2022 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

 POINTON & SEMPRINGHAM PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

Minutes of Meeting held on Tuesday 25th October 2022 at 7.30pm in St Gilbert Primary School

Councillors Present: Cllrs Clarke, Freeman, Greenwood, Ramm and Wesley (Chair). 

In attendance Parish Clerk Boden, C Cllr Hill, D. Cllr Dixon-Warren and eight members of the public.

To be noted that the meeting may be recorded for the purpose of transparency.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SESSION

22065 To receive reports from outside bodies.

Report from C. Cllr Hill. As everybody is aware there is a new Prime Minister in Office but no information on any changes have been filtered down to County level yet.  Within County there is still a shortage in Social Care.

He has been looking at the condition of the potholes within Pointon and has noted that West Road is not looking good. He has asked LCC Highways for information, but he has not heard back from them yet.

The reservoir at Scredington is at the pre consultation stage and it will take around 20 years before being finished. Any leisure facilities are being reported loosely at the present time and specific sports cannot be guaranteed.

Report from D. Cllr Dixon-Warren. The monthly report is attached.

Village Hall. The hall has recently passed its appropriate inspections and is hosting various events.

Questions or Points raised by residents and members of the public.

A member of the public questioned as to what had happened to the ‘Rocking Rocket’ since it had been taken away from the site. Cllr Greenwood responded that it had been taken away to be shot blasted and was currently with LocHire. There is slight confusion as to whether it can be returned to site as it does not conform to new safety regulations. The Parish Council would take the advice from play safety experts before the item would be reinstated.

Cllr Clarke stated that he had asked Wickstead to put plans together and was waiting for them to come back to him.

COUNCIL SESSION

22066.To receive and accept apologies for absence. It was resolved to accept Cllr Green’s apology for absence due to personal circumstances. No apologies had been received from Cllr Taylor.

22067. Declarations of interest. No declarations of interest were received.

22068. To approve the minutes of the meeting held on the 26th September 2022 and for the chair to sign. It was resolved to accept the clerk’s notes from the meeting held on the 26th September 2022 and for the Chair to sign.  

22069.Finances:

a) To receive the clerk’s report on payments between meetings

The clerk explained that since the agenda had gone out the invoice from PCPF had been received. It was resolved to accept the above payments and for the cheques to be signed.

b) To approve payments as list below.

The clerk explained that the invoice from SKDC had now been received. It was resolved to accept the payments list above and for the cheques to be signed.

c) To consider and approve the new Financial Regulations. The clerk explained that she had made a mistake and the agenda item should read ‘Financial Risk Assessment’ and the Financial Regulations were already adopted on the 19th July 2022. 

d) To receive an update of outstanding payments received. As well as the monthly rent of £50, from the Pavilion, the outstanding monies from 2021/22 of £218.21 has been settled by the Pavilion tenant. The Football Club has paid 2 months ground rent fees.

e) To consider and approve the budget spend at the point of 6 months. It was resolved to defer this item to the November meeting.

f) To confirm the removal of Cllr Ramm from bank signatories. Cllr Ramm explained that she wished to be removed from her duties of signing cheques. She is quite happy to continue as an online bank signatory. 

A member of public questioned as to why cheques were being signed if the invoice was not present for the cheque to be signed against. The clerk assured the member of public that all invoices were present at each meeting for Councillors to look through.

g) To consider the purchase of the 13th Edition of Arnold Baker – Local Council Administration. After discussion and being unable to establish where the Parish Councils most recent copy of the book was it was resolved for the clerk to purchase the book through LALC.

h) To consider CILCA training for the clerk, as per the suggestion of the Internal Audit. It was resolved to defer this item to the November meeting

22070.Clerk’s Report:

a) Code of Conduct. The clerk updated the Council that all Councillors had signed the new updated Code of Conduct.

b) Litter Picker’s Contract. The clerk updated the Council that the Litter Picker had signed her x-contract and was being paid on 4 weekly.

Cllr Freeman was concerned that the Staffing Committee had not seen this contract. The clerk explained that the Staffing Committee and their terms of reference was formed at the August meeting and minuted in those minutes. Cllr Freeman stated that she thought that the Staffing Committee was formed to interview the new clerk. The clerk explained that in the minutes of May it simply listed the Councillors as an interview panel and not as a Committee.

The Litter Picker being an employee was also resolved at the August and since then a standard contract has been agreed and signed as from the 1st September.

