Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting Held in Lindsey Village Hall

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday 8th March 2023 in Lindsey Village Hall, Church Road, Lindsey which commenced at 7.30pm.
The Chair, Cllr. Arthey welcomed the following Parish Cllrs. to the meeting: R Corcoran, M Hainsworth, B Howe, R Howe, J Moore and A Sturgeon. In attendance was Mrs V Waples, Clerk, District Cllr. L. Jamieson (in part); Mrs S. Moore CEO and Mrs B Crack, Chair of the Trustees of the Befriending Scheme at the Red Rose Farm, Lindsey and eleven (11) 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. Introductions from the parish council were given to members of the public.

1. Apologies of Absence:

There were no applicable apologies of absence.
Council noted the absence of County Cllr. Finch for personal reasons.

2. Declarations of Interest:

To receive declarations of registrable, other 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 Cllrs. Arthey & B. Howe declared non-registrable interests as Chair and Trustee of Lindsey Village Hall for agenda item 8ii.
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 of 18th January 2023 - 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.
To approve the minutes of the extra ordinary Parish Council Meeting of 22nd February 2023 - 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) the Chair agreed to amend the agenda to receive Agenda Item 4iv first followed by 4iii and 4ii.

To note the report from the County Councillor – due to personal circumstances, the meeting was made aware that for the immediate future, the County Councillor had requested all urgent matters be forwarded to Customer Service at Suffolk County Council - customer.services@suffolk.gov.uk. All were asked to forward, in the first instance, any issues to the Clerk for onward submission.
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:
- Balanced budget but increasingly challenging.
- Review of health and safety issues with regards to its own housing stock.
- Next meeting will be after the elections and his thanks were offered to the council for being welcome and friendly. He confirmed that he would be standing again for the ward in which Lindsey was located.
To receive comments from or questions from the public on the agenda as published – responses to questions posed are written in italics
- When did the proposal first come to the parish council and when was it discussed and when was it granted planning permission? The Clerk responded that the Parish Council discussed this planning application at a meeting on 13th July 2022 and provided a response to the Local Planning Authority. The application was granted planning permission on 16th September 2022 which was reported to full Council at the meeting in November 2022.
- What benefit is the scheme to the community of Lindsey? Would residents in Lindsey be allowed to attend? Answer maximum would be 24 a day dependent upon capacity. For Launch Day and Open Days will invite members of the community to the launch. How will residents of Lindsey benefit? Will they actively be engaged? Sessions will be available once up and running, ambition and intention is to benefit a much wider area – possibly District wise. Traffic could be an issue? Benefit of the scheme is understandable but unsure over the impact. Outside of Launch and Open Days believe that the impact will be negligible. Likelihood that the scheme will not be able to be offered to a very wide community given the location and the challenging times for charities in this sector. Need to ensure that the charity can deliver the scheme within the financial parameters established. Mindful of the view from the main road and the impact that this might have overall. The Charity is aware of this issue. Need to have plenty of parking spaces on this site given the road topography. The Charity is aware of this and there is significant parking on site. Lane is used for walkers but road has been inaccessible to pedestrians due to construction and the disrepair of the area. The CEO was unaware that there had been such issues. Does the car park have a hard standing? Why were lights left on all night within the portacabin? The CEO agreed that this issue would be addressed. How will traffic be managed on Open Days? It is a large car park and there will be room for an overspill. Marshalls could be used. Condition of road is not designed for a large amount of traffic, mud will be easily transferred. What future developments do you have in the pipeline for the remainder of the site? The CEO does not have any plans for that land. Will arrival and departures be staggered? For the most part members will arrive at 10.00am and leave at 3.00pm. Staff will be outside of these hours. Plans for overnight care – how this would be regulated for respite care? This would be regulated and the Charity is considered to be an educational facility and have to meet all of the standards of Suffolk County Council and National Health. Total number of animals now and in future? 30 chickens, Rhea, geese, ducks, 4 goats; 3 sheep; bearded dragons, in excess of 50. Additional animals will be guided.
To receive a report from the CEO of the Befriending Scheme at the Red Rose Farm, Lindsey – the Chair introduced Mrs S Moore and Mrs Crack to the meeting and invited Mrs Moore to address the meeting. Mrs Moore explained that she was grateful to address the meeting and read out her initial email to the Parish Council from July 2022 which introduced the concept of the Community Care Farm. (for transparency the body of the email can be seen under Appendix C). Progress on site was given as follows: animals on site; two portacabins and other container for which planning permissions was granted. Facilities were in place only around three weeks ago. Everything has been moved over from the previous site in December 2022. Progress has been slow. Local parents and carers have been on site, still waiting for further sheds to be delivered. Site looks a mess but working hard to establish it and ensure that it becomes aesthetically pleasing – task in progress. Challenges with weather but car park is now in place. Want to encourage residents and the parish council to become an associate member. The following questions were raised from Councillors: with responses given in italics
- How many members involved? Up to ten (10) a day operating Monday to Friday. Ultimately hope to have 24 on site. All will have a personal budget financed by the County Council whereby they can choose to spend their monies. It should be noted that no persons on site outside of operating hours for welfare of animals.
- The scheme was previously at a site in Assington for three years – can due diligence be carried out as feedback received has been mixed. There was an issue with the landowner hence the move to Lindsey. The landowner has been very supportive.
- Concerns have been raised with regards to traffic flows and screening as it is a very visual site. The portacabins will be timber clad and screening will be in place once finances dictate but there is also a wish not to obscure the view for members. They understood the need to embed the care farm within the community and to ensure that the key issues traffic flow, screening and the aesthetics of the site are addressed to allay residents’ concerns.
- How will the group that is to be set up work and will it include local residents? There is an opportunity for the residents and members of the parish council to become associate members of Friends Community Farm.

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 the measures being undertake for raising awareness of issues discovered – completed and all who were surveyed should have been sent – email sent out giving advice and links. It was hoped that this had engendered interest.
2. To receive an update on the Heating Bildeston project – District Cllr. Jamieson stated that following discussions with those running the project, Lindsey was welcome to attend the regular meetings to ascertain whether other matters relating to climate awareness being discussed were of interest or applicable to Lindsey.
3. To review any other Climate related issues coming forth – aerial survey of domestic roof tops to see which were suitable for roof panels. Cllr. Sturgeon made the meeting aware that he would be attending a Community Energy Pathway Meeting the following week. He also confirmed that SCC were initiating a number of projects that would be rolled out once further information was forthcoming.
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 was to 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 for improvements to both areas – the meeting received a further quotation to carry out works to the verges at Lindsey Tye in the sum of £4,457.00. It was noted that reference was made to further fees from Suffolk Highways and the Clerk was asked to liaise with the firm to ascertain further details on the fees that might be chargeable and to liaise with Suffolk Highways as to whether the third quotation received was specific enough.

6. Statutory Business:

To note that the Council’s Freedom of Information Publication Scheme for Lindsey has been updated – Council noted that this work had been carried out and that the link to the relevant page on the website carried the revised document.

7. Correspondence:

BMSDC – Town and Parish Updates – Council noted that all monthly updates are emailed to Councillors for their perusal.
BMSDC – to note receipt of the powerpoint presentation following the BMSDC meetings with Chairs and Clerks of town and parish councils in February 2023. It was confirmed that the presentation had been circulated to all previously and noted that the Chair had attended this meeting.
Suffolk Accident Rescue Service - to note the receipt of a thank you letter for the recent donation under the GPoC.
BMSDC - Are you getting ready for this year’s Great British Spring Clean? Council note the recent communication.
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 £4,037.59 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.
To consider the actual versus budget for the period ending March 2023 - Paper D – Council reviewed the paper submitted and noted that overall to date the Councils position showed a minor underspend for the period under review. 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 with a contribution to an Election Reserve of £362.22.
To note receipt from the District Council of the precept to be set for the year 2023-2024 for Lindsey in the sum of £5,185.00 – Council noted confirmation that the money would be paid in two instalments in April and September 2023 and that this precept gave the parish a Council Tax Band amount of £54.25 which was an increase of 3.2% on 2022-2023.

