A Council Meeting was held on Wednesday 15th January 2020 and commenced at 7.30pm in the village hall. The Chairman, Mr. Arthey welcomed the following Parish Cllrs. to the meeting – R Corcoran, B Howe, R Howe and J Moore. Also present were County Cllr. J. Finch (in part), 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.
Apologies of Absence
- Apologies of absence were received from Cllrs. Hainsworth and Sturgeon due to prior personal commitments.
- Council consented to accept these apologies, aif.
A moment of silence was held for past Chair and Councillor David Waldron, who had passed away the previous weekend.
Declarations of Interest
- Local non-pecuniary interests were submitted as follows: C Arthey as Chair of the Village Hall Committee; B Howe as a committee member of the Village Hall Committee; J Moore as a member of the PCC – all for agenda item 8v. There were no further declarations of pecuniary or local non-pecuniary interests for the agenda under discussion. There were no declarations of gifts of hospitality received exceeding £25.
- There were no requests for dispensations for the agenda under discussion.
Minutes of Previous Meetings
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting of 13th November 2019 were approved by all as a true and accurate record and signed as such by the Chairman.
Parish Matters
To receive updates on items raised at previous meetings
- Beacon Brazier – to receive an update on the sleeving and concreting of the pole for the brazier - it was noted that the brazier was removed for the fireworks and the owner of the land upon which it was sited had requested that the pole be sleeved to allow easy removal. Paul Gillies of Gillies Fencing had provided a quotation to concrete a metal sleeve into the hole that had been previously dug in the Lindsey Rose Field and to fix the basket to the post at a cost of £360.00 plus VAT. Agreement was forthcoming from the meeting that this matter be progressed and that the Council finance this sum from its underspend for the year, aif. It was agreed that Financial Regulation 10.2 would be enforced.
- Village Sign – to receive an update on the moving of the village sign – it was agreed that the Clerk would chase Mr Hurd for an update on this matter.
Public Forum
- To receive a report from County Councillor James Finch – Cllr. Finch was invited to submit his report, a copy of which can be read at Appendix A.
- To receive a report from District Councillor Leigh Jamieson – Cllr. Jamieson was invited to submit his report, a copy of which can be read at Appendix B.
- 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 – there were none raised.
Correspondence
To receive and consider correspondence as itemised:
- BMSDC - Town and Parish Council Liaison Meeting February 2020 - Tuesday 4th February or Wednesday 5th February 2020 – Council noted the date.
- BMSDC - Great British Spring Clean 2020 - 20 March – 13 April 2020 – Council noted the date.
- SALC – to note that SALC has been allocated two invitations to the Buckingham Palace Garden Party 2020 for one Mayor/Chairman of Suffolk’s Town and Parish Councils with one accompanying guest only - Wednesday 27 May 2020. Council noted that the nominations were for a past Chairman.
- Dairy Farm Office Semer - James Buckle Tractor and Trailer tour of the farm – Council noted the proposed date for the tour of Wednesday 3rd June – meeting at 6.30pm at The Lindsey Rose and the Clerk and Cllr. Corcoran confirmed that this had been advertised in the village.
- Office of the Police Crime and Commissioner for Suffolk - PCC ask for your views on his precept proposals – Council noted the survey contained within the circulated email.
Statutory Business
- To carry out the annual review of the Council’s Standing Orders – the meeting reviewed the adopted Standing Orders of 13th March 2019 and agreed that they were fit for purpose and that the Council agreed to adhere to them as written.
- To carry out the annual review of the Council’s Financial Regulations – the meeting reviewed and adopted the amended Financial Regulations dated 15th January 2020 and confirmed that they were fit for purpose and that it agreed to adhere to them as written.
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 £1,409.85 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 12% under the budget for the period ending January 2020 which was due in the main to the underspend on budgeted elections.
- To consider the Budget Proposals for 2020-2021 – Paper D – Council considered the revised draft paper produced and agreed that a budget of £4,342 for the year 2020 – 2021 should be set which would allow a contribution of £765 to the Council’s reserve fund. All were in agreement to set the budget at £4,342
- To set the Precept for the year 2020-2021 – agreed to set the precept at £4,342 which would fully fund the budget set which would result in an increase for a Band D property of £0.98 per annum or 2% over the previous year.
- To review the effectiveness and the scope of internal audit – Paper E – the meeting reviewed the proposed audit terms of reference and audit plan and deemed them to be appropriate for a parish the size of Lindsey.
