Parish Council Meeting Minutes

A Parish Council Meeting was held on Wednesday 10th March 2021 via videoconferencing on the Zoom Platform and commenced at 7.36pm.

Present: The Chairman, Mr. Arthey, Parish Cllrs. R Corcoran, M Hainsworth, B Howe, R Howe, J Moore, A Sturgeon
In attendance: Mrs V Waples, Clerk, County Cllr. Finch (in part), District Cllr. L Jamieson (in part)

In accordance with the changes in legislation, it was noted that this meeting was taking place via videoconferencing and that councillors and members of the public were permitted to film, record, photograph or use social media in order to report on the proceedings of the meeting.

1. Opening

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

2. Apologies of Absence

There were no applicable apologies of absence as all Councillors were present.

3. Declarations of Interest

There were no 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.

4. Minutes of Previous Meetings

To approve the minutes of the following Parish Council Meetings:
- 20th January 2021 - the meeting agreed that the circulated minutes were a true and accurate record of the meeting that took place, aif. Further clarity was provided on item 12i and it was noted that the problem has since been sorted by Cllr. Hainsworth. Agreement was forthcoming for the signing of the minutes to take place at the next meeting at which Councillors would be present in person or whenever was convenient for the Clerk and Chair to so arrange, aif.

5. Parish Matters

To receive updates on items raised at previous meetings:

Climate Emergency / Climate Awareness – no comments had been submitted to the article as printed in the latest newsletter. Actions being taken by governments was in general seen as a positive in the right direction for the Glasgow Summit and there was an expectation that more would be forthcoming on this matter as the summit date approached.

6. Public Forum

(maximum 10 minutes)

To note the report from County Councillor James Finch – the written report as submitted can be seen at Appendix A. Cllr. Finch made the meeting aware of the following:
- Cllr. Finch confirmed that he would be standing again at the County Cllr. Elections on 6th May 2021. The meeting wished Cllr. Finch all the best for the upcoming election.
To note the report from District Councillor Leigh Jamieson – the written report as submitted can be seen at Appendix B. Cllr. Jamieson made the meeting aware of the following:
- County Elections and Police and Crime Commissioner Elections. Cllr. Jamieson confirmed that he was standing for Hadleigh.
- Question raised as to why were some of the Green issues out voted by BDC? Generally it was felt that the amendments submitted were not costed effectively and could be dealt with in other ways or were being carried out in other areas so were unnecessary. Generally the feeling was that the Council was already implementing measures within its own Climate Awareness, Environment and Biodiversity policies/measures.
- Discussion followed and it was acknowledged that the retro fitting of climate initiatives in Council’s own housing stock was in the process of being carried out. It was noted that both Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils will be pushing for the highest standards but until the Joint Local Plan was adopted the standards were as written in current policies.
To receive comments from the public on the agenda as published: there were no members of the public present and the Clerk confirmed that she had not received any comments via email.

7. Statutory Business

To carry out the annual review of the Council’s Policies - Paper entitled Review of Policies & Protocols – Council agreed that it confirmed that the policies listed below had been updated, were fit for purpose and that it agreed to adhere to them as written, aif. It was noted all would be amended with the change of address post 15th March 2021.
- Policies reviewed: 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; Subject Access Policy and Training Policy.
To note that the Protocols and Meeting Notices have been updated on the Council’s website - Paper entitled Review of Policies & Protocols – the meeting noted the review of the following protocols and statements. It was noted all would be amended with the change of address post 15th March 2021.
To receive the updated Freedom of Information Act Publication Scheme for Lindsey along with the updated FOI Policy and Procedures – the meeting reviewed the latest document and agreed that it accurately listed the items that the Council held and the manner in which they would be provided if requested. It was noted that the document would be amended with the change of address post 15th March 2021.
To consider and review the procedures that might be required for future meetings in person – Paper entitled Meetings post 7 May 2021 – the meeting agreed that it would follow the recommendation to ensure as much of Council business was transacted via remote meetings prior to 7th May 2021. It was agreed that the Annual Council Meeting be moved to Thursday 6th May 2021 and that the Clerk be given the delegated power to try and schedule meetings prior to the change in legislation as much as possible, aif.

8. Correspondence

SALC – Babergh Area Forums – reminder that these forums provide local Councillors the opportunity to not only meet new colleagues but offer a support network in the role as community representatives.
BDC - Garden waste collections have restarted on Monday 8th March – More Information about the garden waste collection is available at https://www.babergh.gov.uk/waste-services/covid-19-collection-changes/.

