March 2022 minutes
A Parish Council meeting was held on Monday 14th March 2022, in the Jubilee Hall, High Street, Heighington and commenced at 19:30.
Public Participation
There was 3 members of the public present.
Present:
Councillor Buckley-Jones (Chairman)
Councillor Rushby
Councillor Trafford
Councillor Hemlin
Councillor Sowerby
District & County Councillor Carrington
District Councillor Goodwin
Clerk E. Salter
Responsible Finance Officer N. Briscoe
176/M/21 Chairman’s welcome.
The Chairman welcomed those present and thanked them for coming.
177/M/21 To receive Apologies for Absence, Declarations of Interest and Requests for Dispensations.
Apologies for absence: Apologies were received from Councillor Sockell, Councillor Dziadkiewicz, Councillor Pattle and District Councillor Tinsley. Apologies were not received from Councillor Grimshaw.
Declarations of Interest: There were no Declarations of Interest.
Requests for Dispensations: There were no Requests for Dispensations.
178/M/21 To approve the draft notes as minutes from the meeting of the Parish Council on Monday 14th February 2022.
The draft notes from the meeting of the Parish Council on Monday 14th February 2022 were taken as read and approved as minutes.
Planning Matters and Tree Works.
Planning decision notices received from NKDC.
179/M/21 21/1642/HOUS 7A High Street, Heighington. Erection of porch to front, two storey side and single storey rear extensions, and external alterations. Notification received from North Kesteven District Council that this application has been approved.
- Demolition of existing garage and erection of new detached garage. Notification received from North Kesteven District Council that this application has been approved.
- Proposed remodelling of house to include roof lift, double and single storey extensions. Notification received from North Kesteven District Council that this application has been approved.
182/M/21 Clerk’s report (for information only).
- To note that Fields in Trust are in receipt of the signed Deed of Dedication for Potterhanworth Road sports field and will be in touch once they have been signed and sealed by trustees.
- To note an email from North Kesteven District Council informing us of the proposed consultation on the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan. The consultation has been extended to 8 weeks from the usual 6. The Parish Council will be notified when the consultation starts.
- To note that the office will be closed on Thursday 14th March for Forum Computers to upgrade the ICT system.
- Following the groundsman’s visit to Potterhanworth Road, it has become apparent that the chafer bug infestation has not disappeared over the winter months. The groundsman has agreed to harrow and roll the field before it’s first cut, the outcome will be discussed a future Council meeting.
183/M/21 Correspondence (Read file for Members’ perusal).
- Neighbourhood Policing Team Newsletter
- Email from Lincolnshire County Council regarding beck bridges
- Data protection
- Subject Access Request Procedure (SAR)
- Records Retention Policy
- Data Breach Policy
- General Privacy Notice
- Privacy Notice – Staff, Councillors & Role Holders
- ICT policy
- Environmental Policy
- HPC Consent Form
- New Website Accessibility Statement
The policies were distributed prior to the meeting via email. Members resolved to approve the policies subject to minor amendments. Councillors Buckley-Jones, Trafford and George agreed to review the Environmental Policy over the summer.
185/M/21 To consider the request from the Butcher and Beast to provide the Jubilee Hall as a venue to host an auction to raise funds for the people of Ukraine.
The Clerk had been contacted by the Landlady of the Butcher and Beast to enquire if the Parish Council would provide the Jubilee Hall free of charge on Monday 4 April to host an action to raise funds for the people of Ukraine. The event is a joint venture by the Butcher & Beast and the Turks Head public houses and is aimed to bring the community together to help in this time of crisis. Members resolved to approve the request.
Further to minute number 164/M/21 from the meeting of the Parish Council on 14 February 2022, members resolved approve the revised hire charge forms.
The Annual Parish Meeting will take place in the Jubilee Hall on Monday 25 April 2002, starting at 7.00pm. There will be a report from the Parish Council, a presentation form PC Matt Roberts on recognising scams and frauds, reports from village charities and groups followed by parishioner’s questions. The Chairman requested the agenda to be altered sightly. Councillors Trafford and Rushby volunteered to serve refreshments after the meeting.