- To confirm the appointment of the Council's Independent Internal Auditor – as per the details given, it was agreed that Mr. Brown was independent, competent and the work he would be carrying out was appropriate for a parish the size of Lindsey. The Council agreed to confirm his appointment, 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 the Clerk was in the process of ensuring that the website was compliant with the regulations. It was also confirmed that, if the Council could prove that the cost of paying an external supplier to do a detailed accessibility evaluation would be a ‘disproportionate burden’, it would be able to carry out a basic check for accessibility without any technical knowledge. The Clerk confirmed that she was in the process of carrying out such a check and would liaise with Cllr. Hainsworth on this matter.
Planning Applications
- To consider planning applications received: there were none received.
- To note the following planning applications determined by the local planning authority: there were none received.
Parish Councillors’ Reports
To receive reports on village issues from Councillors present –
- White Rose Crossroads – flooding – there appeared to be an issue relating to the ditch line from crossroads running along Rose Green Road. The ditch appeared to be overgrown and further work was needed to allow the water to be removed off the road.
Date of Next Meeting
Parish Council Meeting: Wednesday 11th March 2020 commencing at 7.30pm in the Village Hall, Church Road, Lindsey.
Exclusion of the Public
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 8.33pm.
Appendix A – County Councillor James Finch Report
Primary School application deadline has just passed
Suffolk parents please note that the deadline of Wednesday 15 January 2020 to make their application to secure their child’s place at a Primary, Infant, Junior or Middle school for September 2020 has now passed. If you have not done so, please do this online immediately or call our customer service centre.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service rated “Good” in Government inspection
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SF&RS) has been rated "Good" for its effectiveness, efficiency and how well it leads and manages its staff. It has undergone its most comprehensive, independent inspection in many years. It is very worthy to note that only 3 services in the whole country achieved this rating with the remainder not reaching this level of service. The findings come from a report published on 17 December by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), who inspected Suffolk’s service earlier this year. Inspectors reviewed every aspect of the service, from how we respond to 999 emergencies, to looking at policies and interviewing a wide range firefighters and staff.
The report praised many aspects of the service, particularly how well it collaborates with other emergency services and agencies, how it responds to fires and other emergencies, how it ensures fairness and promotes diversity, and the financially sound way the service is run. My congratulations go to the Chief Fire Officer and his whole team for this achievement.
Suffolk Better Broadband Programme – Suffolk County Council (SCC) invest a further £10m
On 14th January 2020, The SCC Cabinet approved the re-investment of Suffolk County Council’s forecast share of “gainshare” funding from the Phase 1 and Phase 2 Broadband Contracts (2011/2015) with BT/Openreach totalling £10m. When completed, this will result in 100,000 of Suffolk properties connected via the Suffolk Better Broad Band funding programme and enable 98% of all Suffolk properties to be connected. This funding was sourced by the exceeding of connection targets set at the beginning of the programme. Suffolk has now 68% take up of the superfast broadband available, one of the very highest in the country. The more the take up - the more SCC will have to invest in the last 2% outstanding.
New SEND provision identified – 168 additional spaces ready from September 2020
Suffolk County Council is now in a position to provide further information regarding the development of new Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) units attached to mainstream schools in the county. The authority is very pleased to announce that, following a thorough evaluation process, a number of suitable schools have been identified to develop:
- Two Generic Key Stage 1 Units – Pipers Vale Primary Academy and Burton End Primary Academy
- Three Communication and Interaction Key Stage 2 Units – Murrayfield Primary Academy, Houldsworth Valley Primary Academy, and Causton Junior School
- One Cognition and Learning Key Stage 2 Unit – Clements Primary Academy
- Three Communication and Interaction Key Stage 3/4 Units – Copleston High School, Ixworth School, and Newmarket Academy
- One Cognition and Learning Key Stage 3/4 Unit – Castle Manor Primary Academy.
In total, this means an additional 168 new specialist placements will be available for children and their families in Suffolk from September 2020, on top of existing specialist provision. Successful schools are currently working with the council to ensure the appropriate infrastructure and support is in place to enable these new units to be open in September 2020.
A further commissioning round will begin in Spring 2020 and will consider further expressions of interest from mainstream schools who hope to open units in September 2021. This will include targeted work from our provider development team in areas of the county where gaps have been identified to ensure we are able to offer local provision for our children and their families.