9. Clerk’s Financial Report

To consider schedule of receipts received since the last meeting – Paper A - the meeting noted that there had been no monies received since the last meeting. (Appendix C refers)
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 was minded to accept the schedule of invoices awaiting payment. (Appendix C refers).
To consider the Council's financial position to date – Paper C – the meeting noted the carried forward balance of £1,642.01 once the agreed schedule of invoices awaiting payment had been taken into account. It was agreed that the authorised signatories would review the bank reconciliation and sign the papers submitted to ensure a full audit trail, aif. (Appendix C refers).
To receive the budget monitoring statement for the period ending 04.03.21 - Paper D – Council received the paper as submitted noting the variance against budget and approved the anticipated underspend for the year being allocated to General Reserves, aif.
To receive confirmation from the District Council on the precept to be levied for the period 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022 – Council noted the receipt from Babergh Mid Suffolk District Council of the precept to be levied for 2021-2022 of £4,487.00 which will be paid in two instalments – 50% in both April and September 2021. The 1st payment will also have the LCTS grant of £78.00

10. To Consider the Following as Part of the Council’s Year-End Process

To review the Council’s Financial Risk Assessment for the year 2020-2021 – Paper E – the paper as submitted was reviewed with Council noting the relevant changes to the document covering adequacy of precept; amendments that would be needed for internet banking; verification of salaries; reserve fund and reserve policy; management of financial records; members interest 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 2020-2021 – Paper F – Council noted the narrative document that accompanied the Financial Risk Assessment and agreed that the proposed Risk Strategy as written was appropriate for a Parish Council the size of Lindsey, aif.
To review and agree the effectiveness of Internal Control for the year 2020-2021 – Paper G – the meeting agreed the statement 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 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 2020-2021 – 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 2021 – 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 2021 at a cost of £80 plus travelling expenses at the HMRC agreed rate, aif.
To review and adopt the Council’s Draft Reserve Policy – Paper I – Council being mindful of Proper Practices which requires all authorities to have regard to the need to put in place a General Reserve Policy, agreed to adopt and adhere to the Reserve Policy as written, aif.
To review and approve the Council Asset Register for the year ending 31st March 2021 – the Asset Register as prepared by the RFO was agreed as being an accurate document and reflect the assets currently held by the Parish Council, aif.

11. Clerk’s Report

There were no further matters coming forth that had not been dealt with elsewhere on the agenda.

12. Planning Matters

To consider the following planning applications: to view please follow the link below: none had been received
To note the following planning applications determined by the local planning authority:
- DC/20/05841 – Planning Permission – erection of single storey size annex for ancillary use and glazed link to main dwelling @ Unhalfbricking, The Tye, Lindsey
- DC/20/05417 – Planning Permission – erection of single storey cartlodge/garage @ Brambling Barn, The Tye.
- DC/20/0211 – Approval of non-material amendment relating to DC/19/03767 – to include doorway to side / front elevation as per drawing 19/23/201AA @ Forge View, The Tye.
To receive the response from the Planning Officer relating to the newly created access at Church Barn Meadow, Church Road, Lindsey – the clerk confirmed that the Planning Officer had stated that the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) allows the creation of an access where it involves the formation, laying out and construction of a means of access to a highway which is not a trunk road or a classified road, where that access is required in connection with development permitted by any Class in this Schedule. As it would appear that the access is not in connection with such development, the Clerk had asked that this be flagged up to Enforcement to be formally investigated and that she was still waiting to hear from Enforcement on this matter.

13. Parish Councillors’ Reports

To receive reports on village issues from Councillors present:

Cllr. Sturgeon reminded all that there was a need to take the climate emergency serious and all should ensure that they undertake small steps to achieve carbon zero by 2030.
Cllr. Moore agreed that the Council needed to ensure that this remains a key topic.
Cllr. Hainsworth made the meeting aware of the manner in which the roads in Lindsey had deteriorated due to the number of potholes. Lindsey to Chelsworth road in particular.
Cllr. Arthey made the Clerk aware of the potholes close to the triangle on the corner of Church Road.

14. Date of Next Meeting

Annual Council Meeting Thursday 6th May 2021 commencing at 7.30pm, via the Zoom Videoconferencing platform.
Given guidance received by the Council from NALC – Council to consider setting a separate date for the Annual Parish Meeting – if prior to 7th May 2021 via the Zoom Videoconferencing platform, if after the 7th May 2021 in person (note meeting must take place prior to 1st June).

There being no other business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 21.29pm.

Appendix A – County Councillor James Finch Report

COVID 19 infection rates over February - I am delighted to report the rapid increase at the beginning of January has been reversed and those newly infected in the 7 day period from 18th – 25th February was ZERO IN OUR AREA. This is the first time since last summer that we have recorded zero. However as those previously afflicted are still very much “close to home”, we must continue to stick to the guidance rigidly NOT LEAST NOW to protect our accident and emergency teams in our hospitals. I am also now pleased to say that there is good news in that Suffolk is now vaccinating the over 60’s.

