2019 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

Present:               C Karen Cartwright, C Mike Brookes, C Alan Hughes, C Chelcei Sharman, C Ray Butler, .C Keith Osborne: C Roy Hilton, C Nicholas Gooder, C Phillipa Parnell

Also Present:      

Public Forum       4 Residents attended

Meeting started at 7.30 pm

Public Forum

One resident spoke to the Councillors about a recent post she had put on facebook and how she felt this was a good way to consult and communicate the wishes of the Parishioners. In addition, she made comment to the size of the font of the minutes of the meetings in the noticeboard and the difficulty in reading them as the noticeboard was misted up.

19/101   Chairman’s Remarks:         None

19/102 Apologies for absence and reasons given.

Apologies for absence received from: Cllr G Cornah, Cllr R Welberry & Cllr C Sharman. It was resolved to accept apologies for absence and reasons given.

19/103    To receive any declarations of interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011.

Cllr RH declared a conflict of interest in application B/19/0376 as the field adjacent to the property is owned by his employer.

19/104 Police report.

No police presence or report received.

19/105 Draft minutes of the meetings held on 09.09.19 to be confirmed and signed as minutes.

It was resolved to accept the above notes.  The notes were confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

19/106 Financial matters: Financial report, accounts for payment and budget figures up to 04/10/2019.

It was resolved to accept the accounts for payment.

Action: Clerk to make outstanding payments

19/107 Planning Applications –

B/19/0364 – Variation of Condition to Building Consent B/19/0155 to alter roof materials and skylight at 2 Bank House, Market Place

No comments or concerns

Cllr RH left the room 7.49 pm

B/19/0376 – Proposed garden room at The Den, Station Road

No comments or concerns

Cllr RH returned 7.52pm

B/19/0405 – Replacement of rear flat roof with Pitched Roof to match existing roof at 45 Tarry Hill

No comments or concerns

Consultation on Phone boxes

Following discussion regarding the possible use of the Phone box to house a defibrillator for Browns Drove it was resolved that the Clerk would contact them to establish if the electricity supply would still be in place.It was proposed by Cllr KC and seconded by Cllr RH that the phone box be purchased for the nominal £1.All other Councillors voted in favour.

B/19/0320 – Withdrawal of Planning Application

Action: Clerk to notify planning department and contact BT regarding the electricity supply to the phone box.

19/108  Correspondence

19/109  Councillors reports.

Cllr RH commented on how the new planters still look amazing and wanted to thank Cllr R Welberry.  In addition, he asked that the feedback report for the best kept village competition be chased.

Cllr KO reported that he had received a request that the Memorial Gardens be left open all day on Remembrance Sunday and confirmed he would do this.  In addition, he enquired about the progress on the investigations by the Road Safety Partnership regarding Black Jack Junction.  Cllr MB responded that this was still in progress.  The clear glass bottle bin near Mon Ami is full and asked that the Clerk chase up this to be emptied.  He also requested that a TPO request be made for the Yew Tree at the entrance to Ferndale House as someone is putting signs up with pins which will damage the tree.  It was resolved that the Clerk complete the application.

Cllr PP raised the fact that the plastic bottles with bin bags are getting empty again.  It was resolved that she would contact Boston Borough Council for some more bags and pass them to the Club to fill them again.  She also raised concerns about the drainage at North End junction and the Clerk replied she had been monitoring this and it does clear within a couple of hours of heavy rain, but she will continue to monitor it.  She confirmed she had carried out the playground inspection for September but could not make the appointment that Cllr AH had made regarding potential resurfacing.

Cllr MB gave an update on the email he had received regarding the condition of the Wheatsheaf and that Alan Watts has not received a response from the owner to date and that he now intends to issue a legal notice (s215 of the planning act) for the site to be tidied up.

Cllr NG reported that he had not had a chance as yet to put anything together regarding volunteers due to work commitments, however 2 residents attending the meeting are looking to become volunteers.

Action:  Clerk to follow up on Best Kept village competition.  Clerk to complete TPO application for Yew tree and request Glass Bin to be emptied. 

19/110 Clerks report.

It was resolved that the Clerk would send a letter of Thanks to Isabel regarding the first aid training.

Action. Clerk to send Letter

19/111 The Wheatsheaf ACV

The Clerk confirmed she had spoken to the agent who confirmed there would be an open day either late October/early November and that they would be in touch

Action:None

19/112 Memorial Gardens

The Clerk produced quotes that had previously been obtained for the repairs and asked which specific type of repair they would prefer.  It was agreed that a stone replacement was the best option, but that the type required based on Listing building status needed to be clarified.  It was resolved that the clerk would investigate the requirement of repair type and then obtain quotes for the repair and cleaning of the memorial and prepare the funding application. 

It was also resolved that it should be reaffirmed within the village that any banners being placed at the memorial would be taken down immediately.

Action:  Clerk to investigate required repairs and obtain quotes and complete the funding application.

19/113  Play area Inspection Report Actions

Cllr AH reported that he had looked into companies that do maintenance of playgrounds and has a meeting arranged for later this month.

Action: Cllr AH to meet with Playground maintenance company.

19/114  Finance Meeting

Asset     Register -  This was presented and agreed that the CCTV equipment could now be removed.  The Clerk was asked if the Memorial was covered under the insurance and it was agreed that she would clarify this.

Budget  -  The Clerk presented the proposed Budget completed at the Finance meeting with a Precept figure of £31,832.   Cllr RH proposed, Cllr KO seconded and all others voted in Favour of this figure.  Clerk to submit this once the forms have been received

Annual Audit Report.  The Clerk confirmed the Audit report had been received and presented at the Finance meeting.  The only feedback was an error of the minute numbers being omitted from sections 1 & 2.

Action:   Clerk to update the Asset register and submit the precept figure once the form is received.

19/115 Clerk’s training update including Code of Conduct and Declaration of Interest

The Clerk fed back from the training that the new Code of Conduct is currently going through the legislative stages so is not yet confirmed and that further information will be received once it has been agreed.  The purpose behind the change is that currently Borough and Parish Councillors do not have the same rules and sanctions that other political figures have.

In addition, the clerk ran through the definitions for declaring interests & conflict of interests for the newer Councillors.

Action:  None

19/116  Residents Concerns/Requests

• Road Safety Baby Row

The Clerk reported that she had received another email from the resident on Baby Row regarding continued concerns about the speed. Cllr MB confirmed that he had spoken to highways regarding this and that they do not put in repeater signs within 30mph limits so would not consider this.  It was resolved that the clerk would feedback to the resident.

• Scania – Local Sustainability Initiative

The clerk reported that she had received an email regarding Scania having a local sustainability initiative and asked if we had any areas, they could plant trees.It was confirmed that initiatives of this kind had been undertaken before and at present there is nowhere suitable.It was resolved that the Clerk go back to them and ask if they would be able to help with the Memorial/stocks refurbishment.

• Government Parish Student Grant

The Clerk reported that she had received an enquiry regarding a Government Parish Student Grant.It was confirmed that the Parish does not have one but that the Poor charity do give grants in some circumstances and that the resident should also contact the education foundation.The clerk to feedback to the resident.

ACTION: Clerk to feedback to residents and contact Scania regarding the memorial garden.

Cllr AH requested that the meeting go into a closed session for the next item.

19/117  Resident Complaint

The complaint was discussed, and it was resolved that the clerk would write back to the resident.

Action: Clerk to write to the resident.

Meeting closed 8.57pm