May 2021 Minutes Annual Parish Council Meeting
Minutes of the Ingoldsby Annual Parish Council Meeting held via Zoom on Wednesday 26 May 2021 at 8pm in the Village Hall, Ingoldsby
Public Forum: There were five parishioners present (2 in the village hall and 3 via zoom).
The Vice-Chairman, Councillor Kenyon, joining the meeting from the village hall opened the public forum.
Helen Lewis raised the issue of parking on Rosemary Rise. The recently deceased, Mrs Yvonne Bullen had brought attention to the issue in early 2020 and it was her understanding that the Parish Council had agreed to support the cause. This was confirmed by Council members. Helen Lewis said that she would now be taking over the issue and wanted to know whether there had been any progress. The Clerk said that she would send the last emailed correspondence from Lincolnshire County Council to Mrs Lewis.
Action: Clerk to liaise with Mrs Lewis.
Mr Peter Harden re-iterated the recent history of Askey Lane including the details of the application for the Public Right of Way. He stated that people are still under the impression that Askey Lane is privately owned leading to reluctance to use the lane for leisure. Councillor Trotter said that she thought the Parish Council had made some progress last year in terms of mediation with Mr Allen. It was confirmed that the stile had been removed by Mr Allen. Councillor Trotter agreed to re-initiate dialogue with Mr Allen.
1) ELECTION OF THE CHAIRMAN (21/012)
Councillor Kenyon proposed Acting-Chairman, Councillor Eldred as a candidate for the position of Chairman. Councillor Eldred confirmed her candidacy. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Nelson and passed by resolution of the Council.
2) ELECTION OF THE VICE-CHAIRMAN (21/013)
Councillor Eldred proposed Councillor Kenyon as a candidate for the position of Vice-Chairman. Councillor Kenyon confirmed his candidacy. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Ward-Barrow and passed by resolution of the Council.
3) WELCOME REMARKS BY THE CHAIRMAN (21/014)
Councillor Eldred welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked them for bearing with the Parish Council with some initial technical difficulties launching the zoom application at the start of the meeting. The Chairman confirmed that the Parish Council are no longer legally allowed to host remote meetings further to the statement issued by the government on 7 May 2021 (making the motion passed by the Parish Council to continue to host remote meetings on 21 April 2021 unlawful). A hybrid meeting where people can participate via zoom and attend in person at the village hall was thought to be a suitable compromise. The Chairman announced that the Annual Parish meeting will be postponed until normal village activities resume. The Great British Litter pick is coming up and the Parish Council hope to organise a village litter pick later in the summer. A Parish Council newsletter will be delivered in the near future. The Chairman also expressed her thanks to Mandy and Tracy for removing the damaged planter, which appeared to have been hit by a vehicle, replacing it with a new one which is now further away from the highway.
4) APOLOGIES (21/015)
a) None.
PRESENT
Councillor Eldred, Chairman
Councillor Kenyon, Vice-Chairman
Councillor Weller
Councillor Ward-Barrow
Councillor Nelson
5) DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST & DISPENSATIONS (21/016)
a) No reports of pecuniary interests or applications for dispensations in relation to the agenda.
b) Councillor Eldred reported her interests in relation to the Village Hall Committee.
6) SIGNING OF THE MINUTES (20/017)
a) Members resolved to accept the Clerk’s notes of the Parish Council meeting held on 21 April 2021 as a true and accurate record. The minutes were duly signed and dated.
7) GENERAL MATTERS (20/018)
a) County Council Matters
County Councillor Hill not present.
b) District Council Matters
District Councillor Sarah Trotter provided the meeting with some general updates from South Kesteven District Council.
South Kesteven District Council are celebrating members of the community in a new award scheme they are launching in June.
Action: Councillor Trotter to send details of the scheme to the Chairman and Clerk.
Councillor Trotter announced that there is a planning application for a new housing development of up to 4000 dwellings on the former Prince William barracks in Grantham. The applicant is looking for consent to commence construction in 2022 and the development is scheduled to take place over a 20-year period with associating infrastructure including a school, doctor’s surgery and store. Highways related concerns along with employment opportunities locally were discussed by those present.
Other matters:
• There is an appeal for a traveller’s site at Cold Harbor which is of concern for the residents.
• The bypass in well on the way and she said she thinks this will be a great success.
• The vaccination scheme at the Meres Leisure Centre in Grantham has been a great success and Covid-19 statistics for South Kesteven are on the decline.
• The Waste Collection depot will be moving from Alexandra Road to a new 9-acre site off Turn Pike Close with completion in 2023.
• There has been a rise in recorded fly-tipping due to an appointment only system for drop-off.
• Councillor Trotter said she had received no further updates in relation to the Rectory but had called the Case Officer, Craig Dickinson earlier for an update.
