A Council Meeting was held on Wednesday 11th September 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.
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.
Declarations of Interest
- Cllrs. Arthey and Corcoran declared a personal interest in Agenda 8i. 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 10th July 2019 were approved by all as a true and accurate record and signed as such by the Chairman.
Welcome to Cllr. Moore
The Chair, on behalf of the Council, welcomed Cllr. James Moore to the Council.
Parish Matters
To receive updates on items raised at previous meetings
- Kersey Crossroads – Cllr. Arthey, on behalf of the Parish Council had responded to Kersey Parish Council following an email received on the matter of remedial action to be taken by SCC with the costs to be borne by both Parish Councils. As the landowner of the land to the right of the crossroads, the Chair informed the meeting that he had commenced the removal of vegetation from the bank. The visibility from the right had been improved and further work would be carried out during the winter months. It was noted that Kersey Parish Council had written to the owner to the left of the road but to date had not received a response.
- The Parish Council considered further the email from Kersey Parish Council which referenced the minutes of the Council and the suggestion that a mirror could be sited opposite the junction to help drivers see traffic better. Whilst it was noted that the Clerk to Kersey Parish Council was requested to enquire whether this would be an option, it was agreed that Lindsey Parish Council would not support the installation of a mirror as it was felt to be of little benefit at the suggested location.
- The meeting further considered the quotation from Suffolk County Council in the sum of £3,200 – £3,500 to erect warning signs and a reduced speed sub plate along with SLOW markings. The email trail from the Clerk to Kersey PC was read out to the meeting along with a further extract of Kersey’s Draft Minutes from their meeting earlier that week. It was agreed that Lindsey Parish Council would not be contributing anything to the costs as this was a matter of highway safety and not a request for new signage and road markings. It was agreed that visibility from the right had been improved given the work undertaken and that the Parish Council would join with Kersey Parish Council in requesting that the visibility to the left be further improved. It was also agreed that a joint letter from both Councils should be written to Suffolk County Council requesting that they undertake further works to improve road safety at this junction.
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 – Council noted the report as submitted which can be read at Appendix A. He also congratulated Cllr. Sturgeon on his recent award.
- 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 present.
Correspondence
To receive and consider correspondence as itemised:
- Suffolk County Council - Highways Self Help Scheme - Council to consider whether the scheme is appropriate for Lindsey and the actions required - www.suffolk.gov.uk/communityselfhelp - the meeting agreed that it did not wish to take part in this scheme as it was felt that minor maintenance tasks were the statutory responsibility of the Highways Authority. Litter Picking on the village’s roads were discussed and it was noted that whilst Babergh Mid Suffolk District Councils would loan litter picking equipment, any costs to ensure highway safety (road closures; signage; etc.) would need to be borne by the parish council.
- BDC/MSDC - Joint Local Plan – to consider the response from Lindsey to the consultation of the joint local plan – consultation period runs from 22nd July to 30th September 2019 - www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/jointlocalplan - Under the 2017 consultation the Parish Council had opted for the growth option to be in market towns and highway corridors e.g. A14 and A12. The Parish Council agreed to the Babergh Settlement Hierarchy and Policy SP04 with Lindsey Church and Tye being classified as Hamlet Village. Inside the settlement boundary, the principal is that subject to being in accordance with other policies, growth will be deemed to be acceptable. It was noted that Policy LP01 has given definition to a cluster of 10 dwellings or more. Overall implications for Lindsey were regarded as minimal. Given that there was a new methodology for settlement boundaries, it was noted that the Parish Council had been given what it had asked for e.g. settlement boundary for Lindsey – Church. It was noted that the settlement boundary for Lindsey Tye (Hamlet) had been extended eastward. Council was in agreement that it supported the policies as written and the settlement boundaries as defined for Lindsey Church and Lindsey Tye. Council also agreed with Policy LP01 which stated that the principal of development was acceptable subject to the satisfaction of a number of criteria.
- Suffolk County Council - Consultation on the county’s Green Access Strategy - Rights of Way Improvement Plan consultation – 6th July to 20th September 2019 - www.suffolk.gov.uk/rowip - the meeting agreed that in principal the strategy was acceptable.
- Better Broadband for Suffolk Parish Councillor Briefing – Council received the update on the better broadband project. It was noted that whilst parts of the village were able to obtain superfast broadband, other parts of the village were still unable to access increased speeds. It was recommended that those experiencing such problems should contact BT as solutions were available.
- Babergh Mid Suffolk District Council - Community Facilities Audit - Lindsey Village Hall – to note the request for details has been passed to the Management Committee for Lindsey Hall.
- Babergh Mid Suffolk District Council - Extended Leadership Team Structure Chart – to note the report received from MSDC.
- Suffolk County Council proposed bus cuts – email on update from County Cllr. Mary Evans – Council noted the mail received.
Clerk’s Report
- To consider schedule of receipts received since the last meeting – Paper A – Council noted the receipt of the 2nd instalment of the Precept in the sum of £2,055.50.
- 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 £2657.39 taking into account the approved cheques as identified in agenda item 7ii above.
- To consider the 2nd Quarter Budget Monitoring Report – Paper C – the council noted that the year currently stood at 22% under the budget.
- To note that a security certificate has been added to the council’s website – it was noted that this had been added to the website by the hosting company free of charge until renewal.
- Kersey Parish Council – Council to consider the request from Kersey Parish Council to assist with funding highway safety improvements to the A1141 crossroads – it was noted that this had been covered under Agenda Item 5i.
- MSDC – to note the forthcoming CIL Bid round (no 4) 1st October – 31st October and New CIL Regulations coming into force on the 1st September 2019 and the abolition of the CIL Regulation 123 Lists – Council noted the contents of the email received.
Planning Applications
(note planning applications not circulated prior to meeting).
- To consider the following planning applications:
- DC/19/03767 Proposal: Application under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act - Variation of Condition 2 (Approved Plans and Documents) on planning permission B/16/00873 approved 14/10/2016 - Erection of front, side and rear single storey extensions Location: Forge View, The Tye, Lindsey
It was agreed that Cllr. Sturgeon would take the Chair for the meeting of this item as Cllrs. Arthey and Corcoran had previously declared a personal interest and left the room for the discussion of this matter.
It was agreed that the meeting would object to the application on the following grounds:
- Concentration of the build -out of context with the area in which it is located.
- Overbearing
- Impact
- Inappropriate drainage
- Appropriateness of the proposal given the size of the plot
- Visual impact relating to neighbours
- Access in terms of traffic – no safe access to the grounds of the dwelling
- Concern at the lack of parking facilities.
- Removal of a valuable small dwelling in the village.
- Planning permission granted in 2016 for the front of the dwelling was deemed acceptable. The PC raised concerns when the original application was raised, and these concerns are still valid.
Cllrs. Arthey and Corcoran rejoined the meeting.
- To note the following planning applications determined by the local planning authority:
- DC/19/03213 - Proposal: Discharge of Conditions Application for B/16/00955 - Condition 6 (Archaeological Works), Condition 7 (Illumination), Condition 8 (Sustainable Design) and Condition 10 (Programme of Works) @ Lodge Farm, Kersey Road, Lindsey
- BDC/MSDC - Joint Local Plan – to consider the Council’s formal response to the draft local plan: https://www.babergh.gov.uk/assets/Strategic-Planning/JLP-Reg18-2019/Council-v1-BMSDC-Joint-Local-Plan-Preferred-Options-Reg-18.pdf - response was covered under Agenda Item 7ii.
Parish Councillors’ Reports
To receive reports on village issues from Councillors present
- Noted that there had been 7 thefts in the village since August. It was noted that there was to be a village meeting on 26th September to discuss this issue further. Discussion followed on group messaging and whether this might be appropriate.
- Speeding issues of concern through the village – the meeting discussed the problem and noted that there were no simple solutions to the problem of intermittent speeders through the village. It was agreed that an article would be placed in the next newsletter requesting all to be mindful of their speed in rural areas.
- It was reported that the repeater sign between Valley Cottage and Nightingales on the right hand side (with Valley Cottage behind it) had still not been replaced.
- The Chairman was thanked for the fact that he had gone above his duty and had taken active steps to improve the visibility of the Kersey crossroads.
- Postbox removed from by the White Rose will be replaced by Royal Mail following its recent theft.
There being no other business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 9.50pm.
Date of Next Meetings
Parish Council Meeting Wednesday 13th November 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: there was no business to be discussed.
Appendix A – County Councillor James Finch Report
Schools in Suffolk see improvement in results across a range of subjects at GCSE level Self-reported results from Suffolk schools, released on 22 August, indicate an increase in students achieving higher grades. This includes a 4% increase in pupils achieving at least a grade 5 in all elements of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) and a 7% increase in the number of students achieving a grade 4, when compared with the previous year. The English Baccalaureate constitutes GSCEs in English and Maths plus GCSEs from the Sciences, Humanities and Languages. This is seen by the government as an important academic foundation for all pupils. These figures also show an increase in the number of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 4 in English and Maths. There has also been a 2-point increase in the attainment 8 figure for disadvantage pupils, which is likely to see disadvantage students exceed the national average when provisional results are released in October. Attainment 8 takes into account a pupil’s overall results across a range of GCSEs. More than 6,500 pupils in Suffolk were entered for GCSE exams, according to self-reported results collated from around 70% of schools.
Winners of Suffolk’s Creating the Greenest County awards announced An ethical fashion brand, a primary school and a hotel were amongst the winners as Suffolk’s most environmentally minded people were celebrated. Award winners can be found here: http://www.greensuffolk.org/news/greenest-county-winners-announced/. Thirteen winners were announced at the Creating the Greenest County awards ceremony, in categories ranging from Green Hero to Local Food and Drink. The carbon-neutral event was held at Snape Maltings on Wednesday 17 July. Jason Alexander received two awards. His Rubbish Walks social enterprise received the Waste Reduction and Recycling award and he was named as the Green Hero winner. With over 130 nominations for the awards, it is clear that many of Suffolk’s communities and businesses are serious about addressing their impact on the environment. Whether this is achieved by community litter picks or businesses moving to electric vehicles, everyone can do something to make a change. I was delighted that there was a local winner for the “Carbon Charter Outstanding Achievement Award”. Congratulations to Strawberry grower, Mr Andrew Sturgeon, Suffolk Fresh, Lindsey Lodge Farm, Kersey Road, Lindsey.
Sudbury care home crowned Olympics champions On 15 July it was reported that Red House Residential Home in Sudbury has been crowned 2019 Suffolk Care Home Olympics champions. They beat 38 other care homes from across the county to win the title. The annual competition, now in its third year, aims to give care home residents a fun and enjoyable experience of sport, whilst highlighting the importance of physical activity within social care settings. 428 residents in 39 care settings across Suffolk competed in three sports (Boccia, fishing and curling) for a total of 239 hours over the winter and spring months with the top three homes then competing in a ‘super-final’ to decide the outright champions. The Suffolk Care Home Olympics is delivered by social enterprise Elatus Sports in partnership with the Suffolk County Council led “Most Active County Partnership”.
Keeping Suffolk’s villages safe with Lorry Watch On 13 August, it was reported that two new Lorry Watch schemes have launched. The schemes are aimed at reducing the number of HGV drivers ignoring weight restrictions on the county’s roads. Suffolk’s Lorry Watch started in 2012 and to date has reported nearly 3,000 incidents of HGV vehicles exceeding weight limits, where clearly marked restriction signs are in place. Volunteers monitor their area and report suspected offenders. The existing schemes have been a great success with only four repeat offenders being issued with a warning, meaning that drivers are taking notice when they are first contacted. If you are interested in joining Lorry Watch in this area in which HGVs are abusing a weight restriction, contact lorrywatch@suffolk.gov.uk or 01473 264859.
Chairman of Suffolk County Council “walking” for Suffolk Mind I have now already walked six legs of my sponsored walk along the Stour Valley Path. All are welcome. Dates and stages remaining:- Friday 13th September, Great Henny to Wormingford, 6 miles; Friday 27th September, Wormingford to Stoke-by-Nayland, 6.5 miles; Saturday 12th October, Stoke-by-Nayland to Stratford St Mary, 5.2 miles; Friday 25th October, Stratford St Mary to Cattawade, 4.5 miles.
Appendix B – District Councillor Leigh Jamieson Report
Climate Emergency declaration Councillors at Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils have voted on motions to support Suffolk’s county-wide aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. This Council pledged to:
- Acknowledge a climate emergency.
- Set up a Task Force, commencing by September 2019, to examine ways in which Babergh & Mid Suffolk Councils will respond to the climate change challenge on a spend to save basis, with the ambition to make Babergh & Mid Suffolk Councils carbon neutral by 2030.
- To work with partners across the county and region, including the LEP and the Public Sector Leaders, towards the aspiration of making the county of Suffolk carbon neutral by 2030.
- To work with Government to a) deliver its 25-year Environment Plan and b) increase the powers and resources available to local authorities in order to make the 2030 target easier to achieve.
CIFCO Business Plan Also approved in July, was the CIFCO’s draft business plan for 2019/20. The property investment company is looking to increase the £1.4m annual income it already generates for services in Babergh and Mid Suffolk – the equivalent of increasing council tax by more than 12%. CIFCO Capital Ltd, which is wholly owned by Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils, was established in 2017 to generate income through property investment which is then ploughed back into council services within the districts to offset reductions in funding from central government. Over the next 12 months the company plan on investing another £50m as agreed by both councils back in February. The plan was endorsed by the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee earlier in the month and approved at the July council meeting. Each property acquisition is carefully considered by an expert team of advisors and where target acquisitions are deemed too risky or not cost effective, they are not pursued. While 12 properties were acquired, dozens more were ruled out. The current portfolio of 12 properties is spread throughout the east of England and balanced across commercial sectors to minimize exposure to any one sector or location. The changing market is now expected to be reflected by a shift away from retail property and towards office and industrial sectors instead.
Joint Local Plan Drop in Events Babergh and Mid Suffolk have been running a number of drop-in events over the last month. The events, which will be run across the district and continue until next week. The remaining events take place in Claydon, Shotley and Stowmarket. The events will allow residents with questions about the draft Joint Local Plan to put those questions to members and officers from the two councils.
Appendix C – Financial Report
Items received since the last meeting:
| Income | Description | Nett | VAT | Gross | Ref | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.09.19 | BDC – Precept 2 of 2 | 2055.50 | 0.00 | 2055.50 | Bacs | |
| Total Income £2055.50 | ||||||
Items to be Authorized for Payment
| Expenditure | Description | Nett | VAT | Gross | Ref | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.09.19 | Clerk’s Salary & Expenses | 258.98 | 0.00 | 258.98 | 453 | LGA 1972 s111 & s112 |
| BDC – Parish Election Recharges | 104.78 | 0.00 | 104.78 | 454 | LGA 1972 s111 | |
| HMRC – PAYE 2nd Qtr. 2019-2020 | 129.20 | 0.00 | 129.20 | 455 | Income & Corp Taxes Acts | |
| CAS Ltd – Insurance | 154.28 | 0.00 | 154.28 | 456 | LGA 1972 s140 | |
| £647.24 | ||||||
Financial Report
| Date | £ |
|---|---|
| Opening Balance 10.07.19 | 1249.13 |
| Add Income Received August – September | 2055.50 |
| Less Expenditure Incurred August – September | 0.00 |
| Less Expenditure from verified list 11.09.19 | 647.24 |
| Closing Balance 11.09.2019 | 2657.39 |
Bank Reconciliation
| Community Account | Statement – 28.06.19 | 1870.50 |
|---|---|---|
| Less unlogged cheques * At 11.09.19 | 1268.61 | |
| Plus unaccredited income At 11.09.19 | 2055.50 | |
| Reconciled Total | 2657.39 |
*
- 446 £80.00
- 447 £135.06
- 450 £302.31
- 451 £64.00
- 452 £40.00
- 453 £258.98
- 454 £104.78
- 455 £129.20
- 456 £154.28 £1,268.61