9. Clerk’s Report:

To receive information from the Election Briefing as attendance by the Clerk pertinent to the Local Elections on Thursday 4th May 2023. https://www.babergh.gov.uk/elections/current-elections/
To consider the following as part of the Council’s Year-End Process:
1. To review the Council’s Financial Risk Assessment for the year 2022-2023 – Paper E – the paper as submitted was reviewed with Council noting the relevant changes to the document covering General Reserves; s151 Officer; Maintenance Regime; Legal Powers;; Minutes; 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.
2. To review the Council’s Risk Management Strategy for the year 2022-2023 – Paper F – Council noted the Risk Management Strategy as written, and the proposed amendments to the accounting procedures for CIL and considered that the paper was an appropriate strategy for a Parish Council the size of Lindsey, aif.
3. To review and approve the Asset Register for the year ending 31 March 2023 – Paper G – the meeting confirmed acceptance of the Asset Register for the year noting that there had been no changes, aif
4. To review and agree the effectiveness of Internal Control for the year 2022-2023 – Paper H – 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.
5. To review the effectiveness of Internal Audit for the year 2021-2022 – Paper I – 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.
6. To confirm the appointment of the Council’s Internal Auditor for the year ending 31st March 2023 – Paper I – see Appendix B – 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 £110 plus travelling expenses at the HMRC agreed rate, aif.
7. To receive indicative year-end figures for the year ending 31st March 2023 – Paper J – the meeting noted the indicative year-end figures with a carry forward balance of £4,037.59.

10. Planning Matters:

To consider the following planning applications: none received.
To note the following planning applications determined by the local planning authority:
- DC/22/05271 – Refusal of planning permission for the erection of 1 No dwelling, cartlodge and vehicular access (in lieu of the dwelling approved under DC/21/02911) (following demolition of existing barn) at Church Farm Meadow, Church Road.

11. Parish Councillors’ Reports:

The following on village issues were received from Councillors present:

Lighting of Beacon over the Coronation Weekend – all agreed that whilst the Council would have been supportive of lighting the beacon on Sunday 7th May 2023, the comments from Buckingham Palace requesting that beacons not be lit were agreed to be respected. Discussion followed over whether the beacon could be lit up as representative of an historic landmark in accordance with His Majesty’s expressed wishes, but it was noted that this was not feasible.
Thanks were offered to the Councillors for their service over the past four years.

12. Date of Next Meeting:

All meetings will take place in the Village Hall, Church Road, Lindsey

Annual Parish Meeting – 10th May 2023 commencing at 7.00pm
Annual Parish Council Meeting – 10th May 2023 commencing at 7.45pm in Lindsey Village Hall.
Remainder of Meetings for 2023 – 12th July; 13th September; 15th November.

There being no other business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 9.40pm.

Appendix A – County and District Councillor Reports

County Councillor James Finch report to Council:

Due to personal circumstances a report would be provided at a later date.

District Councillor Leigh Jamieson report to Council:

