Annual Council May 2020 Minutes
Full Council Minutes May 2020
The Annual meeting of the Parish Council was held on Monday 11th May 2020 by video conferencing and commenced at 19.30.
Public Participation
There were two members of the public present.
Present: Councillor Buckley-Jones
Councillor Sockell
Councillor Briscoe
Councillor Chantler
Councillor Rushby
Councillor Nicklin
Councillor George
Councillor Cann
Councillor Lee
District Councillor Carrington
District Councillor Tinsley
District Councillor Goodwin
Co-Clerk (Finance) J. James
Co-Clerk (Operations) E. Salter
Administrative Assistant B. Inman
1/M/20 Election of Chairman and receipt of signed Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
Following a vote Councillor Alison Buckley-Jones was elected Chairman. The Declaration of Acceptance of Office was duly signed.
2/M/20 Election of Vice-Chairman.
Councillor Susan Sockell was elected Vice-Chairman.
3/M/20 To receive Apologies for Absence, Declarations of Interest and Requests for Dispensations.
Apologies for Absence:
Apologies were received from Councillor Dziadkiewicz and County Councillor Oxby.
Declarations of Interest: There were no Declarations of Interest.
Requests for Dispensations: There were no Requests for Dispensations.
4/M/20 To approve notes as minutes from the meeting of the Parish Council on 9th March 2020. To receive for information the notes from the Policy and Resources Committee meeting on the 20th April 2020.
The notes for the Parish Council meeting on the 9th March 2020 were approved. The notes from the Policy & Resources meeting on the 20th April 2020 were received for information.
Appointment of Members to the following Parish Council Committees, confirmation of the Terms of Reference of these committees and the election of a Chairman of each committee.
5/M/20 Policy and Resources.
Chairman and Vice-Chairman (ex officio) Councillor Sockell, Councillor Briscoe, Councillor Chantler, Councillor Rushby, Councillor George and Councillor Nicklin.
Chairman: Councillor Buckley-Jones.
The Terms of Reference of this committee were confirmed.
6/M/20 Property Services
Chairman and Vice-Chairman (ex officio) Councillor Briscoe, Councillor Cann, Councillor Buckley-Jones, Councillor Dziadkiewicz and Councillor Lee.
Chairman: Councillor Briscoe.
The Terms of Reference of this committee were confirmed.
7/M/20 Appointment of Members of the Recreation Advisory Forum, confirmations of its Terms of Reference and the election of a Chairman of that body.
Councillor Chantler, Councillor Dziadkiewicz, Councillor Rushby, Councillor George, and Councillor Nicklin.
Chairman: Councillor Chantler.
The Terms of Reference of this committee were confirmed.
8/M/20 Appointment of Members to the Employment Committee and confirmation of the Terms of Reference of that committee.
This committee only meets on an ad hoc basis when required. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Council do not sit on this Committee.
Councillor Briscoe, Councillor Chantler and Councillor Cann.
Chairman: To be decided at a meeting of the committee.
The Terms of Reference of this committee were confirmed with the addition of: any investigation that is required is to be carried out by an independent Councillor who is not a member of this committee.
9/M/20 To confirm appointments to outside bodies.
i. Four Parishes
Councillor Buckley-Jones, Councillor Rushby, Councillor George, Councillor Nicklin and Councillor Lee.
ii. Pike and Eure
Councillor Sockell
iii. Garretts Charity
For a duration of four years from 18th March 2017 as per the charity constitution.
Councillor Chantler and Mrs C J Dunning (these are continuing appointments).
10/M/20 To confirm Standing Orders for this Council.
The Standing Orders had been distributed to members before the meeting.
It was resolved to confirm the Standing Orders for this Council.
11/M/20 to confirm Financial Regulations for this Council.
The Financial Regulations had been distributed before the meeting.
It was resolved to confirm the Financial Regulations for this Council with the amendments to clauses 5.7 and 15.5.
12/M/20 To adopt the Code of Conduct of this Council.
The Code of Conduct had been distributed to members before the meeting.
It was resolved to adopt the Code of Conduct of this Council.
13/M/20 As appropriate, to allocate or reconfirm Members assignment to Areas of this Parish.
Some areas have been reallocated and areas have been confirmed. Members were reminded to walk their areas and report any faults found.
14/M/20 To receive the 2019/2020 report from the Internal Auditor.
The report from the Internal Auditor was received and agreed by the Council.
15/M/20 To consider, approve and sign the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2019/2020.
It was resolved to approve and sign the Annual Governance and Accountability Return for 2019/2020.
16/M/20 To consider approve and sign the Accounting Statements for 2019/2020.
It was resolved to approve and sign the Accounting Statements for 209/2020.