Finally, Councillor Trotter said she was delighted to have been elected as the South Kesteven representative on the Lincolnshire Police Crime Panel. She is keen to get feedback from parishes for the Commissioner when he addresses the Chief Constable.
c) Archer Survey & Speeding
The survey device has been installed in the village. Members agreed they are looking forward to receiving the data. Members reminded the public that the Parish Council has a stock of ‘slow down’ bumper stickers and 30mph wheelie bin stickers for distribution.
Action: Clerk to post a reminder on the local Facebook page.
d) Playground
Councillor Nelson reported that 15-20 people have expressed an interest in joining the playground working group. She stated that the next step will be to schedule a socially distanced meeting on the playing field of interested parties. Councillor Nelson suggested looking at inclusive equipment as not many play areas offer this and she thinks this would help the funding bid to stand out. A current assessment on the play equipment may be beneficial. There was some discussion about moving the playground to a different site for a variety of reasons including access and supervision.
Action: Clerk to send trust documentation and emails from LALC solicitor to Councillors Nelson and Kenyon.
e) Clerk’s Computer Equipment Allowance
The Clerk explained that it had become necessary to purchase a new laptop and she asked for financial assistance with the cost which is in excess of £1000.00. The current allowance of £100.00 per annum covers only the anti-virus software. The Chairman said that she finds the request to be fair. Members discussed the issue and agreed to defer the item to the next meeting pending further thought.
Action: Clerk to add the item to the next agenda.
f) Clerk’s Overtime
The Chairman proposed that the Clerk’s overtime (30-hours) is approved. This was seconded by Councillor Ward-Barrow and passed by resolution of the Council.
8. HIGHWAYS (21/019)
a) 30 mph signs
Member noted the email from the Senior Traffic Engineer dated 23 April 2021 in relation to the 30 mph signs (village limits). Mr Earls states that. ‘A review in accordance with our policy has been carried out on all approaches to the village, and unfortunately all approaches have not met the criteria for a change to the limits on either our development or accident criteria of the policy at this time’. Councillor Weller commented that this does not recognise that the Parish Council has been on a waiting list for the past five+ years.
Action: Clerk to follow up with the Senior Traffic Engineer.
b) The Council would like to remind parishioners that new faults can be reported at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/faultreporting or email cschighways@lincolnshire.gov.uk or contact customer services by telephone on 01522 782070.
9. PLANNING MATTERS (21/020)
a) New Planning Matters:
i) S21/0920 Pearce, Outline application with all matters reserved for the erection of a detached dwelling and garage at Greengates, Grantham Road, Ingoldsby, Lincolnshire, NG33 4EQ.
Action: Councillor Kenyon agreed to look at the planning application to determine whether there had been any changes to the proposals at the pre-planning phase.
ii) S21/0933 Hafiz – Cornerstone & Telefonica, the installation of an 18m lattice tower supporting 3 no. antennas, 2 no. transmission dishes, 1 no. equipment cabinet, 2 no. flat pack frames, 1 no. meter cabinet and ancillary development thereto including 1.8m fence to form a compound on land at Cemetery Farm Off Humby Road Ingoldsby NG33 4EH.
The style and location of the telecommunication tower was discussed along with the potential benefit to the village. Councillor Kenyon felt that this style is more intrusive and industrial than that proposed in an earlier planning application which was withdrawn by the applicant. Councillor Kenyon agreed to put together a list of comments for and against the development to assist parishioners to better respond to the planning application.
Action: Members to submit their comments to Councillor Kenyon so that a response can be put together for the planning department.
b) Decisions pending or received:
i) ENF20/0117 breach of works not in accordance with S19/1802 and S19/1311 ARNOLD, The Rectory, Back Lane, Ingoldsby. No updates at this time.
ii) S21/0741 Pumphrey, Ground Mount solar PV array, 4 rows of 14 panels at Scotland Farmhouse, Scotland Lane, Ingoldsby, NG33 4ES. Deadline for comments, 11 May 2021 (Case Officer, Stephen Cadman).
10) YEAR END FINANCE 2020/2021 (21/021)
a) Members noted the bank balances as of 31 March 2021.
Savings Account 8190.24
Current Account 903.36
Uncleared Payments (667.35)
Uncleared Income Nil
TOTAL 8426.25
Cashbook Total 8426.25
Bank Reconciliation (spreadsheet) on 31 March 2021 8426.25
a) Members noted the income received between 2 February and 31 March 2021.
February Interest 0.07
March Interest 0.06
TOTAL 0.13
b) To note the following expenditure paid in line with the approved list of regular payments between 2 February and 31 March 2021.
