CC Turner, Cllr Murphy & Ann Turner, Principal, Myerscough College
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF MYERSCOUGH AND BILSBORROW PARISH COUNCIL HELD AT MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE ON THURSDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2017
PRESENT
Cllr Mrs Olivine (Chairman), Cllr Mrs Allan, Cllr Barker, Cllr Bolton, Cllr Pye, Cllr Robinson & Cllr Sutcliffe
APOLOGIES
CC Turner, Cllr Murphy & Ann Turner, Principal, Myerscough College
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Roy Bassnett
*
44.17 MINUTES
The minutes of the July Council Meeting were approved and signed and the minutes of the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Trustees of Barton, Bilsborrow & Myerscough War Memorial were noted
45.17 FINANCE
Financial Regulations
Every member had been provided by the Clerk with his/her own copy of the Financial Regulations
RESOLVED
Having reviewed the Financial Regulations (which are modelled upon, and in accordance with, the latest advice from The National Association of Local Councils dated January 2016) it was resolved that they be approved and that, in future, they will be reviewed annually by a Sub-Committee comprising two members and the Clerk
Payments received
The following payments had been received:
Wyre Council £600-00 re Britain in Bloom
War Memorial Account
Barton Parish Council £170-00 contribution 2017/18
Accounts for payment
The following payments were sanctioned:
Heckford Printers Ltd £66-00 replacement interpretive panel
BDO LLP £120-00 audit fee 2016/17
Post Office Ltd £198-00 tax on Clerk’s salary July to September 2017
Roy Bassnett £792-00 Clerk’s salary July to September 2017
Claughton-on-Brock Parish Council £1250-00 Parish Lengthsman Scheme October to December 2017
War Memorial Account
Royal British Legion £47-00 wreath and 30 memorial crosses
Reconciled balances at Bank as at 31 August 2017
Current Account £628-31 CR
War Memorial Account £2427-64 CR
NS&I Investment Account £24888-54 CR
Transfers between accounts
The following transfers were authorised
From the Investment Account to the Current Account £2500-00
From the Current Account to the War Memorial Account £230-00 being Myerscough and Bilsborrow’s contribution for 2017/18
Review of performance against budget
Exceptional items to date:
Community vegetable garden £1845-31 including VAT, less £600-00 grant by Wyre Council
Ball-stop netting repairs £252-00
Taxable benefits payable to the Clerk
HMRC prefers that all such benefits be ‘payrolled’ in future (which will cause tax thereon to be deducted at source, rather than via the Clerk’s tax code as happens presently)
AGREED
To take advice from Lancashire Association of Local Councils
ACTION
Clerk
Payments of PAYE at the Post Office
From 15 December 2017 it will no longer be possible to make payments to HMRC at the Post Office. There are other ways to pay, e.g. Direct Debit
AGREED
To take advice from Lancashire Association of Local Councils
ACTION
Clerk
Bilsborrow Recreation Ground – Public Liability insurance
It had been confirmed by the Council’s insurer that an organised group using the Recreation Ground (e.g. Bilsborrow Football Club) would have to have insurance in place
Generic risk assessments by Cllr Sutcliffe: Barton, Bilsborrow & Myerscough War Memorial, Bilsborrow Recreation Ground and Old Brock Station Pocket Nature Reserve
RESOLVED
That the risk assessments be approved, with thanks to Cllr Sutcliffe
Annual Return for the year ended 31 March 2017
The external auditors had completed their work and had issued a qualified report. The issue was that the Clerk had given a hardwood bench donated to the Council a book value of £500 in the Fixed Assets section of the Accounting Statements. The auditors had pointed out that a gifted asset should be included at a value of £1, or nil, and that, therefore, the accounting treatment was not in accordance with proper practice in force during 2016/17. (The value of the bench for insurance purposes remains at £500, being the cost to the donor in 2015)
RESOLVED
That the Annual Return including the auditors’ certificate therein be approved and accepted and that the value of the bench as shown in the Council’s Fixed Assets Register be changed to £1
ACTION
Clerk
46.17 PLANNING
Barton Village Neighbourhood Area Application
The neighbourhood plan designation area application had been approved by the Planning Authority
Publication Draft Wyre Local Plan 2017
The Planning Authority had published the draft Local Plan 2017 and had invited representations on the draft and associated Sustainability Appraisal over a six week period from 22 September to 3 November
47.17 DIVISION & WARD
The Clerk read aloud a briefing paper helpfully provided by CC Turner
48.17 HIGHWAYS, FOOTPATHS, BRIDLEWAYS & WATERWAYS
The Clerk briefed the members as to various highway, footpath and waterway matters
In respect of proposed horse drawn boats on Lancaster Canal it was resolved that Canal & River Trust and the boat operator be reminded that the Council had recently upgraded the towpath at considerable expense and that the Council would expect that the towpath would be maintained in good condition
ACTION
Clerk
49.17 BARTON, BILSBORROW & MYERSCOUGH CIVIC REMEMBRANCE SERVICE
The annual Civic Remembrance Service was to be held at the War Memorial in Bilsborrow Village on Armistice Day, Saturday 11 November, commencing at 10:40 a.m. Brigadier Iain Robertson OBE TD DL, brother officer and friend of the late Colonel John Bird OBE DL, had been invited by the Trustees of the Memorial to attend the Service and to recite the ‘Ode to the Fallen’ and Kohima Epitaph
50.17 FORTHCOMING MEETINGS
November 2017 Council Meeting: Thursday 23 November
January 2018 Council Meeting: Thursday 11 January
March 2018 Council Meeting: Thursday 22 March
………………………………….
CHAIRMAN
Distribution list:
Chairman and members of the Parish Council
on behalf of The Duchy of Lancaster
Cllr Peter Murphy, Brock with Catterall Ward
Myerscough College webmaster
J Cliff Sharp Esq, Honorary Internal Auditor
Revd Garry Whittaker, Vicar, Fellside Team
Wyre Council (x3)
Minutes of September 2017 Council Meeting