April 2021 Minutes
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF SWINESHEAD PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON 21st APRIL 2021
Present: C. Roy Hilton, C. Mike Brookes, C. Philippa Parnell, C. Chelcei Trafford, C. George Cornah, C. Sean Trafford, C. Carl Gibbard
Also Present: None
Public Forum
No public present.
20/166 Chairman’s remarks
Cllr RH thanked Councillors for their attendance at the memorial for HRH The Prince Philip and apologised for his absence. Cllr RH also thanked the clerk for her continued hard work.
20/167 To receive apologies for absence and reasons given
Apologies received from Cllr KO due to illness and Cllr RW due to prior commitment. Cllr GC proposed to accept both apologies, this was seconded by Cllr CG and resolved.
20/168 To receive any declarations of interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011
Cllr CT declared that she would not be taking part in any planning discussions or decisions due to her involvement with the Planning Committee at Boston Borough Council.
Cllr CG declared an pecuniary interest in item 19 due to owning one of the buildings that was to be considered as an office for the Parish Clerk.
20/169 Police report
Apologies from Neil Williams regarding the lack of report for last month, please see reported crimes for March below:
17/02/21 Public order offence, Monks Road – under investigation
18/02/21 Public order offence, Michael Moses Way – 1 arrested
19/02/21 Assault, Michael Moses Way – under investigation
Apologies from Neil Williams for April’s meeting, please see reported crimes below:
17/03/21 Theft from Co-op , High Street – under investigation
29/03/21 Criminal damage to dwelling, Kings Crescent – under investigation
31/03/21 Wildlife Act offence, High Green – under investigation
02/04/21 Attempt burglary to shed, High Street – under investigation
03/04/21 Assault, Michael Moses Way – under investigation
06/04/21 Theft from Co-op, High Street – suspect identified, under investigation
07/04/21 Theft from Co-op, High Street – suspect identified, under investigation.
Councillors passed no comments.
20/170 Draft minutes of the meeting held on 08/03/21 to be confirmed and signed as minutes
Cllr RH proposed that the circulated notes from 08/03/21 should be confirmed as minutes. This proposal was seconded by Cllr ST. It was resolved that the notes were accepted as a true reflection of the meeting and signed by Cllr RH.
ACTION: CLERK to add minutes to parish noticeboard, website and Facebook page.
20/171 Financial matters: Accounts for payment, budget figures and finance report
Cllr RH proposed that the accounts for payment should be accepted, having checked over them personally. In his absence, the Clerk confirmed that Cllr KO had also checked the payment list. The proposal was seconded by Cllr PP and resolved.
Cllr RH confirmed that he had completed bank reconciliations for Quarter 3 and Quarter 4 and these were both fine.
Clerk confirmed that she now had access to the bank accounts and the budget analysis had been updated accordingly and every penny was accounted for. The 2020/21 accounts are now ready for audit.
ACTION: CLERK to make payments. CLERK to forward the accounts to the internal auditor.
20/172 Planning: B/21/0096: Porters, South Street, Swineshead, Boston, PE20 3JL; B/21/0112: A52 Donington Road/A17/, A52 Roundabout, Boston, PE20 3AN; B/21/0124: 21, Abbey Road, Swineshead, Boston, PE20 3EN
Cllr CT turned her camera off and muted her microphone for this agenda item.
Councillors confirmed that they had considered the electronic files and had no feedback on any of the three proposed planning applications.
ACTION: Clerk to inform Boston Borough Council Planning on outcomes.