BT Invoice (March) 44.39
Clerk’s Salary (March) 105.20
Autela Payroll Services 5600 73.92
Section 137 Pete Langford Website Training 60.00
Thank you Cards 7.43
TOTAL 290.94
c) Councillor Kenyon proposed acceptance of the year-end accounts. The proposal was seconded by the Chairman and the motion to approve the end of year accounts was passed by resolution of the Council. The cashbook was duly signed and dated by the Chairman and the RFO.
d) AGAR/External Audit 2020/2021
i) The Clerk confirmed the dates of the ‘Period of Inspection’ for the financial records relating to the year ending 2020/2021. The dates which are 28 June to Friday 6 August 2021 has been published on the Parish Council noticeboard as required by law.
ii) The internal audit is in progress. Item to be deferred to the next meeting.
iii) The Chairman duly signed and dated the exemption certificate as required by the external auditor, PKF Littlejohn. This indicates that Ingoldsby Parish Council is a ‘smaller authority with income and expenditure not exceeding £25,000 in the year ending 31 March 2021’. Ingoldsby Parish Council is therefore exempt from a limited assurance review.
iv) Members resolved to approve the Annual Governance Statement (Section 1) of the Annual Return (AGAR). The document was duly signed and dated by the RFO and Chairman and annotated with minute reference (21/021) d) iv).
v) Members resolved to approve the Accounting Statements (AGAR, Section 2). The document was duly signed and dated by the Chairman and annotated with minute reference (21/021 d) v).
vi) Members agreed to defer the item ‘Compliant with Transparency Code’ to the next agenda.
vii) The Clerk confirmed that the VAT reclaim had been prepared and calculated at a total of £208.82.
e) Year End Budget Review
In terms of expenditure for the year ending 2020/21 the Parish Council was under budget by 12%. That being said, certain budget headings were significantly over budget. Autela Payroll Services was 109% over budget due to unforeseen price increases. Less significantly, expenses were 31% over budget due to the necessary purchase of a storage cabinet and the salary budget heading was 14% over budget for a variety of reasons including the increased workload brought about by the new website. Fortunately, these over-spends were counter-acted by significant underspending in the Village Hall, Section 137 and Community Improvements and less significantly in the BT and Subscriptions budget heads. In terms of income, the Parish Council received 2% more than budgeted. The year-end figure in the current account which members have historically resolved to transfer to the reserve account was £236.01 on 31 March 2021.
11) FINANCE (21/022)
a) Members resolved to approve the following amendments to the budget and approved list of regular payments for 2021/2022.
1. Subscription for LALC’s annual training scheme not exceeding the budgeted amount of £90.00 (£65.00).
2. Payments to the PCC for the annual renewal of the green bin service to be paid by direct debit annual for an amount not exceeding £58.50 (£56.00).
b) Members noted the income received between 1 April 2021 and 20 May 2021.
Interest (April) 0.07
Interest (May) 0.07
Precept (SKDC) 5130.00
Community Cleaning Grant (SKDC) 463.32
TOTAL 5593.46
c) Members noted the expenditure to be paid in line with approved list of regular payments between 1 April 2021 and 20 May 2021 or for approval.
ICO Annual Subscription 35.00
Clerk’s Salary (April) 105.20
Clerk’s Salary (May) 105.20
BT (April) 44.39
BT (May) 44.39
Community Heartbeat Trust Annual Subscriptions 226.00
BDG Mowing (Invoice 1616) 70.00
Green Waste Collection Service 58.50
LALC Annual Subscription (Training) 90.00
Clerk’s Equipment Allowance 100.00
Came & Company Insurance 347.05
Planter 193.99
LALC Annual Subscription 136.19
Cupboard Storage, Village Hall 60.00
TOTAL 1615.91
d) Members agreed to defer approval of the income and expenditure accounts for April to May 2021 to the next meeting as the Clerk had not had time to prepare this due to the year-end workload.
e) Reserves
Elections 1774.74
Defibrillator 1400.00
Community Improvements 3457.95
TOTAL EARMARKED RESERVES 6632.69
f) The Chairman had carried out the Risk Assessment dated April 2021. She confirmed that the bench on Rosemary Rise is on the list to be removed. The planter was added to the risk assessment. A risk assessment has been prepared for a return to face to face meetings.
g) The Chairman proposed members renew the Parish Council insurance per the quotation provided by AXA Insurance UK Plc through the Brokers Came & Company at a rate of £347.05. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Nelson and the motion was passed by resolution of the Council.
Action: The Chairman agreed to display a copy of the Certificate of Employer’s Liability of the Parish Council noticeboard and at the village hall.
h) Original copies of the bank mandate have been requested by the HSBC. Councillor Kenyon informed the meeting that he had mailed the original form to the Clerk. The Clerk confirmed receipt of this. Action: Clerk to sign and return the bank mandate to Councillor Kenyon.
12) CORRESPONDENCE (21/023)
a) Members noted the email from HSBC dated 26 April 2021 detailing the new automated branch format.
13) DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING (21/024)
To be confirmed.
The Chairman closed the meeting at 10.05pm.