2020 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

WIGTOFT PARISH COUNCIL

PHONE: 07383 276892
EMAIL: wigtoftpc@gmail.com
WEBSITE: www.wigtoft.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk/

DRAFT MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF WIGTOFT PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON 1st June 2020. 

This meeting was held by a video link conference call due to the restrictions in force in relation to the Corona virus pandemic.

Present:                 Cllr P Craven; Cllr S Collingwood; Cllr S Brigham; Cllr S Smith; Cllr B Leggott; Cllr S Baxter.

Also Present:       County Councillor M Brookes

Public forum:       None

Chairman’s remarks – The Chairman, Cllr P Craven, welcomed County Councillor M Brookes.

017/20  Apologies for absence and reasons given

Cllr G. Wright sent his apologies. He was unable to attend due to work commitments. It was resolved to accept his apology and reason for absence.

018/20  To receive any declarations of interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011.

None

019/20  Police report - none received.

020/20  Notes of the meeting held on 11.5.20 to be confirmed and signed as minutes.

The notes of the above meeting were not able to be signed as minutes due to the meeting being held by video link. In accordance with the requirements of the Transparency Code, the minutes will be published on the website as draft minutes. It was resolved to accept the notes as minutes. All notes will be signed as minutes at the next face to face meeting.

021/20  Financial matters: Accounts for payment for May; budget figures and financial report

Finance report:

The half yearly land rent of £345 has been received.

There was an error made by the Clerk when paying the invoices agreed at the meeting on the 30.3.20. The second payment list was due to be paid on or after the 1.4.20. The April meeting was brought forward to 30.3.20 and the payments mentioned above were made in error the day after the meeting (the usual payment date) on the 31.3.20. This came to light when the end of year bank reconciliation was completed. There has been no alternative but to include these payments in the financial year 1.4.19 to 31.3.20 which has impacted on the budget figures negatively for the year ending 31.3.20 and positively for the current financial year. This does not affect the cash account balance.

022/20  Planning: To discuss the reply received from planning about the questions raised at the last meeting in respect of planning application B/20/0120, proposed Biomass boiler with flue, The Conifers, Golden Grove, Wigtoft.

Boston Borough Council planning department advised that the boiler will only use locally sourced straw, the flue will be 6m above the appliance making a flue height of 8.8m above ground level and 2.5m above the building height and the applicants are planning to buy straw as needed. Each load will be stored in sheds adjacent to the boiler in steel framed and steel/brick clad buildings enclosed from the weather. It was resolved that these comments answered Councillors questions sufficiently and no further comments need to be submitted. ACTION: Clerk to advise planning.

023/20  Correspondence received since the May 11th 2020 meeting

LALC e news 22.5.20 - e mailed to Councillors 26.5.20

Letter from LIVES charity thanking for the donation of £30 - hard copy brought to the meeting 1.6.20

024/20  Councillor’s reports

Cllr PC confirmed that he has cut the grass in the Wildlife Garden. He has made the adjacent landowners aware of what is going on and what is trying to be achieved and they will make their employees aware. Regarding the recent letter drop offering support to residents, one resident asked about food parcel drop off at Sutterton Church. Councillors decided it would be best for her to contact the clerk at Sutterton Parish Council.

Cllrs SB and BL mentioned that the fly tipping on Burtoft Road North was still there, ACTION: Clerk to follow up.

Cllr SC commented that the village sign might need repainting. ACTION: Clerk to add to budget planning notes for later in the year.

Cllr SS advised that it was hopeful that the newsletter for August and September will be published. It was resolved to advise the editor that it will only be necessary to publish the last set of minutes and ask if a note could be added to remind readers that all minutes are published on the Parish Council’s website. ACTION: Clerk to advise editor.

The Chairman asked County Councillor MB if he wished to speak. Cllr MB reminded Councillors that he still had some funding left for voluntary groups supporting residents during the current pandemic to apply for. He also advised that from 7.12.20 to 22.1.21, there will be a Community Maintenance team from Lincs County Council Highways team working in Boston Rural division to undertake tasks such as: clearing overhanging vegetation; cleaning signs; weeding; cleaning moss off paths; repairs to sign posts and fencing. He asked that all issues are reported via the “fix my street” facility on the County Council’s website as usual and any tasks not undertaken in the normal day to day business will be added to a list for the above dates. ACTION: Clerk to re-send the e mail about funding to Councillors and to ensure all issues are reported to LCC via “fix my street” as soon as they arise.

026/20  To receive and accept the report of the Internal Auditor and to discuss and agree the increase in cost from £100 to £112.50.

The clerk advised Councillors that the cost increase was due to extra travelling incurred collecting and returning the accounts. It was resolved to accept the Internal Auditor’s report and the increase in cost. ACTION: Clerk to publish report on website and pay the invoice for £112.50.

027/20  To approve the Certificate of Exemption to certify Wigtoft Parish Council as exempt from a limited assurance review for 1.4.19 to 31.3.20 under Section 9 of the Local Audit (Smaller Authorities) Regulations 2015.

The clerk confirmed the reasons the Parish Council could claim exemption. It was resolved to approve the signing of the Exemption Certificate.

028/20  To complete, confirm and sign Section 1 (the Annual Governance Statement) of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2019/20.

Each line of Section 1 was reviewed and completed. It was resolved to confirm and sign this document.

029/20   To confirm and sign Section 2 (the Accounting Statements) of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2019/20.

The clerk had completed Section 2 and confirmed to the Council that the figures balanced. It was resolved to confirm and sign this document.

ACTION: The above 3 documents needs physically signing by the Chairman. It was resolved that the documents would either be collected from the clerk or posted out by the clerk, depending on how long it will take for the documents to be collected.

030/20  To confirm who will check the bank reconciliation and agree how hand over of the relevant paperwork will work.

Cllr SB volunteered to check the bank reconciliation. He offered to collect the paperwork from the Clerk and also the Audit paperwork.

031/20  To decide if any action is needed about the playing field/play area.

The clerk confirmed that there had been no change to the current guidance from the Government that play areas must remain closed. ACTION: Clerk to monitor for changes to the guidance.

032/20  An update on moving the existing litter bin by the post box to a more suitable location.  

There have not been any changes at Boston Borough Council to enable this to be moved forward. The clerk had sourced a price for a different type of bin which could facilitate the removal of a plastic waste bag by the volunteer litter collectors. The clerk had consulted with 2 of the litter pickers who confirmed they did not have any objection to changing the plastic bags but felt that as the bag was exposed, it could be ripped open by animals. Councillors felt that the proposed purchase of an extra dog waste bin and moving an existing bin had been going on for too long (15 months in total) and resolved that the clerk should contact Boston Borough Councillor Mike Cooper for advice. ACTION: Clerk to e mail Councillor Cooper for advice.

033/20  To discuss a request received from the Lincolnshire branch of the Marie Curie charity for a donation.

Councillors discussed the request but decided that, due to the likelihood of multiple requests during the current situation, they could not agree a donation.

Cllr SB proposed a donation to the Lincs Air Ambulance as there had been a recent incident in the village where the Air Ambulance had attended. Councillors felt this was an appropriate way to show thanks and it was resolved to make a donation of £50. ACTION: Clerk to make the donation.

034/20  To discuss a request received for a small memorial brass plaque to be added to an existing bench outside the house of a resident who died recently.

It was resolved to agree to this request, ACTION: Clerk to contact the family member who made the request to confirm that they can add a plaque to the bench.

Meeting closed at 20.33

The next meeting is on the 6.7.20 at 19:30 in the format of a video conference call.