Minutes of Gedney Parish Council Meeting Held at Gedney Drove End Villagehall on Tuesday

MINUTES OF GEDNEY PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD AT GEDNEY DROVE END VILLAGEHALL ON TUESDAY 10thOCTOBER 2017

Presiding over the meeting, Cllr I Field

In Attendance:

Cllr A Parks, Cllr J Reynolds, Cllr G Wells, Cllr C Harris, Cllr M Shaw, Cllr K Parks, Cllr S Beard,

A member of the press and Mrs J Ripley Parish Clerk.

(GDE = Gedney Drove End WMP = Walker Memorial Park QMNR = Queen Mother Nature Reserve)

(GDVG = Gedney Dyke Village Green)

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24. / 199.17 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE with reasons
Cllr J Curry sent her apologies and Council RESOLVED to accept her reasons. County Cllr Coupland sent his apologies.
200.17 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST - to receive Declarations of Interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011 and to consider any applications for dispensation.
Cllr Reynolds declared an interest in item 5 as she is on the SHDC Planning Committee.
201.17 SIGNING OF THE MINUTES
The Clerk’s Notes from the meeting on 12th September 2017 were taken as read and accepted as minutes.
202.17 POLICE MATTERS
None
203.17 PLANNING MATTERS
Applications:
H06-0891-17 Mr D Lowe, 26 Lowgrove, Roman Bank, Gedney Dyke
Removal of front hedge and replacement with wall erected
Council supported this application
H06-0918-17 Mrs Woods, Sly Agri Ltd, Sutton St James
Advertising board
Council Supported this application
Approval by South Holland District Council:
H06-0744-17 Mr P Foyle, 4 The Monograms, Pinstock Lane, Gedney
2 roof windows, side elevation – loft conversion (retrospective)
Appeals:
Refusals by South Holland District Council: None
204.17 REPORT TO COUNCIL ON DEFIBRILLATOR/DEMENTIA EVENING 21/9/17
Cllr Field reported that the evening was a great success.
Feedback was that people would have liked a longer more in-depth session on first aid.
Council will look at the possibility of running another session in the future during the day.
205.17 REPORT TO COUNCIL FROM OUTSIDE BODIES

Report from District Councillor Reynolds

Rear Accessway at Main Road/Albert Ave
The Councils Assessor has undertaken a site visit with a contractor and requested that they provide costs for remedial works ASAP.
He has also measured the road to help SHDC identify costs to apportion to home owners (Legal are being consulted on this specific requirement for SHDC charging the owners for their sections of road).
We will keep you informed of ongoing progress.
Play Area Main Road/Albert Avenue
On the face of it Property Services are willing to consider leasing this area of land to the Parish Council provided the correct Council approvals are forthcoming. In the meantime, we will be taking this matter up with our legal section for them to report to us the implications of this
b. Report from County Cllr Coupland
No report as Cllr Coupland absent.
206.17 CLERK’S REPORT
The Clerk advised:

The tree in need of urgent attention in WMP has been dealt with
Letters of reply have been sent to all Grant applicants

Report on items from last meeting:

CCLA: deposit account, following research into this account it would seem it is nowhere near as good as the coif accounts and the interest rate is very low, a projection of interest on £25,000.00 if invested over the last year would have been £70.20.
Pear technology: cemetery mapping, this would be of benefit to the council in the future, it will safeguard the cemetery plan and can be used alongside cemetery software to modernise the Councils cemetery administration along with vastly cutting down the time it takes to make entries into burial book. It works out around £800.00 and then a single fee of £145 per year for cemetery software.
Finance /account software packages, there are two companies specialising in this area for Parish Councils, both packages look very similar and either would work very well for Gedney. The deciding factor is probably location of head office and pricing.

RBS Rialtas are based in Swindon, software fee is £295.00 with personal set up at Councils premises with training at £225.00 (although this does not include the 45p mileage cost from their office and back which would be approx. £121.00) on top of this is £116.00 1st year support, maintenance and single user licence bringing total to £757.00 followed by £116 per year.
Scribe accounts are based in Norfolk, they have one fee of £283.00 per year (worked out on a scale by the size of Councils precept). This includes self-installation or remote assisted installation, they run periodic training sessions throughout the country which are free (but may not coincide with Gedney’s start-up if March 2018) there is online training and support, plus a one-month free trial.
With both the above it would be a case of time to set up and master the package but once done the benefits speak for themselves.
207.17 PARISH COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES & RESPONSIBILITIES
The Clerk handed out an updated list of Councilors Roles and responsibilities.
208.17 FINANCIAL MATTERS