Appendix B – District Councillor Leigh Jamieson’s Report
2020/21 Budget Summary
Babergh Councillors are to review the 2020/21 budget in the coming weeks. While the budget this year is in a better position than was expected, the council is still facing many pressures. Details can be found on the Council website (https://www.babergh.gov.uk/news/babergh-councillors-consider-budget-for-202021/), but the main headlines include –
- A proposed increase of 3% to council tax – equivalent to just 10p a week or £5 over the course of a year for a Band D property (increases range from £3.33 per annum for the smallest Band A property to £10 for the largest Band H property).
- No change in the Council Tax Reduction Scheme that sees poorest residents pay just 5% of their bill.
- A change to empty property discount, reducing the period that unoccupied and unfurnished properties pay discounted council tax from three months to 28 days.
- An increase in long-stay car parking charges from £2 to £3. However, short-stay parking for up to three hours will remain free at many of our town centre car parks.
- After four years of reductions, the council is also proposing putting up council house rents by 2.7% meaning a £2.19 per week increase for tenants – although, even with this increase, rents are still lower than in 2015/6. Sheltered housing tenants also face an increase of £2 a week on their bills, but their utility payments remain static for another year.
Councillors are also considering the introduction of penalties to tackle council tax fraud, alongside the adoption tax arrears, in order to help those in genuine need.
A payment of £1,055k will be received from the New Homes Bonus (NHB) compared with £683k in 2019/20, an increase of £372k. However, this figure is for 1 year not 4, and the NHB is due to be phased out by 2023/24. We are moving in right direction to remove reliance on NHB funding and generate a surplus to invest in the district, but there is more to be done over next 3 years. Of this £1,055K, £513K is being used to balance the budget and £542K is being used to supplement the transformation fund.
The Housing Revenue account (HRA) is looking healthy with a strategic reserve of £12.7M. The HRA Capital programme includes –
- Significant investment in new build and acquisition properties - £26.9m up to 2023/24
- Working with Iceni to identify development sites
- £24.3m proposed spend on maintenance and improvement programme to 2023/24
The Cabinet papers were in the public domain from 8th January. Cabinet Draft Budget report is due by 16th January. The budget will then go before Overview and Scrutiny and back to Cabinet before coming to Council on the 26th February.
Enforcement Service Update January/February 2020
The Council is currently undertaking a review of its enforcement processes and procedures. The intention is to make the way we respond to and investigate allegations reported to us swifter, more efficient and more transparent.
Whilst we’re undertaking the review, we may take a little longer time than usual to respond to, acknowledge reports received and provide updates. We will nevertheless continue to prioritise cases in line with published policy and will ensure that we pursue investigations in a timely way. The aim is to have this work completed, with revised processes and procedures in place, by the end of March 2020. The council apologises for any inconvenience caused whilst this work is undertaken and would like to thank everyone for their patience.”
We would also encourage the use of the online “Report It” form for any new complaints. If the relevant questions are completed, then the support team can create a case without any delay.
Councils’ £420k three-year guarantee to support Citizens Advice
At cabinet meetings last week, councillors at Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils gave the go ahead to support Citizens Advice (CA) with more than £420k.
Recognising the value of Citizens Advice which is estimated to have saved £8.1m across Suffolk, and with growing numbers turning to them for help - both councils have agreed a more sustainable funding approach with two three-year funding agreements.
In Babergh, funds of at least £160,500 for Sudbury and District Citizens Advice were also given the green light over the same three-year period, equating to £53,500 per annum.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.01.20 Clerk’s Salary & Expenses | 392.80 | 0.00 | 392.80 | 460 | LGA 1972 s111 & s112 |
| HM Revenue and Customs - PAYE | 65.40 | 0.00 | 65.40 | 461 | Income & Corp Taxes |
| SARS - donation | 50.00 | 0.00 | 50.00 | 462 | LGA 1972 s137 |
| £508.20 | |||||
Financial Report
| Date | £ |
|---|---|
| Opening Balance 13.11.19 | 1918.05 |
| Add Income Received November - January | 0.00 |
| Less Expenditure Incurred November - January | 0.00 |
| Less Expenditure from verified list 15.01.20 | 508.20 |
| Closing Balance 15.01.20 | 1409.85 |
Bank Reconciliation
| Community Account Statement – 30.12.19 | 2118.05 |
|---|---|
| Less unlogged cheques * At 15.01.20 | 708.20 |
| Plus unaccredited income At 15.01.20 | 0.00 |
| Reconciled Total | 1409.85 |
*
- 459 £200.00
- 460 £392.80
- 461 £65.40
- 462 £50.00
- £708.20