Annual Parish Meeting 2019
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING MINUTES
WEDNESDAY 10th April 2019
Present: Cllrs M Renshaw (Chairman); G Louis, P Todd, A Davison J Larder & J Taylor, R Stockdale. There were 34 residents present in addition to the above plus District Councillor Andrews, County Councillor Hugo Marfleet & M Hoad, Clerk (Minutes).
Apologies: None
The Chairman welcomed everybody to the annual residents meeting & noted how pleased she was to see so many present.
Minutes of the Meeting held on Wednesday 18 April 2018 – The Minutes were on the web site & copies had been made available at the meeting & it was resolved to accept the Minutes as correct; the Chairman signed the Minutes.
Chairmans Report
Cllr Renshaw - This report is the final one for tis council, in just three weeks time there is the opportunity to vote for the councillors you wish to take you through the next term. I made a pledge 4 years ago that i would do my upmost to ensure that this always worked, within the financial constraints and rules that govern a Parish Council for the good of the residents of Tetford and Salmonby, I hope that you feel that we have achieved that.
Life on this council received A big blow when our clerk, Jean brown and her husband sold up and moved to pastures new. How lucky were we that we have found, in our new clerk, Maddie Hoad, a most efficient lady who has embraced the challenge with great enthusiasm. Already she is keeping us well under control.
We have continued to hold the public question time at the beginning of each meeting and will put down standing orders to receive relevant information throughout the meetings. We have been fortunate in that our District Councillor Andrews has attended most of our meetings and has been willing to listen and answer queries. The County Councillor Hugo Marfleet attends when possible as does our PSCO Nigel Wass.
The defribulator, installed outside the doctor’s surgery is regularly maintained, but fortunately has never been needed. We do have people in the village who are able to back up our fist responders and the emergency services if the need arises. For those who are not sure of the procedure, when anyone rings 999 these people are automatically contacted and given the code to enable them to access the defribulator, thus allowing someone on site in the minimum time to assess and possibly administer what can be lifesaving support prior to the arrival of the ambulance crew. There was the idea of installing a second unit but we failed to receive much public enthusiasm and the scheme was dropped.
Transport issues are constantly monitored by members of the community and the call connect service is very well used, not the best substitute to a regular service but at least allows residents to travel to the local towns. There is also now a village bus club that visits places of interest, really appreciated by those who enjoy a day out. Any queries contact Dick Fowler.
The council continues to oversee the grass cutting around the village. The village is indeed fortunate that most householders take a pride in their properties and this is more important now with the financial constraints that the county and district councils are imposing, remember that every verge that is privately mown means that the council can precept for less each year and hopefully keep down the local portion of the council tax. The grant that the council used to receive towards grass cutting has been drastically reduced and although we will endeavour to help out with other areas, and indeed we have made annual donation to the recreation ground, our priority has to be the village itself.
The volunteer group have again been very busy, clearing verges and hedges, made a super job of the churchyard and removed an awful lot of rubbish. They have recently taken part in the great litter pick, report on that later. Anyone interested in any way, please contact peter Stark or Councillor Davison for information.
The village has continued to see several planning applications, despite east Lindsey’s now finally adopted local plan. We do recognise that a village cannot stagnate, but can only grow if the infrastructure can sustain it and there is a proven need, bearing in mind that we do enjoy the protection of being in the AONB. We must also try and abide by the planning regulations that stipulate strict criteria and try to avoid any personal slant when deciding these applications. Our proximity to South Ormsby has seen the influx of Mr Thornes planning applications taking up a considerable part of our meeting time, again in the AONB these applications have engendered a great deal of comment.
The highways continue to cause problems, in particular potholes. Salmonby bends are an ongoing issue, and your council does continually chase these issues and probably get more results than may other areas. Maybe after such a mild winter there just may be a little extra in the repair kitty. Quite typically the very year that the village was allocated extra salt for public use is the very winter that we have not needed it.
