FVPC Annual PC Minutes 22-05-23

Minutes of the Annual Parish Council meeting

held on Monday 22nd May 2023

at 7.30pm at Savill Hall Cattistock

this meeting was following the Annual Parish Assembly

Present:

 

Cattistock                      

Cllr C Ould (CO)

Cllr G Browning (GB)

Cllr D Newman (DN)

Vacancies x 2                

Frome St Quinton

Cllr S Palmer (SP) Chair)

Cllr D McCallum (DM)-

 

Chilfrome

Cllr I Mitchell

Cllr S Tosswill (ST)

 

 

In Attendance

Mrs M Harding (Clerk)                             Cllr A Alford (AA) (County Councillor)                      2 members of public

 

Welcome and Democratic Period- The Chair welcomed Cllrs to the Annual Parish Council meeting following the Annual Parish assembly, 2 members of the public were in attendance for the discussions on the grants to the PCC for grass cutting.

 

  • To elect a chairman for 2023-24 and sign the of acceptance of office.

Sara Palmer was proposed by GB and seconded by CO- all agreed.

  • To elect a vice chairman for 2023-24 and sign the acceptance of office.

Ian Mitchell was proposed by DM and seconded by DN- all agreed.

  • To receive apologies for absence– apologies were received and recorded from- Cllr S Stovin, Cllr B Sennett and Cllr W Lashbrooke.
  • To receive disclosures of interests from members on matters to be considered at the meeting –
  • Minutes of the meeting held on 20th March 2023

The minutes were approved as an accurate record of the meeting.

Proposed IM                                                      Seconded CO

  • To receive any matters arising for information only – none
  • To confirm the Councillors roles and responsibilities for the coming year
  1. Planning– IM
  2. Footpaths and Rights of Way– WL
  • Transport Advisor- SP- via Sally Falkingham of (Maiden Newton)
  1. HMS Cattistock– Stuart Kilby
  2. DAPTC rep- SP
  3. To confirm the membership of the Community Space working group:

Gemma & Gary Larson; Cathy Evans (Acting Chair); Lauren Newcombe, Jenny Purcell and Hannah Hampshire, Sara Palmer is PC rep for the Community Space.

Proposed CO                  Seconded DM

  • General Power of Competence

To confirm that Frome Valley PC continue to meet the criteria for the GPC and to resolve to continue.          Proposed SP                   Seconded GB

 

  • Community Space
  1. To receive an update from the Community Space working group

Weekly Safety Checks have been conducted.  Only one fault found since the last Parish Council meeting – namely the lock on the adult training area was broken (now mended).  A revised weekly check rota has been.  All to report to me of any findings –and I will pass onto the Parish Clerk.  The roundabout will now be oiled on a monthly basis.

The adult training equipment has proved to be extremely popular and used every day, with several people using it on a daily basis.  The result is that it is fairly well supervised with regard to children accessing it.  There was an issue raised shortly after its launch in that it overlooks two private gardens, and the residents wish for some form of screening to be erected before the leaves drop and it is again overlooking their gardens.  The group has agreed to look into a “green screening” of some sort with evergreen plants climbing up it to both address the issue and improve the general appearance of that side of the ground.  We will report our findings to the next parish council meeting.

The Boules court is to be resurfaced over the summer months – funding donated by members of the community.

The group would like to have some form of Coronation commemorative garden furniture or tree as a means of reminding the current young generation of the event, and for future generations.  To be considered further.

The group has received several requests for additional pieces of play equipment.   So far, an outdoors table tennis table or a sunken trampoline.  Apparently Maiden Newton has recently undertaken some sort of user research and agreed to install an additional piece of equipment along these lines.  It was agreed that we would look into this further and that fund raising events would be used to fund it – and understanding that any additional piece of equipment has on-going costs associated and that the Parish Council would need to fully approve before any further action is taken.

Finally, we agreed we need a general works day and that is to be arranged early in the summer holidays. Any paints, equipment etc to be supplied by members of the committee.

Next meeting to be held on 15th June if any Parish Councillor wishes to join us.

  1. To receive inspections of equipment. None at this time.

 

  • Finance and procedural matters
  • To consider the Annual Insurance renewal for 2023-24- the PC is in an LTA until 2024 the cost is £1077.78. Proposed DN                 Seconded CO
  • To consider the report of the Internal Auditor for 2022-23- The internal audit report was received and highlighted the payments made to the PCC’s for the contribution of grass cutting The internal auditor reported that they had one finding, regarding payments of grants made in September 2022 to the Parochial Church Councils of Cattistock, Frome St Quinton and Chilfrome towards the cost of grass cutting and the church clock in Cattistock.