20/173 Correspondence
Boston Borough Council news releases (various)
Rural Services Network Bulletins (various)
LALC News (various)
CPRE (various)
24/02/21 LCC RE Stopping Application Court Case Adjournment
08/03/21 LCC Schools Admissions Team RE Skegness Grammar
09/03/21 BBC RE Census
10/03/21 Calor Gas RE Rural Community Fund
11/03/21 LCC Road Closure Warning
11/02/21 Keep Britain Tidy RE Spring Clean
15/03/21 Member of Public RE telephone box adoption
17/03/21 LALC RE NHS Transport Survey
17/03/21 Member of Public RE Royal Mail Rubber Bands
18/03/21 BBC RE Covid Vaccinations Q&A
18/03/21 BBC RE Updated Pecuniary Interests
18/03/21 BBC RE Police Commissioner Election
19/03/21 Defib Central RE URGENT FIELD SAFETY NOTICE
22/03/21 Police: Rural West Newsletter
23/03/21 Viking Link CLG Minutes
29/03/21 LCC RE Notification of works on Coles Lane
30/03/21 YMCA Community News
31/03/21 Lincs Police RE Speed Stickers
01/04/21 BBC RE The Local Council Experience
04/04/21 Member of the Public further complaint RE Royal Mail
05/04/21 The Time Machine Theatre Company RE Production
06/04/21 BBC RE Suggested Tree Planting in Swineshead
06/04/21 CPRE RE Star Count Survey
07/04/21 Calor Gas Fund, two weeks’ notice of closing for app
08/04/21 East Lindsey Council RE Local Election counts
08/04/21 Member of the Public RE fences at Playing Fields
12/04/21 BBC RE Census Myth Buster
12/04/21 Bonded Surfacing RE playground surfacing
12/04/21 Member of the Public RE grass cuttings on property
13/04/21 BBC RE attendance at election counts
18/04/21 Lincolnshire Lowland Search and Rescue RE Donation
Councillors accepted the list of correspondence and queried the following:
RE the adoption of a telephone box for the village: Councillors agreed to research this matter further and consider as an agenda item at a future meeting.
Complaint RE rubber bands: Councillors agreed to respond to the complainant to inform them that this matter will be monitored more and that the Parish Council will support in referring this to Boston Borough Council to pursue a fine if video/photographic evidence can be provided to support the complaint. Clerk to feedback to complainant and Royal Mail.
RE Pecuniary interests of Councillors: Councillors asked the Clerk to forward a link to whereabouts on Boston Borough Council website so that Councillors can check individually before the AGM.
Complaint RE fencing at football fields: Councillors recommended that this is a matter for the resident to take up as the fencing is not owned by the Parish Council. Parish Council happy to remind the football club to ask their players not to enter other people’s properties to support the complainant, and also to publish a public reminder on the Parish Council Facebook Page.
Resurfacing at the Play Area: Councillors were unsure as to what was to happen going forward with this matter as it was dealt with by a former Councillor in the past. Cllr RH agreed to discuss with the former Councillor and feedback at next meeting.
Complaint RE grass being blown on to a resident’s stones: Councillors suggested that the handyman should be asked to ensure that he blows the grass cuttings the other way onto the road in future.
Requests for donations: Councillors asked that these should be considered at the AGM as per normal practice.
Cllr RH asked if any Councillors wished to discuss any of the other pieces of correspondence. Before asking the Clerk to action responses as discussed above.
ACTION: CLERK to research adoption of phone box; Clerk to respond to three members of the public; Clerk to forward link to Pecuniary Interested on BBC website; Cllr RH to liaise with former Councillor RE playing surfaces at the park; Clerk to forward requests for donations to May meeting.
20/174 Councillors’ reports
Cllr MB Cllr MB informed Councillors that a school crossing patrol had been passed for Abbey Road. A “lollipop person” is to be put in place for a crossing slightly before Owl Drive as you are heading out of the village. This will bring about NO WAITING restrictions at school start and finish times marked by single yellow lines between No 25 and the school layby. Also during the review, it was recommended that the Zig-Zag lines would be removed, as legally these should block people from parking in the layby outside of the school. Cllr MB informed
Councillors that although this had been agreed, it was likely to be up to 18 months before this would be put in place due to the legal process of obtaining the traffic regulation order.
