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Meeting Minutes December 2020
Draft Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Council held on Tuesday 8th December 2020 at 7.00pm via Zoom as a remote meeting.
Present: Cllrs Ayre, Brooks, Brown, Carlton, J Peck, K Peck
20/85 WELCOME BY THE CHAIRMAN
Four members of the public were in attendance.
Chair announced that Cllr Andy freeman has resigned from the Parish Council for personal reasons.
20/86 RECEIVE ANY APOLOGIES AND REASONS FOR ABSENCE
Apologies received to the Clerk by Cllrs Murphy and Troop.
Apologies from Cllr Peacock sent to another Cllr, not the clerk.
Chair reminded Cllrs, apologies should be sent to the clerk.
Parish Council Agreed to accept the apologies.
20/87 DISCLOSURES OF INTERESTS BY MEMBERS
20/88 TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE ORDINARY MEETING OF THE COUNCIL HELD
ON 10th NOVEMBER 2020
Cllr K Peck asked for minute reference 20-74 “to include that Cllrs J Peck and K Peck were working with the clerk to replace the dog bin on paddock close”.
Approved
20/55 MATTERS ARISING (following NALC guidelines)
Village Hall item; September 2020 minutes
Chair read a statement regarding the September minutes;
“Cllr Peacock reported previous Clerk had spent part of the £20,000 grant on the Parish Office which included tending to the Guttering, ask that the contractor is asked to explain their work”.
That was recorded and accepted as a true and correct recording of the minutes at that meeting in October, when the minutes were approved. As soon as minutes are accepted they are deemed the legal record of the meeting to which they refer.
It has been drawn to the attenuation of the Parish council that the meaning could be thought as ambiguous. For clarity, can I say that all spending by the Clerk of council funds can only be done so when authorised to so by the Parish Council. This was the case on money spent on aspects of the village hall on that occasion referred to by Cllr Peacock. I would also say that it was bought to the attention to the then Parish Council that a lot of work would be needed on the roof at the near future (that will crop up again in this agenda). A more detailed account of what was reported by the contractor has been made clear to the Clerk. It seems that the repair asked for, was put into effect at the time and there would be little gained from calling back the contractor for the work done at the time, as it was carried out to the specification that was given.
Chair requested that the statement is included in the minutes.
Approved
20/90 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, STANDING ORDERS WILL BE SUSPENDED
(FOR THE DURATION OF THIS SECTION
CD (member of the public) - stated that money would be better spent on reopening footpath by the river, currently closed. Will alleviate horses travelling and clogging up the streets.
AT (member of the public) - enquired if the agreement on the Riverside Walk development was going ahead.
Chair highlighted that questions on the Riverside walk development will be discussed under correspondence and that planning has been approved by NSDC.
Chair reinstated standing orders.
20/91 TO RECEIVE QUESTIONS TO COUNCIL FROM MEMBERS
Cllr Ayre – received a good response from residents in the village regarding Abbey Rd Christmas lights.
20/92 TO RECEIVE DRAFT MINUTES AND REPORTS OF THE FOLLOWING COMMITTEES, SUB-COMMITTEES AND WORKING GROUPS
-
Finance Committee
Cllr J Peck – Finance Committee met and discussed existing budget. A rise in Precept is likely, a replacement van is required. A further meeting to be convened in January/February to present a budget for full council.
-
Events Committee
Chair and Cllr K Peck thanked all involved with the Christmas lights. A discussion took place regarding the video. Thank you letters to be sent to business.
-
Cemetery Committee
Cllr Ayre – Cemetery committee met on November 26th to review the charging scheme. Cllr Brown proposed from April 2021, all Admin charges connected to the cemetery services will be included in the advertised price, seconded by Cllr K Peck. The committee recommends that charges for reserving a burial or garden of rest to be increased by £50 in April 2021 and a further £50 in April 2022, to include all Admin charges. Cllr Murphy proposed that there shall be a fee of £25 providing a Deed of transfer, seconded by Cllr Brown.
It was resolved to include admin charges within advertised price, additional charges from April 2021 and 2022 for burial and garden of rest reservations and Deed of transfer fee.
Cllr Ayre – request that turf is laid across seven Garden of Rest plots under the canopy of a tree, to a width of at least 3 ft.
Approved
Cllr Ayre - Bench identified as in poor state of repair is being dealt with by the family.
Human Resources Committee
It was agreed to appoint / discuss a Chair to the committee in January.