More Coronavirus Rapid Testing Centres are opening in Suffolk
There are now 28 Lateral Flow Testing Centres in Suffolk (LFT), with results delivered in under an hour have opened locally in South Suffolk for those showing no symptoms – ie asymptomatic. These tests are most useful at identifying people who are infectious on the day of the test but not showing any symptoms. These centres are being arranged by Suffolk County Council (SCC) for anyone who is working but who cannot work from home. The new sites local to the Stour Valley are located at:- The Stevenson Centre, Stevenson Approach, Great Cornard, Sudbury. CO10 0WD - (in partnership with Commisceo – Shift Partner.); The Fire Station in Bear Street Nayland CO6 4LA; The United Reform Church, Market Place, Hadleigh. IP7 5DL. Appointments can be booked online - https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/getting-a-test/covid-19-asymptomatic-testing/ or by telephone - 0333 772 6144

Budget 2021/2022 - Suffolk County Council agrees 2021/2022 budget to support most vulnerable residents and county’s recovery from Covid-19 on 11th February. Planned spending in 2021/22 is £597.9million, + £41million (7.4%) more than 2020/21. As part of this, the council will be spending £15.3million to address its ongoing Covid-19 costs, arising from the continuing local response to the pandemic. There are no proposed reductions in council services or personnel in 2021/22. This year’s budget is based only on a 12-month financial settlement from government, rather than the 3-or-4-year agreement which is usually offered. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has continued to support local authorities as they adapt to serve communities, redeploy staff into alternative specialist roles and see income streams such as business rates and council tax reduce significantly. Suffolk County Council has received around £82.2 million in financial support during 2020 to meet Covid-19 related costs and whilst the challenges of continuing to respond, and in time recover, from Covid-19 remain, significant financial pressures will continue. The council’s income from council tax is going to be £7.9 million less than expected in 2021/22 and this shortfall will be met by using council reserves. Reserves can only be spent once and do not represent a viable long term financial solution. This effective use of reserves is made possible because Suffolk County Council has maintained a consistent approach to managing its finances effectively for a number of years, holding a proportionate level of reserves for this exact situation. In 2021/22, general Council Tax will rise by 1.99%, which represents an increase of £26.68 for a Band D property, from £1,224.70 in 2020, to £1,251.38. There is also a 2.00 % rise in the Social Care Precept for the forthcoming year as the council recognises the ongoing challenges with meeting the rising costs and rising demand for adult care services. This means a Band D property will see an overall rise of £53.55 this year for Suffolk County Council’s element of their Council Tax bill, from £1,343.61 in 2020-21 to £1,397.16 in 2021-22. It is fair to say that the pandemic this year has included redeploying staff into bespoke roles such as procuring personal protective equipment (PPE) to support Suffolk’s care sector and adapting working practices for frontline staff to maintain effective social distancing measures. As a result, the council is expecting a shortfall of around £7.8 million in projected savings for 2021. Whilst this means that further work is needed to identify potential future programmes of work, many of the new ways of working adopted by the council during 2020 because of the pandemic may actually offer potential alternative transformation savings as the organisation continues to adapt and tailor the way it works to deliver services for Suffolk’s communities.

Suffolk County Council Highways doubles drainage budget to £4m for 20221/2022 - On 17th February Suffolk County Council has received £27.2m capital funding allocation from central government to provide further repairs to the Suffolk roads and £3.5m to invest in Integrated Transport. As this was £6.2m more than that incorporated into the budget agreed at the full County Council meeting on 11th February, the following areas will be boosted by:

An additional £2m into drainage and drainage resources (now £4m in total) recognising the worsening problem related to drainage and flooding throughout Suffolk due to the winter heavy rainfall,
An additional £3.4m into roads – enabling more pre-patching works from summer 2021 onwards to bolster surfacing programme in 2022/23
An additional £800k into the rights of ways bridges to recognise the greater number now walking our footpaths for their health and welfare.

Suffolk County Council's cabinet confirms its support for Freeport East - On February 23, the cabinet of the county council confirmed its support for the creation of a new Freeport (Freeport East). The Freeport would cover both the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich as part of the Government's aim to create a number of Freeports across the country to drive job creation, investment and international trade post Brexit. A Freeport includes secure customs zones and tax sites where business can be carried out inside a country’s land border, but where different tax and customs rules apply. These rules mean Freeports can potentially reduce administrative burdens and tariff controls, provide relief from duties, import taxes, and ease tax and planning regulations. Freeport East has several unique aspects which make its bid for Freeport status particularly strong. This includes global and regional connectivity, with 36% of all the UK’s container traffic passing through the Port of Felixstowe, unrivalled international connections, particularly with Asia, strong connectivity to the Midlands and the North, thereby supporting the government's “levelling up agenda” in these areas. The bid also stands out as supporting other national objectives such as the development of new technology and the push for clean energy. The Port of Felixstowe has recently won funding to trial a pilot 5G network and has strong research and development links with Cambridge and Essex Universities. There are also strong links with the energy sector and the emerging hydrogen economy. The final decision about Freeport designation rests with the UK central government.