Further to minute number 20/A/21 from the Recreation Advisory Forum meeting which was held on Monday 28 February 2022 where the Clerk informed members that The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will be celebrated throughout the weekend of the 2nd - 5th June. National celebrations will be taking place over the extended bank holiday and local communities are encouraged to come together to celebrate and take part in the “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee” under the Queens’ green canopy tree planting initiative. Village celebrations will include a duck and boat race held by Tucann Community Publications, a tea dance hosted by the WI and residents are invited to decorate their homes with flags and bunting. Following a discussion about tree planting on Station Road recreation ground County & District Councillor Carrington agreed to contact the arboricultural officer at North Kesteven District Council to obtain advice on tree species and then meet with Parish Councillors to discuss further.
It was suggested that the entrances to the village are decorated over the Jubilee Weekend. The chair will e-mail all Councillors for ideas and members of a small working party to install any decorations.
The sports club hire agreements were distributed prior to the meeting. Members resolved to approve the hire agreements for 2022/2023.
190/M/21 Financial Matters.
- To note receipt of £40.50 on 2nd February from Alford Storage.
- To note the increased price of the collection of garden waste bins at Jubilee Hall and Station Road. Now £40.00 for the first bin, £8.00 for additional bins 1@ Jubilee Hall & 2 @ Station Road.
- To note that the internal audit will take place on 28th April 2022 by ASAP Accountants.
- To note receipt of payment from NKDC towards the litter picking costs 2021/2022 of £653.10.
- To note that a payment of £623.44 has been made to LALC for annual membership.
- To recommend adjusting the budget for 2022/23 as follows:
Code 49 (non-domestic rates) following receipt of the notification of the charges for 2022/2023 to reduce the budget figure of £ 2,900.00 by £629.55 and re allocate this to code 3 (Jubilee Hall running costs) and code 7 (Station Road running costs) for the increases in energy prices.
Code 51 (the Queens Platinum Jubilee) to reduce this to £200.00 from £1,500.00 to re allocate £500.00 to code 33 (telecom IT running costs) to cover the extra charges for cloud services and the remaining £800.00 to code 29 (Staff administration).
191/M/21 To approve the monthly accounts for February 2022.
The lists of payments and receipts made or received by the council during February 2022 were distributed electronically prior to the meeting. The bank reconciliation and statements were approved and signed by Councillor Hemlin for February 2022. It was resolved to approve the monthly accounts.
192/M/21 To receive reports from County and District Councillors (for information only).
District Councillors' Report March 2022
Heighington, Washingborough & Canwick
Covid
After several weeks of falling cases, numbers have risen in the last week although they are well below the peaks of Jan and early Feb 22. The time delay in establishing the local numbers against those of the whole of North Kesteven will be seen in the detail below. It is therefore anticipated that the number of cases reported in the ward will rise to reflect those of the whole NK area.
Data as at date shown:
- England 459 positive tests per 100,000 (11 Mar)
- North Kesteven 855 (11 Mar)
- Heighington area 388 (6 Mar)
- Washingborough & Canwick area 416 (6 Mar)
- 91% of adult population (12 and over) have had 1st dose
- 85% have had 2nd dose
- 67% have had the Booster jab.
Council Meeting – March 2022
A few notable issues were resolved at this month’s Council meeting.
- The Council showed its support for the people of Ukraine with a minute’s applause.
- The NK Plan and the NK Financial Plan were both approved. The NK plan establishes the Council’s priorities for the years 2022 – 2025 and the financial plan creates the framework for financial sustainability, with the capacity to invest in Council services and priorities.
- The Council passed a motion to reduce the Planning Committee to 15 councillors which will meet every three weeks.
- Addressing the Chairman or Vice-Chairman. Council voted to maintain ‘Chairman’ as the default form of address but recognised that individual members might wish to decide how they should personally be addressed.