It was asked if Councillor’s could still see the contract and though it should be sent to the Staffing Committee only it was resolved to send a copy to the full Council.

c) Coronation of King Charles. The clerk updated the Council that the Coronation of King Charles will be held on the 6th May and it is hoped that parishes will hold street parties.

d) Elections May 2023. The clerk updated the Council that the Elections would be held on the 4th May 2023.

e) Usage of Scribe. The clerk updated the Council that she had attended several courses hosted by Scribe and she was learning how to use more of the reports available and not just the bank reconciliation.

22071.To discuss the purchase of the ‘First Platinum Jubilee Bench’.  The Chair explained that another bench had been ordered during the 3rd meeting that Cllr Freeman could not attend (August meeting), as it was felt that the wording on the plaque would be incorrect without Cllr Freeman there. Cllr Wesley admitted full responsibility.

The clerk also explained that she agreed with Cllr Freeman that, as written in Standing Orders, a decision should not be revisited within 6 months but when she arrived in mid-June there were no handover notes, laptop, or minutes available. There was no sign of any Standing Orders or Financial Regulations.

The April meeting was not held legally, and the May minutes were not available until July, but they don’t state the value of the bench or the company the bench was being purchased from.

22072.To consider and discuss the ‘Ordinary Scheme of Delegation’. It was resolved to accept the Ordinary Scheme of Delegation.

22073.To consider and discuss 

a) Training Policy. It was resolved that the Training Policy be accepted.

b) Expenses policy. It was resolved that the Expenses Policy be accepted.

c) Communication Policy. It was resolved that the Communication Policy be accepted.

22074.To consider and discuss the adoption of a Parish Council Facebook Page. After discussion it was resolved that the Parish Council does not have a Parish Council Facebook Page.

22075.To consider and discuss the need to tidy the entrance to the Playing Field. It was resolved that Cllr Wesley will speak to the landowner from whose land the briars are growing from. The work to the gate that needs shortening will be carried out by Cllr Wesley.

22076.To consider and discuss adding notices regarding ‘dog waste’ to the Playing Field. D. Cllr Dixon-Warren will investigate this for the Parish Council.

22077.Planning Applications: To consider planning applications received since the last meeting of the Council. 

a) S22/1955 (Hurd) - Gosdale Farm, Pointon Fen, Pointon, Lincolnshire, NG34 0LF. Application to excavate and create a pond of 30 x 50m within an agricultural field attached to a domestic dwelling to enhance the ecological value of the homeowner’s land. No comment to be submitted by the PC.

b)  S22/0784 (Savill) -Edendale Cottage, West Road, Pointon, NG34 0NA. Change of use of ancillary annexe (Edendale Cottage) to a separate independent dwelling from No.75 West Road. Outstanding.

22078.Village Hall Clock. To accept the terms of reference. It was asked if the Parish Council could Gift the clock to the Village Hall. The clerk was usure and asked if the item could be deferred until the next meeting. It was resolved to bring to the next meeting.

22079.Date and time of next Parish Council Meeting Tuesday 22nd November at 7.30pm.

Aveland Update

Councillor Richard Dixon-Warren

Email: Richard.Dixon-Warren@southkesteven.gov.uk
Mobile Telephone: 07785 353951

October 2022

Cost of Living

SKDC’s Cost of Living Task Force continues to move forward to help those most affected by rising energy and household prices.  A comprehensive infographic and a directory of phone numbers for those who don’t have internet access – or have difficulty working online – is being prepared for the next edition of SKToday, which goes into every home in the District.

Details of help and support are at: www.southkesteven.gov.uk/costofliving

Parishes Policing Priority Setting Meetings Feedback Form
 
The latest Parishes Policing Priority Setting Meetings Feedback Form has been sent to all Parish and Town Councils in South Kesteven. This will be the third time that this method of feedback has been used.  The more Parish Councils engage in this process, the more focused your Neighbourhood Policing Teams can be in tackling the priorities you identify.

Forms should be completed and returned by email to the Safer Together Coordinator North and South Kesteven by Thursday 1 December 2022.

South Kesteven Local Plan

The South Kesteven Local Plan adopted in January 2020 commits the Council to undertake an early review of the Local Plan with submission to the Planning Inspectorate by the end of December 2023. The South Kesteven Local Development Scheme has been revised to ensure that the timetable for the Local Plan review is realistic and achievable. The revised timetable results in an overall delay of only 3 months with submission of the Local Plan expected in March 2024. 
 
The next stage of consultation will be on a draft version of the Local Plan in February/March 2023. To find out more about the Local Plan review please visit the revised Local Development Scheme (2022-2025) at: www.southkesteven.gov.uk/localplanreview