Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting Held in Lindsey Village Hall

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday 18th January 2023 in Lindsey Village Hall, Church Road, Lindsey which commenced at 7.30pm.

Present: The Chair, Cllr. Arthey, Parish Cllrs. R Corcoran, M Hainsworth, B Howe, R Howe, J Moore, A Sturgeon. In attendance was Mrs V Waples, Clerk, County Cllr. J Finch (in part); District Cllr. L. Jamieson (in part) and four members of the public.

Opening: The Chair opened the meeting and thanked all for attending. The statement on reporting at meetings of the parish council was read out by the Clerk.

1. Apologies of Absence

There were no applicable apologies of absence.

2. Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of registrable interests and non-registerable interests as detailed in Appendix B of the LGA Model Code of Conduct Model Code of Conduct 2020 - there were no declarations of registrable interests and Cllr. Arthey declared a non-registrable interest as Chair of Lindsey Village Hall for agenda item 8v.
There were no declarations of gifts of hospitality received exceeding £50.
There were no requests for dispensations for the agenda under discussion.

3. Minutes of Previous Meetings

To approve the minutes of the Parish Council Meeting 9th November 2022 - the meeting agreed that the circulated minutes, were a true and accurate record of the meeting that took place and agreed for the Chair to sign the minutes, aif.

4. Public Forum

(maximum 10 minutes)

To note the report from the County Councillor – the meeting noted the written report previously circulated, and the following matters were brought to the Council’s attention:
- Devolution Deal
- Winter Season – it was agreed that the Council should add the topic of grit bins to the next agenda for further discussion. Possible locations to be considered would be discussed further.
- Coronation Event – road closures – it was confirmed that Network Assurance & Suffolk Highways will process, and support, the Kings Coronation events in the same way as those for the Queens Platinum Jubilee for any celebrations that would entail a request to close any section of the highway over the weekend of 6th May.
To note the report from the District Councillor – the meeting noted the written report previously circulated – a copy of which can be found at Appendix A. The following points were raised:
- Befriending Farm – Cllr. Moore raised a concern as to whether the portacabins would be clad. It was noted that this was part of the planning conditions imposed.
To receive comments from or questions from the public on matters relating to Lindsey –
- From those present –
  - Traffic plan for the Befriending Scheme – is there a conditioned route? It was confirmed that there was no specific route for access to the site.
  - Will the scheme be open to the public? In the main it was stated that it would be pre-arranged groups turning up for pre-arranged events. The Chair confirmed that the Charity was looking to set up a local resident group with whom they would meet with to address any concerns once the scheme was up and running.
  - All were advised to attend the meeting in March at which the CEO of the Charity would be in attendance and questions could be submitted direct.
- As submitted by email / letter – the Clerk had not received any matters for Council’s consideration.

5. Parish Matters

To receive updates on items raised at previous meetings:

Climate Awareness / climate emergency –
1. To receive an update on the Thermal Imaging Project and to discuss measures that can be undertaken for raising awareness of issues discovered – surveyed 79 properties in Lindsey. Data gathered was now held in accordance with Data Protection. Lots of links will now be sent out to those surveyed with DIY ideas as well as practical ideas for moving forward. Cllr. Sturgeon mentioned that he would, in the coming weeks, be meeting with a representative from Suffolk University who had links with the project and who would be able to analyse the data gathered and provide assistance with taking / advising the next steps. All noted that the survey had demonstrated that radiators on outside walls loose significant heat. Agreement was forthcoming that all communication with residents including guidance on steps that would be of benefit would now come from the Clerk to ensure the Council did not fall foul of any Data Protection Regulations.
2. To receive an update on the Heating Bildeston project – it was confirmed that Bildeston was also at the same stage as Lindsey in terms of data collection and had been surveying interested residents’ houses. Funding had been applied for to assist with further analysis of the data collection and the group had been successful with some of the applications. Preliminary discussions have been had with a number of engineers to discuss the overall scheme and how it may be taken forward.
3. To review any other Climate related issues coming forth – there were no further matters for consideration.
Directional Signage – to consider the costings from SCC Highways Department on the project to consider improvements to the directional signage for Lindsey (Paper: Replacement Directional Signage as submitted to the November 2022 meeting) – all agreed that this project should be held in abeyance until the improvements to the two triangles near to the Rose Pub had been funded.
Improvements to the two triangles near the Rose Pub – to receive further information on the costings from County Cllr. Finch for improvements to both areas – all were made aware that the Clerk was still requesting a firmer site survey and design costs as the initial request included items not necessarily required as the Council wished to source its own contractor and materials. It was agreed that the information requested by Cllr. Jamieson would be provided to ascertain whether additional funding could be had from Babergh Mid Suffolk District Council. Cllr. Sturgeon made the meeting aware that he had a local groundwork team with the right certification who would be prepared to quote for the work on the triangles. All agreed that such a quotation should be sourced.

6. Statutory Business

To carry out the annual review of the Council’s Policies - Paper - Review of Policies & Protocols 2023 – Council agreed that it had reviewed and would adopt the policies as listed (Complaints Procedure; Data and Electronic Information Retention Policy; Data and Information Security Policy; Disciplinary Rules; Dispensation Policy; Grant Awarding Policy; Grievance and Disciplinary Procedure; Reimbursement of Expenses Procedure; Reserve Policy; Subject Access Policy and Training Policy) and confirmed that they were updated, fit for purpose and that it agreed to adhere to them as written, aif.
To adopt the Council’s Standing Orders and Financial Regulations - Paper - Review of Standing Orders and Financial Regulations – Council noted the review of both documents with review dates of January 2023 and agreed to delegate responsibility to the Clerk to ensure that they are reviewed and amended in accordance with changes in legislation thereby ensuring that at all times they are fit for purpose, aif. It was noted that the Clerk will ensure that all relevant amendments are brought to the attention of full Council.

7. Correspondence

BMSDC – Town and Parish Updates – Council noted that all monthly updates are emailed to Councillors for their perusal.
BMSDC – to note the intention to re-start regular meetings with town and parish councils during 2023.
SALC – Councillors noted that all weekly news bulletins are emailed to Councillors for their perusal. Councillors to contact the Clerk if there are any items of interest / training courses they wish to attend.

8. Clerk’s Financial Report

To consider schedule of receipts received and payments made since the last meeting – Paper A – all noted that there had been nil receipts received since the last meeting and that nil expenditure had been incurred for the same period.
To consider and approve the verified items awaiting authorization as per the schedule submitted – Paper B – all approved the payments to be settled via the internet banking system, details of which can be found at Appendix B, aif.
To consider the Council's financial position to date – Paper C – Council noted the reconciled position of £4,913.69 once the accounts awaiting payment had been settled, aif. Cllrs. Corcoran and Howe confirmed that they had verified the position against the bank statements and cashbook. It was noted that the reserve fund allocation for the year was achievable, and that Council’s reserves to date could be broken down as follows: £2,015.37 CIL; Earmarked Reserves £1,650.00; Election Reserve £837. Council’s yearly general balance stood at £411.32.
To consider the actual versus budget for the period ending January 2023 - Paper D – Council reviewed the paper submitted and noted that overall to date the Councils position showed an underspend for the period under reviewed. It was confirmed that the Council’s allocation of £450 to its overall reserve fund was achievable for the year under review.
To consider the 2nd (second) draft of the Budget for 2023 – 2024 – Paper F – the provisionally approved draft budget was reviewed and accepted by all as its definitive budget (£5,185) acknowledging that the tax base had not changed from that produced in November 2022, aif. Council agreed with the proposal from the Clerk that an earmarked reserve in the sum of £837 be set-up should the Council be faced with a contested election as opposed to an uncontested election, aif.
To consider and approve the precept to be levied for the period 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024 – Paper E - all agreed that the Precept would be set at £5,185 which would be a 3.2% (£1.68) increase to a Band D property resulting in a Council Tax levy on a Band D of £54.25, aif. The meeting agreed that the Chair and Clerk should sign the Precept Upon Charging Authority Form which would be submitted to BMSDC by the due date of 31st January 2023.

9. Clerk’s Report

Information from SAAA Ltd – Council noted that PKF Littlejohn Ltd. had been appointed as the Council’s external auditor for the period 2022-2023 - 2026-2027 under the central procurement scheme to which the Council opted in.
Suffolk County Council Highways Reporting Incident 00382647 – the Clerk informed the meeting that following the submission of a report of a damaged sign on the C721, a site inspection had been carried out and confirmation received that the damaged sign will be replaced and repositioned within 20 working days of 17th January 2023.
Meetings for 2023 – Council was advised that further guidance had been given by NALC which stated that following the elections on Thursday 4th May, as Monday 8th May was not a bank holiday, new Councillors will take place on Tuesday 9th May 2023. The relevant 14-day period for the Council’s Annual Meeting (as laid out in paragraph 7(2) of Schedule 12 of the Local Government Act 1972 covered Wednesday 10th – Thursday 25th May inclusive.

10. Planning Matters

To consider the following planning applications: none received. The Chair made the meeting aware of an application that had been submitted to the relevant statutory authorities for the discharge of a number of conditions for the Modern Barn at Rose Farm, Rose Green Road (DC/22/02672) - Conditions 2 (Great Crested Newt Method Statement), 3 (Lighting Design Scheme), 6 (Refuse Bins and Collection Areas), 7 (Surface Water Discharge Prevention Details), 8 (Provision of Parking and Turning). It was noted that the Parish Council was not a statutory consultee in this matter but all were advised that if they wished to submit a comment then they should contact the Clerk within the week.
To note the following planning applications determined by the local planning authority:
- DC/22/05413 – Planning permission for the erection of new porch extension and home office and insertion of bathroom window (following demolition of shed and greenhouse, and relocation of second shed) @ Fair View, The Street.
- DC/22/03712 - Formal approval of the proposed development is not required for the erection, extension or alteration of a building for Agricultural or Forestry Use. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (as amended) Schedule 2, Part 6 – erection of building for storage of straw @ Hollow Trees Farm Ltd, Hadleigh Road, Semer.
Council to consider whether it wishes to respond to BMSDC’s consultation on Local Validation List – consultation expires 20th January 2023 - https://www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/planning/development-management/apply-for-planning-permission/national-and-local-validation-requirements/ - the meeting agreed that it had no comments to make on the consultation.

11. Parish Councillors’ Reports

The following on village issues were received from Councillors present:

Befriending Scheme and construction traffic – all noted that the CEO of the scheme would be at the next meeting to answer any questions / issues.
Quiet Lanes – it was agreed that the main issues facing the village were of construction traffic and large agricultural and horticultural vehicles. It was noted that the scheme to allocate Quiet Lanes had now closed.
Dirt movement between two locations in Lindsey – the Chair confirmed that he had had a conversation with the landowner in which the Council’s concerns were relayed. It was agreed that should this situation arise on another occasion, the Council would consider acting in a different manner once the informal approach had been fully explored.
Road condition outside Befriending Scheme – Clerk agreed to check planning conditions for the scheme and whether there is a Construction Management and Environment Scheme which would detail the manner in which issues relating to the state of road during construction could be addressed.

12. Date of Next Meeting

Parish Council Meeting 8th March 2023 commencing at 7.30pm in Lindsey Village Hall.

There being no other business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 9.32pm.

Appendix A – County and District Councillor Reports

County Councillor James Finch report to Council:

£500m devolution deal hands Suffolk regeneration and skills powers to level up - A landmark devolution deal, which puts money and power over building, regeneration and skills into the hands of leaders in Suffolk was signed on 8th December 2022 by The Levelling Up Secretary of State, Michael Gove, MP and local leaders. The deal sets out the government’s plans to devolve more power to Suffolk County Council through:
- Investment: It will bring decades of funding worth £480 million to improve the lives of Suffolk’s residents and spend on their local priorities.
- Housing: The deal will provide £5.8 million to regenerate brownfield land into beautiful, affordable homes and drive economic growth across the area; Suffolk will also receive greater compulsory purchase powers.
- Education: The agreement devolves the Adult Education Budget so they can shape provision in a way that best suits the needs of residents and the local Suffolk economy.
- Transport: An integrated transport settlement starting in 2024/25, to support the area to improve key transport infrastructure priorities.
The Environment: The new deal will help Suffolk deliver on its ambitions to be the country’s greenest county with £3 million to improve energy efficiency in homes. This not only provides a single person who is accountable to the people of Suffolk but gives the county a local champion who can attract investment and be a stronger voice in discussions with central government. The deal is subject to local consultation, a council resolution to change their governance model so that electors directly elect the council leader. However elements, such as the transfer of new powers, still require parliamentary approval though secondary legislation. The deal envisages the election of a directly elected leader for Suffolk in May 2024 subject to the passing of the relevant measures in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, Suffolk would call the directly elected person, the “elected leader” of the county council.
Council to protect frontline services and increase funding in ‘23/’24 budget proposal - Adult care services and children’s services will receive £47m more funding as part of Suffolk County Council’s £685m budget proposals. Despite an incredibly challenging economic climate, the council has been able to produce a balanced budget. This will protect the services that people rely on the most and continue to care for the most vulnerable, which accounts for 75% of the whole budget. Adult care services will have £34m more in their budget, and children’s services will have a further £13m. This will help with the extra expense needed to meet the huge increase in demands for services, as well as higher costs due to inflation. The budget-setting has been achieved with input from the council’s partners, officers, departments and notably, Suffolk residents. Over 2,600 local people contributed to an online survey and focus groups, asking where they would spend more money, spend less money, and their views on Council Tax. The top service areas where people wanted to spend more, were social care services for adults and children. The scrutiny Committee will scrutinise the proposal on 10th January. This year, it’s a case of being prudent across all areas of the organisation. Even though we have created £15.5m of savings, our frontline services are protected and receiving more funding. Some of the service areas where people also said they wanted to see more money spent, will receive additional funding:
- £700,000 for SEND (Special Educational Needs Services ) to support new recruitment, which is on top of the £1.1m invested this year
- £110,000 for tree management: to support the ‘right tree right place’ policy, having an appropriate inspection regime and supporting the resulting tree management requirements.
- £45,000 for Citizens Advice: to support work during cost of living challenge
Could you help a Ukrainian family in need? There is still more need for help - Guests on the Homes for Ukraine scheme who are not yet ready to leave sponsorship and move into their own alternative accommodation, but who cannot stay with their current host after 6 months, can move to a new host. We are now looking for hosts for these families as well. We also sadly continue to see more people fleeing the conflict each day. We are therefore asking anyone who thinks they may be able to help a family in need to sign up to the Homes for Ukraine scheme on the Suffolk County Council website.
Cassius wins Best Elderly Care Technology Solution Award - Cassius also ‘highly commended’ at Health Tech Awards 2022 The Council’s digital care technology service, Cassius, was named ‘Best Elderly Care Technology Solution’ at the Health Tech Digital Awards, presented by Health Tech Digital magazine in August 2022. Cassius was also ‘highly commended’ in the Partnership of the Year category at the Health Tech Awards 2022, presented by Health Tech Newspaper in October 2022. Both awards recognise and celebrate the digital teams, programmes and initiatives which have made a difference throughout the year and are judged by health and care professionals from a range of backgrounds, professions, and healthcare settings.
Preparation for the 2022/2023 Winter Season - The winter season for the gritting programme is well underway. Salt deliveries continued to be added to the Council’s current stock., as of 13 December the total salt stock purchased was 24,000. Grit bin refills have begun across the county, a total of 2124 grit bins have been visited following their use in the December arctic conditions. If you need more salt, please request on the Suffolk Highway reporting tool.
Suffolk archives online gallery showcasing the death of Queen Elizabeth II - As part of Suffolk’s response to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Suffolk Archives put together an online gallery which showcased the Queen’s visits to Suffolk during her 70-year reign. This was created very quickly in collaboration with RAF Honington, Archant and The National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket. The gallery was shared by the Council’s Communications Team. Suffolk Archives has also put out a call for donations of materials to add to our collections recording how Suffolk marked the momentous events of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the proclamation of King Charles III. Whether it has programmes from proclamation events, or photographs from a community coming together to watch The Queen’s funeral, these will form an important historic record for future generations.
Virtual Fostering and Adoption Sessions for the Stour Valley - A Foster Carer Recruitment Event is held the 1st Wednesday of every month, and an Adoption. Event is on the 1st Thursday all 7:00pm in your home. To book a place please email Claire.Gwatkin@suffolk.gov.uk.

