January 2022 Minutes
STICKFORD PARISH COUNCIL
PARISH COUNCIL STATUTORY MEETING
at STICKFORD Community Centre
Tuesday 11 January 2022 @ 7.30pm
THE MINUTES
No. of Residents present 1 Official attendees read Y for attending, N for non-attendance
Chairman Councillor Mrs Lesley Reeson Y Vice Chairman Councillor – to be appointed
Councillor Mrs Pam Bryant Y Councillor vacancy
Councillor Mr Clive Kingswood Y Councillor vacancy
Councillor Mr John Howlett Y Parish Clerk Mrs Nicki George Y
Lincs C C Councillor Mrs W Bowkett Y ELDC – to be appointed
1. The Chairman opened the meeting and welcomed all present.
2. Apologies for absence – none
3. There were no declaration of interest
4. Residents’ issues: see Item 15 re Jubilee celebrations
5. ELDC report: none – following the death of Jim Swanson as reported at last meeting, a bi-election needs to be held for a new Councillor to be appointed.
6. LCC report : see Appendix 1 .
The potholes in the village along Fen Road will be included in the 2022 programme of repair if funding is available.
The caravan owners on the airfield are being visited by LCC. They have been asked to keep the area tidy. The Farmer does not mind them being there. It was brought to Councillor Bowketts attention that one of the vehicles is SORN.
The clerk raised the issues that have previously been put to the Council re extending the 30mph further along Fen Road out of the village past the chicken farms, along with a sign to steer the lorries away from the village. Ie Not Suitable for HGV’s. Councillor Bowkett asked that the Clerk email the details to her.
A Speed Survey for the A16 has been requested and will be carried out in March 2022.
7. Lincolnshire Police Report: none since last meeting
8. The Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 14th December 2021 were not approved. The following is to be added to Item 16 - Graham Bradley would like it recorded that it was not just the interview process that he questioned but the fact a new councillor was appointed without the knowledge or agreement of the majority of councillors and also Robert Morley was disqualified again without the majority of the councillors being made aware, regardless of the rules this should have still been discussed. It was noted by councillors that Robert Morley’s lack of attendance and apologies had been discussed at a previous meeting.
The clerk acknowledges the comments from a resident that Jim Swanson was recorded as a non attendee and that the minutes should simply record ELDC N especially since we were aware of his death. The clerk recorded it the way she did as this information was not in previous Minutes and was being recorded for the first time in that evenings meeting. It has been recorded differently on these Minutes as above.
9. Matters Arising from the Minutes.
a) Litter & dog bins: 2 emails have been received from 2 residents expressing their discontent as to the site that has been selected for the new litter/dog bin as recorded in the Minutes of 14/12/21. The Council discussed their suggestion of siting it near to the Green Barn and Stickford House on Back Lane. The Clerk will send an email to ELDC requesting this change.
10. Clerks Report: none as all matters are being covered in other sections.
11. Financial Report
a) Authority for Payment :
1) £48.00 ECBS – AVG security for laptop – 2 years cover
2) Payroll admin fee. No invoice received, so will put on next meeting’s agenda
Payment approved. Proposed by Councillor John Howlett , seconded by Councillor Clive Kingswood and cheque issued.
b) Bank balances : as at 30.12.21 when last statement received : Current a/c £13043.44, Savings a/c £8094.68 o/s cheques previously issued and not yet cashed : £45, £45, £52.50, £10.00.
Latest Budget information – see Appendix 2, with an amendment to the ringfenced information - The History Group fundraised the £250 for maintenance for the War Memorial Clock.
Ringfenced in Savings account : £3500 an election we may need to pay for, £250 for maintenance of WM clock, £250 training for councillors, £3000 for assets that may need to be refurbished or replaced. Bus shelters, Notice Boards, Allotment drainage, dog bins, village benches & WM clock.
VAT refund received direct into Bank 30.11.21 £ 456.64.
Wayleave payment received £122.71 to be banked.
12. Precept: The Councillors carried out the final preview of the proposed Precept and was accepted. The Council agreed for it to be requested from ELDC.
The letter from the PCC as to why they have not requested a grant this year was read out. The Chairman reminded the meeting that grass cutting equipment has been purchased by the Council for this purpose.
2 x Grant applications have been received : 1) £45 agreed for the Keals Club , 2) £45 agreed for Stickford & District WI.
13. War Memorial Clock : Cheryl Steele is completing a grant application for FCC, as Stickford is situated within 10 miles of a landfill site and requests that the Council give her authorisation to complete and sign the application on their behalf. All Councillors agreed and gave their approval. Councillor John Howlett will check the application.
The application requests that 3 quotes are presented for the work to be done. Cheryl will research 2 other Clock Restoration companies to provide quotes, along with the original one from Smiths of Derby.
Councillor John Howlett requested approval to submit an application to the BBC programme The Repair Shop. All approved. He will also put an article in the Newsletter saying that we are hoping the secure grant monies for the repair costs but that pledges may be required to assist and that we are hoping to get the repairs done in time for the Centenary in 2023 if not the Remembrance service in November 2022. Any pledge monies received can be banked into the savings account and ringfenced.
14. Councillor Vacancies: Chris Reeson has requested that his application to become a Councillor be closed down.
Notice of Vacancy in office of councillor is currently being displayed on the Noticeboard and on the website, with an end date of 20th January 2022, following the resignation of Councillor Graham Bradley.
Councillor John Howlett was co-opted on as Vice Chairman. Proposed by Councillor Pam Bryant, Seconded by Councillor Clive Kingswood.
15. Jubilee Celebrations 2nd – 5th June 2022. Councillor John Howlett gave a resume of the last meeting held on 4th January 2022. The celebrations will start at 2pm on Saturday 4th June. The Community Centre will be used as a fall back in case of bad weather, refreshments and toilets. The Church will host a History Exhibition of previous Royal Celebrations, and refreshments. Bouncy Castle to be situated in the carpark of The Red Lion. The main music will be in one place – near to the Red Lion. ‘Stickfords Got Talent’ will be held in the same area.
Fundraising : Table Top sale 22nd January 2022 , Bingo 12th February. Raffle & tombola prizes are required for both events.
Bunting and flags need to be purchased. Clerk will research costs.
Commemorative Jubilee Gifts for the children of the village were discussed. 50 personalised coins will cost £234.
Next Jubilee meeting is 22nd February 2022.
16. Planning: none since last meeting
17. Correspondence received for this meeting but not covered on the Agenda:
Brochures received from Glasdon for benches, litter bins & signage and Sunshine Gym for outdoor gym equipment
18. Other Business – matters for next agenda: War Memorial Clock funding update, next quarters payroll payment, Jubilee celebrations, replace assets ie. noticeboard, discuss and agree updated Standing Orders, Financial Regulations, Code of Conduct.
19. The Chairman closed the meeting at 9.15pm. Date of next meeting: 8th March 2022 at 7.30pm
Appendix 1 : LCC Report for Parish Council Meeting 11.1.22
Wishing you all a happy new year and hoping that 2022 will be a better year for all of us.
We had last week 84 cases of covid across the 3 health settings across Lincolnshire, with no one in intensive care over the weekend. These are 25% no vaccines and the rest a mixture of 1st/2nd and booster patients who mainly require oxygen.
The spread of the omicron virus is still high amongst all ages and I urge you all to be careful for the coming few weeks.
Lincolnshire county council are asking you support a campaign to government which is called fix our funds to fix our roads, and return the 12 million they took away last year from our highways fund. We put the 12 million back in from LCC money last year but can’t do that year on year.
The 12 million equates to 24,000 pot holes filled, 37 miles of crumbling road rebuilt and 6 miles of failing footpath repaired.
We ask you to go towww.lincolnshire.gov.uk/highways funding and join our fight for better roads.
Fen road will be closed from 13th - 18th Jan for resurfacing of the road to meet where it was resurfaced last time. .This will make a huge difference to residents and am happy we have been to find the funding to bring this in to this financial year. The cost is £91,784.58 so not a cheap fix.
The email you sent in the A 16 speed reduction has been sent to the road safety officer at Lincolnshire county council. There is quite a list of roads awaiting a survey but I have emphasized the fact it is a busy A road .
Please forward any issues you may have to me either by email or give me a call.
Kind regards
Wendy
Appendix 2 :
Stickford Parish Council
Stickford Parish Council Budget Control 2021/2022
May July Sept Dec/Jan Feb/March Total Budget Variance Comments
Expenditure
Clerks Salary £600.00 £600.00 £600.00 £1,800.00 £2,400.00 -£600.00
Income Tax for clerk salary £600.00
Parish Insurance £297.60 £297.60 £350.00 -£52.40
Fee's and Subscriptions £199.27 £199.27 £240.00 -£40.73
Audit Fee's and Payroll Administration £170.00 £42.00 £212.00 £150.00 £62.00
Rent £0.00 £100.00 -£100.00
Admin Expenses £95.60 £123.30 £126.00 £48.00 £392.90 £150.00 £242.90 inc website & laptop
Donations & Grants £500.00 £47.96 £100.00 £647.96 £590.00 £57.96
Purchase of Fixed Assets £0.00 £0.00 £0.00
Maintenance of Parish Assets £0.00 £1,000.00 -£1,000.00
Sundry Costs re Parish Assets £52.50 £52.50 £110.00 -£57.50
Ring Fenced Funding £0.00 £0.00 £0.00
Contingency Fund £697.18 £697.18 £755.00 -£57.82
Asset maintenance £420.00 £420.00 £1,000.00 -£580.00
Total Expenditure £592.47 £1,813.30 £1,513.14 £752.50 £48.00 £4,719.41 £7,445.00 -£2,125.59
CURRENT A/C £13,043.44 includes VAT refund of £456.64 / 2 x £45 chqs not yet cashed + £62.50 Poppys. = £12,890.94
Wayleave £122.71 received and being paid in this week = £13,013.65
SAVINGS A/C £8094.68 Ringfenced : £3500 an election we may need to pay for, £250 for maintenance for WM clock, £250 training for councillors, £3000 for assets that may need to re refurbished or replaced. Bus shelters, Notice Boards, Allotment drainage, dog bins, village benches & WM clock. - £7000 = £1094.68