Section 8 of the Local Government Act 1894 – Additional Powers of Parish Councils

(i) to execute any works (including of maintenance or Improvement) incidental to or consequential on the exercise of any foregoing powers, or in relation to any parish properties, not being property related to the affairs of the church or held for an ecclesiastical charity.

This element of section 8 of the Local Government Act 1894 has not been subsequently repealed by any later Local Government Acts.

The National Association of Local Councils issued guidance LO1-18 Financial Assistance to the Church on 31 January 2018.

I recommend that Councillors review Section 8 of the Local Government Act 1894 along with the guidance issued by NALC when considering payments to the church to completely satisfy themselves that when spending Council Taxpayers funds in this way that the Parish Council has the appropriate powers to be able to do this.

 

The Council discussed this and listened to the comments of residents and the costs of cutting the grass in the Churchyard. The Council would like to support these costs and to find another solution as the internal auditor pointed out the PC does not have the power to make payments to the Church. This will be deferred until a later meeting in order look into this further.

 

  • To approve the Certificate of Exemption 2022-23

Proposed GB                         Seconded DM

  1. To approve the Annual Governance Statement 2022-23

Proposed IM                         Seconded CO

  1. To approve the Statement of Accounts 2022-23

Proposed DN                         Seconded DM

  1. To authorise payments for goods and services
Payment Description Amount
Admin Salary/Exp/office costs 1058.12
DAPTC Annual Subs 280.27
Gallagher Insurance (LTA 2024)  1,077.78
Starboard systems Accounting software 273.60
Savill Hall Hall Hire 20.00
D Wiltshire Internal Audit 80.00
Sticklands School Donation towards coronation mugs £75.00
Receipts
Dorset Council Precept 5650.00
Interest 5.18

All payments were made in line with internal controls   Proposed DM         Seconded DN

Bank rec as at 30th April 2023- £39141.49

  • To reaffirm the Standing orders, Financial Regulations and Code of Conduct

Agreed as no changes required so reaffirmed. Proposed CO Seconded ST

  • To review bank mandates, SO and DD- the current bank signatories are BS, SP and GB for the Lloyds bank accounts. The only DD is paid to the ICO at present. Proposed GB Seconded DN
  1. To consider the remaining policies not completed at the March meeting.

Social Media Policy– GB had made some suggested changes, the Clerk and GB to review further and circulate.

Child protection and Vulnerable adult policies -SP had reviewed these and combined them into 1 policy.

Co-option policy– to be reviewed by DM for the July meeting.

Grievance and Disciplinary Policies– to be reviewed by DN for the July meeting.

  1. To agree the purchase of Coronation Mugs

Approved SP                          Seconded IM

  • Planning and Development matters
  1. To consider planning applications currently in circulation- None
  2. To note development decisions received since the last meeting-
  • Highways- to receive highways reports.
  1. a) To consider the Definitive map changes at Wraxall

IM spoke on the current application at Wraxall, he had spoken to the applicant and to the Definitive map team to gather further information on the application to change the classification. He suggested that he could discuss this further to try to agree a way forward. Cllrs discussed the road classifications and the way they are managed and used. It was agreed that IM will continue to follow this up to look at agreeing a bridleway and not a BOAT. The application is not likely to be considered for some time as there is a long backlog at the Definitive map team office.

 

The Clerk had reported on the 20’s plenty campaign and wheelie bin stickers available should the PC wish to purchase them; the PC discussed the speed issues and that it is very difficult to do 30mph in the main street in Cattistock so will not purchase any of the materials.

 

The PC discussed the issue of the Hound Poo left after exercise through the village, WL had drafted a letter to the Cattistock Hunt the PC is awaiting a response.

 

  • Rights of Way- none
  • Correspondence- previously circulated
  • A request to adopt the Kiosk at Chilfrome– the PC had received a request to adopt the Kiosk by a teacher at Greenford School, it was noted that the Tel Box has already been adopted by the PC and this had been reported to the teacher, but they had not responded to an email or attended the meeting.

 

  • Parish Reports-
  1. i) To consider a defibrillator at FstQ- to be deferred until July

The Caravan has been removed at Sandhills.

SS had requested that the speed issues in FstQ were discussed as they have increased again.

Also, that there had been very low water pressure in FstQ, it was noted that water had been taken from the hydrants this was suspected to have been required for works locally. This meant that there was a lack of water in the village for a day.

GB left the meeting at 8.39pm

  • To confirm meeting dates for the coming year and items for the next meeting

24th July 2023, 25th Sept 2023, 27th Nov 2022, 29th Jan 2024, 25th March 2024. These dates will be placed on the website and sent to the VH for their info. Items for the next meeting will be, Defib, Wraxall Lane, Emails and policies.

Meeting closed at 8.45pm