Parish Council Meeting Minutes

The Chair, Mr. Arthey welcomed the following Parish Cllrs. to the meeting – R Corcoran, M Hainsworth, B Howe, R Howe and A Sturgeon. In attendance was Mrs V Waples, Clerk, District Cllr. Jamieson and County Cllr. Finch (in part).

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

At the request of the Chair, the meeting stood for a minute’s silence in recognition of the situation in Ukraine.

1. Apologies of Absence:

Apologies of absence were received from Cllr. Moore due to work commitments.
The meeting agreed to approve the apologies for absence as submitted.
The meeting was made aware that County Cllr. Finch would be attending later in the meeting.

2. Declarations of Interest:

There were no declarations of pecuniary or local non-pecuniary interests for the agenda under discussion. Cllr. Sturgeon declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 11i and Cllrs. B Howe and Arthey declared a local non-pecuniary interest for agenda item 8ii given their association with the Village Hall. 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:

To approve the minutes of the following Parish Council Meetings:
- 19th January 2022 - the meeting agreed that the circulated minutes, following an amendment to item 5i, 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 – a copy of which can be found at Appendix A. National Grid and Cabinet amendments – Cllr. Finch made the meeting aware of the amendments he had proposed which had in principle been agreed: impact of the visibility of the pylons from the AONB; protection of the extension of the AONB; whole life impact; details of environmental impact; construction management plan to allow for mitigation on the highway network and mitigation of the impact of the works compound. It was questioned as to why the above could not be buried under the water as opposed to be placed on land? In response it was stated that to meet the government’s targets there was not sufficient time to explore this method.
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 meeting was made aware that an Empty Homes policy is being created and due to come before the Cabinet in the coming months and Council were asked to feed in any issues relating to empty homes in the parish. Elm Cottage was flagged up to Cllr. Jamieson as a property of concern.
To receive comments from the public on the agenda as published – none submitted prior to the meeting.
To receive comments from or questions from the public on matters relating to Lindsey –
- From those present – there were none
- As submitted by email / letter – email from resident in relation to a civil matter – it was noted that BMSDC’s Communities Dept. was looking into the matters raised in the email and it was suspected that this was a county matter and not a district matter. All agreed that the Clerk should respond stating that it was discussed but unfortunately the parish council has no powers over the issues raised and that although it understood the difficulties, it was noted that District Cllr. Jamieson was investigating the matter further.

5. Parish Matters: to receive updates on items raised at previous meetings:

Climate Awareness / climate emergency- to consider the format for raising awareness of the issues relating to actions that can be undertaken at a local level - Cllr. Sturgeon made the meeting aware that he had attended a zoom meeting led by Suffolk’s Climate Emergency Officer. It was suggested that, from the comments made during the forum, the majority of houses in Lindsey would likely be in a poor condition to cope with conversion with conversion to renewables as they were old and poorly insulated with many heated via oil boilers. At the moment it was difficult to see how the village of Lindsey would be able to make a real contribution to measures that are urgently needed. Cllr. Sturgeon agreed to review any documentation coming forth and share with via social media where possible.
Signage – Council to consider reviewing the signage within the parish and whether improvements should be funded from Council’s CIL Reserves – it was discussed as to whether the parish council should consider installing signage to the entrance to the village. All agreed that the issue that would arise would be to determine exactly where the edge of the village lay and whether it would be more appropriate to put signs at the commencement of the built environment and where the 30mph speed limit comes into force. It was agreed that this would be deferred to the next meeting until Cllr. Moore was able to provide an update on information relating to Village Entrance signs and their costs. The issue of the 30mph roundels at the commencement of the speed limits was discussed and it was agreed that where this was an issue it should be flagged up to County Cllr. Finch for further investigation. Cllr. B. Howe agreed to put together details of the roundels that were missing and pass them onto the Clerk to be logged.
Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – Council to consider the co-ordination of events scheduled for 2nd June – the meeting noted that the Beacon would be lit at 9.15pm on 2nd June. Further events were discussed relating to events that could take place on the Friday, Saturday or Sunday and it was agreed that this matter would need to be discussed in more detail with the landowner and publican of the Rose to ensure all events were properly coordinated.
Council to consider whether to install a Commemorative Unknown Tommy Statue – it was agreed that this should be deferred until the next commemorative military event.