-
Planning Committee
It was agreed to appoint / discuss a Chair to the committee in January. Also to appoint/discuss Village Hall council representative.
20/93 AGENDA
-
Motion read out by Cllr Brown;
Zero tolerance towards bullying or harassment of council staff and councillors.
We are committed to creating a work environment free of assault, abuse, harassment and bullying where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. The council operates a zero-tolerance policy on physical and verbal aggression towards council staff and councillors by members of the public. The safety of parish council staff and councillors is of utmost importance and they should not be fearful of carrying out their duties. We, the parish council are committed to being open and transparent.
In the event of an employee or councillor being assaulted, abused, harassed or otherwise subjected to this, whilst undertaking their official duties, we will fully assist Nottinghamshire Police with any investigation and prosecution of offenders.
Proposed Cllr Brown
Seconded Cllr Brooks
Approved. It was resolved to include zero tolerance towards bullying of council staff and councillors as parish council policy. -
Motion read out by Cllr Brown
The Mental Health Challenge
1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year with over 6000 people taking their lives through suicide. Suicide is the most common cause of death for men aged 20-49 years in England and Wales. The World Health Organisation predicts that depression will be the second most common health Condition worldwide by 2020. Mental ill health costs some £105 billion each year in England alone. People with a severe mental illness die up to 20 years younger than their peers in the UK. There is often a circular relationship between mental health and issues such as housing, Employment, family problems or debt. That the council sign posts people to relevant organisations and mental help support when needed. Which will be early intervention, information has been sent to the Clerk relating to how NSDC undertake the time for change process.
Proposed Cllr Brown
Seconded Cllr AyreApproved. It was resolved to include the Time to Change Pledge as parish council policy
The Clerk to submit a Time to Change Pledge report to HR Committee
It was agreed to nominate a councillor as a mental health champion in January.
-
Staffing Pressures
Chair read out a statement
I have become aware of the high number of meetings being asked for by Councillors. Between 23rd November and 8th December a list of 8 meetings was undertaken in 16 days, and I put to you that that is undue pressure on our staff. All of this, and more, to be carried out by 1.54 (FTE) staff members. Our office staff have had to work fully (early spring/summer) or partly from home since the end of March. We, as employers, have a duty of care to all our workers and work load issues come under that remit. These meetings often overrun, the cemetery subcommittee meeting lasted two hours. Such a high number of council meetings, prevents staff from undertaking daily admin tasks, and adds to a backlog of work. Clerk has also had meetings during this time with – a prominent high street business, onsite meeting with High ways to discuss gateway signs, onsite meeting with High ways to install street furniture, meeting with a residential care provider and four families to reserve burial plots all within the same 16 day period. Councillors often have unrealistic time scales.An item raised by the Chair relating to staffing pressures was moved to confidential matters.
-
Van
A discussion took place regarding a replacement van. Clerk has enquired with Public Works Loan Board for eligibility. Current bank is unable to provide financial assistance.
It was agreed to place the hire van under the parish council insurance policy, reducing the hire rate by £9 per day until the council is better placed to make a decision. As part of this agreement, hire company pays for repairs / MOT / Service / Tyres.
Clerk to make further enquiries.
-
Village Hall including roof
Chair – reported the village hall roof is leaking, staff met three roofing contractors.
Cllr Ayre proposed the Parish Council gets on with the work proposed to fix the leaking village hall roof, seconded by Cllr Brown.
The Parish Council approved a contractor quote with a 25 year guarantee for work and resolved to use section 106 money.
Chair - the village hall committee made a request to access Wi-Fi. Clerk has been in contact with our IT contractor who has suggested that we set up a Guest WI-FI account, which seems quite workable. It would mean users to the village hall do not use the same passwords as office staff which would increase security.
The Parish council agreed to defer a vote on Wi-Fi until January.
-
NSDC business is COVID-19 secure
Chair read out a statement
Newark and Sherwood District Council is calling on residents to do their Christmas shopping locally this year, to help support the district’s retailers and high streets.Many retailers have struggled to stay afloat, having been forced to close for long periods of time due to COVID-19 restrictions this year.
Tier 3 restrictions have come into force today (Wednesday 2 December) in Newark and Sherwood and retailers are now allowed to re-open their doors ahead of the festive season and the district council is encouraging its residents to spend locally now more than ever.
Newark and Sherwood District Council has set up a Retail Assurance Scheme with local independent businesses to help reassure shoppers that each business is operating safely. The scheme has officially launched today (2 December).
As part of the scheme, any local retailer offering a COVID-secure shopping system can choose to display the district council’s Retail Assurance Certificate in their shop window.
These certificates will be distributed to retailers meeting the COVID-secure criteria in Newark, Southwell, Edwinstowe and Ollerton by district council officers and parish clerks. Officers will also be available to offer advice and support to any business.
The criteria for the Retail Assurance Scheme includes:
- providing hand sanitiser
- requiring face coverings to be worn, unless a person is exempt
- having thorough cleaning in place
- limiting the number of shoppers
- having social distancing guidelines in place
- quarantining handled stock
- making sure a gov.uk risk assessment has been completed
Chair readout the above to place in the public domain.
Cllr Carlton –Environmental Health had visited retailers, and Edwinstowe has been seen as a model for business within the district during COVID.
-
High Street
Cllr J Peck – Robin Hood and Maid Marion statue back in place, complete with bow repair. High street planter to be replaced. Pleased with the County Councils response.
Chair - thanked Clerk, Amenity Supervisor and Amenity Worker for facilitating the installations. The clerk measured the space for a spider crane to remove the statue in the first instance and carried out the same again for installation, this time with a Lorry mounted crane.
It was agreed that the Parish Council write and thank NCC.
-
Woodhead Group
Chair - Clerk met with Woodhead Group via Zoom to discuss the management of the amenity space including the Riverside Pathway Project. The Clerks enquiry has been passed onto Ian Powell – Head of Homes and Regeneration. As part of the discussion Woodhead Group would very much like to partner up with the Parish Council and to offer the use of the DH Lawrence suite, car park area and DELIGATE cafe for any forthcoming Book festival in the new year. Ideas were discussed on how Woodhead Group at Edwinstowe House can make use of outdoor space for next year’s Christmas decorations particularly along the pedestrian walkway providing linkages from Edwinstowe House to the High street.
-
RSPB car parking
The clerk, Cllrs Brooks and J Peck met the RSPB to discuss parking issues. Yellow lines have been refreshed on Swinecote Rd, with additional signage. Parking bays were discussed off Swinecote Rd. Enforcement officers have ticketed cars parking on the verges. RSPB is resurfacing its hard standing and will be using the additional space vacated from the funfair to increase car parking capacity.
-
Community Funds Applications
NCC fund is now open.
-
EV Charge Points
After receiving additional information alongside a proposal, a discussion took place on EV charge points for east lane Car Park. The Parish Council agreed not to pursue the charge points proposal. As councillors had indicated they would still like to meet Brian Rawlinson, the Chair suggested a meeting be arranged at a suitable time.
-
Winding Wheel
A discussion took place on the Winding Wheel Interpretation lectern project.
Parish Council resolved to purchase an interpretation lectern priced at £1,495.00, plus the zinc etched artwork at £900 from Photocast products ltd. To be purchased from Section 106 monies.
-
Gateway Signs
Following an onsite meeting with Cllr J Peck / Highways & the clerk, three new locations have been identified for Gateway signs.
Harworth have donated £500 towards the signage.
The Parish Council approved the third draft of artwork for the Gateway Signs submitted by the sign manufacturer.
-
Skate Park
A discussion took place on remedial works to the skate park
It was resolved to match fund £800 with NCC for remedial works to the wooden skate park.
20/94 Correspondence
-
Mill Lane Residents Riverside Walkway Petition
Parish Council received a Petition by residents of Mill Lane against the proposed Riverside Walkway, in the Edwinstowe House development. Highlighting issues such; flooding, safety of walkers, security, wildlife and privacy.
It was agreed that after the Clerk facilitates a meeting with Ian Powell – head of housing and regeneration at Woodhead Group, to update petition signatories. -
Pump Track
After receiving a proposal for a pump track at Jubilee Park from a young person. The Clerk is awaiting contact by the young person and / or his parents.
It was suggested by the Chair that this type of proposal could be implemented within the Harworth Thoresby Estate development - Parish Council Questionnaire
- Parish Council Questionnaire
-
Harworth
Chair – detailed the site plan of proposed remediation, infrastructure and enabling works included within a Reserved Matters application. Harworth Group to submit the application before the end of December. Application represents next phase of servicing works that will unlock the School, Local Centre and Employment land whilst delivering the landscaping and green spaces. The application is formed of engineering specifications and technical drawings, given it is an allocated site and phases 1 & 2 are now well advanced, they have not undertaken a public consultation. The letter invites feedback from Parish Councillors to assist the application process, through the clerk.
Harron Homes are anticipating first occupation within the development before Christmas. - Sherwood Strategic Cycling Strategy
- Help my street
20/95 FINANCIAL MATTERS (TO BE REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, if necessary)
20/96 INVOICES FOR APPROVAL
| DATE | PAYEE | DESCRIPTION | AMOUNT inc VAT (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08.10.2020 | Trade UK | Amenity materials | £58.95 |
| 06.11.2020 | NCC | Pension | £1,855.33 |
| 06.11.2020 | Boyes | Christmas Lights | £131.78 |
| 13.11.2020 | HMRC | PAYE/NIC | £1,439.92 |
| 13.11.2020 | Salaries | Wages | £3,864.85 |
| 20.11.2020 | HMRC | PAYE/NIC | £2,397.72 |
| 20.11.2020 | D A Williams | Christmas electrics | £613.50 |
| 23.11.2020 | Trade UK | Christmas lights / trees | £212.70 |
| 23.11.2020 | Zoom | Virtual meetings | £86.34 |
| 24.11.2020 | Edwinstowe Village Hall | Gas / Electric | £917.01 |
| 24.11.2020 | PKF Littlejohn | External Audit | £480.00 |
| 24.11.2020 | Ultimate Print | Magazine | £1,025.00 |
| 27.11.2020 | Salaries | Wages | £2,042.36 |
20/80 DIRECT DEBITS FOR APPROVAL
| DATE | PAYEE | DESCRIPTION | AMOUNT inc VAT (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13.11.2020 | Sage | Payroll software | £ |
| 25.11.2020 | Better connected | Telecoms | £101.03 |
| 25.11.2020 | UK Fuels Ltd | Petrol/Diesel | £20.44 |
| 01.12.2020 | NSDC | West Lane Car park | £49.00 |
| 01.12.2020 | NSDC | East Lane Car Park | £58.00 |
| 01.12.2020 | DVLA | Vehicle tax | £23.18 |
20/81 INCOME
| DATE | DESCRIPTION | AMOUNT inc VAT |
|---|---|---|
| 09.11.2020 | Magazine | £225.00 |
| 09.11.2020 | Magazine | £75.00 |
| 10.11.2020 | Wreath | £17.00 |
| 10.11.2020 | Magazine | £75.00 |
| 12.11.2020 | Cemetery | £310.00 |
| 17.11.2020 | Cemetery | £160.00 |
| 26.11.2020 | Magazine - Advertiser | £25.00 |
| 26.11.2020 | Donation | £500.00 |
| Total | £1,387.00 |
| BANK BALANCE | £100,655.61 |
20/99 REPORTS FROM COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS
(VERBAL REPORT AT MEETING; BULLET POINTS TO CLERK)
Report from County Councillor J Peck
I’m dealing with an issue concerning flooding water on Fourth Avenue. I’ve reported a number of faulty street lights and potholes. Also reported a water leak on Greendale Avenue which is being repaired. The County Council continues to focus on the COVID 19 pandemic service provision.
Report from District Councillor Carlton
at a Homes and Communities (H/C) committee last month, I questioned Insp Heather Sutton over the importance of reporting crime and the launch of Operation Reacher and the immediate impact it’s having on crime. At H/C, I voted in favour of monies being used to refocus the Ollerton Local Housing Office and make COVID secure to reopen for residents this side of the district to access.
Reports to H/C, show improving standards in social housing since coming back in house, but if colleagues hear of issues, please report to the District Councillors. The new swimming pool build at Dukeries Leisure Centre continues at pace and is on schedule for completion early summer 2021. Being a board member I have seen first-hand the planning/works gone into this. NSDC are launching a new business unit for grounds maintenance services. Undertaken various aspects of casework for residents covering safeguarding, social housing repairs to fly tipping.
Report from District Councillor Brown
attended an anti-social behaviour meeting with the new Beat Manager for the area, which will be more area specific. I have been chasing up section Leasing 106 money from the high street development. The developer has delayed in realising the funds. Ongoing Case work on tier system, with NSDC the lowest in the county. With first vaccinations being rolled out hopefully we can get everyone vaccinated.
Chair reported vandalism to the cenotaph and police are dealing with the incident.
20/100 CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS
To resolve to exclude the Press and public from the following item(s) in accordance with The Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960.
20/101 DATE OF NEXT MEETING: Tuesday 12th January 2021
Meeting closed at 9.30pm.
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