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Bradwell Parish Council Minutes for the Year 2012/2013
Minutes of the business meeting of Bradwell Parish Council
held on Monday 7th January 2013 at 7:30 p m at
Summerfield School, Bradwell Common, Milton Keynes
Members present:
Councillor Brian King (chairman)
Councillor James Alexander
Councillor Marie Bradburn
Councillor Rex Exon (from 8:37)
Councillor Leon Gilpin
Councillor Caroline Godfrey
Councillor John Newbury
Councillor Paul Lewin
Also attended: Harold Atkins, parish clerk/RFO and June Bryant, Administrative Assistant.
1 Apologies for absence
Apologies for absence were received and accepted from Councillors Marc Hairsine and Tom Sayers
2 Disclosures of Interest. None
3 Minutes of the Meeting held on 10th December 2012
All members present confirmed and approved that the minutes of the Council meeting held on 10th December 2012 were a true record of those meetings. They were then signed by the chairman.
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Council meetings held on 10th December were a true records of those meetings.
4 Chair’s Announcements
The chairman reported that Cllr Tom Sayers’ wife is making a little progress.
He also reported the erection of a new notice board in Bradwell Common Square.
5 Public Open Forum. No members of the public were present.
6 Informal Pre Budget Meeting
It was not possible to arrange a pre-budget meeting as not all members were available on any day before the 21 January meeting.
7 Report of the Clerk /Manager
a) The government had announced that parish councils would not be capped in the year 2013/14, but could be in later years. Most principal councils would have to hold a public poll if they wanted to raise council tax for 2013/14 by more than 2%.
b) Complaints had been received from several parish allotment tenants who benefit from the “unwaged” concessionary rate who had been hit by a double increase: a 25% increase in fees plus a reduction in the concession from 33% to 25%.
c) The newly elected Police and Crime Commissioner, Anthony Stansfield, had started his duties on 22nd November and had nominated a deputy commissioner, David Carroll.
d) A revised traffic order, affecting Bradwell Village School, preventing vehicles stopping outside the school had come into force in December, and the road by the school entrance way had been subsequently remarked, having been incorrectly marked beforehand.
e) The procedure for awarding the grant for ten trees to Priory Common School had been changed due to the fact that only bare root trees, and not potted trees, are available at this time of year. The bare root trees are cheaper, but must be planted promptly. The contractor, J V Hough, will deliver and plant the trees with compost and support stakes for the £500 (+ VAT which the council reclaims).
f) The Reverend Andy Jowitt had written on behalf of Bradwell Memorial Hall thanking the Council for the £1,000 grant towards structural work on the hall.
g) Twinkletots Playgroup had sent an email of thanks illustrating the toys purchased with the aid of the Parish Council grant awarded last autumn.
h) Brian Barton, who had been a Bradwell parish councillor in 2007-08, and previously a MK borough councillor, had been appointed clerk to neighbouring Loughton Parish Council.
i) After discussion, members agreed to the felling of two ash trees on parish land leading from Winterburn to Heelands West Allotments. On tree was dead, the other was healthy but threatened the stability of the property at 4 Winterburn, Heelands. Competitive quotations had been received of which that from Trim A Tree at a cost of £450 + VAT was the most competitive.
RESOLVED: To fell two trees along the driveway from 4 Winterburn to Heelands West Allotments at a cost of £450 + VAT. Contractor: Trim A Tree of Cranfield.
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8 Payment of Accounts
List of Accounts presented for payment on / 07.01.2013Bradwell Parish Council Account
Type of payment / Value £ / To whom paid / Reason for payment
Cheque 002889 / 20,000.00 / National Savings & Investments / Transfer funds to investment account
Cheque 002890 / 123.20 / Peter Baldwin / Grounds assistant's remuneration
Cheque 002891 / 31.50 / Summerfield School / Hire of hall in November
Cheque 002892 / 1,540.87 / Wheldon Contracts & Services / Gas pipe renewal Barn - Sports & Social Club
Cheque 002893 / 768.00 / Metrosigns (2000) Bedford Ltd. / Notice board at Bradwell Common Square
Cheque 002894 / 485.76 / A H Contracts / Emptying dog & litter bins in November
Cheque 002895 / 1,375.00 / Milton Keynes Council (properties / Office rent 01.01.13 to 31.03.13
Cheque 002896 / 117.00 / Milton Keynes Council (rates) / Non-domestic rates, Heelands MP due by 01.02.13
Cheque 002897 / 819.64 / HM Revenue & Customs / Income tax and national insurance
Cheque 002898 / 181.00 / Society of Local Council Clerks / Annual subscription 2013
Cheque 002899 / 0 / Cheque cancelled
Cheque 002900 / 240.00 / J V Hough / Erecting notice board at Bradwell Common Square
Cheque 002901 / 67.20 / D&I Window Cleaning / Window cleaning, Heelands M Place & office
Cheque 002902 / 4,133.00 / Thames Valley Police / Half cost of PCSO for 01.10.12 to 31.12.12
Cheque 002903 / 234.40 / N-power / Heelands Meeting Pace electric bill 16.05.12 - 30.11.12
Telepay ref. GDX308 / 2,415.40 / Staff remuneration / To be paid 18.01.13
Direct Debit / 54.07 / Anglian Water / Fosters Lane allotments water bill (6 months)
Direct Debit / 199.11 / Anglian Water / St Lawrence allotments water bill (6 months)
Direct Debit / 429.87 / Anglian Water / Heelands Meeting Place water & sewerage bill (6)
Direct Debit / 78.78 / Anglian Water / Parish office water and sewerage bill (6 months)
Direct Debit / 25.12 / E-on / Activity area lighting
Direct Debit / 28.31 / British Gas / Parish office electricity bill
Direct Debit / 101.01 / CNG - SGS Business Gas / Parish office gas bill
Direct Debit / 97.70 / British Telecom / Office telecommunications and mobile
Direct Debit / 138.08 / Shanks Waste Management / Emptying waste bins, Heelands M Place
Debit card / 10.80 / GBP / Calendars for office
Gas bills at Heelands Meeting Place still to be finalised following appointment of new contractors by MK Council
Sum deducted / TBA / Lloyds TSB / Bank service charges for January
King George's Field, Bradwell, Account
Cheque 000048 / 432.50 / DA Garden Services / Completing bulb planting at Abbey Field
(Bulbs completed in Dec., but other work outstanding)
9 Grants Awarded in 2012/13 up to 31 December 2012
As at year end the following grants have been awarded:
Grant awarded to Amount Description of purpose of grant
Twinkletots Playgroup £908.97 Equipment and toys for young children at the group.
