22 May 2023 Annual Meeting of the Parish Council
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Minutes of the Annual Meeting of Pinchbeck Parish Council held 19:30hrs Monday 22 May at Pinchbeck Community Hub & Library.
Present: Cllr Lynne Andrew, Cllr James Avery (chair), Cllr Audrey Gregory, Cllr Sam Jeffrey, Cllr Terry Moore, Cllr Ann Savage, Cllr Oliver Wood. Mr Robert Smith (acting clerk), Mr Ian Sismey (financial support), Mr Duncan Browne (Press), five members of the public.
Absent: Cllr Emma Beavis, Cllr Andy Chamberlain, Cllr Geoffrey Garner, Cllr Peter Ruysen.
As residing chairman, Cllr Avery gave welcome & opened the public forum. The following points were raised:
1. Representations & submission of a petition in support of a public footpath on Market Way (see appendix).
The chairman said that the Parish Council was fully supportive of the request. However, it was likely to be a slow and difficult process with Highways. The chairman would arrange a meeting with Highways, at which the petition could be presented.
2. It was enquired why a fence on Rose Land/Fennell Road, which had an enforcement notice issued for its removal, had not yet been taken down. It was felt that the fence was a hazard to children crossing the road to the school, as it blocked visibility splays.
The chairman stated that an enforcement notice was served 31 March 2023, from when there was a three-month notice period before further action could be taken.
3. Given the four vacancies on the Parish Council which arose following the election 04 May election due to insufficient nominations, members of the public were encouraged to apply for co-option onto the Council. One member of the public present said that they would be applying.
20.04hrs three members of the public left the meeting.
20.05hrs the chairman called the meeting to order.
23.001.Election of chair
01.By a show of hands, it was unanimously resolved to elect Cllr Avery as chairman.
02.Cllr Avery signed the chair’s declaration of acceptance of office, witnessed by Cllr Savage.
23.002.In the absence of Mrs Camps, it was resolved that Mr Robert Smith was appointed as acting clerk, responsible financial officer, and proper officer for the Parish Council.
23.003.Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Beavis, Cllr Chamberlain, Cllr Ruysen.
23.004.There were no declarations of interest, nor requests for dispensations from members.
23.005.It was resolved to bring forward agenda item 20 on financial matters.
23.006.Financial matters.
01.Mr Sismey gave a brief on the financial position of the Parish Council, which was in good order.
02.The annual internal audit certificate 2022/23 was received with the internal auditor’s report.
03.Considering each statement in turn, it was resolved to agree and approve responses to the annual governance statement 2022/23.
04.It was resolved to approve the annual accounting statements 2022/23.
05.It was resolved to approve the explanation of variances 2022/23.
06.It was resolved to approve the period for the exercise of public rights from Monday 03 July to Friday 11 August 2023.
20.16hrs Mr Sismey left the meeting.
23.007.It was resolved to approve the minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held 21 March 2023, excepting public comments noted under minute 8 and 9, which required rewriting.
23.008.It was noted that following the non-contested election held 4 May 2023, declarations of acceptance of office had been properly received from all members present. It was resolved that for those absent members, the Council would permit receipt of their declaration at or before the next Parish Council meeting to be held 19:30hrs 26 June 2023.
23.009.Review Action Table – Full Council Meeting 21st March 2023.
01.Coronation celebrations.
i.Cllr Avery had presented coronation celebration coins to Pinchbeck East School and Cllr Savage and Cllr Chamberlain to West Pinchbeck School. All had been very well received.
ii.The beacon lighting had a very good turnout, particularly given the rain. It was reported that a good time was had by all, and that the cake was delicious.
02.A float had been sponsored by the Council at the Spalding Flower Parade attended by Cllr Chamberlain. A lot of positive feedback had been received and next year’s parade would need to be considered well in advance.
03.A meeting of the cemetery committee was to be arranged.
04.The chairman had written a social media policy but did not consider this a current priority.
05.Cllr Wood raised the matter of the Wood and writing to the Woodland Trust to assess what maintenance needed to be done. The chairman made a note to add this to a future agenda.
23.010.Election of vice-chair
01.By a show of hands, it was unanimously resolved to elect Cllr Savage as vice-chair.
02.Cllr Savage signed the vice-chair’s declaration of acceptance of office, witnessed by Cllr Avery.
23.011.It was resolved to defer the election of committee members pending an overall review of the committees. The chairman would produce a draft proposal.
23.012.There was no correspondence received.
23.013.Cllr Moore reported on plans for the new cemetery off Blue Gowt Lane (agenda items 9 & 18).
01.Modification of planning permission (H14-0262-23) had been approved.
02.Obtaining building quotes was proving difficult. However, it was expected that by the next Parish Council meeting preferred contractors could be identified.
03.The chairman said that he would confirm whether erecting the cemetery’s fence met the requirement of works having been started for planning permission purposes.
23.014.Allotment Tenancy
01.It was noted that one of the Council’s tenants was looking to terminate their lease on a ~7-acre field at Black Hole Drove.
02.It was agreed that Longstaff should be engaged to market the tenancy.
23.015.Parish Council vacancies.
01.As mentioned in the public forum, due to insufficient nominations at the election, four vacancies existed on the Council.
02.It was agreed for the vacancies to be appropriately advertised and that a co-option meeting would take place at the next Parish Council meeting.
23.016.Traffic strategy
01.As stated in the public forum, the chairman was to arrange a meeting with Highways.
23.017.It was resolved to defer a decision on the purchase of computer equipment to a future meeting.
23.018.Bank Mandate
01.The existing signatories Cllr Avery, Cllr Beavis, Cllr Moore, Cllr Gregory were considered sufficient.
02.It was resolved for Mr Smith to be added to the bank mandate as an administrator, to have on-line access, and to raise on-line payments.
23.019.Elan City – proposal for a further two SIDs/Radar Speed Signs
01.It was resolved to purchase 2 x Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs) from Elan City @ £5,200 + VAT.
02.Cllr Moore and Cllr Wood kindly agreed to relocate existing devices.
23.020.Trees on Leaves Lake Drove Playing Field
01.It had been reported by a resident that Parish Council trees overhanging gardens on Leaves Lake Drove Playing Field were overbearing.
02.It was resolved to defer the matter to the next meeting. Mr Smith would source an example tree policy and forward to the chairman.
03.Documentation of a previous tree inspection from 2019 was to be looked for, and a possible tree inspection or survey considered.
23.021.Consideration of land on Gallery Walk, where there was difficulty with access to properties, was deferred until the next meeting.
23.022.Update on Defibrillator installations was deferred to the next meeting.
23.023.Items for consideration at a future meeting.
01.Quotes for car park (Cllr Andrew).
23.024.Consideration of the following Planning Applications:
01.H14-0348-23: Land off Crossgate Lane, Pinchbeck – Erection of 9 detached bungalows. It was resolved to support as it would improve local amenity.
02.H14-0394-23: Little Acorn, 93 Starlode Drove – Erection of stables, hay barn & menage – retrospective. It was resolved to support to help agricultural employment.
03.H14-0402-23: Land North of Gatehouse, 86 Langhole Drove – Use of land for the stationing of caravans for residential purposes, together with the formation of hardstanding and utility/day room ancillary to that use – resubmission of H14-0419-22). It was resolved to object because of the high risk of flooding.
04.H14-0408-23: JO Sims, Pudding Lane, Pinchbeck – Proposed erection of security fence and gates. It was resolved to support as it would help local employment.
23.025.It was resolved to move into closed session to deal with confidential matters in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 s.1(2).
21.18hrs two members of the public left the meeting.
23.026.The chairman briefed members on the position of the clerk.
23.027.It was resolved for the chairman to sign a consultancy agreement with Robert and Claire Collingwood Smith to provide interim clerking services.
23.028.Grateful appreciation and thanks were expressed for Mrs. Barbara Camps service to the Parish Council on her retirement at the end of the month. Councillors asked the chairman to pass on their best wishes.
23.029.It was resolved to hold the next meeting 19:30hrs Monday 26 June 2023.
21:40hrs the chairman closed the meeting.