May 2021 Minutes Annual Parish Council Meeting and Monthly Meeting
North Somercotes Parish Council
Minutes of the Annual Meeting of North Somercotes Parish Council and the Monthly meeting held on Wednesday 5th May 2021 by Zoom vide immediately followed by the monthly meeting
Cllr Brooks welcomed everyone and commenced the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council at 6.45pm. There were no members of the public present.
Annual Meeting of the Parish Council
5/5/21-1 Appointment of Chairman and Vice Chairman and signing of Declaration of Acceptance of Office
a. Appointment of Chairman – it was unanimously RESOLVED to accept the proposed and seconded nomination of Cllr Stephen Brooks for the position of Chairman, following which, there being no other nominations, Cllr Brooks accepted the appointment by signing the Declaration of Acceptance of Office as Chairman.
b. Appointment of Vice Chairman – it was unanimously RESOLVED to accept the proposed and seconded nomination for the appointment of Cllr Neil Drewery as Vice Chairman, following which, there being no other nominations, Cllr Drewery accepted the appointment, and the signed Declaration of Office for Vice Chairman will be returned to the Clerk as soon as practicable.
5/5/21-2
a. Present: Cllr Stephen Brooks (Chairman), Cllr Neil Drewery (Vice Chairman), Cllr Stuart Arundel, Cllr Joy Cousins, Cllr John Kennedy, Cllr Roger Maidens, Cllr Daniel McNally, Cllr Trish Newman, Cllr Shaun Smalley, Cllr David Wallis, Cllr Paul Walmsley, Sheila Pearce – Parish Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer.
b. Apologies for Absence – District Cllr Rickett had given his apologies.
5/5/21-3 To receive any declarations of pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest on any item on the Annual Meeting agenda in accordance with the Localism Act and the Council’s Code of Conduct and Standing Orders. None declared.
5/5/21-4 GENERAL POWER OF COMPETENCE – the Council is satisfied that it continues to meet the criteria for eligibility, this being:
•The number of Councillors elected at the election on 2nd May 2019 (excluding co-opted/appointed Councillors) equals/exceeds two-thirds of the total number of seats on the Council (8 out of 11)
•The Clerk has completed relevant GPC training and holds one of the two sector-specific qualifications, in this case the Certificate in Local Council Administration (achieved 24 September 2015)
Therefore the North Somercotes Parish Council RESOLVED from 5th May 2021, until the next relevant Annual Meeting of the Council, that having met the conditions of eligibility as defined in the Localism Act 2011 and SI 965 The Parish Councils (General Power of Competence)(Prescribed Conditions) Order 2012, to adopt the General Power of Competence.
5/5/21-5 Appointment of Councillors as representatives on Village Organisations/Committees/Working Groups:
The Following councillors were nominated and agreed to act as representatives:
a. Playing Fields Association – Cllr Paul Walmsley
b. Police Panel – Cllr Trisha Newman
c. Emergency/Flood Planning – Cllr Trisha Newman
d. Village Hall Committee – no nomination
e. DTE Wildlife Group/Seal Season – Cllr Trisha Newman
f. Footpaths/Bridleways – 2021 reviews to be allocated if previous volunteer unavailable
g. Cemetery Committee - all Councillors
h. Poor Land Charity – Cllr Stephen Brooks (Chairman)
5/5/21-6 Current Status of Parish Council Policies, Procedures, Rules and Regulations
a. Code of Conduct , Standing Orders, Financial Regulations – recently updated
b. Freedom of Information and General Data Protection Regulations – to be reviewed during 2021
c. Emergency/Flood Planning – working group to pick up again at a time to be agreed
d. Other Policies and Procedures, eg Grants and Donations, Equal Opportunities, Complaints, etc – Clerk to discuss with Chairman when doing appraisal to agree order of review for discussion with councillors.
5/5/21-7 Cemetery
a. Fees - It was RESOLVED to accept the proposed changes to Cemetery Fees.
b. Cemetery Rules & Regulations – under review to take account of changes required for COVID19 requirements.
c. Annual Cemetery Meeting – it was agreed to hold this at 10 am on 17 July 2021 at the Cemetery. All Councillors to attend; Clerk to draw up and send out Agenda and notes from previous meeting.
5/5/21-8 Review of Pay for Parish Council Employees additional tasks and Resolve the way forward
Following discussion it was RESOLVED to adopt the usual measure of matching the hourly rate of pay for standby duties, interment of caskets and installation of plaques to the current national minimum wage of £8.91/hr.
5/5/21-9 Parish Council Donations/Grants 2020/21
Following discussion, it was RESOLVED to donate £50 to the Citizens Advice Bureau and £200 to the Communication Magazine. The Clerk has advertised the availability of funding in the Communication magazine and any other requests will be considered as they are submitted.
The Chairman closed the Annual General Meeting at 7.01 pm and opened the public session of the monthly meeting at 7.04pm.
Public Session
a. Any Policing Update – none presented.
b. Comments from members of the Public on agenda items or issues for consideration for future agenda
A complaint re the accidental strimming of wildflowers from a resident’s frontage has been dealt with by the Clerk in discussion with the Chairman.
The Chairman closed the public session and started the monthly meeting at 7.06 pm.
Monthly Meeting
5/5/21-11a Declarations of pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest on any item on the agenda in accordance with the Localism Act and the Council’s Code of Conduct and Standing Orders
Cllr Paul Walmsley declared a pecuniary interest in relation to 13b Planning Application, and Cllr Danny McNally declared a non-pecuniary interest in planning applications at 13-b as Chair of the District Council Planning Committee, at 7.08pm.
5/5/21-11b Minutes of 26th April 2021 Meeting – it was RESOLVED to adopt and sign the notes as accurate minutes.
5/5/21-11c Clerk’s Report on matters outstanding – the Clerk updated on the outstanding issues for information only, including the update on the legal challenge to council’s continuing to hold remote meetings, and the initial plans drawn up to be able to discuss options for the public toilets refurbishment.
5/5/21-12 Annual Audit 20/21
The Clerk presented the previously circulated documents for the External Audit for 2019/20 – for submission before the deadline of 2 July 2021:
a) the final bank reconciliations for March 2021 were received and noted
b) the 2020-21 outturn against budget at 31 March 2021 was noted
c) the Internal Audit Report, already received and approved – minute 29/3/21-11a refers, was noted
d) the Risk Management review and actions – minute 22/2/21-8b refers, was noted
e) the updated Parish Council and Cemetery Asset Lists – minute 29/3/21-11b refers, was noted
f) it was RESOLVED to agree the general/earmarked reserves position, as previously circulated
g) taking into account the internal audit review completed on 2 March 2021, councillors considered and RESOLVED to approve the Annual Governance Statement Section 1 of the 2020/21 Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) and it was signed and dated as so approved
h) councillors considered and RESOLVED to approve the Annual Accounting Statements Section 2 for 2020/21 and the Chairman of the Meeting signed and dated them as so approved
i) the Annual Audit explanations of any variances previously circulated were noted and will be submitted by the Clerk to meet the deadline
j) the dates for the Notice and period of time for the exercise of public rights to inspect the accounts, being for 30 working days beginning on Monday 14th June to Friday 23 July 2021 inclusive, were noted.
Cllr Arundel departed the meeting at 7.17pm owing to a prior commitment.
5/5/21-13 To consider any Planning applications received and resolve the way forward on these and other Planning matters
a. Enforcement Issues – as previously noted, it does not appear that the developer is adhering to the S106 for Conisholme Rd in respect of the two affordable properties to be built, and enquiries have been made to the Planning Dept, expressing the parish council’s concern and asking how this apparent breach of the signed S106 Agreement will be dealt with/enforced. A response is awaited.
Cllrs Brooks, McNally and Walmsley were placed in the ‘waiting room’ in accordance with their earlier declared interests.
b. Planning applications for approval
i. N/132/00828/21 Planning Permission - Change of use, conversion of and alterations to part of the existing outbuilding to provide a beauty salon. Wellyn Lodge, Marsh Lane. Following discussion councillors RESOLVED to support this application.
c. Any other urgent planning matters/applications – none.
5/5/21-14 Highways, Paths and Lighting – to discuss/resolve the way forward on relevant Highways issues
a. verbal update on problem log – none to add
b. Any other urgent highways issues:
i. FP28 signage very clearly says ‘Public Footpath to the Foreshore’ with yellow ‘Public Right of Way’ (PROW) way-finder arrow, and a photograph of this clearly very old sign has been secured as part of the documentary evidence for a Definitive Map Modification Order, should one be required if access to the beach and foreshore continues to be denied with no full PROW status alternative. The Clerk was asked to ascertain the current position on diversion of PROW FP28 and provision of the proposed alternative route to access the beach to maintain the historic access.
5/5/21-15 To receive reports from councillors who are representatives on Village Organisations/Committees
a. Playing Fields Association - Cllr Walmsley- no report
b. Police Panel – Cllr Newman – no report
c. Emergency/Flood Planning – Cllr Newman/Clerk – no report
d. Village Hall Committee – no report
e. DTE Wildlife Group – Cllr Newman/Clerk – no report
5/5/21-16 Finance
a) the bank reconciliation for April was received and noted, the bank statement for May is still awaited.
b) it was RESOLVED to approve the schedule of income for April and May 2021 of £18,427.50 and expenditure of £5,142.95 (as at 5-5-21).
c) to deal with any urgent other Financial matters – see 18b below.
5/5/21-17 General Correspondence for May, Website Updates and Communication – items have been circulated by the Clerk and noted.
5/5/21-18 Future Meetings Dates, arrangements for the conduct of those meetings and arrangements for the conduct of future council business as required taking into consideration Government guidance, the availability of suitable meeting rooms, and councillor, staff and public safety issues/concerns, risk management requirements.
a. It was RESOLVED to see if the Village Hall was available for a potential meeting on the 28th June, in accordance with the current Road Map which would currently allow such a meeting in person after 21 June, providing the various requirements for risk management, social distancing etc can be met. Clerk to check availability and confirm once lock down position confirmed.
b. It was RESOLVED that the Chair/Vice Chair together with the Clerk will action payments of wages/expenses and other items, such as the Cemetery grounds maintenance payments, as required for the remainder of May/June and going forward, as required. Planning applications will continue to be dealt with via email and ratification once ‘in person’ meetings allow, as per Standing Orders.
The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and closed the monthly meeting at 7.43pm
Parish Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer