The Annual (Parish) Council Meeting was held on Wednesday 15th May 2019 and commenced at 7.45pm in the village hall. The Chairman, Mr. Arthey welcomed the following Parish Cllrs. to the meeting – R Corcoran, M Hainsworth, Mrs R Howe and A Sturgeon. Also present were District Cllr. L. Jamieson (in part) and Mrs V Waples (Clerk).
A statement was read out indicating that, in accordance with the changes in legislation, the public and councillors were permitted to film, record, photograph or use social media in order to report on the proceedings of the meeting. A full transcript of the statement is available from the Clerk upon request.
1. Declaration of Acceptance of Office from Councillors Elected to the Council:
The Clerk received the signed Declaration of Acceptance of Office from those elected to the council.
2. Election of Chair:
Cllr. Arthey was nominated and seconded as Chair for a further year with all in agreement.
3. Apologies of Absence:
There were no applicable apologies of absence.
4. Declarations of Interest:
- There were no declarations of interest for the agenda under discussion. There were also no declarations of gifts of hospitality received exceeding £25.
- There were no requests for dispensations for the agenda under discussion.
- Councillors were reminded that they must complete and submit a Register of Interests within 28 days of taking office. Completed forms must be returned to the Clerk within this timeframe.
5. Minutes of Previous Meetings:
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting of 13th March 2019 and extra-ordinary Parish Council Meeting of 11th April 2019 were approved by all as true and accurate records and signed as such by the Chairman.
6. To Note That the Council Has Two Vacancies Following the Election of 2nd May 2019 Which Can Be Filled by Co-option
Council noted that it should seek to take such action within 35 working days of 2nd May 2019 or as reasonably possible - Council accepted the nomination of Ben Howe to the Council, who, following his signing of the Declaration of Acceptance of Office, was co-opted to the Council and invited to the table. Subject to confirmation that he was willing for his nomination to the Council to proceed, the meeting accepted the nomination of Mr James Moore to the Council and agreed to his co-option. As he was unable to be present, all gave approval that he should sign his Declaration of Acceptance of Office prior to the next scheduled parish council meeting.
7. Parish Matters: to Receive Updates on Items Raised at Previous Meetings
- Kersey Crossroads – the Chair confirmed that he had an update and that he had met with County Cllr. Finch and Mr. Wedgewood from Suffolk Highways on the 2nd attempt as the 1st scheduled meeting had resulted in a no-show by the County Council Officers. No particular resolution had been forthcoming as Mr Wedgewood had stated that the plan showed that the area of the bank in question was not highway responsibility, but the responsibility of the riparian landowner. SCC ownership was the highway verge. It was reported that Mr Wedgewood himself had tried to use the junction and had nearly had an incident at the very crossroads. Following further discussion in which Mr Wedgewood confirmed that he understood the issues, agreement was forthcoming for one extra cut with further investigation into whether anything else was feasible. The Chair confirmed that this extra cut has been done but it was of a poor standard and a very high cut. It was also noted that there had been a change of ownership in the field and there may be changes in future years.
8. Public Forum
- District Councillor Jamieson – confirmed his intention to attend as many meetings as possible but if he were not able to attend, the Chair confirmed that an electronic copy of his report submitted to the Clerk for onward circulation would suffice. It was noted that all planning responses made by the Clerk on behalf of the Council would be copied to the District Councillor.
- To receive comments from the public present on agenda items – there were no members of the public present.
- To receive comments from the public present on any other issues concerning the village – there were no members of the public raised.
9. Correspondence to Receive and Consider Correspondence as Itemised:
- SALC - Councillor Training - briefing sessions to be held during June 2019.
10. Clerk’s Report
- To receive and approve the Annual Internal Audit Report – Paper A – Council approved the report as submitted by the Internal Auditor and noted that there were no recommendations contained within the report, aif.
- To receive and approve the Payments & Receipts Account for the year ending 31st March 2019 – Paper B - Council approved the Account as submitted, aif. A copy of the Accounts can be found at Appendix A.
- To note the Bank Reconciliation for the year ending 31st March 2019 – Paper C – Council noted and agreed the bank balances as stated for the year ended 31st March 2019, aif.
- To consider and approve the Annual Governance Statement for 2018/2019 as per Section 1 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Guide (AGAR) – Paper D - Council agreed that there was a sound system of internal control, that Financial Regulations were in place and observed and that it could answer in the affirmative to all of the questions. Section 1 of the AGAR was duly confirmed with positive responses and signed by the Chair and Clerk, aif.
- To consider and approve the Accounting Statements for 2018/2019 as per Section 2 of the AGAR – Paper E - the Council’s Accounting Statements were approved by all and duly signed by the Chair and RFO, aif.
- To consider and approve the Certificate of Exemption from a Limited Assurance Review for the year 2018/2019 - Paper F - as Council was a smaller authority with gross expenditure and income not exceeding £25,000 it was able to certify itself as exempt from a limited assurance review. As such the Certificate of Exemption was approved by all present and signed by the Chairman and the Clerk. The Clerk advised that she would submit the relevant papers to the external auditor (Certificate of Exemption; Contact Details and Periods for the Exercise of Public Rights) by the due date of 1st July 2019, aif.
- To consider schedule of receipts received since the last meeting – Paper G – Council noted that the 1st instalment of the precept in the sum of £2055.50 had been received in April 2019.
- To consider and approve the verified items awaiting authorization as per the schedule submitted – Paper G - Council was in agreement that those items identified should be paid. A full list can be found at Appendix B the end of these minutes.
- To consider and receive the bank reconciliation to date – the bank balance showed £1655.62. It was agreed that Cllr. Hainsworth should become the 3rd Signatory on the account. The Clerk agreed to contact Barclays Bank to action this recommendation.