Cllr MB also informed Councillors that a member of the public had approached him about the possibility of using lasers to discourage crows from nesting in trees around the church.
Cllr CG Cllr CG enquired whether the Parish Council could assist the Church with grass cutting equipment after they had made a public appeal. Councillors informed Cllr CG that their appeal to public had been successful and they now had the equipment they needed.
Cllr PP Cllr PP thanked the Clerk for arranging the memorial for HRH Prince Philip, and commented that it was a lovely thing to be able to do on behalf of the residents of the village.
Cllr PP also informed Councillors that her ROSPA qualification for park inspections had expired and needed to be renewed ASAP.
ACTION: CLERK to research up-coming ROPSA courses and feed back to Cllr PP.
Cllr CT Enquired as to the whereabouts of the gate at the play area. Councillors were unsure where this was requested Cllr MB to ask former Councillors if they knew.
ACTION: Cllr MB to ask former Councillor and feed back to Clerk.
Cllr ST Reported three separate complaints of speeding at High Green; a complaint regarding parking on the pavement at Mackey’s Pit; a complaint about a van parking outside of the new property on Abbey Road blocking visibility for people pulling out of King John’s Road. Clerk advised that these are all Police matters and not for the Parish Council to consider.
ACTION: CLERK to report all matters to the Police.
20/175 Clerk’s report
Clerk informed Councillors that it continues to be a very busy time catching up with a backlog of work and preparing for year end. This was leading to increased hours.
Matters Arising from previous meeting (08/03/21)
20/145: Co-option paperwork for Cllrs ST and CG sent to BBC, declarations completed.
20/151: Minutes for February meeting displayed accordingly on the noticeboard. Clerk has no idea how to use the website yet and therefore this is a job that needs to be caught up on in the not-too-distant future.
20/152: Payments made as per schedule. Slight error in payments meant former Clerk has to refund the part of her wages that should have been sent to HMRC. This was carried out with no hesitation.
20/153: Access to bank accounts currently in hand as reported in Item 6, Financial Matters.
20/154: Parish Office moved temporarily to Northend, this is currently working very well. Further discussion to take place under agenda item 19.
20/155: BBC informed of the resolution to repair streetlamp #18 on Abbey Road.
20/156: SMV informed that they have been awarded the grass cutting contract for 2021/22. Following a request from a councillor, I asked SMV to bring forward the first cut to as soon as possible in April, this has been scheduled for 12th April which is the earliest they could do.
20/157: BBC informed of planning feedback for application B/21/0065.
20/159: Issue with bins on A17 laybys has been chased with Cllr GC and BBC accordingly.
20/161: No request for donation yet received from Swineshead Wombles due to an abundance of charitable donations of PPE and resources.
20/162: Further discussion under agenda item 16.
20/164: Dedicated emails establish and working well.
20/165: To be discussed further under agenda item 24.
Cllr CG left the meetings at 20:00
20/176 To carry out the allotment review for 2022/23 – 2024/25 as per tenancy agreement
Cllr RH proposed that the current rent of £225 per acre per year is still relevant given the current economic climate and suggested that this should be kept the same for the next three year period. This proposal was seconded by Cllr MB and resolved.
The clerk informed Councillors that an old tenant had been released from his agreement a year before the end of his current tenancy. The new tenant, who had taken over the tenancy, has agreed that he would be happy to sign a one year tenancy for 2021/22 so that all three three-year tenancy agreements could run co-currently from 2022/23. Cllr RH proposed that this was a good idea and Councillor should accept this proposal from the Clerk, this was seconded by Cllr MB and resolved.
ACTION: CLERK to inform tenants that the rent for 2022/23 – 2024/25 should remain unchanged, and arrange for a one-year tenancy agreement to be signed by the new tenant.
20/177 To confirm locations for new bins in the village
Clerk informed Councillors that we were still awaiting feedback from Boston Borough Council and suggested that this matter should be forwarded to the next meeting. Councillor agreed.