6. Statutory Business:

To carry out the annual review of the Council’s Policies - Paper - Review of Policies & Protocols 2022 - Council agreed that having reviewed the policies as detailed in the paper, it would adopt them and confirmed that they had been updated, were fit for purpose and that it agreed to adhere to them as written, aif.
To note that the Protocols and Meeting Notices have been updated on the Council’s website - Paper - Review of Policies & Protocols – Council noted the review of the Protocols and Statements with review dates of February 2022 and delegated responsibility to the Clerk to ensure that they were reviewed and amended in accordance with changes in legislation thereby ensuring that at all times they were fit for purpose, aif.
To adopt the Council’s Standing Orders and Financial Regulations following updates to the procurement thresholds effective January 2022 – Paper - Review of Standing Orders and Financial Regulations – the meeting reviewed and adopted the amended Standing Orders and Financial Regulations with a review date of March 2022 and confirmed that they, having been reviewed, were fit for purpose and that Council agreed to adhere to them as written, aif.
To note the Council’s Freedom of Information Act Publication Scheme for Lindsey has also been updated along with the FOI Policy and Procedures – See website: https://lindsey.suffolk.cloud/parishcouncil/freedom-of-information-act/ - Council noted the amendments that had been made.

7. Correspondence:

SALC – The Good Councillor – Council noted the recently circulated Good Councillor Newsletter.
BMSDC – Spring Clean Suffolk 22 – Council noted the Great British Spring Clean being promoted between 25 March to 10 April 2022. It was confirmed that historically there has been no official spring clean in Lindsey but in past years, Cllr. Moore has carried out a spring clean in the local area and liaised direct with BMSDC for the collection of rubbish accumulated.
BMSDC Recycling – Food Savvy – Council was informed of the current campaign being run by Food Savvy called “UseYourLoaf” which had the overall aim of reducing the 20 million slices of bread that are wasted across the UK each day. As part of this campaign, a “Tasty Toastie” competition had been launched in which all Suffolk and Norfolk primary and secondary school pupils and adults were being invited to come up with a food saving toastie. The competition is open until 10th April.
To note all relevant correspondence received since the last meeting has been circulated via email – it was noted that all correspondence received since 19th January 2022 which was of relevance to the Parish Council had been circulated by email.

8. Clerk’s Financial Report:

To consider schedule of receipts received since the last meeting and expenditure incurred since the last meeting – Paper A - it was noted that no monies had been received since the last meeting - (Appendix B refers) aif.
To consider and approve the verified items awaiting authorization as per the schedule submitted – Paper B - all agreed that subject to formal verification by the two authorised signatories, Council approved to accept the schedule of invoices awaiting payment - (Appendix B refers).
To consider the Council's financial position to date – Paper C – the meeting noted the carried forward balance of £3,928.53 once the agreed schedule of invoices awaiting payment had been taken into account. It was noted that Cllrs. Corcoran, as an authorised signatory, had reviewed the bank reconciliation and signed the papers confirming that there was a full audit trail. (Appendix B refers). Council noted that within the balance quoted, there was the sum of £2,015.37 to be held as a Restricted CIL Reserve along with a General Reserve of £1,913.16.
To receive and consider the anticipated budget to actual for the year ending 31st March 2022 – Council received the anticipated budget outrun for the year ending 31st March 2022 and noted that overall the target of adding £550 to the council’s reserve pot would be achieved and surpassed. The Clerk provided a brief summary of the variances per budget line which was accepted by the meeting.
Council to note receipt of Council to note receipt from the District Council of the precept to be set for the year 2020-2023 for Lindsey – Council noted receipt of the advice note from BDC in which it was confirmed that the precept to be set for the year 2022-2023 was £4,949.00 which would result in a Council Tax Band D of £52.57 being a decrease/increase of 0% on 2021/22.

9. Year-End Procedures:

The following matters were considered by the Council as part of its Year-End Process:

To review the Council’s Financial Risk Assessment for the year 2021-2022 – Paper E - the paper as submitted was reviewed with Council noting the relevant changes to the document covering CIL; amendments that would be needed for internet banking; break-down of reserves and the accounting procedures involved; access to council required passwords and appropriate email addresses and digital accessibility of websites. All agreed that the risk identified and the manner in which they would be handled was appropriate for a parish council this size of Lindsey, aif.
To review the Council’s Risk Management Strategy for the year 2021-2022 – Paper F - Council noted the Risk Management Strategy as written, and subject to an amendment to the matters relating to the Beacon Brazier, considered that it was an appropriate strategy for a Parish Council the size of Lindsey, aif.
To review and agree the effectiveness of Internal Control for the year 2021-2022 – Paper G - the meeting agreed the statement of internal control noting that the purpose of internal control was to reduce the financial risk to the Council by ensuring that the Council’s activities are carried out properly and as intended. All were in agreement that the controls currently in place, as updated by the Clerk, were effective and appropriate for Lindsey Parish Council in the management of public finances, aif.
To review the effectiveness of Internal Audit for the year 2021-2022 – Paper H - the meeting agreed that having reviewed internal audit in terms of independence, competence, proportionality and effectiveness, it has complied with its duty under the 2015 Regulations and met the standards of audit provision, aif.
To confirm the appointment of the Council’s Internal Auditor for the year ending 31st March 2022 – add Paper – Draft Audit Plan - having reviewed the Audit Terms of Reference as provided by the Internal Auditor, the meeting was in agreement to the appointment of Mr Trevor Brown CPFA to carry out the internal audit for Lindsey Parish Council for the year ending 31st March 2022 at a cost of £100 plus travelling expenses at the HMRC agreed rate, aif.

10. Clerk’s Report:

To receive an update on matters actioned under delegate powers – there were none to be noted.

11. Planning Matters:

To consider the following planning applications:
- DC/22/00782 - Planning Application- Change of use, conversion, alterations and linking extension of redundant storage building to form additional residential accommodation (following approval under B/16/01374) @ Barn At, Lindsey Lodge Barn, Kersey Road – all were in favour of agreeing to support the proposal, aif.
To note the following planning applications determined by the local planning authority:
- DC/21/06280 – Planning Permission - Erection of two storey front and rear extensions with single storey side extension and replace roof (following demolition of conservatory) @ Tyecroft, The Tye.
- DC/21/06461 – Listed Building Consent - Construction of plinth wall encapsulating insulation (following demolition of existing plinth wall)@ Barn on Land to The East Of, Rose Green Road
- DC/21/06357 - Discharge of Conditions Application for DC/19/01412- Condition 4 (Material Sample) @ Thatched Barn, Rose Green Farm
- DC/21/06445 - Discharge of Conditions Application for DC/19/01413- Condition 4 (Material Sample) @ Thatched Barn, Rose Farm

11. Parish Councillors’ Reports:

To receive reports on village issues from Councillors present -

Entrance onto the road from the land in which Church Barn was located – surely this now needs consent as it is an unauthorised access construction.
White Rose crossroads – issue of standing water and hedgerow impeding visibility issues – the Clerk was asked to remind Cllr. Finch that he was going to attend site with a Highway Engineer to look at the issues and agree remedial action to be undertaken.
Grassed area outside of Frogs Hall – it appears that the area has been hardened and surfaced.
Oliver Arthey – thanks to be offered to him for clearing a number of trees in the area.
Wi-Fi for the Village Hall – Cllr. Hainsworth made the meeting aware of a company that could provide a competitive quote for Wi-Fi provision at the Village Hall.
Corner by the Forge – as this was also in danger of being eroded, could Cllr. Finch be asked to add this to his list for pricing for stone setts.

12. Date of Next Meeting:

Annual Parish Meeting 11th May 2022 commencing at 7.00pm in Lindsey Village Hall
Parish Council Meeting 11th May 2022 following the Annual Parish Meeting in Lindsey Village Hall.
Date of Meetings for the remainder of 2022: 13th July; 14th September and 9th November.

There being no other business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 21.17 (9.17pm).