- To consider the costs involved in the moving of the Village Sign to the grassed triangle opposite the Village Hall – it was noted that the sign was leaning, and that the council was responsible for its asset. Council was in agreement to approve the costs as per the figures noted in September 2018 at a cost of £330, aif. The final position was confirmed following an adjournment for a site visit.
- To approve the costs for verge cutting in Lindsey in accordance with the amount identified in the budget for 2019 – 2020 – it was agreed that this cost should be expended in Lindsey in accordance with the budget set. Council approved expenditure to a maximum of £50 for the coming season.
- To confirm the appointment of the Responsible Financial Officer - Council, in accordance with LGA 1972 s151, approved the continuation of the Clerk in the role of Responsible Financial Officer.
11. Planning Applications:
- To consider the following planning applications: none had been received since the last meeting.
- To note the following planning applications determined by BDC: none had been received since the last meeting.
12. Parish Councillors’ Reports: to Receive Reports on Village Issues from Councillors Present
- Kersey School – it was questioned whether the recent Ofsted Inspection would have an impact on the pupil numbers at the school. It was noted that all connected to the school were being supportive and working through the weaknesses identified.
There being no other business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 9.15pm.
Date of Next Meetings
Parish Council Meeting Wednesday July 10th 2019 commencing at 7.30pm in the Village Hall, Church Road, Lindsey.
To resolve that under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, the public be excluded from the meeting due to the confidential nature of the business to be discussed: the Clerk left the meeting
- Employment matters relating to staff – to consider and approve the increase to the Clerk’s payscale for 2019–2020 (effective 01.04.18) as per the National Joint Council for Local Government Services agreement on pay for local government employees – Confidential Paper submitted – agreed by all that the Clerk’s salary should be uplifted in line with the request submitted within the paper.- aif.
Appendix A – Financial Accounts for the Year Ending 31st March 2019
| Year ended | Year Ended |
|---|---|
| 31.03.18 | 31.03.19 |
| Income | |
| 2720.00 Precept | 3140.00 LGFA 1992 |
| 860.64 Transparency Fund | 0.00 |
| 108.03 VAT reclaim | 140.00 |
| 200.00 Donation | 0.00 |
| 500.00 Locality Budget | 0.00 |
| 4388.67 TOTAL INCOME | 3280.00 |
| Expenditure | |
| 1737.53 Clerk's Salary | 1859.28 LGA 1972 s112 |
| 112.80 Audit Fee | 74.15 LGA 1972 s151 |
| 307.20 Administration Costs | 263.66 LGA 1972 s111 |
| 162.64 Council Insurance | 150.93 LGA 1972 s111 |
| 129.91 Subscriptions | 134.98 LGA1972 s143 |
| 50.00 Section 137 Payments | 50.00 LGA 1972 s137 |
| 90.00 Hire of Village Hall | 80.00 LGA 1972 s111 |
| 26.40 Training | 0.00 LGA 1972 s112 |
| 35.00 Information Commissioner | 40.00 Data. Protection Act 2018 |
| 200.00 Grant to St Peter's Church | 200.00 LGA 1972 s214 (6) |
| 200.00 Grant to Village Hall Committee | 200.00 LG (Misc Provisions) s19 |
| 0.00 Village Expenses | 50.00 LGA 1972 s142 |
| 509.99 Laptop & Software | 0.00 LGA 1972 s111 |
| 210.00 Beacon Brazier | 630.00 LGA 1972 s144 |
| 3771.47 TOTAL EXPENDITURE | 3733.00 |
| Cumulative Fund Balance | |
| 165.62 Balance b/fwd from 01.04.18 | 782.82 |
| 4388.67 Add total income | 3280.00 |
| 4554.29 | 4062.82 |
| 3771.47 Less total expenditure | 3733.00 |
| 782.82 Balance as at 31 March 2019 | 329.82 |
Appendix B – Financial Report
Items received since the last meeting
| Income | Description | Nett | VAT | Gross | Ref | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2019 | BDC – Instalment 1 of Precept | 2055.50 | 0.00 | 2055.50 | Bacs | |
| Total Income £2055.50 | ||||||
Items to be Authorized for Payment
| Expenditure | Description | Nett | VAT | Gross | Ref | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.05.19 | Clerk’s Salary & Expenses | 333.79 | 0.00 | 333.79 | 445 | LGA 1972 s111 & s112 |
| Lindsey Village Hall – Hall Hire | 80.00 | 0.00 | 80.00 | 446 | LGA 1972 s111 | |
| SALC – Membership Fee | 135.06 | 0.00 | 135.06 | 447 | LGA 1972 s143 | |
| T Brown – Internal Audit | 80.85 | 0.00 | 80.85 | 448 | LGA 1972 s150 | |
| Suffolkbiz – Website Hosting | 100.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 | 449 | LGA 1972 s111 | |
| £729.70 | ||||||
Financial Report
| Date | £ |
|---|---|
| Opening Balance 01.04.19 | 329.82 |
| Add Income Received April – May | 2055.50 |
| Less Expenditure Incurred April – May | 0.00 |
| Less Expenditure from verified list 15.05.19 | 729.70 |
| Closing Balance 15.05.19 | 1655.62 |
Bank Reconciliation
| Community Account | Statement – 29.03.19 | 515.02 |
|---|---|---|
| Less unlogged cheques * | At 15.05.19 | 914.90 |
| Plus unaccredited income | At 15.05.19 | 2055.50 |
| Reconciled Total | 1655.62 |
*
- 444 £185.20
- 445 £333.79
- 446 £80.00
- 447 £135.06
- 448 £80.85
- 449 £100.00