10th September 2024
MINUTES - PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
Tuesday 10th September 2024 at 7.00pm
MEMBERSHIP:
Chair: Councillor Andy Hone
Vice-chair: Councillor George McDonnell
Councillors: Paul Browne, Martin Duff, Richard Robinson, Richard Marshall, (1 vacancy)
Clerk: John Money RFO: Gordon Roe
Attendance: Cllrs Hone, McDonnell, Marshall, & Duff plus 9 members of the public.
The Council Chair Councillor Andy Hone opened the meeting at 7:03 pm and welcomed Councillor's and all members of the public present, including two Members from Potterhanworth PC.
Public forum (15 minutes): No direct questions
County and District Councillors' reports: Cllr Ian Carrington spoke regarding the perilous position the South Lincoln bypass is in. The Leader of LCC Cllr M Hill has met with the central government minister, as yet no assurance has been made whether the project would go ahead, the impacts on the surrounding villages will be substantial, together with 4000 new homes not being built and 7 ha commercial development stopped as well. He went on to answer questions about the unacceptable state of the village roads, one member of the public said the parish has now been promised this work would be done for seven years and still nothing is even planned; another question regarding the village sign; He went on to talk about the greater Lincolnshire devolution and the appointment of a Mayor, it is hopeful that £2.2 million will be coming to North Kesteven from the allocation.
Agenda Items:
1. Apologies for Absence: To receive any apologies for absence in accordance with Local Gov. Act 1972, Sch. 12, para. 40 and accept apologies where valid reasons for absence have been given to the Parish Clerk prior to the meeting: Apologies were accepted from Cllr’s Brown; Robinson and Parry
2. Declarations of Interest: To receive declarations of interest under Parish Councils Accepted Code of Conduct, the Localism Act 2011 and to consider written requests for dispensations for items on the agenda not previously recorded on members’ register of interests. If an interest becomes apparent during the meeting a member may declare it then. None declared at this time (later Cllr Marshall declared a personal interest in the 200 Club Grant agenda itemand recused himself during discussion of this item).
3. Minutes: To approve as a correct record the notes of the Full Council Meeting held on 16 July 2024 and to authorise the Chair to sign them as the official minutes: Approved and resolved as an accurate record and duly signed by the Chair
4. Chair’s Report: To receive a report from the Chair of the Council: Cllr A Hone reported that the garage door repair was apparently the tenants responsibility; the village gateways were being painted by the village keeper; the cellar floor dispute with the main contractor is still ongoing, after several emails and phone calls we seem to be getting nowhere, he suggested that at the October meeting if the repairs have not been made we will consider taking action. He went on to talk about the possibility of a personal volunteer scheme where volunteers dedicating one to 2 hours of their time say a month, the involvement of the probation service was mentioned. Action: Chair & Members.
5. Hub Manager’s Report: To receive a report from the Hub Manager: The Chair read the report which informed Members bookings were OK: at the October meeting we will review the hire charges going forward; also discuss the issue of further storage; service checks were to be made. Action: Chair / Clerk
6. Parish Clerk’s Report: To receive a report from the Clerk of the Council: The Clerk informed Member that the usual email correspondence is up to date as at 12 noon today since the last meeting in July: The Chair and the Clerk held a teams meeting with Anne-Marie Shepherd (AMS) the senior partnership officer at NK; Jenny Bailey of NK has contacted to say the litter picking grant is up for renewal which we must do before November; The
Citizens Advice Bureau has made a request for a donation. North K have asked if we have any outstanding people in the parish we would like to nominate in its Community Champions initiative; the 34sp email platform is up for renewal - a replacement will be considered next year; the LCC contractors will be recycling the car park material, relaying and recompacting it again on September 16th 2024 the Chair and the Hub Manager has let all concerned know. Action: Chair, Clerk, Hub Manager.
Ongoing improvement works for consideration:
Core drilling ventilation shafts together with grilles in the Meeting Room, Ripon Arms Club Room the Events Hall together with an evacuation fan.
The mechanisation of the Main Entrance Door
Fitting a ventilated sun tube in the meeting room in place of a requested window.
Other works within the Meeting IoM as listed in the Hub Managers report.
We may be able to match some grant funding to the above works.. Action: Chair / Clerk
7. To receive a report on the potential installation of solar panels at The Hub, including funding sources, and to provide authority to proceed up to a financial limit.
Solar panel Installation
We have managed to get three quotations for solar panels on the Hub along with four quotes for the supply of insulation to the ceiling void - without labours included, we hope to get it done by volunteers (LCC scheme or others).
Based on our usage, the recommended specification is 9 kW with a 5 kW battery storage facility. We invited the contractors to quote on that basis. A summary of quotations was shared with members. Grant aid up to £25,000 is available from the Rural England Prosperity fund though the application deadline is tight (14th September 2024).
After a lengthy debate Members resolved to delegate authority to the Chair and the Clerk to complete the grant application by the 14th of September 2024: that they were to request 90% of the capital works sum on the application form; Members, while realising this percentage of grant aid may be unachievable they reluctantly resolved to allocate a further sum to these works (should it prove necessary) up to a maximum expenditure of £3,200.00.
In the knowledge this expenditure would deplete our reserves further below LALC guidelines, but when balancing the benefit this project would bring to the parish Members further resolved it outweighed the extra expenditure involved. The Chair Cllr A Hone agreed to call an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council to further discuss this project should the need arise. Action: Chair / Clerk.
8. To review the proposal for electrical expenditure (paper circulated separately). The Chair presented the quotations he had received relating to the installation of a hand drier and outside lighting, after some debate it was resolved to accept the best VFM quote, Action: the Chair to inform the successful contractor
9. To review recommended actions arising from the LALC internal audit: after some debate it was agreed to adopt 13 of the 17 recommendations made by the internal auditor. Action: Chair and the Clerk to prepare a list of the actions and their ownership.
10. To update the meeting on a number of topics including: (1) Car park works (16th September) & (2) Manhole cover replacement - requirement for delegated authority. The Chair reminded the Members of the proposed works to the car parking area to be carried out by LCC Highway department volunteers, the Clerk said he would ask them to fit the replacement inspection cover as well.
11. To consider an amendment to The Hub damage deposit policy (to deduct additional cleaning from the deposit return) after a short debate it was agreed and resolved to deduct extra cleaning work that becomes necessary after a hiring at £25:00 per hr to be deducted from the £100 deposit sum.
12. To consider an application for 200 Club funds: Dunston Croquet Club who play on the Noton CC grounds made an application for £462 to replace the existing hoops, after some debate by a majority decision it was resolved to approve the application. Action:Clerk / RFO
13. Planning Matters: To note and consider any planning applications received or determined since the last meeting and to decide any comments or further action that the Council wishes to take.. it was resolved to support the following applications: 24/066/FUL a Rape storage building and 24/1022/TCA for felling three trees. Action: Clerk.
14. Financial Matters:
(a) To note the current bank balances Noted by all
(b) To ratify payments for the month of July & August 2024 and to approve the list of upcoming payments.. Approved: Chair to sign off.
It was agreed to consider whether the debit card transactions should be included within the Hub transactions or remain separate (as they are now - action Chair & RFO
15. Date of Next Meeting: To agree the date of the next meeting of the Council - 08/10/24
Public forum (10mins)
The scuffing of the lower walls in the Events Hall is causing concern to Members, the Hub Manager and members of the public, many options were discussed, it was agreed to price some of the options discussed and raise it as an agenda item at a future meeting. Action Clerk / Chair.
The AG Property discussions were enquired about - these remain frustratingly ongoing.
It was suggested that the location of the replacement hand dryer could be more convenient.
Meeting concluded at 8:57pm. The Chair thanked all present for their attendance