District Councillor Leigh Jamieson report to Council:

Firstly I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year and I hope that you had a good Christmas period.
Friendly Farm – I have raised the question of whether local or district interests take precedence in CIL applications, this the CIL team. In this particular case the localised objections were taken into account by Cabinet, but the benefits to the wider District were felt to be greater. It was pointed out to me that the CIL technical assessment makes it clear that the team will weigh up the pros and cons of each CIL Bid on its own merits.
Waste Collections – This week there has been some issues with waste collections due to the road closure. I have spoken to the waste team and they plan to send out one vehicle to collect waste and garden rubbish, later this week.
Road triangles – I have spoken to our grants team regarding funding for the road triangles and it has been explained that locality awards cannot be used for road improvements as this funding sits with SCC. However, if you could provide some more detail? Such as:
- Where the triangles are (just to clarify that we are discussing the same areas),
- Where the cobbles will be specifically placed on the triangles,
- What benefit to the community the improvement will bring to the village,
- If highways have stated that they definitely cannot fund this type of improvement.
they will double check to see if there is anything that they can do and if not, what is available from other sources.
Recently the council has received applications from 178 groups for grants to enable them to provide “Warm Spaces” within their parishes.
Councils’ successful bid for housing fund pot - Babergh District Council was amongst a number of local authorities to win funding from the Local Government Association to commission a vital, county-wide housing strategy review. The £20,000 pot will kickstart a county-wide programme aiming to increase the number of genuinely affordable properties available to meet those in housing need.
Solar Panels - Babergh has finished building solar carports over 40 of their existing car parking spaces to help power the leisure centre in Sudbury, providing over 16% of the centre’s annual electricity demand. The Council is among the UK’s first rural local authorities to trial the technology, which will reduce the centres’ reliance on the grid and cut carbon emissions.
Solar Farm appeal - The Enso Solar farm that is looking to be built between Elmsett and Flowton has submitted an appeal to the planning inspectorate due to non-determination by both councils. The site which is mostly within Babergh also spans part of Mid Suffolk. Both Councils will now have urgent planning committee meetings so that a decision can be made available for the inspector.
What’s been done - Babergh has compiled a 23 page report detailing all the achievements that have been made since 2019. You can view the report online here - https://bmsdchosting.net/End-of-Term-Report/Babergh-District-Council-2019-2022/

Appendix B – Financial Report

Items received since the last meeting:

Items received since the last meeting
Income	Description	Nett	VAT	Gross	Ref
Total Income	£NIL

Items Paid out since the last meeting:

Items Paid out since the last meeting
Income	Description	Nett	VAT	Gross	Ref
Total Expenditure	£NIL

Items Authorized for Payment:

Items Authorized for Payment
Expenditure	Description	Nett	VAT	Gross	Ref
Clerk	Clerk’s Salary & Expenses	823.03	0.00	823.03	BACS
HMRC	PAYE due – Quarter 3 2022-2023	100.40	0.00	100.40	BACS
SARS	Donation under the General Power of Competence	100.00	0.00	100.00	BACS
Total Expenditure	£1023.43

Financial Report

Financial Report
Date	£
Opening Balance 03.11.22	5937.12
Add Income Received November – January 23	0.00
Less Expenditure Incurred November – January 23	0.00
Less Verified Expenditure 18.01.23	1023.43
Closing Balance 18.01.23	4913.69

Bank Reconciliation

Bank Reconciliation
Community Account Statement at 04.01.23	5937.12
Less uncleared payments At 18.01.23	1023.43
Plus unaccredited income At 18.01.23	0.00
Reconciled Total At 18.01.23	4913.69

Within the balance above are the following reserves:

(Restricted) CIL reserve - £2,015.37
Earmarked General reserve - £1,650.00
Election reserve - £837.00
Working reserve - £411.32