REPORT OF ALSTON MOOR PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
REPORT OF ALSTON MOOR PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
5 MAY 2026
This report is an informal one, and should not be taken as an accurate and agreed record of the parish council meeting. It is written to give our local residents some general information about the meeting, but only the formal minutes, which will be posted later, are a proper record.
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ANNUAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
The meeting started with the Annual Parish Council Meeting, when all rôles are elected or agreed.
• Councillor Raymond Miller was re-elected as Chair and Councillor Alix Martin as Vice-Chair.
• To ensure Nenthead representation, either Councillor Judith Crossley or the potential new Nenthead councillor (to be considered at the next parish council meeting) will join the Alston Moor Emergency Response Group and the Traffic Management Committee.
• Councillor Alastair Robertson will take over from Councillor Ron Robinson with responsibility for Tyne Willows.
• Councillor Elaine Grew is joining the Place Action Group
All policies are up-to-date and will go on the website.
The Council insurance is due in June and we expect to get the renewal notice seeon
The 2027 precept meeting will be held on 11 January.
The Annual Parish Meeting 2027 will be on 19 April.
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PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
We then moved on to the monthly parish council meeting. The minutes of the last meeting, on 7 April, were approved.
PLANNING
The owners of the Haggs Bank Bunkhouse at Nentsberry were present and invited to speak. They are totally frustrated with the failure of the planning department (both previously Eden District Council and more recently Westmorland and Furness Council) to respond effectively or provide any clear reasons why their application has not been approved. The parish council were unanimous in agreeing that we support the application and will let W&F know this.
New information had been received about the land off Park View Lane, Alston, that the drainage has been diverted.
The council approved the part-retrospective application for Bridge House at Garrigill.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CO-ORDINATOR
As the term for which funding for this rôle was given to Alston Moor Partnership by the Royal Countryside Fund will end in June, AMP have asked the parish council if there is a way to fund a temporary continuation of the rôle. It was generally agreed that it was important to find a way for it to continue, and possibilities will be looked into as a matter of urgency.
AGAR (Annual Governance and Accountability Return)
All is in place and ready to submit as soon as the final processes are gone through. Notification will be put on notice boards.
GRISEDALE CROFT
Westmorland and Furness Councillor Pat Bell, the Cabinet councillor responsible, has agreed to an informal online meeting with Cllr Martin and the Clerk. The W&F Annual Plan says the intention is to keep people close to home. Closing Grisedale Croft, as is being considered and intended to go out for consultation, would run counter to this. It also becomes clear that re-opening the hospital must be part of future plans.
The Alston Health website, (https://alstonmoorhealth.org) covering these issues and the past history, is to be publicised as an AMPC website, with links to the community and business websites. https://alstonmoordirectory.com
NENTHEAD WARD
Various issues raised are to go to W&F Highways.
FINANCE
Precept has now come in and is in full, as requested.
All payments for approval were agreed.
TYNE WILLOWS
Appleby Horse Fair is on 4 June. Melmerby Green is available for travellers from 1 June. We have requested that ther be no fires on the tarmac and to keep to the fencing arrangements.
We are negotiating with Hodgsons about boulders above the gym to prevent access onto the field across that mound.
NEXT MEETING
Monday 1 June 2026, 19.00 at Garrigill Village Hall.
Councillor Ron Robinson announced his resignation, owing to the endless unwarranted attacks on the parish council and his own ill health.