Planning Matters
Tree works received from North Kesteven District Council.
There were no Tree works applications received.
Tree works decision notices received from North Kesteven District Council
17/M/20 20/0381/TCA Maple House, Mill Lane, Heighington LN4 1RQ, Notification received from NKDC that a tree protection order is not required
Planning applications received from North Kesteven District Council.
There were no planning applications received.
Planning decision notices received from North Kesteven District Council. 18/M/20 20/0229/HOUS Brook House, Fen Road, Washingborough, LN4 1AE. Notification received from NKDC that the application has been approved.
19/M/20 Clerk’s Report (for information only).
• VAT refund of £812.89 received on the 16th April 2020 HMRC.
• Refund of £107.00 received from Wells Marquees which represents 25% of deposit paid, as set out in their terms and conditions.
• To note that the boiler service at Station Road was completed on 23rd April 2020.
20/M/20 Correspondence (Read file for Members’ perusal).
• Environmental Warden’s reports for March 2020.
Financial Matters:
i. 21/M/20 To authorise the Schedule of Routine Expenditure for 2020/2021 in accordance with the process set out in the Financial Regulations.
It was resolved to authorise the Schedule of Routine Expenditure for 2020/2021.
ii. 22/M/20 To authorise the Schedule of Direct Debit payments.
It was resolved to authorise the Schedule of Direct Debit payments.
iii. 23/M/20 To approve the monthly accounts for March and April 2020.
The monthly accounts had been distributed by email to the bank signatories before the meeting and therefore it was resolved to approve the monthly accounts for March and April 2020.
iv. 24/M/20 To appoint an Internal Auditor for 2020/2021.
It was agreed that further investigations would be carried out to find a replacement Internal Auditor for the Council as the current Internal Auditor has retired.
25/M/20 To note email received regarding the speed limit reduction on Fen Road, Heighington.
Members noted the proposal to reduce the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph on Fen Road, Heighington and agreed to contact Lincolnshire County Council to confirm their view that this is in keeping with area. It was also noted that the map showing the area of speed reduction had been incorrectly named.
26/M/20 To consider letter received from Citizens Advice.
After a brief discussion, Members requested that this could be discussed at the next meeting of the Four Parishes committee.
27/M/20 To consider attending the LALC Networking Day for Councillors and Clerks rescheduled to Tuesday 13th October 2020.
The Co-Clerk (Operations) was requested to confirm attendees with LALC.
28/M/20 To note that Picnic in the Park scheduled for the 4th July 2020 has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Members noted this and were hopeful that the Picnic in the Park would go ahead in 2021.
195/M/19 To receive reports from County and District Councillors (for information only).
County Councillor Ron Oxby.
April 2020 County Report
As we approach the end of our fifth week in lockdown, it seems a good time to reflect on what has happened across the county during this emergency.
Despite the pressures and challenges we have faced in Lincolnshire, I'm incredibly proud of what we are achieving. Throughout the council, we have maintained our own key services, including those that protect the most vulnerable adults and children.
We have needed to act quickly to put in place new systems and new ways of working to adapt to the coronavirus crisis and have re-deployed staff to where they are needed most. Our staff have stepped up in an amazing way- some having been retrained in waste services, providing support in children's homes and to our vulnerable residents.
Over the past few weeks, we've seen a brilliant community spirit, and I am very grateful for all the volunteers (over 7,200 individuals) who have stepped forward to help those most at risk in our communities.
Working together with our partners, I'm pleased to say that we've called over 3,400 'shielded' or extremely vulnerable residents and made almost 1,400 calls to clinically vulnerable residents. We've also answered over 2,000 calls on our Covid-19 helpline, and volunteers have now delivered over 330 food parcels, visited 677 homes and collected and delivered over 60 prescriptions. We've also responded to over 1,500 requests for assistance in the county.
With this in mind, I'd also like to say thank you to you for stepping forward and helping your community- particularly accessing funding through the grant fund. So far, we have approved 94 applications, totalling almost £52,600. This money is going to many well deserving places, including LIVES, volunteer groups, individuals making PPE, and food banks amongst others. Please continue to apply for a share, by visiting www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/communityfund.
Councils in Lincolnshire are also continuing to support businesses. As of yesterday, district councils had made payments for over £120.6 million to 10,276 businesses. This equates to 68% of the applications we’ve received. If you know a business eligible for small business or rural rate relief, who needs support, they can get information on the Business Lincolnshire website.
In the press this week, there has been much talk about Care Homes and PPE. I'd like to reassure you that, despite the extremely difficult circumstances, we continue to support our care workers to ensure vulnerable adults get the support they need in the safest possible way.
We have been proactive in setting up a fund to support care homes, home care providers, nursing homes and supported living – helping to cover staffing costs, recruitment and training and additional PPE.