ACTION: Clerk to forward agenda item to May meeting.
20/178 To discuss the agreement with the Methodist Chapel with regards to the Community Hub
Clerk informed Councillors that the 5-year lease on the Community Hub was expired and needs to be re-negotiated with the Methodist Chapel as soon as possible. Councillors felt that this could not be addressed in the absence of Cllr KO and should be postponed to the next meeting. Clerk recommended that she discusses this with Cllr KO prior to the next meeting so that some initial meetings could be arranged as soon as possible. Councillors agreed.
ACTION: Clerk to discuss this matter with Cllr KO and forward item to May meeting.
20/179 To agree to the signing of the grant variation for the Community Hub for 2020/21 and 2021/22
Clerk informed Councillors that the Grant Variation forms for 2020/21 had never been signed and returned, although the money had been received and the service continued. The clerk had been advised that the forms need to be signed retrospectively and forwarded as soon as possible. Cllr RH proposed that the forms should be signed and returned immediately, this was seconded by Cllr PP and resolved.
Clerk informed Councillors that the 2021/22 Grant Variation had also been received. The grant is for £5167 and in addition the library would receive: a new internet connection, a new admin PC, 2 new public PCs, a PC booking system, a new printer, a new telephone handset and access to a new LMS. Cllr RH proposed that the forms should be signed and returned, this was seconded by Cllr PP and resolved.
ACTION: CLERK sign both lots of paperwork and return ASAP.
20/180 To discuss the proposed extinguishment of Swineshead Public Footpath #16
Following discussion, it was agreed that the as the footpath is unused, inaccessible and impossible to upkeep; and that a parallel alternative footpath exists, Councillors had no objections to the proposed extinguishment.
ACTION: CLERK to feedback that there were no objections
20/181 Update on plans to revitalise Coney Hill Layby (MB/ST)
Cllr MB informed Councillors that he and Cllr ST had met with the Highways Manager at the layby, and the meeting had been very successful. The Highways manager had been very support of the project and would be happy to assist enhancing the area, and might even be in a position to provide some planting materials. Furthermore, LCC could consider closing the layby to vehicles. This was discussed and Councillors were supportive of this action.
Cllr ST added that the local McDonalds franchisee has said that they’d consider providing bins for the area.
20/182 To agree to update the Councillor pins on the civic chain at a cost of £45 (inc VAT)
Cllr RH proposed that Cllrs Debbie Hutson, Karen Cartwright and Alan Hughes should be added to the civic chains at a cost of £45. This was seconded by Cllr PP and resolved.
ACTION: CLERK to order new pins ASAP.
20/183 To discuss the possibility of ordering new art to further enhance the war memorial at a cost of £350 (inc VAT)
Cllr RH asked whether Councillors had reviewed the link for the proposed new art work. Councillors decided that more time was needed to review the art work in question, including positioning, materials, storage, etc. and suggested that more research needs to take place before a decision could be made.
ACTION: Councillors to review the suggestion with a view to making a decision at the next meeting.
20/184 To discuss possible new locations for the Parish Office
Cllr CG turned off his camera and muted his microphone for this item.
Clerk reported that having access to the temporary new office provided by Cllr CG had been really useful in terms of productivity due to the access to the printer, copier, filing cabinet, stationary, etc. and suggested that going forward, a more permanent office space should be considered rather than the expectation for the clerk to work from home.
Cllr RH reported that there were few alternatives available in the village to consider but forwarded a suggestion that he had discussed with the Clerk that perhaps the Parish Council could consider a more permanent base by using some of the earmarked money from the Community Hub (and attract some grants) to extend the current Community Hub to allow for a meeting space, an office and an archive area that could be used by the wider community as well as the Parish Council. Councillors welcomed this idea however felt that this is a long-term solution that would require a lot of planning to get off the ground.
Cllr RH proposed that for the short-term, the Parish Council should take on the lease of the current office at a cost of £400 per month, starting from the 1st May, to be reviewed after 3 months. In this time, the Library/Community Hub and Methodist Chapel could be approached regarding looking into the idea of extending the current provision as per the suggestion above. Cllr PP seconded the proposal, and it was resolved.
ACTION: Clerk to liaise with Northend regarding the temporary lease of the current office space. Clerk to liaise with Cllr KO regarding approaching the Methodist Chapel to discuss the idea of extending the Community Hub.
20/185 To discuss and agree a way forward with the existing defibrillators, including possible replacement of the cabinet at Swineshead Bridge at a cost of £595 (exc VAT)
Clerk informed Councillors that the newest defibrillator at Swineshead Bridge is enclosed in the wrong type of cabinet, that cannot be wired into the electricity supply. The existing cabinet cannot be repurposed and needs to be replaced. The old cabinet has had holes drilled into it no cannot be returned or sold on.
Also regarding the defibrillators, a system needs to be put in place to ensure that they are checked regularly, that they are properly registered and maintained, that they are suitably sign-posted and publicised, etc.
Cllr RH proposed that a new cabinet should replace the existing one at Swineshead Bridge at a cost of £595+VAT + fitting. The cabinet removed from Swineshead Bridge should replace the oldest one at the Church Hall, and new signage should be arranged for all three units. Following this, at another meeting, a system can be agreed for ensuring they are properly maintained, etc. This proposal was seconded by Cllr PP and resolved.
ACTION: Clerk to arrange for swapping the existing cabinets and ordering new signage. Agenda item for May.
20/186 To discuss new speeding initiatives to combat speeding in the village (ST)
Cllr ST informed Councillors that 28 members of public had now put themselves forward for the community Speedwatch team and he awaiting further information about the best way to train the new team. Cllr ST also asked for Councillors to email him with any suggested hotspot areas that should be put forward as areas to concentrate on once the initiative was ready to roll out.
As a second initiative, Cllr ST suggested that along with Cllr CT they would like to partner with the school liaison police officer and the village school to start a campaign with children in the village to combat the problem of speeding. Cllr ST has secured enough car bumper stickers to give each child at the school to take home as an incentive.
Councillors congratulated Cllr ST on both of these initiatives and confirmed that they were happy for him to continue with the next stages of his proposals.
ACTION: Cllr ST to continue with these initiative and feedback at the next meeting.
20/187 To discuss the particulars for the May Annual Meeting of the Parish Council and the Annual Parish Meeting
Clerk informed Councillors that from May 7th it is illegal for the Council to meet via Zoom and face-to-face meetings should resume.
After considering various options, Cllr ST proposed that both meetings should go ahead on Monday 24th May at the new office at Northend with Covid-secure measure in place. Cllr MB seconded the proposal and it was resolved.
ACTION: Clerk to go ahead with arranging the meetings as agreed.
20/188 To discuss the co-option of two new Councillors and consider a new co-option policy
Councillors reviewed a new co-option policy suggested by the Clerk (based on NALC best-practice). Cllr RH proposed that the Council should adopt the policy with immediate affect. This was seconded by Cllr ST and resolved.
Furthermore Cllr RH proposed to initiate the new policy with respect to filling the two existing empty seats on the Parish Council. This was seconded by Cllr ST and resolved.
ACTION: Clerk to initiate the new policy and advertise the co-option vacancies with a view to voting on prospective candidates at the May meeting.
Cllr CT left the meeting at 21:32
20/189 Update on the vacancy for a new clerk
Cllr RH informed Councillors that Michelle Cound had accepted the position of clerk and is due to start on 1st May, starting with 6 hours per week, increasing by two hours each month until the temporary clerk has completed a full handover by September. Cllr RH asked the temporary Clerk to work on a contract of employment for Michelle.
ACTION: CLERK to produce a contract of employment for new clerk ASAP.
MEETING CLOSED: 21:37