A Council Meeting was held on Wednesday 13th November 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, B Howe, R Howe, J Moore 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. Apologies of Absence:
- There were no applicable apologies of absence.
- It was noted that County Cllr. Finch had confirmed that he would be unable to attend and had submitted a written report.
2. Declarations of Interest:
- Cllrs. Arthey and Howe and Moore declared a local non-pecuniary interest in Agenda 8ii. There were no declarations of gifts of hospitality received exceeding £25.
- There were no requests for dispensations for the agenda under discussion.
3. Minutes of Previous Meetings:
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting of 11th September 2019 were approved by all as a true and accurate record and signed as such by the Chairman.
4. Parish Matters: to receive updates on items raised at previous meetings
- Kersey Crossroads – nothing more on this matter had been heard from Kersey PC and SCC. It was noted that further work would be carried out in the New Year to one of the banks and the work that had been previously carried out had improved the situation. It was agreed there was still a requirement for better site lines on in both directions which would only be achieved by cutting both banks back.
- Beacon Brazier – it was confirmed that the beacon had recently been taken down and placed in an area for safe keeping and that a price was being sought for sleeving the pole. It was confirmed that the hole that was dug was still in very good condition and had not collapsed. Council agreed in principal that it would commit to £100 for the pole to be sleeved and concreted into the hole. The Chair agreed to obtain the quotation and to pass onto the Clerk for the Council’s records.
5. Public Forum
- To receive a report from County Councillor James Finch – Council noted the report as submitted which can be read at Appendix A.
- To receive a report from District Councillor Leigh Jamieson – nothing had been received from Cllr. Jamieson and it was agreed that should a report be received then it would be circulated to all councillors and added to Appendix B. Post meeting note – the report was received later that week.
- To receive comments from the public present on agenda items – there were none present.
- To receive comments from the public present on any other issues concerning the village – Cllr. Hainsworth made the meeting aware that a member of the parish had queried why there were no recent minutes on the website.
6. Correspondence to receive and consider correspondence as itemised:
- The Local Government Boundary Commission – Electoral Review of Suffolk – Division Arrangements – Council to note that the consultation on division boundaries for Suffolk County Council has been extended to 2nd January 2020. It was agreed that Council had no comments to make on this matter.
- BMSDC – Developments regarding proposed Babergh name change – Council noted communication on this matter from Babergh District Council which stated that this matter had been adjourned for further discussions.
- BMSDC – Suffolk Fly-tipping Campaign – Council noted that Babergh Mid Suffolk District Council would be providing further information on this campaign via social media.
- BMSDC – Tree for Life – Council noted details on the campaign for the promotion of the Tree for Life scheme
- SALC – Date of AGM – 26th November 2019 at Blackbourn Community Centre, Elmswell – Council noted the date.
7. Clerk’s Report
- To consider schedule of receipts received since the last meeting – Paper A – it was confirmed that no receipts had been received since the last meeting.
- To consider and approve the verified items awaiting authorization as per the schedule submitted – Paper A - Council was in agreement that those items identified should be paid, aif. A full list can be found at Appendix C the end of these minutes.
- To consider and receive the bank reconciliation to date – Paper B - the bank balance showed funds to the value of £1,918.05 taking into account the approved cheques as identified in agenda item 7ii above.
- To consider the Budget Monitoring Report – Paper C – the council noted that the year currently stood at 20% under the budget for the period ending November 2019.
- To consider the Draft Budget for 2020-2021 – paper D – Council considered the draft paper was produced and agreed that potential costs to be added to the budget should cover the moving of the village sign and accessibility certificate for compliance with the 2018 Regulations. Noted this was an indicative budget with a potential increase of 3.98%. Previous recommendation has been that the Parish Council holds between 3 and 6 months-worth of reserves which Council felt was appropriate for a parish the size of Lindsey. It was proposed and agreed that the Council would set a budget of £4,272 and that the precept would be considered further at the January meeting once the tax base was known.
- To consider the request to support East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices by way of a donation – agreed that the Parish Council did not feel that EACH was of benefit to the parishioners of Lindsey at this point in time but that they will be added to the list of potential beneficiaries for future consideration, aif. Agreed that this year East Anglian Air Ambulance would be the one supported by the Parish Council, aif.
- NALC – The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No 2) Accessibility - Regulations 2018 – to receive an update on compliance with the accessibility of the parish council’s website. Council was made aware that there will be a cost for a certificate to confirm accessibility and that the Clerk was in the process of ensuring that the website was compliant with the regulations. Advice was being sought from SALC and NALC.
- Community Infrastructure Levy - CIL – potential amount of £5,560.26 will be coming to Lindsey by way of the Neighbourhood CIL following approval of two applications: DC/17/03751 and DC/19/01412. The Chair confirmed that, following the review of CIL, Neighbourhood CIL could now be spent on the maintenance of infrastructure and that CIL was only due once work had commenced on a site.
8. Planning Applications: (note planning applications not circulated prior to meeting).
- To consider the following planning applications: there were none received.
- To note the following planning applications determined by the local planning authority:
- DC/19/03767 - Planning Permission for the variation of Condition 2 (approved plans and documents) on planning permission B/16/00873 approved 10/10/2016 – erection of front, side and rear single storey extensions @ Forge View, The Tye, Lindsey The Chair agreed to ascertain whether this application would be subject to CIL.
- BDC/MSDC - Joint Local Plan – to note the Council’s response to the draft local plan had been submitted to Babergh Mid Suffolk District Councils.
The Chair informed the meeting that BMSDC were in the process of considering the representations received under the recent consultation. 1,300 respondents in total were received and all comments received were on the website. Once the comments had been reviewed and amendments made where relevant, Regulation 19 consultation will then take place with the plan being submitted for examination in late 2020 with adoption anticipated for 2021.
9. Parish Councillors’ Reports: to receive reports on village issues from Councillors present –
- Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) at Great Blakenham – in the process of being renovated. Cold commissioning now finished with anticipation that the plant will be fully operational by the end of the following month. The renovations should ensure that the plant will have equipment that will be able to pick out different grades of plastic – separate out colours; grade different types of clear plastics. Part of the new system is now automated. The energy from waste plant generates electricity into low grade fuel. Statistics are available on recycling rates, but it is believed that only 50% of recycled waste collected is actually recycled with the remainder going into the Energy from Waste Plant and that recycled waste is also being taken from Essex to ensure that the plant is operating at full capacity.
- Police Meeting - meeting called by concerned residents regarding the recent spate of break-ins – 26th September 2019 – 46 residents in attendance with PC Jon Garrish, Community Engagement Officer and Phil Kemp, Suffolk Constabulary Design Crime Out Officer – general advice was given on how to deal with and prevent burglaries– more information provided on Suffolk Police website. Agreed outcome was that there would be increased police presence in the village.
- Post box had been replaced by Royal Mail on the verge by the White Rose.
- Damaged signs at the end of the village had been reported but the Clerk agreed to check this on the Suffolk Reporting Website.
- Pothole opposite Chapel Barns had been reported but the Clerk agreed to check this on the Suffolk Reporting Website.
- Gritting – it was agreed that concerns should be raised over the fact that the plans for gritting in the area did not include the road through Lindsey to Lindsey Tye. The Clerk was asked to submit a request for the gritter to pass through Lindsey to connect the A1141 through the village with the road from Sudbury to Kersey.
- Hedgerows - discussion ensued over hedgerows that had been cut between Lindsey and Kersey.
10. Date of Next Meeting
Parish Council Meeting Wednesday 15th January 2020 commencing at 7.30pm in the Village Hall, Church Road, Lindsey. Council also received the list of scheduled meetings for 2020.
11. 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:
There was no business to be discussed.
There being no other business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 21.01pm.
Appendix A – County Councillor James Finch Report
“Braking Point” returns to help young adults stay safe on Suffolk’s roads The Suffolk Roadsafe board (SRB) is working with 16 and 17-year-old students to encourage young people to stay safe on Suffolk’s roads. SRB is a partnership between Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, the Police and Crime Commissioner, Suffolk Constabulary, Highways England, and the East of England Ambulance Service. The Braking Point project was relaunched in the week of 7 October and will be visiting 20 schools across Suffolk to deliver a “Braking Point play”. The play, delivered by Performance in Education, is designed to encourage the safe behaviours of both drivers and passengers. Once the theatre tour ends, just before the autumn half-term, the Road Safety team will provide classroom-based follow-up sessions in schools, which will continue to run into 2020. These sessions are designed to change student behaviour by normalising sensible decision making on the highway. These interactive sessions have been shown to shift students’ attitudes to road safety and to provide them with more knowledge which they can take forwards as they become responsible drivers on Suffolk’s roads. Find out more information about Braking Point on the Suffolk Roadsafe website
First time central heating systems for Suffolk residents A further 200 Suffolk homes without central heating will soon be able to have their first ever system installed. On 7 October it was reported that Suffolk’s local authorities have secured an additional £760,000 of funding from the Warm Homes Fund. This will enable the installation of 204 first time central heating systems in eligible, fuel-poor households across Suffolk over the next three years. This is in addition to the original funding secured by the partnership in 2017 for 514 systems, over 200 of which have already been delivered. Around four million UK households are in fuel poverty, unable to affordably heat their home to the temperature needed to stay warm and healthy. As well as being on low incomes many of these households are also faced with the additional burden of relying on heating systems that are inefficient and expensive to run. I would encourage anyone who does not have a central heating system and finds it a challenge to afford their energy bills to contact Suffolk Warm Homes Healthy People on 03456 037686 quoting the Warm Homes Fund or visit www.greensuffolk.org/whf to find out more.
Launch of the Annual Public Health Report - Suffolk Through a Child’s Eyes The Annual Public Health Report, ‘Suffolk Through a Child’s Eyes’ was launched at the Health and Wellbeing Board Conference on 2 October. This year’s Annual Public Health Report – an independent report from the director of public health – focuses on what it is like to live and grow up in Suffolk from a child’s perspective. Integral to this year’s report is the accompanying short film produced in conjunction with Signals (an arts and education charity) and Public Health Suffolk, to capture what Suffolk children and young people think about four topics; Friends and Family; Feelings; Fit and Healthy and Future Hopes and Dreams. Watch the film on the Healthy Suffolk website https://www.healthysuffolk.org.uk Their feedback has been used, together with local and national evidence, to produce the report’s recommendations. These recommendations form areas for action, and focus on how families, practitioners and policy makers can continue to support all children in Suffolk to reach their full potential. The Health and Wellbeing strategy has recently been refreshed for 2019-22 and identifies four key priorities:
- Every Child in Suffolk to have the Best Start in Life
- People of working age are supported to optimise their health and wellbeing
- Older People in Suffolk have a Good Quality of Life
- People in Suffolk have the Opportunity to Improve their Mental Health and Wellbeing.
The Annual Public Health Report addresses the Health and Wellbeing Board’s first priority: ‘Every child in Suffolk to have the best start in life’. The full report can be viewed on the Healthy Suffolk website https://www.healthysuffolk.org.uk
More Fostering and Adoption Sessions in Boxford and the Stour Valley Following another successful session in Bures and Nayland in October, I give below the dates and times of the last two sessions for this year. Because of the good response to these sessions I propose to continue with these in 2020.
Appendix B – District Councillor Leigh Jamieson’s Report
Babergh Name Change The extraordinary council meeting planned for the 22nd October was cancelled at the request of Cabinet leader John Ward. Councillor Ward, who has been the main driver behind the name change, decided to withdraw the motion for now. It was felt that it was unlikely to get the 2/3 majority that would be required. By withdrawing the motion, the idea can be kicked into the long grass and resurrected at a later date. Councillor Ward is still keen on the idea and feels that the name change would be beneficial for the district, bringing it into line with the other districts in Suffolk. Cllr Ward said: “We have received valuable feedback both for and against the proposals over recent weeks that will help in our future discussions and we are extremely grateful for the free publicity we have received in the meantime, both nationally and internationally, that has helped people understand exactly where Babergh is located, and how to pronounce it!”
Paperless council The environmental task force that was set up after the July Climate Emergency motion has now sat for the first time. The first decision that has been made was to ensure we are digital first. Senior staff and councillors are being challenged to go paperless for council and committee papers. Distributing hard copies of these papers’ costs more than £50,000 a year. Having a digital first approach is an expectation that will also be an ask for all staff in their day to day roles and the council will continue to encourage residents to self-serve via the 24/7 resources available online. Our public council and committee meetings provide a great platform to set an example about how we work in a digital way. The task force is a joint committee between Babergh and Mid Suffolk and is due to sit monthly until March.
Parking Motion During last Tuesdays council meeting a motion was put on notice to review the parking in the district. With continued housing growth planned for the area it was felt that a review of capacity will be needed and where any additional capacity should be placed. This is an important issue for the area and had already been raised with me by an Elmsett resident. As such all options should be looked at while working with our partners Suffolk County Council and the Town/Parish Councils. However, concerns were raised by Robert Lindsay and the Green Party that extra capacity should not be the default setting and it is the level of capacity that should be considered. Before increasing the parking and ultimately the cars on the road we should be looking at what options are available to provide residents with a serious alternative to driving. This will include public transport and cycling, particularly for residents of the towns, who may not need to drive every time.
Appendix C – Financial Report:
Items received since the last meeting:
| Income Description | Nett | VAT | Gross | Ref | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Income | £NIL |
Items to be Authorized for Payment
| Expenditure Description | Nett | VAT | Gross | Ref | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.11.19 Clerk’s Salary & Expenses | 339.34 | 0.00 | 339.34 | 457 | LGA 1972 s111 & s112 |
| St Peter’s Church – grounds maintenance | 200.00 | 0.00 | 200.00 | 458 | LGA 1972 s214 (6) |
| Lindsey Village Hall – donation | 200.00 | 0.00 | 200.00 | 458 | LG Misc Prov Act 1976 s19 |
| Total | £739.34 |
Financial Report
| Date | £ |
|---|---|
| Opening Balance 11.09.19 | 2657.39 |
| Add Income Received September – November | 0.00 |
| Less Expenditure Incurred September – November | 0.00 |
| Less Expenditure from verified list 13.11.19 | 739.34 |
| Closing Balance 13.11.19 | 1918.05 |
Bank Reconciliation
| Community Account | Statement – 27.09.19 | 2657.39 |
|---|---|---|
| Less unlogged cheques * | At 13.11.19 | 739.34 |
| Plus unaccredited income | At 13.11.19 | 0.00 |
| Reconciled Total | 1918.05 |
*
- 457 £339.34
- 458 £200.00
- 459 £200.00
- £739.34