Energy Rebate
A £150 rebate for eligible households in Council Tax Bands A to D, to assist with rising energy bills, will commence late April. The rebate will be in the form of a standalone payment and to ensure smooth payment, those who do not already pay their Council Tax through Direct Debit are advised to set one up. Residents are advised to ensure their details are up to date, particularly if they have recently moved or are due to move home before 1 Apr 22. There is no need for residents to get in touch about the rebate itself.
Central Lincolnshire Local Plan (CLLP)
The CLLP has been refreshed and will be subject to further public consultation between mid-Mar – early May before being laid before the Government appointed planning inspector. The Plan comprises a strategic framework under which every planning application will be considered and determined. Key aspects of the plan include:
- The supply of housing to meet growth needs, calculated at 29,150 new homes up to 2040, at a rate of 1,325 per year – accommodating population increase and new jobs to help drive the local economy,
- Provision to support 14,890 new jobs – an increase of 677 jobs each year,
- High standards of energy and resource efficient construction,
- Capacity to generate enough renewable energy to meet local needs, through a variety of means suited to local circumstances,
- Significant biodiversity gains,
- Development that is well-designed, sustainable and meets the needs of everyone,
- Infrastructure to increase levels of active travel – walking and cycling – and reduce reliance on vehicles,
- Promotion of waste minimisation, water efficiency and greater re-use through a circular economy model.
193/M/21 To resolve to move into closed session.
The Chairman moved that the remainder of the business be held in ‘committee ‘and that the public and press be excluded there from for reason that the business to be transacted or advice tendered is of a confidential nature, which could be prejudicial to the public interest to publicise. Members resolved to proceed on that basis, ‘in committee.’
Staff matters
194/M/21 Resignation of the Clerk of Heighington Parish Council.
We note that the Clerk of Heighington Parish Council, Emma Salter, has tendered her resignation. Emma's last day of employment will be Friday 13th May but her last working day will be Thursday 12th May 2022.
195/M/21 Recruitment of new Clerk of Heighington Parish Council.
A job advert has been posted on LALC and Indeed websites as well as Heighington Parish Council's social media outlets and our notice boards. An application form and information pack are ready to be sent to any interested persons. The closing date for applicants is Monday 28th April
Shortlisting will take place on Tuesday 5th April at 19:00 at the home of Councillor George. Councillors George, Buckley-Jones, Rushby, and if available, Hemlin and Pattle will help with this process
Interviews will take place on Monday 11th April. Councillors George, Rushby and Buckley-Jones will form the interview panel.
196/M/21 Pay scales for financial year 2022/2023.
The new pay scales for all our staff were noted. It was resolved that the Responsible Finance Officer should also receive an increase to bring her remuneration into line with scale 9.
The Chair of the Parish Council will write to all staff informing them of their new pay levels.
197/M/21 Cleaning of the Station Road Pavilion.
Denis Manning our Cleaner/Caretaker has been cleaning this building over the winter months and has agreed to continue with this task as part of his general cleaning duties. It was resolved that the Clerk to Heighington Parish Council will write to our two cleaning contractors to inform them that their services are, therefore, no longer required and to thank them for all their work in previous years. When the Cleaner/Caretaker is not available for short periods of time no-one will undertake this duty, however, if his absence is for an extended period then this will be revisited.
198/M/21 Health and Safety.
Councillor Trafford along with Denis Manning attended a Health and Safety course. They both found it invaluable and although our current procedures are compliant there is much more that the Parish Council needs to do. Councillor Trafford will work with the office staff and our Cleaner/ Caretaker to ensure that Denis Manning receives all the personal protection equipment that he is required to have; that there is liaison with the fire service so that any fire/smoke alarms that our buildings do not have are identified and fitted; that all our ladders are inspected; H&S posters are updated and any other matters arising from the course are implemented.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 21: 30 hours.
Signed: Date: