April 2021 Minutes
Minutes of the Remote Meeting of Fiskerton Parish Council held on
Tuesday 6th April 2021 at 7:30pm
Present: Cllrs K Brereton, S Canner, C Darcel, C Hill, A Walker; Mrs M Vail (Clerk)
There were no members of the public.
Meeting commenced at 7.30pm
105/21 Open session – suspension of standing orders for 15 minutes:
As there were no members of the public present; no open session was required.
106/21 Apologies for absence: Cllr Harrison; Cllr Wall; D/Cllr Welburn
107/21 Declaration of interests: CH in respect of item 8 as she sits on WL’s Planning Committee.
108/21 Approve notes of remote meeting of 8 March 2021 as a true record:
Item 075/21 which refers to item 069/21: item 069/21 should include: ‘with the WL Chief Executive in respect of the Parish Council acquiring the Paddock for community use’
Item 101/21: amend to show that a suggestion had been made to give a £5.00 Scothern Nurseries voucher per household.
With these amendments, it was RESOLVED unanimously to approve the minutes as a true record. Action: clerk
109/21 To receive observations of the District and County Councillors:
D/Cllr Hill– nothing to report.
D/Cllr Darcel – WLDC are awaiting a response from the Church Commissioners via Savills regarding the Paddock; to start discussions with them.
C/Cllr Fleetwood – not present at the meeting.
FINANCE
110/21 ACCOUNTS
a. To accept the following schedule of payments and receipts for March 2021:
It was RESOLVED unanimously to accept the following schedule of payments and receipts for March 2021.
PAYMENTS
01/03/2021, Lincoln Print and Copy Shop, play area signs, £30.00 + £6.00 VAT = £36.00
12/03/2021, HMRC, PAYE Mar 2021 = £82.80
12/03/2021, LALC Annual Membership for 2021/22 = £291.89
12/03/2021 Greenbarnes Ltd, Noticeboard, £476.84 + £95.37 = £572.21
12/03/2021 Pelican Trust, Leaflets = £125.00
16/03/2021, Sage, Payroll/accounts package, Mar 2021, £19.00 + £3.80 VAT = £22.80
22/03/2021, Virgin Media, phone package, Mar 2021 = £17.00
26/03/2021, Clerk, salary, Mar 2021 = £457.20
TOTAL PAYMENTS - £1499.73 + £105.17 VAT = £1604.90
RECEIPTS
17/03/21, EDF Energy, £48.59
31/03/211, Interest, 0.56p
TOTAL RECEIPTS - £49.15
b. To resolve to approve payment of the following accounts:
It was RESOLVED unanimously to approve payment of the following accounts. Action: clerk
A Sage, payroll & accounts package, April 2021, £19.00 + £3.80 VAT = £22.80
B Virgin Media, phone package, April 2021, £17.00
C Clerk, salary, April 2021, £375.40
D PAYE, April 2021, £56.60
TOTAL TO BE PAID = £468.00 + £3.80 VAT = £471.80
c. To receive bank reconciliations:
Bank reconciliations for the current, deposit and petty cash accounts had been previously circulated. These were received by councillors. These cover the last financial quarter ending 31 March 2021.
d. To receive spend against budget report:
The spend against budget report for the whole financial year 2020/21 had been previously circulated; and was received by councillors.
e. To review asset register:
The asset register had been previously circulated. The only change is replacing the entry for the old noticeboard (NIL residual value) with that of the replacement noticeboard.
f. To approve internal auditor fees at £40.00:
It was RESOLVED unanimously to approve the £40 expenditure. Action: clerk
g. Approve holding grant money on account for Luncheon Club
The Luncheon Club is not set up to receive a grant payment; therefore, it was proposed that CIF grant money awarded by D/Cllrs Hill and Darcel will be paid by WLDC to FPC; then FPC will pay this to the Luncheon Club. Confirmed that WLDC are happy with this arrangement. AW queried why FPC and not WLDC would be holding the money. It was RESOLVED unanimously to approve the proposal. Action: clerk
h. To consider rescinding the Lark Energy Grants Policy:
CD noted that income from the solar panels is designated for community funds; and queried why FPC needs two grants policies which duplicate the same thing.
AW explained that rescinding the policy will allow for resurgence of historical issues. The purpose of the Lark Energy Grants Policy is to clearly document management, maintenance, insurance, ownership, responsibility etc of the solar panels; which the grants policy does not do. KB noted that these require identifying in another document if the Lark Energy Grants Policy is to be rescinded. Action: CD, if required, to supply KB with both documents for KB to compare.
Action: clerk to make an agenda item at a later meeting.
PLANNING:
111/21 Neighbourhood Plan:
i. to receive update; and any minutes of meeting held on 23 March 2021:
Meeting minutes had been circulated; although little had been discussed. CD is to produce and send to KB alternative pages for the NP. Action: CD
112/21 Consider response to planning application 142545 for erection of a single storey rear extension and a two-storey side extension at 2 The Close Fiskerton:
It was RESOLVED unanimously to support this application. Action: clerk
UPDATE REPORTS:
113/21 Repairs to Village Hall roof; to include:
i. to receive minutes of sub-committee meeting held on 11 March 2021:
KB retrospectively apologised for not attending. Meeting minutes had been circulated.
ii. update on grant applications:
Screwfix and Igas applications have not been approved. FPC will apply to the National Lottery Community Fund; and is considering the Postcode Lottery and Princes Trust Foundation.
FPC are struggling to obtain grants; although it has secured £5700 match funding from WLDC; and £5000 from the Bernard Sunley Foundation.
CD has researched the existing Marley Melbourne roof tiles; which are out of production. However, two tilers are familiar with them; and information on them is available. CD has found a glass fibre manufacturer who can fabricate from the existing tile. SC mentioned a plan to retile the small roof at the rear of the village hall.
Quotes are awaited from the scope of work which has been issued to prospective contractors; with quotes nearer to £40K rather than £24K.
114/21 Transfer of land from Morris Homes:
i. Update on actions from March 2021 Council meeting; and consider how to proceed in light of this:
Update as follows:
Morris Homes is still to confirm if it can provide more financial support to cover/contribute towards the extra £813.20 + VAT required for the additional searches as recommended by our solicitor.
The solicitor cannot proceed with the purchase until FPC decides on whether or not to have the recommended additional searches. They will deal with Land Registry once the land purchase has been completed.
FPC’s insurer cannot advise or recommend on any searches but has noted the duty of care which FPC would have as landowner to ensure the public are safe. Therefore, if there is a possibility that these searches could highlight a risk to the public, then the insurer would expect that they are performed.
The insurer also confirmed that there would be no increase to the policy premium in assuming ownership of this land; provided that regular (to be determined by FPC) risk assessments are carried out, and any necessary maintenance is completed as soon as is feasible.
Following consideration; it was RESOLVED unanimously to approve instructing the solicitor to proceed with the recommended additional searches; and for the associated expenditure of £813.20 + VAT to be paid on account to the solicitor as per their requirements. The clerk advised that, as Morris Homes had not yet confirmed any additional financial support, there is a possibility that this expenditure may have to be borne by FPC. Action: clerk
115/21 Any feedback from farmer regarding riverbank:
The farmer had verbally confirmed to CD that he was content with a consideration of £400 pa.for the cows to be relocated. The clerk and farmer are liaising over details of the agreement.
116/21 Troughs and planters: Action: AW to chase farmer.
117/21 Speed signs: Action: KB and AW to erect the signs.
118/21 Village Gateway signs: AW is compiling the request for the clerk to submit to LCC.
119/21 Hodgson Trust allotment agreement: The Trustees are resolved to move the draft allotment agreement on.
120/21 Investigations regarding animals on Viking Way: The farmer is allowed 18 animals on the land.
121/21 Website – reconsider need for retention of old website; and its associated costs (special motion: CD, CH)
The annual fee of £17.88 + VAT; and the domain name fee of £34.75 + VAT for five-years; are overdue. FPC have already agreed to keep the old site up and running for one more year to allow time to transfer all the historic information across; and to decide on how to proceed regarding the current email addresses which are linked to the old website.
There are several sets of minutes on the website in PDF form, but these require retyping so as to be in the required readable/accessible format on the website.
It was RESOLVED unanimously to approve the following actions:
Action: AW to send existing Gmail e-mail address to the Clerk; and to arrange extension of domain name by 1 year.
Action: clerk to pay the annual fee and a 1-year fee for the domain name; and to enquire of a volunteer to transfer remaining village information across.
122/21 A post lockdown gift to all residents:
Item deferred to the June meeting. Action: all to consider ideas.
CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED:
123/21 Police newsletter for March – noted.
124/21 C/Cllr Fleetwood – monthly briefing – noted.
125/21 Nettleham Police April Newsletter – noted.
126/21 Neighbourhood Watch newsletter for March – noted.
127/21 WLDC Parish News - – noted.
128/21 Resident’s e-mail regarding cows on the riverbank:
The e-mail was read out. No action required.
129/21 Chairman’s comments: No comments were made.
130/21 Matters for inclusion on next agenda:
Noted that as of 7th May 2021, legislation allowing for remote meetings expires, so thought needs to be given to how meetings will be held after this date. The earliest that the village hall can be accessed is 17th May with restrictions; but all restrictions should be removed on 21 June. The village hall can hold a maximum of 23 people socially distanced. Noted that the public have a right to attend so cannot be turned away even if numbers exceed 23. LALC have indicated that any Annual Parish Meeting held after 21 June is unlikely to be challenged.
It was RESOLVED unanimously that, subject to there not being a clash with a WDLC meeting, nor any change in plans to ease lockdown restrictions, a temporary date of 21 June 2021 be chosen for the Annual Parish Meeting. Action: clerk
131/21 To resolve to move into closed session as the following items contain information of a confidential nature:
It was RESOLVED unanimously to move into closed session as the following items contain information of a confidential nature.
132/21 Review clerk’s hours:
The clerk has worked, on average, 11 hours per week since January 2021. It was RESOLVED unanimously that the clerk work up to a maximum of 12 hours per week when workload requires this; and for specific workload items to be considered on an individual basis; and that FPC will pay the additional hours worked.
133/21 To review the ignorance and bad manners of one councillor correcting the work of others:
Two parties spoke on this matter. Following consideration, it was agreed, in future, to discuss any new incidences fully, then all parties should agree to draw a line and agree to move forward.
134/21 Date of next meeting: Thursday 6th May 2021 at 7.30pm.
Meeting ended at 9.07pm.
Mrs Michelle Vail Clerk/RFO to Fiskerton Parish Council Dated 14.04.21