May 2024 Minutes Annual Parish Council Minutes
Minutes of the Annual Parish Council Meeting held on 9th May 2024
Present: D. Strollo (Chair), S. Farrow, D. Forrest, C. Cuckson, L. Hoggarth, J. Scott
In attendance: Cllr. Bailey (WLDC), Cllr. Butroid (LCC), G. Payne (Clerk)
Apologies: had been received from R.Gore
16/24 Election of Chair and Vice Chair – it was proposed by LH that previous incumbents continue in their respective roles, seconded by CC and agreed unanimously. R. Gore was therefore elected as Chairman and D. Strollo as Vice Chair.
17/24 Approval of minutes of meeting held on 20th March 2024 – these had been circulated and were approved as a true record, (proposed CC, seconded LH) and signed off by the Chairman.
18/24 Matters arising;
a) Traffic speed – Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership had not responded to Cllr. Butroid’s request for a site meeting, he had therefore requested a new speed survey to be conducted by LCC. He had been told that this could take up to six months (although much of this time had now elapsed), no firm date had yet been given but he would continue to monitor the situation. Action Cllr. Butroid
b) Email addresses – the supplier had yet to contact the Clerk, DS was chasing this up.
c) Parish archives – Gainsborough Heritage Centre had retained some of the oldest records, the Clerk agreed to look after the more recent ones for the time being.
d) Parish Cottage – the inspection had been completed and the need for electrical and gas checks had been identified, Cllr. Bailey pointed out that gas checks must be carried out annually and electrical checks every five years and both between tenancies. It was agreed that this should be pursued as a matter of urgency, the Chairman had agreed to arrange the electrical check and the Clerk would investigate the gas check. Action RG/GP
The landlord inspection had identified some remedial work that required doing, particularly in the bathroom and kitchen. It was felt that, if significant expenditure was required, a rent review to reflect the improvements would be required. There was also concern that the valuation of the property on the assets register may be too low and that the energy efficiency rating may be below that required of a rental property (currently E). The Clerk was asked to prepare a report for the next meeting. Action GP
e) Village litter pick – members were reminded that this had been arranged for Sunday 19th May 9:00 – midday. Cllr Bailey had arranged for equipment to be delivered to Britannia Mill as requested. The Clerk was asked to produce posters to advertise the event and to send a copy to Cllr. Bailey.
Action GP
f) Village Hall Internet -WLDC’s Broadband Officer had intervened on behalf of the Parish Council and Quickline had agreed to honour the agreement and expected installation to take place within two months. The Clerk had made a diary note to chase this up if there was further delay.
g) Telephone Box – the Clerk had spoken to Chris Petty who felt that it would benefit from another coat of paint, he had some paint left and agreed to supervise painting if volunteers could be found to clean it and help with the painting. LH agreed to organise cleaning and the Clerk would speak to Edward Good who had assisted with the original painting. Action LH/GP
19/24 Financial Report – the accounts for 2023/24 had been passed by the internal auditor and a copy of the balance sheet provided to Parish Councillors and posted on the village notice board, copies would also be made available at the Annual Parish Meeting. The Annual Guidance and Accountability (AGAR) forms had been completed, these were signed off and the Clerk would arrange for a copy to be posted on the website along with a copy of the balance sheet. The Clerk would also forward the Certificate of Exemption to the external auditors since councils with a turnover of less that £25K could apply to be exempt from a full external audit. Action GP
The Clerk was in the process of adding Cllr. Cuckson to the list of signatories, the Clerk had signed the mandate form and it had been sent to DF but the process had not worked for him. CC agreed to chase this up as she had a telephone contact number.
Action CC
20/24 Exercise of Public Rights – The accounts had to be made available for members of the public to inspect should they so wish for a period of 30 consecutive working days which must include the first ten working days of July. It was agreed that this should run from 3rd June – 12th July, Cllr. Cuckson agreed to hold the accounts for any time during this period that the Clerk was unavailable. Inspection would be strictly by prior appointment. Action GP/CC
21/24 Correspondence
a) Cllr. Bailey Surgery – the first one had been arranged for Saturday 18th May 2:00 – 4:00pm to coincide with the “tea and natter” afternoon.
b) Grass cutting - a resident had asked who was responsible for grass cutting in communal areas and whether the grass on the steep slope from Nos. 9 – 11 High Street was the responsibility of the Parish Council. The work had recently been carried out so the matter had obviously been resolved.
c) Dog fouling – WLDC had now filled one of the new Enforcement Officer roles, he was in the process of refreshing dog bin stickers and spares were available on request. It was felt that it would be useful for the Parish Council to meet with the Enforcement Officer to fully understand his role and discuss co-operative working. Cllr. Bailey suggested that a short meeting at the start of a Parish Council meeting to which members of other Parish Councils could be invited might be the most efficient way of managing this. She agreed to liaise with the Clerk to see what could be arranged. Action Cllr. Bailey
d) Zurich Insurance – the Clerk had sought alternative quotes but these were £100 higher than the quote from the current insurer so it was agreed to continue with Zurich.
e) LALC website maintenance – the initial time allocation had been used up and an invoice had been received for the purchase of an additional 3 hours. It was agreed that this was an extremely valuable service and payment was approved.
22/24 Any Other Business
a) Resignation – Cllr. Farrow had expressed a need to stand down from the Parish Council, (after many years of dedicated service). She was asked to email the Clerk to this effect and he would then put the wheels in motion to recruit a successor. Action SF
This would create a vacancy on the Burial Authority, DS agreed to take on this role.
Date of next meeting – provisionally set for Wednesday 10th July 6:30pm