Spring is now trying to show its face, with the days starting to stretch out and snowdrops appearing. However, just before we get there we have to decide how the Council is going to spend its money over the next year, if indeed it has any to spend.
Budget News - The current economic situation has put pressure on the Council to deliver a balanced budget this year. The net cost of delivering services is set to increase by almost 20% from £10.43m in 2022/3 to £12.45m in 2023/24, while the cost of running and maintaining the council’s housing stock has already increased by 50%. It was a difficult decision to agree to this year’s budget because while the Council has been able to use savings and investments to balance the books, next year’s budget will see a 2.99% increase to the district council’s share of council tax - the equivalent of an extra £5.30 a year, or 10p a week for residents in a Band D property.
Council tenants will also see a 7% increase in rents to try to keep pace with increased costs and ensure necessary investment in repairs and maintenance across the council’s social housing stock. This will mean average weekly social rent increasing by £6.68 a week from £95.47 to £102.15. For affordable housing, weekly rents would increase by £9.41 from £134.39 to £143.80. Although the books were balanced this year, the outlook for the forthcoming years is much more challenging.
Housing - Following an in-depth review of the Councils’ Building Services the Council have self-referred themselves to the regulator for social housing. A number of properties were found to be failing Health & Safety compliance. Detailed investigations showed that some of homes were not compliant, and urgent action is being undertaken to resolve the issues. In Babergh, of 3,502 properties
- 116 did not have an up-to-date electrical safety report.
- Seventy-two were overdue a gas safety inspection.
- Thirty-two were overdue asbestos re-inspection surveys.
A Regulatory Notice was issued for this breach of compliance. This means it will now monitor Babergh and Mid Suffolk Councils and will meet with the Council regularly to ensure the necessary changes are made. Also in housing, there are currently around 1000 homes across both districts sitting empty. To help bring these houses into use Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils have introduced their Houses4Homes service, providing help and support for owners of properties that have been empty for six months or more. Houses4Homes supports the councils' aim to reduce the number of long-term empty properties within the districts, by helping to bring them back into use and discourage owners from leaving them empty.
New Depot funding - The councils have also sought agreement to add £6m to each budget to start the search for a single depot. The plan is to close three aging sites and consolidate them into a single 8-acre site at a location close to the A14, for the councils’ two hundred shared operational staff and fleet – including waste services, public realm, and building services and repairs teams. Now the councils have approved funding, the next stage of the project will involve developing a more detailed business case.
Babergh Funding - Babergh and Mid Suffolk Councils have again been able to offer funding to community projects across the districts with money received from developers. More than £500,000 in funding was approved for the latest round of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) bids. 11 bids received support, including a 3G pitch for AFC Sudbury, an activity room and extension at Stutton Village Hall and a new play area in Capel St Mary.
May Elections - The May elections will be the first where voters will be required to produce photo ID at the polling station. Many forms of ID can be used and even out of date driving licences and passports will be accepted as long as the picture is clear. Alternatively residents can also apply to the council for photo ID or register for a postal votes which does not require ID. The council will be supporting the Electoral Commission’s ‘Got 5?’ campaign running through March and April to raise awareness of upcoming elections and drive voter registration. The Commission will be advertising across a combination of channels including TV, radio, posters, social media, website banners, cinema advertising, and Google search. Babergh and Mid Suffolk Council will also be sharing the messages through the council’s social media channels and invite our towns and parishes to do the same.

Appendix B – Financial Report:

Items received since the last meeting:

Income	Description	Nett	VAT	Gross	Ref
Total Income £NIL

Items Paid out since the last meeting:

Income	Description	Nett	VAT	Gross	Ref
Total Expenditure £NIL

Items Authorized for Payment:

Expenditure	Description	Nett	VAT	Gross	Ref
Clerk	Clerk’s Salary & Expenses	567.50	0.00	567.50	BACS
HMRC	PAYE due – Quarter 4 2022-2023	228.60	0.00	228.60	BACS
Lindsey Village Hall	Hire of hall for 2022-2023	80.00	0.00	80.00	BACS
Total Expenditure £876.10

Financial Report

Date	£
Opening Balance	06.03.23	4913.69
Add Income Received	February to March 2023	0.00
Less Expenditure Incurred	February to March 2023	0.00
Less Verified Expenditure	08.03.23	876.10
Closing Balance	08.03.23	4037.59

Bank Reconciliation

Community Account	Statement at 08.03.23	4913.69
Less uncleared payments	At 08.03.23	876.10
Plus unaccredited income	At 08.03.23	0.00
Reconciled Total	At 08.03.23	4037.59

