and other villages and that they would be doing a walk-through of the more congested areas including the Banks.
Date of forthcoming meeting: Wednesday 4th June 2025 at 7pm.
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