Following on from the undergrounding of the electricity supply in Tetford, this spring will see Salmonby follow suit, this will mean that from the Bluestone Health road there will be no visible electricity poles through the valley.
The speed of traffic passing through the village, particularly at school times is a continuing worry, the periods when Smiley Sid was inaction showed that this was a definite deterrent. There is the possibility of receiving training in the use of speed cameras, so we will wait for further details.
The provision of a local emergency plan is ongoing, always good any hopefully never needed.
Thanks to a donation from the Flower Show, a seat was purchased and has been sited on the grass at the south end of Mill Lane. Thank you to Councillors Todd and Louis and for the repairs to the war memorial steps.
I hope that you feel that this council has worked hard but fairly on your behalf. Thank you to my fellow councillors, our clerk and the local and county councillors for all their time and input and thank you to those who attend the council meetings. We have taken on board your comments and hope that the councillors for the next four years will continue to do their best to solve the issues that are within their remit. Thank you
Financial Report – M Hoad (Clerk) - The new Clerk joined the Council in November 2018 and continued to work within the budgets set for that financial year.
- The Council carried over £8,189.56 from the previous year and is continuing its work to reduce its reserves to an acceptable level. As East Lindsey District Council advised Parish Councils that the 4-yearly Parish Council elections must be paid for by the Parish, Council has been saving a sum of £500 for the past 3 years; any unspent funds will be placed back into its budget following this year’s elections.
- Council has underspent against budget where funds originally set aside for possible costs associated with the introduction of GDPR have not been required. Council have also not used any of the budget identified to renovate or replace the noticeboards, favouring to seek donations for this work.
- The Precept, which is the main income for the council, was raised from £6,000 to £6,120 last year to keep in line with [projected costs. Due to the increase in tax base from 192 to 195 this resulted in a £0.13p increase to a band D property on the previous year.
- Lincolnshire County Council gave the council a grant of £195.80 towards Amenity Grass Cutting, the previous year’s figure was £186.90; total costs for the grass cutting last year was £1,404.00 including VAT which is reclaimed. The grass cutting contract is on an annual ‘fixed sum’ basis for 2 cuts per month with a fixed price for any additional necessary cuts, negotiated for a 3-year period.
- The budget for the year was set at just over £10,700 and up to 27th March statements Council have an end of year spend of just £6,784.35 including the £500 ringfenced as previously mentioned for potential election costs.
- The end of year accounts shows a balance of £8,064.80 to carry over. The accounts are here for examination & are also available on the web site.
Precept of £4,292 / - previous Clerk didn’t keep figure so no calculation (Year ending 31st March 16)
Precept of £5,000 / 187 - Band D charge = £26.73
Precept of £6,000 / 192 – Band D charge = £31.25 (£4.52 increase)
Precept of £6,120/195 – (2018/19) Band D charge = £31.38 (£0.13 increase)
Precept of £6,245/199 - (current yr) Band D charge = £31.38 (no increase)
Current Tax Base is 199
Hamilton Hall Report – Cllr Renshaw noted that the Hall had been well used for a variety of community activities as well as private hires. The main hall lights are to be replaced with new LED lights and Cllr Renshaw thanked Cllr Andrews and the table tennis club for their donations towards the lighting upgrade. Brian Todd and Cllr Paul Todd were also thanked for keeping the Hall car park in good condition and pot hole free.
Recreation Ground Report – Paul Learoyd spoke on behalf of the recreation Ground Committee and thanked the Parish Council for their donation towards maintenance costs. Paul commented that the recreation ground was in good order thanks to fund raising by the volunteer committee and PTA who had helped run the annual Terriers event. The village cricket team was supported, football posts had been put out to allow for a kick about and the play area had been maintained in good condition. This years Terriers event will be run on the 12th July 2019.
Edward Richardson Trust Report – Cllr Taylor noted that they had met three times namely in September, December and April to consider applications. Overall it had been a successful year although less students had applied. Grants were available for students up to 25years of age in education and could support learning in a variety of ways from provision of books to overseas visits. Reserves were quite healthy with capital maintained this year at approximately £4,500 and £1,750 given as grants.
Volunteer Group – Cllr Davison commented as part of the Great Litter Pick the Volunteer Group had been out collecting rubbish last Sunday the 7th April and had cleared 31 bags full. The group covered not just the immediate villages but the surrounding area up to the A153 and the Bluestone Heath roads. Cllr Davison thanked the Volunteer Group for all their work in maintaining standards in the village and stated if anyone was interested in getting involved with the group then the contact details were on the Parish web site. In particular help was needed to maintain the village church yard and anyone who could offer some assistance would be very much appreciated.
WI Update – Susan Le Page spoke on behalf of the WI and gave a short-plotted history regarding the WI movement and Tetford local branch. Last year saw the WI hearing about Camp International in Peru, the historic triangle of Jamestown, the history of Myers bakery, Betjeman’s Lincolnshire and local wedding customs and nursery rhymes. We had our own poetry eve – where members read favourites and some read their own compositions. We visited the all singing/dancing recycling plant in Lincoln and also our local sewage/disposal facility – just up the road.
Last year we celebrated the centenary of women being granted the vote by holding a tea party.Some of you my have seen many of our members parading around the village in costumes representing various decades of the past 100 years.
This year we are planning to hold a Halloween party – its not just for the children so get your costumes ready.
One of our lovely sunny days of the summer saw us at Gibraltar Point.We enjoyed it so much that we opted to hold our pre-xmas lunch there.This year’s events have included a talk on the domestic abuse services, the Louth Search Dogs and the Wish Foundation by our very own fairy Terri.We regularly raise between £3-400 for Andy’s Children’s Hospice at our annual coffee morning.This year it was over £500 – thank you to all that contributed.
We now look forward to a visit to Bomber Command and to finding out more about the life and work of Carl Faberge – surprisingly the competition that month is for a Decorated Egg.Back by popular demand is Paul Money, astronomer, talking about the universe from Lincolnshire.This is an open meeting on 23 October – all welcome
At a national level the WI chooses a resolution to support from a short list of topical issues ie plastic soup, issues around mental health, local transport and loneliness.We are not just a group of women with nothing better to do – and definitely not – Jam and Jerusalem.
Tetford Travel Group – Paul Tolliday spoke on behalf of the newly formed TTG which had been launched to provide residents who predominately didn’t have access to transport of arranged day tips out. Trips had been organised to special events and places of interest within Lincolnshire and were provided by hired mini bus. Dick Fowler explained that those interested in joining any trips did have to sign up as members of the group, although this is free, otherwise TTG would be seen as running a bus company which was not suitable. Anyone interested in TTG outings should contact either Dick or refer to the Parish Web site for more information.
Defribulator - Cllr Larder – confirmed the Chairman’s statement that the defribulator had not been used and there had not been any public support for a 2nd device in the village.
Police Report – PSCO Nigel Wass – commented that crime figures for the period of January to March this year were similar to that of the previous year despite the recent reported burglaries. Overall crime had slightly increased in the county but the community of Tetford and Salmonby remained a relatively safe area. Police activity was mostly concentrated on road traffic incidents and ‘domestic’ related crimes. PSCO Wass complimented Tetford and Salmonby residents on how proactive the community is in looking out for each other, reporting suspicious incidents and sharing crime related information via the Crimewatch facebook page. Unfortunately, he was unable to provide any further update on the specific theft and burglary crimes that had taken place in the Parish. At the request of the Clerk, PSCO Wass had brought some crime prevention posters for the main signs approaching the village and some speed sign stickers for wheelie bins. PSCO Wass commented that the best additional methods for tackling crime was in his opinion what he called ‘target hardening’. These included household security lights, property marking, household cctv, ground anchoring for sheds and external equipment, quality door and window locks and the use of smart water or post-coding. Residents requested to learn more about the cost-effective measures they could take to improve security and PSCO Wass offered to hold a crime prevention event in the village hall and would arrange this with the Parish Council. PSCO Wass warned residents that there had been a massive spike increase in the number of thefts from vans and recommended any residents who owned vans or used work vans to remove any valuables from the vehicles overnight. He also confirmed that items such as quad bikes and ride on lawn mowers should have serial numbers and to mark equipment with these if at all possible.
County Councillor Report – Cllr Marfleet commented that following a milder winter LCC Highways were getting on top of the pot hole repairs. A new contract for road repairs would come into effect in 2020 and it was hoped there would be a little more in the budget to maintain the highways. Cllr Marfleet informed the meeting that Andy Ratcliff would be retiring from LCC this year.
It was noted that Lincolnshire has the lowest council tax level of the Shires and was preforming well within its budget.One area however that was seriously over budget within the county was Health and social care.Consultation was being sought from residents via the launch of the Lincolnshire NHS ‘Healthy Conversation’ site- www.lincolnshire.nhs.uk/healthy-conversation.Cllr Marfleet asked residents to visit the site and make comments/suggestions towards the discussions about what and how we need to change to manage the health needs and costs within the county.There would also shortly be the Green Paper published on Adult Social care on the web site for review.Lincolnshire County Council themselves are launching a new web site which will be more interactive as local services are increasing going web focussed. Cllr Marfleet was happy to answer questions.
One resident commented on the poor state of repair of the road between Salmonby and Samonby where the road surface was breaking at the sides.It was also commented that there appeared to be a higher level of large lorries going through Salmonby Bends and Cllr Marfleet was asked if signage could be installed stating ‘not suitable for HGVs’.Cllr Marfleet commented that the route through Salmonby was unlikely to be a cut through for traffic and therefore any heavy vehicles coming via that route would be needing to do so.He would however report the condition of the roads to the Highways department and the Clerk agreed to log this as well.
District Councillor Report – Cllr Andrews noted he had considered it an honour and a privilege to be District Councillor for the area and he had always been made to feel welcomed when he attended meetings. He thanked Parish Councillors and residents for their support. Cllr Andrews had endeavoured to attend as many Parish Council Meetings as possible and provide assistance with local planning applications where needed. East Lindsey District Council had increased local tax this year by 3.9% which resulted in a 29p per week increase to a band D property. Cllr Andrews was happy to answer questions. One resident asked why ELDC recycled glass waste separately. Cllr Andrews informed the meeting that some time back ELDC had opted for the glass recycle bins rather than including glass within the main recycling collection and that at present to change the bin lorries to accommodate glass collection would be financially too prohibitive. Cllr Marfleet added that the County Council was trialling the recycling of food waste in South Lincolnshire so future changes to household recycling could be possible.
The Chairman opened the meeting to residents to give them the opportunity to tell the Council what they wished to see happening or changing.
Questions & Comments:
- One resident questioned if there were enough dog bins within the village. The Chairman confirmed that there were currently 5 bins available but if anyone considered there was a particularly need in any area for an additional bin then to let Council know and they would consider the purchase of an extra bin.
- Progress on a disabled ramp access to the church was questioned and the Chairman advised that at present there was insufficient funds to consider putting this in place.
- It was noted that the broadband speed in part of the village was still poor and that the visiting post office to Hamilton Hall had not been able to connect to the network. The Chairman explained that the internet connection within the Hall had been installed and was the sole responsibility of the Post Office. Cllr Stockdale commented that he had gone the route of using a mobile network for his business and found this solution considerably better.
- Cllr Stockdale noted it was good to have more non council representation from some of the groups within the village at the meeting and suggested other groups such as the gardening club should be invited to speak at future Annual Parish Meeting
There were no more comments. The Chairman reaffirmed that local Parish and District elections would be taking place in May and identified those candidates standing for election at the meeting.
The Chairman, thanked her fellow councillors and residents for their support and closed the meeting.
The meeting closed at 8.40pm