Seascale Parish Council

Chair Person: Lizzie Mawson
theclerk@seascaleparishcouncil.co.uk

Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on Wednesday 1st April 2026 7pm Methodist Hall, Seascale

55/26

i) Present: Lizzie Mawson Chair LM, David Moore DM vice chair, Jane Coltman JC, Bran Harvey Chadwick BHC, Ken Mawson KM, Brenda Parsons BP, Catherine Harvey Chadwick, CHC.

ii) Apologies for absence Zoe O’Hanlon ZO ( personal reasons)

iii) In attendance; Mary Bradley Supporting clerk

56/26 Requests for dispensations and declarations of interests

None declared

57/26 Exclusion of Press and public

No items were identified which require exclusion of the press and public (Public Bodies Admission to Meetings Act 1960)

58/26 Minutes of meetings

i) Minutes of the meeting held on 4th March 2026
Proposed DM, seconded JC, all approved

ii) Minutes of the Extra Ordinary Meeting held on 18th March 2026
Proposed KM, seconded CHC 6 for and BP against (requested to be noted)

59/26 Chair’s Announcements

Seascale is busy; grass has been cut; aware of progress on agenda items.

60/26 Public participation

TRO – gentleman reported he submitted a FOI to Cumberland, but the reply was not helpful as it related to general information rather than specifically Seascale.

Gentleman asked why 20% increase in precept. The chair explained this was due to additional expenditure regarding audit fees, an election and the significant increase in the mowing contract price.

A lady requested information regarding purple bins and the library ones not being emptied. Chair explained that recently the contract had changed and the library position was unclear. In the meantime, a solution was agreed to use the bins by the toilets. ZO to be asked to explore.

Concern was expressed that Sellafield are using the white bays in the car park. Monitor this as the summer season starts.

Concern expressed regarding the roads following recent works. DM reported that the Council are aware and following up as quickly as possible but random working remains an issue. People are asked to report via HIMS.

Concern was expressed regarding the ”toxic traffic” on Seascale web sites and whether this was having a wider impact. The Chair and Clerk highlighted examples; loss of the mowing contract, electrician upset, funding put in jeopardy, making recruitment of a new clerk challenging.

61/26 Reports from visiting Councillors & Police

a) Chair expressed her disappointment that we don’t have police reports

b) Cllr DM confirmed that at this moment in time there will not be yellow lines in the Banks area.

c) Cllr DM reported that Highways had come to remove the fencing at the entrance to the railway station only to discover it was there because of an unsafe structure. Discussion regarding the heritage of the entrance and also the wish for a resident to put up a plaque. MB to write to network rail.

d) Feedback from the Sea Art presentation was that it raised more questions than the presenters had answers for.

62/26 Clerks report/correspondence

a) Utility Warehouse had sent a final demand on 31/3/26 but as MB was now in correspondence it was agreed to have one final try to get the invoice resolved.

b) MB reported that we had 2 FOI requests. 1 has been resolved and the second regarding the audit is being addressed

c) Feedback from ICO and response to other potential breaches. We had one formal ICO which wasn’t upheld but with a response indicating a series of policies, procedures and training that the council needs to put in place. The others were not progressed.

d) MB reported she had many emails from BP asking the same information and making untrue accusations. This is not helpful and distracts for more important work. MB asked if JC would prioritise the harassment policy.

e) Ehan-Calder Beavers project is being progressed.

f) Communication relating to opinions on Nuclear related matters will be circulated.

g) Netherland MSC student asking for nuclear batteries expertise. DM advised contact.

h) CALC mailing was circulated

63/26 Community Resilience

a) DM gave a report on behalf of the Hearts of Community Task and finish group. All the work had been completed on time and to budget with an opportunity taken to spend the contingency on additional batteries for the Sports Hall solar panels. This had been a really good example on how we should manage projects going forward. DM thanked all involved. LM thanked DM for leading the project and for ensuring all the returns to the funders were completed by 31/3/26 and ZO for supporting.

b) DM gave confirmation that all payments had been processed and recorded appropriately.

64/26 Play Grounds

a) LM said that Callum Scott who undertakes the monitoring of the play park had become aware of a second-hand piece of equipment that would save buying a new piece and also had a new rope. This is being progressed.

b) In ZO absence DM reported that all was progressing for Coniston play park. Initial instillation is expected on 13th April 2026.

c) In ZO absence MB presented the payment schedule based on the invoices received by Ms Dennett. There are a couple of minor amendments required which MB will do in the coming week. It was proposed that we now progress this as we have done for Hearts in the Community to ensure payments are timely.
Proposed DM seconded by LM

d) There was concern expressed regarding having bins on the site – agreed this needs monitoring but Ms Dennett has this in hand.

e) MB presented a Ninja Fitness trail opportunity as this had been highlighted on social media. Whilst all agreed this is not for the foreshore, It may be worth considering for near the Bike track or possibly Coniston. ZO is to be asked to explore.

65/26 Parish Council Assets

a) Sports Hall are delighted with the Solar panels and already it is becoming clear who are the major electrical consumers.

b) Library refurbishment progress report was given by MB in ZO absence. MB and ZO had met with Day Cummings to discuss the options as presented in the attached paper. The preferred option 4a is to do all the necessary upgrades to the current building, including bringing the toilet and kitchenette and storeroom up to date. This would mean the library extension being a delayed project but still feasible if funds allowed. The library Trustees are very supportive of this approach as are potential funders.

This approach was unanimously supported.

c) In order to progress this, MB will establish a task and finish project group to write the bid. MB and ZO need to request the further surveying work, and the revision of the drawings so that building regulations can progress. It was agreed that we would explore the possibility of an enabling grant to fund this next stage.

d) MB presented an updated asset register, but it still requires some work. Various Cllrs will assist with this to ensure it is completed for the AGAR report.

66/26 Parish Maintenance and Highways

a) LM confirmed that after consideration of 3 submissions, the Grass cutting contract had been awarded to Arborscape Ltd, Workington

b) JC presented a paper concerning car parking spaces and spoke to the reasons why this should be considered and potentially adopted.

1. Allocate a total of 7 disabled parking bays on the seafront car park in line with the recommendations of the Equality Act 2010.
2. Allocate a total of 7 parent and child parking bays on the seafront car park in line with recommendations from the British parking association and Department of Transport.

c) Discussion followed as to the impact of this number of other spaces, whether they were required, custom and practice elsewhere, the location and the cost of remarking. MB reminded Cllrs they had also registered the site as a potential electric charging point which would require remarking.

d) The conclusion was that the whole issue of the car park is on the schedule of review of assets and this topic should be picked up then and not be lost.

67/26 Planning and Licencing applications

No new registered in time for agenda. One new application 1/4/26 which Cllrs can respond to individually.

68/26 Planning and Licencing decisions

4/26/2033/OFI 20 Seascale Park, Seascale – Approved

4/26/2014/OFI Land behind 55 Gosforth Rd, Seascale – Approved

MB gave an apology to the resident of 55 Gosforth Rd that she had not put this correctly on the agenda.

69/26 Governance, Support Structures and Staffing

i) Cllrs were encouraged to promote the clerk vacancy and to note the closing date on the advert is extended until 30/4/25

ii) MB reported that she had been asked to clarify the position regarding Cllrs out of pocket expenses. This led to much discussion on a balance between enabling anyone to participate in training or other activities required for Council business and how the general public viewed this. It was agreed that JC would write a policy which would be a future agenda item.

iii) Training proposal – to agree when (deferred to May)

iv) JC had prior circulated a number of policies. There had been no comments, so these would now be placed on the web site. JC confirmed her list of the next policies she would be circulating.

v) The IT policy for compliance with Assertion 10 was approved.

vi) MB requested confirmation of the next 2 meetings. The annual council meeting with be held on 6th May which will have the requirements of the annual meeting plus routine business and the annual parish meeting held on 13th May will be for the general public.

vii) BHC had prior circulated an email from the Web hosts regarding compliance with assertion 10 and also an opportunity to make the site more accessible to the clerk. The decision was to not to pay the assertion 10 fee and not to progress the other offer.

70/26 Finance and accounts

RFO Report 25th March 2026

Bank balances at 25th March 2026:

Receipts in March 2026

Payments in March 2026 to date

Payment for authorisation

Finance items approved: proposer JC seconded CHC.

71/26 Councillors matters

KM reported that Tony Holman had reached his 100th Blood donor session. MB to send acknowledgement

KM was also concerned regarding the lack of bus timetables – MB to ask Library as they have been producing these.

KM – reminded people of the resurfacing of the A595 which will cause some inconvenience.

72/26 Date of Next meetings

All at 7pm in the Methodist School Rooms, Seascale

6th May, APM 13th May. 3rd June, 1st July 2026