15th January 2020
Minutes
Haconby & Stainfield Parish Council
Parish Council Meeting
Wednesday 15th January 2020
Present: Councillors Richard Dixon-Warren (Chairman), Brian Blackbourn (Vice Chairman)
Philippa Dixon-Warren, Janine Rayfield, Derek Bailey, David Winn
Councillor Martin Hill (LCC)
Parish Clerk – Mrs Wendy Gray
5 members of the public were in attendance
1) Chairman’s Introduction and Announcements. Chairman welcomed everyone to meeting.
2) Public Questions, Comments or Representations.
Damage to road outside stables – if have more bad weather can break up even more. Traffic in and out onto the A15. Cllr Hill will also report – can follow up on ‘Fix My Street’.
Include on Risk Assessment under H&S.
Discussion with residents/neighbours re Planning Application S19/2214 – issues raised with to SKDC. See Item 12.
Apologies for Absence. None.
3) Police Report. Neighbourhood Police Panel remains suspended for the time being until Neighbourhood Police Team starts to engage with the public.
4) Updates – LCC/SKDC/Parish Council.
a) LCC Update: Draft Budget set for this year – increase 1.5% base and 2% on adult care. Enforcement when landowners not clearing ditches. Government giving additional funding for pothole repairs. 16 ‘highways gangs’ to spend time going to places to do minor works that does not hit radar.
b) SKDC Update. No update available.
5) Disclosures of Interests. Cllr R Dixon-Warren (13d) – PCC, Cllr Bailey (13c) – tenant. Dispensation agreed for comment.
6) Risk Assessments.
Parish Clerk to set up rota (team of 2)
Pothole crossroads – reported.
Dyke outside Cllr Rayfield’s property – reported online.
Water across road (ditch is blocked) near 36/38 Chapel Street.
7) Minutes. To resolve that the minutes of the meeting of the Council meeting held on 13th November 2019 be signed as a correct record. Cllr Blackbourn proposed, seconded Cllr Rayfield, all in agreement.
8) Matters arising from the Minutes 13th November 2019. None / on agenda.
Misdirection of Mail – Parish Clerk to discuss with SKDC updating Street Signs. Response received from Paul Stokes, Corporate Operations Lead - Cllr Moseley has asked me to discuss concerns parish have with street signs to see if SKDC can help. Email forwarded to Cllr R Dixon-Warren and Cllr Blackbourn asking if they would like to meet with Paul Stokes to discuss further.
9) Administrative Report and Correspondence Received.
12th December – email on works/route of footpath through Parish Land from Senior Countryside Officer at LCC
16th December – email on plan to replace the felled horse chestnut tree from the parishioner who organised the stump to be ground out.
17th December – General Form of Judgement or Order from County Court at Boston.
13th January 2020 – letter on alleged breach of planning control from Planning Enforcement Officer, SKDC.
Update on income and expenditure to date. Precept 2020/2021 – confirm agreement to increase by rate of inflation – Item 13 e). Noted requirement to consider future increase to meet future increased expenditure.
10) Invoices to be agreed for payment.
Approved by e-mail: Transfer £1300 from Reserve to Business Account 20th December 2019 to settle a claim for compensation and costs of £1308.40.
New invoices:
Parish Clerk Salary - £104.14
Parish Clerk Expenses - £56.09
Community Cleaner - £147.78
All above agreed and signed off by Cllr R Dixon-Warren and Cllr Blackbourn.
Income Received: None
11) Planning Applications Update. Following public representations at Item 2 and agreement to forward correspondence previously sent to SKDC, it was agreed that Parish Council representation be made. Afternote: The following was e-mailed to SKDC on 20th January:
S19/2214 response: The Parish Council discussed S19/2214 (revision of S19/0994) at its meeting on 15 January 2020. Members of the public made representations with regard to this planning application.