Virtual Fostering and Adoption Sessions for the Stour Valley - Since the incidence of COVID 19 sadly the demand for this service has increased significantly. Therefore, those who would like to find out more refer to the website - https://www.fosterandadopt.suffolk.gov.uk or join one of the following events.

For Fostering only:- Wednesdays - 7th April - all 7:00pm in your home.
For Adoption only:- Thursdays 8th April - all at 7:00pm in your home.
To book a place please email Claire.Gwatkin@suffolk.gov.uk. She will then send instructions on how to join the virtual meeting. As always, our team will be happy to answer any questions you have about fostering or adoption! They normally will have a foster carer or adoptive parent available to help you too at these events.

Appendix B – District Councillor Leigh Jamieson’s Report

CAR PARKING - Cabinet met on the 4th February 2021 and resolved to approve the implementation of charges in Hadleigh, Sudbury and Pin Mill. The revised proposals were generally the same as the originals, but instead of 30minutes free parking an hour’s free parking was agreed. Also the original proposals were due to start in July, but this has now been pushed back and charges will begin no earlier than 1st October. This date will remain under review dependant on the situation with pandemic and the economy.

GENERAL FUND BUDGET - The Council approved the General Fund Budget proposals for 2021/22 and four-year outlook set out in the report, at the recent Full council meeting on 23 February 2021. The budget looks to increase Babergh’s share of council tax by 2.96%, the equivalent of less than 10p a week (£5 a year) for an average Band D property. The increase is part of a package of measures that the council feel will meet the medium-term financial challenges presented by the pandemic; help meet its ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030; and maintain services for residents and communities. In addition to the council tax increase, the budget will also include a proposed increase of £2.50 a year to the annual brown bin garden waste subscriptions, taking the cost from £52.50 to £55 – the equivalent of an extra 10p per collection. I presented some green party amendments that tried to introduce improvements to aspects of the planning process. Particularly looking to help planning compliance, increase planning committee training and to encourage community projects. We were also looking to initiate further green measures to protect our Biodiversity and kickstart climate change improvements. All amendments were rejected.

HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT (HRA) BUDGET - At the meeting Council also agreed the HRA Budget proposals for 2021/22 and four-year outlook. This report includes a CPI + 1% increase of 1.5% in Council House rents, equivalent to an average rent increase of £1.35 a week. That Sheltered Housing Service charges be increased by £0.69 per week to ensure recovery of the actual cost of service. Again we submitted amendments to assist housing with retrofitting of council properties, which were again rejected.

CENSUS 2021 - The latest Census will take part across Babergh this spring. Census outputs inform where billions of pounds of public funding are spent on services like transport, education, and health. Census day will be on March 21 and will be the first Census run predominantly online, with households soon receiving a letter with a unique access code, allowing them to complete the questionnaire on their computers, phones or tablets.

ADOPTION OF THE REVISED TABLE OF FARES FOR HACKNEY CARRIAGES - A new table of fares for Hackney carriage will come into effect from 5 April. The basic rate for daytime fares will increase by 20p from £3.00 to £3.20. Night rates will start at £4.80 and apply between 11pm and 7am instead of between midnight and 6am.

Appendix C – Financial Report

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

Items Paid out since the last meeting
Income	Description	Nett	VAT	Gross	Ref	Power
Total Expenditure	£0.00

Items to be Authorized for Payment
Expenditure	Description	Nett	VAT	Gross	Ref	Power
10.03.21	Clerk’s Salary & Expenses	402.13	0.00	402.13	484	LGA 1972 s111 & s112
HMRC – 4th Qtr PAYE	1625.20	0.00	162.20	485	Income & Corp Taxes
Total	£564.33

Financial Report

Date	£
Opening Balance 20.01.21	2256.34
Add Income Received January – March	0.00
Less Expenditure Incurred January – March	0.00
Less Expenditure from verified list 10.03.21	564.33
Closing Balance 10.03.21	1642.01

Bank Reconciliation

Community Account	Statement – 10.03.21	2456.34
Less unlogged cheques *	At 10.03.21	814.33
Plus unaccredited income		0.00
Reconciled Total		1642.01

481 £200.00
482 £50.00
484 £402.13
485 £162.20
£814.33