Within the balance above are the following reserves:

(Restricted) CIL reserve - £2,015.37
Earmarked General reserve - £1,650.00
Election reserve - £362.22

Appendix C – Email from Mrs S Moore, CEO of the Befriending Scheme received 13.07.22 at 18.16pm

“I would be most grateful if you would take the time to read this email that refers to a new community project that we are looking to set up in Lindsey, and if at all possible, to cascade it to the members of the Parish Council. My name is Shirley Moore and I am the Chief Executive Officer at The Befriending Scheme, a charity working with vulnerable people for more than 30 years. I am writing to make you aware of a new community facility - a Community Care Farm that we are planning to open in Lindsey. The land known as part Red Rose field has been operating for the last few years as a smallholding. We are immensely grateful to James Buckle who is amazingly supportive of our work and has now leased 'part Red Rose field' to us on a 25 year lease. We have applied for planning permission so that the farm can become a community Care farm learning facility for vulnerable people. The postcode for the land is IP7 6PP.

Just so that you have some background, The Befriending Scheme is a well-established and widely respected charity based in Suffolk. The charity has been successfully delivering vital services across Suffolk to a wide range of vulnerable groups, including, but not limited to; adults and young people with learning disabilities, adults and young people with mental health issues, older adults and isolated parents with young children. Our services range from one-to-one befriending opportunities and social groups to very hands on sessions at our current purpose-built Care Farm near Sudbury. The work we do is vital in reducing isolation and improving wellbeing. The Befriending Scheme supports individuals to build lasting friendships, gain new skills and ultimately become a part of their wider community. We have an amazing team of volunteers and paid staff that work tirelessly to deliver these services.

We have already had some very positive feedback from local care homes, schools, community groups and day opportunity providers who are very keen to see our community farm expand. We would now like to extend that feedback request to local residents and community clubs and groups to find out how local people feel about the prospect of having a Care Farm close by which we envisage will be of benefit to the wider community. We have been running a hugely successful Community Care Farm near Sudbury for the last three years, but unfortunately the landowner has decided that he wishes to sell the land and so has given us notice.

Care farming offers individuals the chance to take part in real and meaningful activities, experience a working environment, develop friendships, gain independence, feel part of a community and most importantly realise their own potential. At our Friends Community Farm participants are able to get involved with a host of animal related tasks such as feeding the bearded dragon or even mucking out the sheep and goats. Other opportunities at the farm include; allotment gardening, conservation tasks, woodland walks, selling produce at local farmer’s markets and learning rural crafts. The emphasis is on promoting health and wellbeing whilst making friends and having fun. Care farming offers everyone the chance to feel valued, to contribute and improve self-confidence. Participants are also able to gain some accreditation through ASDAN.

Feedback from participants at Friends Community Farm has been incredibly positive and demonstrates how much of a positive impact the service has on those that attend. We are now ready to build on this success and we are very excited about the prospect of our move to the Lindsey site this year. Our hope is that the new care farm will offer valuable services and opportunities to the local community. Red Rose community care farm will offer regular educational and therapeutic farming sessions to vulnerable people, schools and care homes. The Befriending Scheme works hard to obtain funding wherever possible in order to provide affordable services to all local groups (scouts, nursery’s etc) Schools will also be able to book one off visits to the farm with activities tailored to suit.

To give you an idea of what the Care Farm might look like, here’s a link to our film made in September 2020. https://vimeo.com/463378992

We would very much like to become a part of the local community, perhaps hosting local events or offering a venue for evening classes. We will endeavour to work collaboratively with other local groups at every opportunity. I would be more than happy to speak to the members of the Parish Council or indeed any other local group members to answer any questions that you may have.

It had been my hope to offer to come to a parish Council meeting and answer any questions that you may have but I see that the Parish council members are meeting tonight, so I do understand that it may not be possible. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or would like further information.