May 2022 Agenda Annual Council Meeting and Monthly Meeting
North Somercotes Parish Council
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting meeting of North Somercotes Parish Council is to be held on Monday 23rd May 2022 at 6.30 pm to be immediately followed by the Monthly meeting Councillors are hereby summoned to attend.
Agenda
Members of the public are invited and welcome to attend the whole meeting, except for items where their presence is prejudicial to the public interest, and are permitted to make representations to the Council, answer questions and give evidence (up to 3 mins per person/subject) in respect of any item of public business listed on the agenda during the public session, which is normally 15 minutes before the start of the meeting. The meeting may only consider the business on the agenda; the Agenda and Minutes for the Parish Council Meetings are available on the Parish Notice Board, or from the Clerk, or on the website, together with the schedule of future dates and the Public Participation in Meetings Procedure - see http://parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk/NorthSomercotes. Meetings of the Council may be recorded.
Annual Meeting of the Parish Council
23/5/22-1 Appointment of Chair and Vice Chair, signing Declaration of Office and Declaration of Interests forms
The vice chair will take the chair for the first item on the agenda – ‘to elect a chair’. If the vice chair is not present, then the council will nominate from amongst its members to take the chair just for the first item. The elected chair will sign their acceptance of office and continue to chair the remainder of the meeting, including electing a Vice chair.
a. Appointment of Chairman – to receive nominations for the position of Chair and resolve to appoint to the position followed by signing of declaration of Acceptance of Office as Chair and Councillor
b. Appointment of Vice Chairman - to receive nominations for the appointment of Vice Chair and RESOLVE to appoint to the position
23/5/22-2 a. Present b. Apologies for Absence – to RESOLVE whether or not to accept councillor absence/reasons
23/5/22-3 To receive any 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
23/5/22-4 GENERAL POWER OF COMPETENCE – To RESOLVE to Adopt the General Power of Competence, providing the Council is satisfied that it meets 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).
“The North Somercotes Parish Council resolves from23rd May 2022, 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”
23/5/22-5 Appointment of Councillors as representatives on Village Organisations/Committees/Working Groups:
a. Playing Fields Association -
b. Police Panel -
c. Emergency/Flood Planning -
d. Village Hall Committee –
e. DTE Wildlife Group/Seal Season -
f. Footpaths/Bridleways – 2022 condition reviews
g. Cemetery Committee (all Councillors)
23/5/22-6 Current Status of Parish Council Policies, Procedures, Rules and Regulations
a. Code of Conduct and Standing Orders – pending national update, Financial Regulations – to be reviewed
b. Investment Policy - Updated
c. Freedom of Information and General Data Protection Regulations – to be reviewed during 2022
d. Emergency/Flood Planning – working group to pick up again at a time to be agreed
e. Other Policies and Procedures, eg Grants and Donations, Equal Opportunities, Complaints, etc – Clerk to discuss with Chairman and suggest possible order of review for discussion with councillors
23/5/22-7 Cemetery – a. to agree date for Annual Cemetery Meeting in July 2021 and note that b. proposed changes to Cemetery Fees and Cemetery Rules & Regulations to be reviewed in June 2022
23/5/22-8 Review of Pay for Parish Council Employees additional tasks and Resolve the way forward
• rate of pay for standby duties, interment of caskets and installation of plaques (NB - rates of pay for litter picker, Chapel/Toilet cleaners and village/cemetery maintenance are subject to minimum wage rate so have been increased at 1 April 2022. The Parish Clerk is also on national rates of pay and conditions, updated each April.
23/5/22-9 Parish Council Donations 2022/23 – available Budget to be confirmed
a. To note previous year’s donations and consider any requests/proposed donations and resolve the way forward:
Requests received: CAB, LIVES Proposed Donations: • Communication magazine • Youth Club £1k in budget
Close of Annual General Meeting
Public Session
a. Any updates from County and district Councillors
b. Comments from members of the Public on agenda items or issues for consideration for future agenda
• Query regarding land at the rear of Methodist Chapel
Close of Public Session and Start of Monthly meeting
Monthly Meeting
23/5/22-10 Minutes of 25th April 2022 Meeting – to Resolve to adopt and sign the notes as accurate minutes.
23/5/22-11 Clerk’s Report on matters outstanding – for information only
a. S106 Conisholme Rd – see 6a below
b. Cemetery – Woodworm treatment booked for 4th July 2022, Listed building permission to be completed for work to the doors
c. Out of Control Dogs – discussion with PCSO Jo Drake and further comment in Communication, Community Orchard – pruning workshop attended
d. Presentation to NS WI
23/5/22-12 Annual Audit 21/22
External Audit 2021/22 – for submission before the deadline of
a) to receive and note the final bank reconciliations for March 2022 – current account and investment accounts
b) to note the 2021-22 outturn against budget as at 31 March 2022
c) to note the Internal Audit Report already received and approved – minute 21/2/22-9d refers
d) to note the Risk Management review and actions – minute 21/2/21-8b refers
e) to note updated Parish Council and Cemetery Asset Lists – minute 21/2/22-9b refers
f) to note and RESOLVE to agree general/earmarked reserves position
g) taking into account the internal audit review completed in February 2022, to consider and RESOLVE to approve the Annual Governance Statement Section 1 of the 2021/22 Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) and sign/date as so approved
h) to receive, consider and RESOLVE to approve the Annual Accounting Statements Section 2 for 2021/22 and sign/date as so approved by the Chairman of the Meeting
i) to note the Annual Audit explanations of any variances for submission before the deadline of 1 July 2022
j) to note the dates for the Notice and period of time for the exercise of public rights to inspect the accounts as being for 30 working days beginning on Monday 13th June to Friday 22 July 2022 inclusive.
23/5/22-13 To consider any Planning applications received and resolve the way forward on these and other Planning matters
a. Enforcement Issues/Actions – S106 Conisholme Rd
b. Planning applications for approval
c. Any other urgent planning matters/applications
23/5/22-14 Highways, Paths and Lighting – to discuss/resolve the way forward on relevant Highways issues
a. verbal update on problem log b. Any other urgent highways issues – worsening state of South Rd and report submitted in February 2020.
23/5/22-15 To receive reports from councillors who are representatives on Village Organisations/Committees
a. Playing Fields Association - Cllr Walmsley
b. Police Panel – Cllr Newman
c. Emergency/Flood Planning – Cllr Newman/Clerk
d. Village Hall Committee –
e. DTE Wildlife Group – Cllr Newman/Clerk
23/5/22-16 Finance
a) to receive and note the bank reconciliations for April and May 2022
b) to receive and Resolve to approve the schedule of income and expenditure for April and May 2022
c) to deal with any urgent Financial matters
23/5/22-17 To receive/note general Correspondence for May, Website Updates and Communication
23/5/22-18 Agenda items for the meeting to be held on 27th June in the Village Hall
21/22 Annual Audit, Neighbourhood Planning, Cemetery Issues,
23/5/22-19 Confidential Matters – to RESOLVE on whether the Council will move into closed session by reason of the confidential property matters to be transacted – if this Resolution is passed any members of the public/press remaining will be required to leave the meeting at this point.
a. Cemetery – to discuss and RESOLVE the way forward on the various Cemetery issues, including those contained in the Clerk’s report.
Parish Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer
16th May 2022