MK City Discovery Centre £987.00 Towards public educational open days last summer
MK Community Mediation Service £868.00 Towards mediation work in Bradwell Parish
Thames Valley & C. Air Ambulance £250.00 Donation to the local air ambulance
STaSS £250.00 Helping work in the parish for HIV positive people.
Request from PCSO Lucy Kidd £399.60 500 reflective danglers to help children’s road safety
MK Women and Work £366.00 To help their work in the parish.
Bradwell Memorial Hall £1,000.00 Towards work to overcome structural problems
Priory Common School £500.00 Planting ten Prunus trees in the school grounds.
10 Heelands Meeting Place
10.1. Finances
June Bryant gave a report on the finances of Heelands meeting Place.
10.2. Hire Changes
June Bryant presented the list of current hall hire charges for 2012/13. She proposed that, in view of the demand for the hall on New Year’s Eve, a fee of £20 per hour be charged on this day. This was agreed and members also agreed to delete the all-day hire charge of £250. Other than these exceptions the listed standard hire charges remain the same as last year.
10.3. Gas Boiler Service
The gas boiler requires regular servicing. June had obtained three competitive quotations for £142, £180 and £186 respectively, all plus the cost of any parts required. The cheapest, £142, was from British Gas, and this was accepted.
RESOLVED: To order the servicing of the gas boiler at a cost of £142.00 from British Gas.
10.4. Ongoing Maintenance of Heelands Meeting Place
The chairman requested that a budget of £5,000 be entered in the 2013/13 budget for the internal and external maintenance of the building, including repainting the outside walls in 2013. This was agreed by all members present.
Cllr Lewin requested that councillors be kept advised of the amount of time that staff and councillors spend on Heelands Meeting Place work.
11 Potential Bradwell Parish Plan and Council Priorities.
Cllr Paul Lewin initiated a debate on what the parish council was aiming to do over the next four years. Councillors need to set out their priorities through a Parish Plan that should be completed by Christmas 2013, following consultations with parishioners. Cllr Caroline Godfrey suggested that councillors get together outside normal meeting times for an internal discussion about future plans and priorities. It was proposed to hold a tour of the parish in early April followed soon after by a councillors’ workshop. Parishioners would be asked their views through a newsletter and website.
12 Remuneration for Parish Councillors
The clerk gave details of a small allowance that could be paid to parish councillors, but not to those who had been co-opted. After discussion, members agreed not to pay this allowance, although members could still claim for car mileage for journeys outside the parish boundaries. The motion not to pay a standard allowance was passed by seven votes in favour with one abstention.
RESOLVED: That the Council will not pay a monetary allowance to its councillors.
13 Provision of Match Funding for Community First Projects.
Cllr Paul Lewin proposed a budget of £8,000 be set aside to provide match funding for organisations which were successful in obtaining a Community First grant, but did not have sufficient match funding. This was seconded by Cllr Marie Bradburn. It was agreed subject to being ratified at the budget meeting on 21 January.
14 Milton Keynes Council Partnership Funds.
MK Council will run four partnership schemes in 2013/14: Parish Partnership Fund, Play Area Improvement Scheme, Community Parking Partnership Fund and a new Community Safety Partnership. Parish match funding is required for all these partnerships. Cllr Caroline Godfrey suggested the councillors recommend to the budget meeting setting aside £10,000 match funding for each of the projects.
15 Planning Applications. There were no planning applications.
16 Environmental and Community Matters.
a) Cllr Brian King asked if anyone knew about the Sirajco shop, Wandsworth Place, getting a licence to sell alcohol. Cllr Rex Exon would look into it.
b) Newsletter. June Bryant presented a list of contents for the February newsletter.
The business having been completed, the chairman closed the meeting at 9:44 pm.
Signed….……………………………………chairman
Date ……………………………………………….2013
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