Appendix A – County and District Councillor Reports

County Councillor James Finch report to Council:

The Remaining Public Meetings / Exhibitions scheduled on the Bramford to Twinstead National Grid Reinforcement to support residents responses to the National Grid Consultation - To help you with your responses to National Grid I recommend that you can still book a meeting on one of the sessions on the attached sheet. The Nayland event on 25th February and the Hadleigh exhibition on 3rd March I found very worthwhile to put across the local views and concerns. I have recommended that the following headings are addressed:
- proposed route of the new 400kV electricity line
- extent of undergrounding and overgrounding of the new 400kV electricity line
- location and form of cable sealing end compounds
- removal of the existing 132kV overhead electricity line
- location and form of a new Grid Supply Point Substation at Butlers Wood
- construction methodology
- likely environmental effects arising from the project
- potential environmental mitigation identified to reduce likely significant effects
- preliminary locations for biodiversity net gain and/or wider environmental gains.
I have circulated under separate cover the draft Suffolk County Council response to National Grid and my Speech at the Cabinet meeting yesterday asking for some amendments. The deadline for our submissions is 21st March.
Council welcomes renewed Government efforts to reduce impact of offshore wind on Suffolk Communities - It was announced on 8th February that the Government recognises Suffolk’s communities need to see tangible and substantive benefits from the Offshore Transmission Network Review. Suffolk County Council and East Suffolk Council have welcomed the renewed effort, announced by the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on 31 January, to try to ensure that Suffolk communities benefit from coordinated connections of offshore wind before 2030. As part of a webinar on the Offshore Transmission Network Review, it was announced that BEIS officials would be initiating a program of activity working with offshore wind developers, inter-connectors, and the onshore transmission owner, facilitated by the trade body Renewable UK, to explore more ambitious regional coordination with a specific focus on East Anglia. It was acknowledged during the webinar, that proposals currently put forward by developers identifying early opportunities for coordination, particularly in East Anglia, could go further. This work will run in parallel with the Holistic Network Design (HND), expected to be published in June 2022, which will set out the required onshore network reinforcements and how the connections of future offshore wind projects coming through the seabed leasing process will be coordinated.
Good news for Suffolk - Government gives the green light to negotiate a County Deal - In August last year Suffolk's Public Sector Leaders of all the Suffolk Local authorities made efforts to secure from the Government a devolution deal for Suffolk. At the same time as the publication of the Levelling Up White Paper, we heard the news that Suffolk was successfully chosen as one of nine areas across the country to have been given the opportunity of negotiating a new County Deal. One of the questions still to be answered is “what would a deal mean for Suffolk? Our commitment is that this deal will mean more local decision making led by the County Council in conjunction with all the authorities in the interests of Suffolk residents. But, to clarify we do not have a deal yet, and we have many more months of negotiations and discussions with Government ahead of us before we can look to finalise an actual deal.
Residents urged to support Suffolk spectacular - Suffolk is set to stage a host of exciting Jubilee celebrations during 2022 – bringing the county’s communities together to mark this momentous milestone. Her Majesty The Queen will become the first ever British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, on Sunday 6 February, after 70 years of service. The unprecedented anniversary will be celebrated throughout the year, with a four-day UK bank holiday taking place from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 June to enable people to commemorate the occasion. Plans are already in place for a Festival of Suffolk – the county’s biggest ever community event. This year-long spectacular will incorporate much-loved existing events, such as the Suffolk Show, alongside dedicated Jubilee celebrations, including a race day and torch relay. Details on the latest line-up can be found at: www.festivalofsuffolk.org Road Closures - To help facilitate this, Suffolk County Council has set up a dedicated webpage: www.suffolk.gov.uk/PlatinumJubileeEvent and will waive its fees for any road closures for events on this day, as well as providing free assistance with traffic management for all applications received before 11pm on Sunday 27 March.
The COVID-19 rates in Suffolk and the Stour Valley - I have decided to stop regular monitoring and circulating the COVID19 / Omicron incidence and severity in the County and locally as this is now falling. Please note it has not gone away even though statutory control measures have been reduced. However we are all encouraged to take appropriate measures for protection of ourselves and others as we personally think appropriate. For those who would like access to data which is still being updated this is available on the Suffolk Coronawatch website here - https://www.healthysuffolk.org.uk/jsna/coronawatch
Suffolk Fostering and Adoption Service swoops into “The Big Hoot” - Suffolk Fostering and Adoption Service has been announced as a proud sponsor for Suffolk’s biggest ever mass participation public art event – ‘The Big Hoot’ 2022. This is the third art trail brought to Ipswich by St Elizabeth Hospice in partnership with creative producers Wild in Art, following the success of Pigs Gone Wild 2016 and Elmer’s Big Parade Suffolk 2019. As part of the Big Hoot 2022, 50 ornately decorated owl sculptures, featuring designs celebrating all things Suffolk, will be scattered throughout Ipswich showcasing the wealth of artistic talent of the county and beyond, as part of the biggest free art event in Suffolk which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the town. Suffolk Fostering and Adoption’s owl, named ‘Big Hoot-Little Hoot’ will represent the care that foster carers and adopters provide to children in the local community. The owl which features a baby owl nestling safely under the wings of its parent, will be painted by artist, Sandra Reynolds and perfectly depicts the loving and nurturing nature of foster carers and adoptive parents caring for Suffolk children. For me I am delighted that this is being sponsored by Suffolk County Council Fostering and Adoption Service as it will provide another very visual way in Ipswich of highlighting the importance of fostering and adopting throughout the county.
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:

