8th July 2020
Minutes
Haconby & Stainfield Parish Council
Parish Council Meeting
Wednesday 8th July 2020
A remote meeting on Zoom video conferencing commencing at 6.00pm
Present: Councillors Richard Dixon-Warren (Chairman), Brian Blackbourn (Vice Chairman)
Philippa Dixon-Warren, Janine Rayfield, Derek Bailey, David Winn, Paul Smart
County Councillor Martin Hill
District Councillor Peter Moseley
Parish Clerk – Mrs Wendy Gray
2 members of the public requested to join the meeting
1) Chairman’s Introduction, Announcements. Chairman welcomed everyone to the first remote Council meeting. Informal trials on Zoom had worked out rather well. Chairman’s Annual Report will be appended to minutes – in summary a very busy and stressful year.
2) Public Questions, Comments or Representations. None.
3) Apologies for Absence. None.
4) Updates – LCC/SKDC/Parish Council/Police.
a) LCC Update:
Covid-19 – Lincolnshire has been one of the lowest affected areas. Staff have been involved in carrying out lots of different roles.
Waste Tips – now re-opened – changed way we do using booking system enabling us to move staff around. Still operating social distancing and booking system will now be the new norm.
Getting back to delivering most services – libraries opening next week.
Care Homes – people isolating for the required period – going in the right direction.
Surface dressing has been done in Haconby, very pleased with quality. Apologies to those people that were trapped at the bottom of the village and apologise for lack of notice that was given to the village.
b) SKDC Update.
Thanks for SKDC and LCC working together during crisis keeping things together – partnership working well.
BIG CLEAN – no works have been carried out for a couple of months – team now back on track and will be working around the villages to catch up on jobs that have been booked.
Free parking continues in town until end of July.
Car Parks – electric charging points now hooked up in car parks.
c) Police – Cllr R Dixon-Warren had no update to give at the moment – Neighbourhood Policing hope to have update in couple of months.
5) Disclosures of Interests. Cllr R Dixon-Warren (11b) – Cllr Bailey (11(a)ii) Tenant - dispensation agreed for comments.
6) Minutes. To resolve that the minutes of the meeting of the Council meeting held on 11th March 2020 be signed as a correct record. Cllr Blackbourn proposed, seconded Cllr Rayfield, all in agreement.
7) Matters arising from the Minutes 11th March 2020. None.
8) Administrative Report and Correspondence Received.
LCC Website – being upgraded – training for Clerks being re-scheduled – Clerk requested 29th July and if any Cllrs interested – Cllr R Dixon-Warren would like to be included.
LALC Newsletter.
LTN8 re Elections and Co-option.
Domestic Abuse Poster.
Request for duplicate cheque to be returned from Zurich. First cheque reported not received but bank advised had been encashed.
Certificate of Exemption forwarded to PKF Littlejohn, all invoices etc now with Internal Auditor.
Update on income and expenditure to date.
9) Budget and Invoices to be agreed for payment.
Budget – Cllr Bailey proposed, seconded Cllr Blackbourn all in favour of agreeing Budget document.
Invoices –
Parish Clerk Salary – £138.74, Parish Clerk Expenses – £36.57 (£175.31)
Community Cleaner – £181.96
Burn Site Clearance – £360.00
Cllr Rayfield proposed, seconded Cllr Blackbourn that expenditure approved.
Cllr Bailey asked for explanation on expenses i.e. Telephone/Internet (what package using) seemed rather high compared to what he has. Parish Clerk advised had been with same company since July 2017 – Cllr Bailey felt it was worth exploring possibility of getting cheaper package. Parish Clerk will look into and report back.
Question raised – going forward could any regular payments be set up by Direct Debit?
Income Received:
SKCD Precept £1,630.00
HMRC Refund £162.60
SKDC Community Cleaner Grant £453.44
Parish Land Rent £330.00
10) Planning Applications Update.
Northfield House Planning Consent – discussion on representations made and supported. Parish Cllrs all in agreement that a more detailed response supporting the application should be forwarded to SKDC.
Agreed in Closed Session to ratify decision taken on naming of “Wyer Close” – all Cllrs were in agreement with decision that was made.