Sec137 payments: Nil
To Resolve on grants for payment: Grant to Lincolnshire Air Ambulance

Following a discussion Council RESOLVED to make a grant of £250

Accounts for payment

Date / Payee / Item / Chq No / Net / VAT / Gross
28/9/17 / Mrs J Ripley / T68 / Wages Sept / £1167.08 / £1167.08
28/9/17 / LCC Pension Fund / T69 / Pension / £378.15 / £378.15
6/10/17 / HMCR / T70 / PAYE / £601.74 / £601.74
10/10/17 / Holloak
Landscapes / T71 / Ground Maint
1 Sept / £55.00 / £11.00 / £66.00
10/10/17 / Mrs Ripley / T72 / Expenses / £222.19 / £222.19
10/10/17 / Hollyoak Landscapes / T73 / Ground Main
9 Sept / £255.00 / £51.00 / £306.00
10/10/17 / Hollyoak Landscapes / T74 / Ground Main
16 Sept / £55.00 / £11.00 / £66.00
10/10/17 / Hollyoak Landscapes / T75 / Ground Main
23 Sept / £180.00 / £36.00 / £216.00
10/1017 / SCS / T76 / Clean GDVG play equip / £30.00 / £30.00
10/10/17 / Lincs Air Ambulance / Grant / 101900 / £250.00 / £250.00
10/10/17 / Hollyoaks
Landscapes / T77 / Ground Maint
29 Sept / £55.00 / £11.00 / £66.00
10/10/17 / Information
Commissioner / Data Protection / 101901 / £35.00 / £35.00
10/10/17 / Malc Firth / T78 / Tree Work / £500.00 / £100.00 / £600.00
Council RESOLVED to make payments as put before them
d.Money In – £200 Cemetery Monument fees, Wayleave £57.89
e. 2ndQuarter bank reconciliation and spend against budget
The Clerk handed out the above for Council inspection, Clerk answered all Councils questions.
Cllr K Parks signed the bank reconciliation and statement.
209.17 CORRESPONDENCE

Richard King Memorials – Memorial application (item 12)
Parishioner: Reply re overgrown foliage on footway in Gedney Dyke

Clerk replied

Parishioner – Complaint about speeding in Gedney Dyke

Clerk to reply

Lincs Road Safety Partnership – reply to Clerks mail (item 16c)
Unipartdorman – Reply to Clerks Mail (item 16c)
LCC Pension fund – Change of Bank details
Request for information on WW2 search light in Gedney Dyke

Clerk has dealt with this

Skegness Town Council – Request for support (item 14)
LCC Mobile libraries team – National libraries week (circulated)
Fenland Play – Reply to Clerk on Slide issue (item 13b)
Cllr Davies- Invite to an information session on A17 Gedney improvement scheme (circulated)
Malc Firth – questions about tree work for quotation-dealt with
SMV Contract Services- Information on services- held on file
Fenland Play- Quotation for pigeon spikes (item 13b)
Gedney PCC – letter in reply to grant offer

Clerk has replied to part of this letter. Council grant amount to stand.

Richard King Memorials – Memorial application (item 12)
Malc Firth – Quotation on tree work (item 13a)
James Chadwick – Quotation on work at QMNR (item 13c)
James Chadwick – Quotation on re oiling noticeboards (item 19)

t. LCC – Fairer funding for Lincolnshire (item 14)
u. CGM Ltd – Quotation on tree work (item-13a)
v. Sutton Bridge Parish Council – Invite to meeting (circulated)
w. Parishioner – complaints about footways and speeding in Gedney Dyke
email passed to County Cllr Coupland to contact Highways.
210.17 TO DISCUSS CEMETERY MATTERS AND RESOLVE ACCORDINGLY
a. Monument applications
Both were approved.
211.17 TO DISCUSS PLAY/OPEN AREAS AND RESOLVE ACCORDINGLY
a. To Resolve on Tree Maintenance from Quotations
The Clerk handed out a spreadsheet of the quotation information, this was discussed at length.
The Clerk informed Council that they were overspent on tree budget and now using contingency fund.
A proposal was put as follows:

To accept the quotation from MalcFirth
To carry out the work highlighted in Tree report as “Short – term work” within the next month
To carry over the work from the report as “Planned management” to 2018 due to budget restraints
To request Malc Firth hold the quotation figure for the work in 2018 as quoted.

