July 2020 Notes DRAFT (10th)
Minutes of Extraordinary General Meeting held on 10th July 2020 at 7.30pm.
Present: Cllrs South (Chairman), Burt, Greenwood, Griffiths, Moore, Ramm and Wells.
County Cllr M. Hill. 4 members of public and 1 local press.
1. Chairman Cllr South welcomed everyone and explained that the original location for the meeting had been cancelled, due to the threatening nature of the ‘highways’ company and needing to keep everyone safe, it was agreed the meeting take place via zoom.
2. No apologies had been received.
3. No Declarations of Interest had been received.
4. Unauthorised permission for ground works agreed by a Cllr.
Cllr R.Greenwood explained that a man from ‘highways’ had turned up at the social club on Thursday 2nd July saying that they were working locally and would he like the driveway tarmacked, giving a reason that the machine needed some works done to it and it may be on site the following day. Roy thought at £1 per square foot, it was a good price, thinking it would only cost £500 saying that to John King the workman, who took it as a nod to do the work. They did in fact turn up on the Friday and was laying down the new surface. Half way through the work Cllr Roy Greenwood telephoned Cllr Chris South who immediately went to the site, the men were more than half way along the access road. Cllr South measured the work and explained to Cllr Greenwood that it would be costing in the region of £3000.
Roy said he thought the man he dealt with was called Dave.
Later that day, Cllr Greenwood was presented with an invoice and told them to put it in the name of the Parish Council. This was passed to Cllr South who sent it to the clerk.
Questions: LCC Cllr Hill asked if the contract was verbal or written agreement, was it a casual conversation with Roy as usually estimates are received before works can be done. Cllr Hill said that the Parish Council were in a strong place legally not to pay the invoice.
Cllr Greenwood said that he agreed a £1 per foot, he thought that he was doing what was best at that price and it was a ‘spur of the moment’ thing to have done.
Resident 1, said that Cllr Greenwood had been the parish council chairman and is still a Cllr, that he knows the rules quite clearly and that his resignation should be offered up.
Resident 2, said that if the invoice has to be paid then the service road users need to pay it, meaning the football club, social club and playing field committee.
Resident 3, said that this is a usual scam and they may return to dig up the access road.
The Parish Councillors were asked to comment on this. It was proposed by Cllr Griffiths and seconded by Cllr Ramm that this not be paid. A vote was taken and 4 members agreed, Cllr Moore abstained to vote. It was agreed that the Clerk write or verbally discuss with John King that the parish council are not paying the invoice as it was not authorised by the parish council and they have no legal right to pay it.
It was agreed by all who attended the meeting that the access gate be locked and a Covid19 notice place on it advising people to use the small gate. Resident 2 offered to write up the notice and fix it to the gate. Also advising to take plenty of photos in case the company decided to cause damage to the access road.
Meeting closed at 8.50pm