Planning Application Parish Land – cheque encashed – update required from SKDC.
11) Business Items:
a) Parish Land.
Report circulated prior to meeting was taken as read:
Plot 1. CLT 1. Fire / wind damaged shed removed. Remaining work pending.
Plot 2. CLT 2 tenancy available September 2020. Work directed by tenant pending.
Plots 3 / 4. CLT 3 / 4. Rent paid. Burn site decontaminated 2 May, soil removed. Agreed in Closed Session to proceed as resolved in May 2019 to recover the cost.
Plot 5. CLTs 5A and 5B – rent paid.
Plots 6-8. FBT 6-8. Rent reminder acknowledged. No issues reported.
Plot 9. CLT 9. Rent paid. No issues reported.
Plot 10. No advice yet received from Longstaff. Agreed in Closed Session to update LCC and to consider advertising, noting cost of marketing, valuation and legal advice.
Maintenance and tenants’ issues. Update.
Application for planning permission for change of use. Update awaited from SKDC – internal communication issue over registering payment.
Discussion:
Vehicles parking outside entrance gate – could we have a “please leave entrance clear” sign – agreed that this is a perfectly reasonable expense.
Potholes before and after entrance – Parish Clerk to report to LCC.
b) Transfer of Responsibility for Churchyard Maintenance. Cllr Dixon-Warren reported the difficulty of meeting with representatives of PCC to confirm the condition of the closed churchyard with current restrictions. Cllr Blackbourn advised not able to check out land due to Covid-19. Cllr Dixon-Warren reiterated Council agreed to assume responsibilities and that assisting PCC with funding this is reasonable, particularly given reduction in PCC fundraising because of Covid-19. Will take photos of south east wall and alert PCC to condition. Repairs to church roof – funds to be raised are very substantial. Cllr Winn – what about a Zoom meeting with members of PCC? Until one sees problem cannot discuss or come to an agreement.
12) Any other Business. Items for next meeting and issues/points arising from discussion for future discussion. None.
Parish Cllrs in agreement that an informal note of thanks should be send to Leader of SKDC and LCC for all of their workers who have kept things going during height of pandemic. All in agreement for note to be sent.
13) Date of Next Meeting. Date TBC September/October 2020 – Remote Meeting commencing 6.00 pm on Zoom.
Thanks expressed to the two members of the public who joined the meeting.
The meeting closed at 19.12 pm.
Chairman’s Report 2019/20 – see overleaf.
CLOSED SESSION
14) Contingency Planning. Resolved to move into closed session. Agreements on burn site clearance, Plot 10 and ‘Wyer Close’ incorporated in Minutes above.
The closed session ceased at 19.51 pm.
Haconby & Stainfield Parish Council – Chairman’s Report 2019/20
Parish Council Remote Meeting 8 July 2020
On 12 May 2020, the Parish Council announced the postponement of its annual and routine meetings and adjustment of its procedures because of Covid-19 Coronavirus This included the Haconby and Stainfield Annual Parish Meeting (APM), Annual Parish Council Meeting (APCM) and routine meeting scheduled for Wednesday 13 May 2020.
The Council decided to convene remote meetings by videoconferencing when necessary to continue essential Council business and to make essential decisions. This report has been delayed to the first such meeting on 8 July 2020.
2019-20 was a turbulent and, at times, stressful year for the Council but we were pleased to welcome Paul Smart, who was co-opted onto the Council in January 2020. The following points highlight events and occurrences in 2019-20.
Parish Emergency Plan
• Covid-19 called into question the utility of the Parish Emergency Plan in its current pre-set format. It was not activated for the pandemic, the Council choosing instead to defer to Haconby & Stainfield Covid Response Community Volunteers, who self-mobilised to provide support to those in the Parish who needed it. This was a commendable initiative. The plan remains on the Council’s website. It will be reviewed when circumstances permit.
Financial
• Financially, the Council remains in the black, but its reserves were seriously depleted in 2019 by unexpected expenditure detailed below. We reviewed projected income and expenditure and decided to increase the precept by no more than the current rate of inflation (2.9 %) for 2020-21. The Council’s expenditure is as transparent as required and it is working to make its budget strategy more so.
