The meeting was chaired by Clr Hirst. Apologies were received from Clrs Fawcett and Casey, the minutes of the last meeting approved without no matters arising from them.

The only update on Backdale Quarry was to note that in a recent letter to members of the Save Longstone Edge Group, the National Parks Authority had been quoted as saying that should limestone extraction recommence they would apply for an injunction to stop it. The SLEG will be holding a meeting in Calver Village Hall on 18^th August.

Planning applications were considered for conservatories at 8 The Meadows and Endden, The Close, and an extension to Honeysuckle Cottage on Main Street. All were approved. In discussions about the Meadows application, Clr Finney expressed some concern about the amount of building work that has taken place on the estate and reminded the meeting of the original purpose of the Meadows development - to provide low cost starter homes for locals. Planning consent for the estate was given on this basis, but this intent has been eroded by the various developments over the years.

The PC’s current financial situation was £1000 in the current account, £10,647 on deposit. Various invoices totalling £2095 were approved for payment.

Clr Askew reported that the Village Hall windows were being repainted, and it was planned that the interior would be redecorated later in the year.

All playground equipment except the slide has been checked and repaired by Mr Long, at his own expense. The council expressed its gratitude and resolved to send Mr Long a letter of thanks for the work he has been doing in the village. The work on the big slide is a much larger job; Mr Long has started to consider what is required, but it is anticipated that the slide will have to be dismantled and removed as the work will need to be done in a workshop rather than on site.

Repairs to the War Memorial have been carried out, again by Mr Long. The ironwork has been replaced. This is the only work that is to be done, as previous consultations with stonemasons have led the council to decide that the stonework is best left uncleaned. The village cross is also undergoing repair work. Discussions amongst the councillors could not recall any work being done on the cross in living memory. Clr Finney emphasised the importance to the village of items such as the cross, and the need to ensure they were properly maintained for future generations.

In discussions on the millennium, it was noted that if the village were to have a beacon a suitable site and planning permission would have to be obtained. The PC’s "Millennium Mug" has been ordered. A suggestion was made that the village have an evening’s entertainment on the recreation ground, for example a concert or a play. A further suggestion was that the field Mr West is donating to the village (at the bottom of Croft Road) become a millennium village green. The council was in favour of this idea, but until the land is actually acquired, nothing definite can be decided. Various other possible millennium projects were considered but the council decided to leave these matters to the village’s Millennium Committee. In the course of the discussions, it was reported that the village has progressed to the second round of the Best Kept Village competition, something that has never been achieved before.

The donation of the field and allotments to the village by Mr West was held up awaiting the preparation of a list of current tenants of the allotments. As soon as this was complete, it is anticipated the transfer will go ahead.

The need for a new village notice board by the bus shelter was discussed, various options being proposed and rejected. The council resolved to view the notice board and then ask three local joiners for their suggestions and quotes on how best to renovate or replace it.

The DDDC’s reply to the council’s letter of complaint about the grass cutting on the recreation ground was read out by the clerk. DDDC apologised for their performance, and said this was due to a combination of the grass cutting team having to take on more work than expected and the weather producing excessive grass growth. They would endeavour to improve their performance in future.

The council’s letter to the cricket club about the dumping of grass cuttings had produced no response. The old cricket club nets were discussed again; the PC has received an offer to remove them in exchange for the scrap steel. It was resolved to accept this offer. Clr Bowering said he had been asked if a tree on the recreation ground overhanging adjoining buildings could be pruned back. The council agreed in principal, but resolved to ask an tree expert from PPPB to come and look at the tree before finally deciding.

The PC had written to the glass recycling company asking for bigger bins, as the present ones always seemed to be full. Their response was refusal on the grounds that the bigger truck required to move them couldn’t get up by the side of the White Lion. The PC has also asked for the bins to be emptied more often. Also, there appears to be confusion over the dates of the paper recycling collections, so the council will ask the village shops to put up the timetable.

Clr Finney reported that he had received three complaints about the activities of Turner’s, one about a truck spilling something disgusting on Main Street and two about the smell and smoke from Turner’s Moor Road property. There was a discussion about these matters, but the feeling was that these were a one-off and overall Turner’s did not cause any nuisance to the village. However, it was resolved to write to DDDC and obtain copies of any documents that detail the operations Turner’s are entitled to carry out, where and when. The PC will monitor the situation and take action in the event of any further problems.

Clr Gregory reported on the School Open Day. Mr Evans (Head Teacher for many years) gave a speech comparing the school of today with when he started teaching there. The school role in his day was 35, a far cry from the 125 of today. Mr Spinks (Chairman of Governors) also spoke and thanked everyone for their contributions. Unfortunately the event seemed poorly attended by local people, but the Sports Day following gained much more support.

The Feemouth Yard resurfacing project is still awaiting quotes from contractors.

Following a letter to the EMEB, their contractor has returned to do more tidying and renovation to the verges and Station Fields. They seem to have done a better job this time and the PC was now satisfied. A response from the EMEB indicated they were disappointed with the performance of their contractor and apologised for the delays in getting the restoration work completed satisfactorily.

Several councillors commented on the verge mowing done by DDDC. It wasn’t being done often enough and when it was done the verges were left in a mess. This issue has been raised before, and the possibility of more frequent mowing raised with DDDC. However, this would have to be paid for and it was felt that the extra cost couldn’t be justified. The council resolved to write a letter of complaint.

The contractor responsible for cutting the village greens has told the PC that unless something is done to stop dogs fouling the greens, he will no longer be prepared to cut them. The PC discussed this issue at length and it was noted that the problem wasn’t confined to the greens; there was also dog excrement all over the village and even on the recreation ground. This is despite the majority of the village being a "no fouling" area and there being signposts to this effect. The council was unanimous in their condemnation of dog fouling, not only is it unpleasant, but also a health hazard. Through UTE, the council asks dog owners to respect the no fouling areas and clean up after their dog. If this matter continues to be a problem the council will take further action. In the meantime, should any parishioner wish to contact the Environmental Health Officer at Bakewell about particular occurrences of fouling, the EHO will take action against the offenders.

Received correspondence was considered: the village has been invited to plant a Millennium Tree, that DCC will fund. It will have a commemorative plaque, and a list of all villagers born in the year 2000. Clr Cox offered to make a site by a public footpath available. The village has been offered an anti speeding poster campaign by DCC, and in light of the speed that cars travel on Main Street, it was decided to accept the offer.