The Council was made aware of Mr G Jeffery’s formal complaints to SKDC about S19/0994 on 12 December 2019 and 13 January 2020, and of the SuDSSmartPro report (reference 72358R1) dated 27 November 2019. The Council supports Mr Jeffery’s complaint and his four requests in his letter of 13 January. It also seeks confirmation of the adoption of the proposed SuDS strategy on page 4 of the report.
The Council was also made aware of the presence of great crested newts and hedgehogs in the vicinity of Northfield House. SKDC may wish to investigate this further.
12) Business Items:
a) Claim. Order: with respect to Claim Number F88YJ854 served on the Council on 15 July 2019 and consequent to the judgement made at the County Court of Boston on 16 December 2019 to pay the claimant a total of £ 1,308.40 by 30 December 2019, the decision made unanimously by e-mail on 24 December 2019 was ratified.
Background: the Council was informed in May 2019 of a claim for compensation and expenses totalling £ 1,440.60, and in June that the claim would be made through the courts. The claim was served by the County Court Money Claims Centre in July. The Council acknowledged service and confirmed its intent to defend the claim. It was allocated to the Small Claims Track in September and went to trial at the County Court in Boston on 16 December. The judge found for the claimant and ordered the Council to pay £ 1,308.40 in compensation and expenses. The Council decided not to appeal and paid the order on 24 December. The Council will not, at this time, name the claimant or provide details of the claim. It has received guidance from HM Court & Tribunal Service on publication of the order and must balance the public’s right to know with the claimant’s right to privacy. Existing guidance suggests that it might not be appropriate to release information that reveals identity if this would cause undue embarrassment or distress, or exposure to unwanted public attention.
b) Parish Councillor Vacancy. Mr Paul Smart expressed desire to join the Parish Council. He will attend March meeting when he will be co-opted onto the Parish Council.
c) Parish Land.
i) Sale of Plot 10 on Haconby Lane. Sale of Plot 10 to LCC was discussed and resolved. Afternote: this resolution to be reviewed in accordance with Section 10 of Financial Regulations. Item for discussion / resolution at the next Council meeting.
ii) Maintenance and tenants’ issues. Well behind with plan. Tenants have been wished a Happy New Year. Council ‘walkabout’ end January / early February.
Contractor dyke clearance on land adjacent to and west of Parish Land.
Discussion needed on what is to be done about plots 3 and 4.
iii) SKDC Planning Issue. A query by person or persons unknown on use of Parish Land was made to SKDC in December 2019 and was raised with Cllr Dixon-Warren on 24 December 2019. SKDC consequently confirmed a breach of planning control on 13 January. It was resolved to seek assistance from District Cllr Dr Moseley. Proposed Cllr Bailey, seconded Cllr Blackbourn all in agreement.
d) Transfer of Responsibility for Churchyard Maintenance. Resolution decided by a majority by e-mail on 20 November 2019 ‘To accept responsibility for maintaining the closed churchyard of St Andrew’s Church, Haconby’ was ratified unanimously.
e) Precept. Request for Financial Year 2020/2021 a total Precept of £1630. Proposed Cllr Blackbourn, seconded Cllr Bailey, all Cllrs in agreement. Parish Clerk to forward request to SKDC by deadline of 17th January 2020.
13) Any Other Business. Discussion on responding to posts on Facebook. It was noted that many members of the public have access and can comment, that it would be monitored by Councillors with access, that it was a useful means of communication for the Council, but that responding to posts was not mandatory. All Cllrs were in agreement that no change to Council policy on ‘Communications and Social Media’ was required.
14) Date of Next Meeting. Wednesday 11th March 2020 – 7.15 pm in the Hare & Hounds Public House. Working Group meeting date TBC.
The meeting closed at 9.24 pm.
15) Closed Session. Discuss contingency planning and resolve action as required. 2019 has seen unprecedented expense and Council activity – Contingency Planning for 2020 is a necessary item on the agenda. Proposed Cllr Blackbourn, seconded Cllr Winn all in agreement.
Approved: RA Dixon-Warren
Date: 11 March 2020