Police
• The civil parish remains a low crime area. Neighbourhood Police Team (NPT) attendance at Council meetings has ceased. The Neighbourhood Police Panel remains in suspended animation pending re-activation of NPT engagement.
Codes of Conduct/Standing Orders & Policies
• The Parish Information and Policy Guide is on the Council’s website and is being updated. It may include, for example, the Local Government Association Model Code of Conduct, which is currently out for consultation.
Communication with the Parish Community
• The Haconby and Stainfield Parish Councillors Facebook group continues to inform the parish, particularly on Covid-19 Coronavirus notifications and updates.
Parish Land (formerly Allotments / Townlands)
• The Council’s aim remains to ensure that Parish Land is let for the benefit of both community and Council. Common Law Tenancy, Farm Business Tenancy and Garden Allotments contracts are now in their second year following the management review in 2018. The site of a bonfire in 2018 which left metal debris contamination (requiring a very costly soil analysis and report – £ 1,023.60) has finally been cleared at a cost of £ 360.00.
Horse Chestnut Tree – Haconby ‘Green’
• The Haconby tree on the ‘green’ was felled by Elderwood Tree Care on 21 September 2019 on the unequivocal recommendation of an arborist / tree surgeon. The Council paid £1,055 out of its financial reserves for this sad but necessary public safety task. Funds have been raised privately for a replacement. The ‘green’ remains unregistered LCC Highways verge. The Council has taken on the LCC grass cutting contract but has no other responsibility.
Claim for Compensation and Expenses
• The Council was informed in May 2019 of a claim for compensation and expenses totalling £1,440.60. In June, before it could meet formally to discuss the matter, the Council was informed that that the claim would be made through the courts and it was served by the County Court Money Claims Centre in July. No mediation was proposed so the Council acknowledged service and confirmed its intent to defend the claim, which 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 spend any more time or money on an appeal and paid the order on 24 December. It also decided to protect personal data by not disclosing the claimant’s identity or information that would identify them. This attracted criticism on social media on 2 March 2020. The Council offered to answer questions on this at its meeting on 11 March; none were posed. The first of two requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act on this was received on 6 March.
Planning Permission for Change of Use – Parish Land
• A query by person or persons unknown was raised with SKDC on 24 December 2019 about ‘a dog agility centre’ on Parish Land. There is no such centre and the Council co-operated fully with SKDC’s investigation, which subsequently identified an alleged breach of planning control. The Council’s intent was to be fully compliant with planning regulations and it met with SKDC (Acting Chief Executive, Senior Planning Enforcement Officer and Cllr Dr Peter Moseley) to determine the way forward. SKDC provided two options: apply for permission for the dog training use as a stand-alone application or apply for planning permission for mixed use. The Council decided on the latter and the application was submitted on 15 May 2020, kindly funded by a grant from its District Councillor, Cllr Dr Moseley.
Requests for Information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
• The Council received two formal requests for information under FOIA in March and May 2020. Such requests require a formal response in accordance with the Act, which entail research, consultation and approval – time-consuming activities for a small Council. The Disclosure Logs for both requests are on the Council’s website.
Bus Shelter
• The Haconby bus shelter still needs work to bring it up to a satisfactory standard. This is an ongoing project – funds will need to be found to complete it.
Neighbourhood Plan
• The Council continues to monitor the Aveland Neighbourhood Plan.
Hacconby with Stainfield Parochial Church Council
• Closer liaison and working with the PCC continue for the benefit of the parish. The Council agreed in November 2019 to assume responsibility for maintenance of the closed churchyard, and this will be formalised when circumstances permit.
I tender my thanks to:
• Parish, District and County Councillors who have supported the Council and its role in acting on behalf of the community it represents over the past year.
• Derek and Mary Holmes for continued use of the ‘Hare and Hounds’ restaurant for our meetings. We are pleased to support the Air Ambulance, their chosen charity, in return.
The Council’s aim remains to work diligently to represent the local community, supporting local needs where possible, and improving quality of life and community well-being. It is always open to courteous and constructive engagement with that community though the proper channels.
RA Dixon-Warren
Chairman, Haconby & Stainfield Parish Council