Budget Review - At February’s Full Council meeting, councillors agreed to increase Babergh’s element of residents’ council tax by 2% - meaning an extra £3.48 per year, an average Band D household. Councillors also agreed to freeze sheltered housing charges and garage rents at 2021/22 levels, but council tenants will see an increase of 4.1% to their rents, to cover inflation and allow investment in improving the quality of council homes. The increase, in line with Government guidance, means average weekly social rent will increase by £3.72 from £91.78 to £95.50. For affordable housing, weekly rents will increase by £5.23 from £127.42 to £132.65. Eight councillors voted against the increase in Council Tax, including myself, as it was felt that with the current cost of living increases this was the wrong time. Particularly as the increase could have been avoided this year.
Council Tax Rebate - The Government will provide funding for councils to give all households in England whose primary residence is valued in council tax bands A to D a one-off ‘council tax energy rebate’ payment of £150. This payment will operate outside of the council tax system (it will be a payment rather than a reduction in your council tax bill), using council tax lists to identify eligible households.
Funding to support Rough Sleepers - Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council have been awarded £324K to provide specialised emergency accommodation for rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness. The funding will see the development of two new self-contained eco emergency accommodation units in Stowmarket and two self-contained units in Sudbury to house vulnerable adults at risk of being homeless.
Council to down-size accommodation - Babergh Cabinet voted to reconfigure the workspace that they use at Endeavour house. His will allow them to give back a floor saving approximately £338,000. Following on from changing work practices over the last two years it is clear that staff can change the way they work with more home working. The change will also allow the council to provide a more efficient workspace.
Empty homes funding - Owners of empty homes may be eligible to an Empty Homes Renovation Loan designed to help improve vacant properties across the districts which have been empty for over six months and in need of significant repairs. Empty Homes Renovation Loans of up to £20,000 are interest free and can help to carry out a range of major repairs including installing a central heating system, electrical rewire or fixing a leaking roof.
Council pledges support to addressing violence against women and girls - Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils have signed up to a new county-wide strategy outlining how Suffolk will address violence against women and girls.

Appendix B – Financial Report:

Items received since the last meeting:

Income Description	Nett	VAT	Gross	Ref
Total Income	£0.00

Items Paid out since the last meeting:

Income Description	Nett	VAT	Gross	Ref	Power
Total Expenditure	£NIL

Items to be Authorized for Payment:

Expenditure Description	Nett	VAT	Gross	Ref
09.03.22 Clerk’s Salary & Expenses	441.00	0.00	441.00	BACS
HMRC – PAYE 3rd Qtr.	182.00	0.00	182.00	BACS
EAAA – Donation under GPoC	50.00	0.00	50.00	BACS
Lindsey Village Hall – hire of hall	70.00	0.00	70.00	BACS
Total Expenditure	£743.00

Financial Report

Date	£
Opening Balance 09.01.22	4671.53
Add Income Received February – March	0.00
Less Expenditure Incurred February – March	0.00
Less Expenditure from verified list 09.03.22	743.00
Closing Balance 09.03.22	3928.53

Bank Reconciliation

Community Account Statement at 03.03.22	4671.53
Less uncleared payments * At 09.03.22	743.00
Plus unaccredited income At 09.03.22	0.00
Reconciled Total ** At 09.03.22	3928.53

BACS 441.00
182.00
50.00
70.00

Within this balance are the following reserves:

(Restricted) CIL reserve - £2,015.37
General reserve - £1,913.16