This was seconded and RESOLVED
b. To Resolve on play equipment maintenance from quotations
The Clerk reported that work on the slide will not be required as the manufacture and installation was prior to the highlighted standard being introduced.
A quotation from Fenland Leisure for 3 sets of Pigeon spikes at £355 including installation, this was discussed and Clerk instructed to get a second quotation just for GDVG play area as the pigeon poo was not a problem at WMP.
Fenland Leisure will be replacing the post on the log walk FOC as it is under warranty.
c. To Resolve on Maintenance work at QMNR
A quotation from James Chadwick for the sum of £720 was discussed.
The Clerk informed Council that the maintenance budget for QMNR was £500 and if agreed this work would be using the contingency fund.
It was proposed to agree work (other than posts 18/19/20 which had been done by tenant) this was seconded and RESOLVED
Cllr Beard reported that the area surrounding the War Memorial in GedneyDyke was covered in moss. It was proposed for the Clerk to get a quotation for this to be removed.
Clerk Informed Council that there was only £80 left in Miscellaneous repair fund and anything over this amount will be from contingency. Cllr Beard offered to try and clean this herself. Council RESOLVED that if Cllr Beard could not clean the area the Clerk has power to spend up to £150 to have work carried out.
212.17 TO RESOLVE TO SUPPORT LINCOLNSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL’S FAIRER FUNDING CAMPAIGN
This was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED. Clerk to write to MP.
213.17 TO RESOLVE ON REPLIES TO CONSULTATIONS.
None
214.17 HIGHWAYS & FOOTWAYS
a. Update on outstanding matters
Signs for the GDVG play area have now been installed.
Three Councillors from Gedney attended the A17 development meeting at Sutton Bridge, the talks at the meeting were discussed and a vote taken on Gedney Parish Council being in favour of the work or against.
Object = 5 Support = 3
Gedney Parish Councils objection to this work stands.
b. To report any new matters
Hedge in HallgateGedneyhas been slightly trimmed but is still overgrowing the carriageway, Cllr A Parks has reported to Highways.
c.To discuss speeding in Gedney Dyke and Resolve accordingly
The Clerk has made extensive enquiries on participating in the Lincolnshire Community Speed Watch.
There followed a discussion on the costings, formalities, areas to be covered and the need for parishioner support and commitment, without which the project would not work.
It was proposed to proceed with the project & apply to the Windcluster Fund for a grant:

Clerk to contact insurers to confirm volunteers cover
Clerk to contact Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP) to discuss exact costings and possibility of a speaker for consultation event
Consultation to be organised for early 2018 for preferred site locations

This was seconded and RESOLVED.
215.17 PREPARE FOR GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS (GDRP) AND RESOLVE ACCORDINGLY
Clerk has circulated all updated information to Council, she will be attending a training event on this subject on 28th November where it is hoped Councils requirements will be made clearer.
216.17 ALLOTMENTS
The Clerk informed Council that all Allotment invoices had been sent out as had the new tenant leases.
As of today, the Land at Gedney Common has been handed back to The Crown.
217.17 TO RESOLVE ON RE-OILING PARISH NOTICEBOARDS
A quotation from James Chadwick for the sum of £390 to sand down, repair and re oil 3 noticeboards.
The Clerk informed the Council that there was £165 left in the noticeboard fund and contingency would be needed.
Council RESOLVED to accept the quotation and have the work done to give the boards more longevity.
218.17 TO RESOLVE ON NEW ITEMS FOR 2018 BUDGET
Items proposed for budget were:
Junior and toddler swing seat for WMR
Farm Style gate for WMP
Dog bin for Marsh Rd GDE (if SHDC agree to empty)
Speed Watch project consultation
10% Speedwatch project cost
Play area for Gedney project consultation
Money towards Gedney Play area
It was RESOLVED to add these items to the budget
219.17 TO DISCUSS FUTURE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN AND RESOLVE ACCORDINGLY
Following a discussion, it was proposed that Gedney will not be proceeding with a neighborhood plan at this time.
220.17 DATE OF NEXT COUNCIL MEETING: 14th November at GedneyDrove End Village Hall
221.17To Resolve for the council to move into closed session for discussion of the following agenda items.
Due to the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.
This was RESOLVED
The member of the press left the meeting at 10pm
222.17 CLERK’S ANNUAL APPRAISAL
a. Report to Council from the Personnel panel
Cllr K Parks read the report to Council, the Clerk and Panel signed the report.
b. To Resolve on items from Clerks appraisal
Council RESOLVED to purchase a Scribe finance software package.
Council RESOLVED to abolish the August Council meeting.
Council RESOLVED to increase Clerks contingency overtime in budget to £1000
There being no more business to transact the meeting closed at 10.15pm
Signed Date
Chairman