All our care home providers continue to work very hard to provide their staff with the required PPE and although more national supplies are promised, we are covering any shortfalls with limited supply stocks for those who need urgent support
Earlier this week, working alongside the Lincolnshire Care Association and the NHS, we've put new remote monitoring systems in 25 care homes. These enable staff to take patient readings including their pulse, oxygen saturation levels, blood pressure and temperature, remotely and safely. Care homes can then share this information securely with NHS professionals, so decisions can be made about residents' care. It also reduces the need for ambulance calls and emergency admission to hospitals, and maintains essential health checks for people who need them. This equipment will be in another 25 care homes next week, and we aim to have this in each care home across the county by the end of the year.
You will all have heard the news around the temporary mortuary sites across the UK. Today, together with Debbie Barnes, I visited the new temporary mortuary at Woodhall Spa. It is coordinated by the Resilience Forum, who constantly review national and local modelling which considers different scenarios and outcomes in Lincolnshire. I'm sincerely hopeful it won't ever be required, but it is necessary to ensure we have access to any extra facilities and specialist services. Having seen first-hand, we can be assured that loved ones will be treated with dignity and respect.
After the government's announcement to extend the lockdown measures last week, we know we have at least another fortnight in which we will be asked to stay in our homes and follow social distancing rules.
It is vital that we all continue to play our part by following those lockdown guidelines which hopefully will soon start to be eased.
We may still be in the midst of this emergency, but I am confident that we are doing all we can to help our county both now and in the future.
Some other important service updates include:
• Although our support services and the police haven't seen an increase in domestic abuse reports or referrals to domestic abuse services, EDAN Lincs Domestic Abuse Service remains available to those suffering or fleeing from domestic abuse. They can be reached on 01522 510041 or at www.edanlincs.org.uk.
• CallConnect buses are continuing to run, with all essential journeys now free of charge during the coronavirus outbreak. This service can be booked at www.lincsbus.info.
• A range of library services and resources, including e-books, audio books, e–magazines and music, are being offered online while our libraries are closed. Through March, we've seen a huge rise in E-book and E-magazine loans - up by 81% on the previous year, while audio-book loans saw an increase of 28% and music downloads grew by 65%. You can access the service through: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/coronavirus.
• Household Waste Recycling Centres are currently closed. A timetable and information around the re-opening will be circulated in due course.
• Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue will be joining East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) to support the response to COVID-19, such as driving Urgent Care vehicles and the safe moving of patients. If the need arises in the coming weeks, fire service personnel will work alongside EMAS Urgent Care colleagues to carry out support tasks.
• NHS has launched their 'Every Mind Matters' campaign. Under the present restrictions our wellbeing and health is more important than ever. For advice on coping with anxiety and improving your mental health visit the Every Mind Matters website - https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
• We're advising residents to be aware of coronavirus scams to protect themselves and others. Fraudsters are trying to sell fake coronavirus tests or cures, or using fake emails and texts to try and steal your bank details. More information can be found on our website, and by following Lincolnshire Trading Standards on Facebook and Twitter.
• Many of you will be juggling work with trying to home school your youngsters. A number of great resources across a broad range of subjects include: BBC Bitesize www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize and lessons from the Oak National Academy www.thenational.academy.
• VE Day 75 community events due to take place on the bank holiday weekend of 8th – 10th May, have been postponed until later in the year. However, on Monday, the BBC will launch a VE day campaign, encouraging residents and businesses to take part take in celebrations safely from home, by hanging bunting up at home.
Please keep up-to-date on all our services on our social media channels and our website at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/coronavirus.
District Councillor Carrington
Cllr Carrington reported that NKDC had now transformed to an almost entirely remote operation with only a small rota of staff using the Council office. Other than leisure and heritage buildings all the Council’s core operations are continuing. In addition many new duties related to the health emergency had been taken on.
Cllr Carrington particularly stressed economic and community support. For business and jobs, £18 million of small business emergency grants had been distributed to local firms, and NKDC is also arranging rate reliefs, rent reductions and business advice. In the community NK had been central in the working of the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum (LRF) and supporting local groups. NK had written to some 13000 vulnerable local residents including 2000 of its own tenants and was telephoning them at a rate of over 600 per day to offer support, reassurance and guidance. Cllr Carrington stated that the Council’s finances we’re robust, and that it was planning in detail for demobilisation and recovery.
Regarding the Garrett Rise S 106 Cllr Carrington had arranged for further discussions to take place between the developer and senior NK officers with the aim of improving on the planning gain for Heighington. This had been slowed by the lockdown but talks were now resuming and a further report would be made to the Parish Council.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 20.49 hours.
Signed: Date: