January 2021
Wainfleet All Saints Town Council Meeting
Notes of Town Council Meeting held by video conferencing
on 12th January 2021 at 18:00 hrs
Cllrs present:
Mayor D Wickes (DW), Cllr W Bowkett (WB), Cllr J Hart (JH), Cllr S Baird (SB),Cllr W Hatchman (WH), Cllr D Kettleborough (DK), Cllr V Parker-Hill (VP), Cllr B Allen (BA)
Absent:
None
Also present:
Clerk C Cleary
Mayor DW welcomed everyone and opened the meeting at 1800 hrs.
1. Police
PCSO Jayne Richardson sent her apologies and sent the following report :
* There has been a rise in Scams (though not reported in our area) a lot of the Scams are now related to Covid and testing etc
* Reports of gas bottles being stolen both from caravan sites and residential addresses – any suspicious vehicles/activity needs reporting.
2. Public Session
An opportunity for the public to ask the Council questions and to bring new observations.
No members of the public were present and no questions submitted, other than correspondence and the council went into full session at 1805hrs.
3. Apologies for absence
To receive and approve apologies for absence.
All councillors were present and no absentees.
4. Declarations of interest
To receive declarations of interest under the Localism Act 2011.
Members must declare any personal interest in any item on the agenda and state whether they are also prejudiced. In the case of personal interest, the member may speak and vote on the matter. In the case of prejudicial interests, the member must withdraw while the matter is discussed.
Councillor WB – planning application S/194/02092/20
Councillor VPH - item 14
5. Draft Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 8th December 2020
To confirm the notes as a true record of the decisions made.
Minutes were amended at request of Cllr. SB on item 6 and circulated to councillors prior to meeting.
PROPOSED, SECONDED AND RESOLVED to accept the amended minutes as a true record of the meeting.
6. Reports from External Agencies
To receive reports from LCC and ELDC Cllr. Wendy Bowkett.
County Council and District Council
2021 is finally here, 2020 was a long tough year for everyone, especially those living alone and being isolated for most of the year, and unfortunately 2021 has found us in the same position, the message of staying at home and keeping safe must be followed.
The Covid Vaccine for the Wainfleet area will be available at the Storehouse, Skegness, residents will be contacted with a date to attend, anyone unable to attend due to being housebound will be able to still have a vaccination, with the new vaccines that are being made available, but will take a little longer. Every adult will be offered the vaccine during 2021 and hopefully as many as possible will take the offer up.
If anyone is struggling to seek help the numbers to contact are below and also my phone number I am on hand 24/7 and will endeavour to sort any issues.
As you will all know and see there has been a further bank collapse on Fodderdike Bank which hopefully will not cause too much inconvenience when repairing, I have been assured the repair will start asap.
Further road repairs are planned for the fourth phase of the plan for the Fodderdike and as soon as dates are made available I will inform the parish clerk and put on social media.
Children who have paid for school transport will be offered a 40% refund.
Test and trace support payments are still available to support residents and their families if you have to isolate.
River Steeping update - the desilting programme which was to be finished this month, has been delayed due to being in tier 4, we are awaiting confirmation when the team can return to complete the first section, the next section the new cut will commence in September. There have been 2 lagoons filled and the river is working well.
The double yellow lines outside the fire station and along Magdalen Road, both sides, were completed last week, so hopefully they will stop any issues with the fire service being blocked in, also white lines at junctions and yellow lines around Wainfleet have been remarked where they have become faded also the mini roundabout at the co-op.
Other Councillors reports from external meetings.
Report from Finance committee meeting held at 5.00pm on 5th January by Zoom
Attending : DW, WB, SB, CC
Apologies : DK
* Grass Cutting Tenders
The 3 tenders received were opened in the presence of councillors and the prices advised to members in order to produce a more accurate estimate of the costs to be included in the precept. Details of the identity of the tenderers were not revealed as the final decision will be upon full council.
* Precept discussion
Based on item 1 above, the finance committee made no recommendation to change the precept figures already circulated to full council. Final figure to be agreed at full council after awarding of tender
* New office premises
Discussion on options available (purchase vs. rental, Alsace, Parkers, Coronation Hall). Clerk to contact VPH to discuss options of using Parkers spare office on short-medium term. Decision to go to full council on the options available.
7. Clerks report and action points from the previous minutes
Claim to ELDC/ERDF for sanitizers/planters was submitted and payment received in December.
Concerns raised on speed limit change on Spilsby Road sent to PCSO. Awaiting reply from LCC
Vaccine roll out – Further details received from LCC after meeting and circulated to councillors.
Market contractor for gazebo assembly. Due to current restrictions item on hold.
Signs for cemetery/wheelie bin – pending
Water supply to allotments has been isolated by one of the tenants
Loose stones in market square – repairs effected
LCC advised of acceptance of decision to accept urban highways grass cutting agreement for verges.
Also pending from previous meetings
E-mail sent to Methodist Hall (copied to S.Harris) requesting them to be central refuge point. No reply to date.
Building sand – to be ordered.
New gate for corner of field. This was approved in January 2020 and no action has been taken.
Play area surface – requested quote from LSH surfacing – no reply.
Clerk incurred no overtime in the 4 week period to 31st December.
Clerk advised that he would take 2 weeks annual leave from Monday 18th January, returning on Monday 1st February. Clerk to pass council mobile phone to Cllr WB.
Cllr DW proposed that clerks working hours be maintained at 15 hrs per week until end of financial year.
PROPOSED, SECONDED AND RESOLVED to keep clerks hours at 15 hrs per week and to review at end of March 2021.
8. Policies review
Review of the following policies already circulated :
* Equal Opportunities
* Exhumation
* Freedom of Information
* Lone Worker
Discussion on policies reviewed and policies in general.
Action : Clerk to investigate the necessity for annual reviews for all policies.
PROPOSED, SECONDED AND RESOLVED to accept and adopt the reviews of the above mentioned policies.
In order to facilitate the finalisation of the precept, item 13 was brought forward for discussion at this point.
Due to the sensitive nature of the subject, council went into closed session at 1818 hrs to discuss the tenders submitted.
Session re-opened at 1853 hrs.
9. Finance
To receive financial reports and updates. To approve payments and receipts.
December financial report had already been circulated to councillors prior to the meeting.
Discussion on financial report items.
PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to approve the December monthly financial report.
Review of payments to be made and income received.
PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to approve all payments and receipts for December.
Payments made over £100 in December for transparency
Payee Detail Amount VAT Total
P Strawson Ltd. Xmas Tree £310.00 £62.00 £372.00
Local Pest Control Man 4th Quarter payment £225.00 £0.00 £225.00
Staff Costs Staff costs to 3rd December £778.45 £0.00 £778.45
TA Blackamore 3rd quarter grass cutting £2000.50 £400.10 £2400.60
Staff costs Staff costs to 31st December £614.40 £0.00 £614.40
To review and approve the precept for 2021/22
Discussion on budgeted expenditure and income for 2021/22. Final review of spreadsheet previously sent out to councillors.
PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to request from ELDC a precept of £35,724 for the financial year 2021/22
Action : Clerk to complete and submit the precept form to ELDC.
10. Planning
To receive and discuss applications.
S/194/02312/20 – Royal Oak – no objection letter sent to ELDC
S/194/02092/20 – Floodlights at football field – approved subject to restricted time use up to 20.45 hrs
S/195/02340/20 – Solar Farm proposal at WSM requiring comments from WASTC
Discussion on the application.
PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to object to the development on the following grounds :
1. Lack of information from the developer
2. There has been no public consultation on the development
3. The council has concerns on the use of local highways during the development
4. The site invades on an important ecological site nearby (Decoy Woods)
5. Grade 1 agricultural sites should not be used for this purpose, as the development would reduce the production levels of important crops for this area and the country as a whole.
Action : Clerk to submit councils comments to ELDC.
11. Properties, Amenities and Burial Grounds
To discuss and agree actions and associated expenditure for Properties, Amenities and Burial Grounds.
Northolme Cemetery & Closed Churchyards.
Burial plot 849
Burial plot 765
Reservation plot 764
Ashes internment plot 257
2 memorials
Total cemetery income for December : £ 1525
Observed that cemetery waste bin was full and continues to be used for non-cemetery waste.
Discussion on siting of waste bin.
Action : Clerk to arrange for emptying of bin (changed to regular monthly emptying from on demand) and to arrange for a notice to be put on bin advising use only for cemetery waste.
Discussion on contract for mole treatment expiring at end of January.
Action : Clerk to contact contractor to submit quotation for renewing contract,
Allotments.
Invoices are due to be issued to all tenants in January. Discussion on rents for 2021.
Garden allotment rentals has been unchanged since 2015.
PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED (one objection) to increase garden allotment rent to £30 with immediate effect.
Discussion on farm rentals.
PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to increase farm allotment rents to £180/acre with effect from 2022.
Action : Clerk to write to all tenants advising of changes in rents.
Market Place
Discussion on market during current lockdown.
Action : Clerk to contact essential food retailers that they may continue to trade on the market during lockdown.
Clerk to contact all other traders and auctioneer to advise that market will be closed for all non-essential trade until further notice and planned markets at end of January and February are cancelled.
Discussion on the Buttercross (see also correspondence received).
Council had received correspondence suggesting a cleaning and repointing of the lower part of the Buttercross. It was observed that the Buttercross may require more work than this.
Action : Cllr VPH to contact Alpha Memorials to appraise and advise work that may need doing on the Buttercross
Discussion on Bikefest 2021. It had been reported to council that this was being advertised locally and on social media, although no approach had been made to the council to authorise this event.
Action : Clerk to contact organiser and advise that they must first obtain approval from the council before any event is organised in the market place.
Play Area and Playing Field.
Due to the current lockdown restrictions, progress on the development of the play area has been suspended.
12. Marketing and Promotions
To discuss and agree actions and associated expenditure for marketing and promotion.
Discussion on Xmas decorations. Currently not possible to remove decorations due to the lockdown restrictions. Lights will be left on for the time being.
13. Grass Cutting contracts (Item discussed in closed session between 1818 and 1853 hrs
To review and discuss the tenders received for grass cutting.
Three tenders had been received and opened by the clerk at the Finance committee meeting held on 5th January. Clerk had summarised the contents of the tenders (without detailing names) and circulated the details to councillors prior to the meeting. During the course of the discussion, the names of the tenderers were revealed to council. As a conclusion to the discussion it was PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to award the contracts as follows:
Contract no. 1 Contractor A
Contract no. 2 Contractor B
Contract no. 3 Contractor A
Contract no, 4 Contractor A
Action : Clerk to contact contractors A,B and C and advise them of outcome of tender.
14. New office premises
To review and discuss the options available for new premises.
Discussion on office and storage premises. Current offices are unsuitable and will be surrendered at end of current contract. Options are for leasing or purchasing. Purchasing offers an attractive option but will need public consultation to decide what is required and location. One alternative lease option had been viewed, but at this time council felt it best not to proceed in order to allow further investigation of the purchasing option.
Cllr, VPH has offered an intermediate option of the use of an office in Parkers for up to 12 months, without charge.
PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to accept the offer of a temporary office relocation to Parkers.
Action : Clerk to prepare letter advising Coronation Hall that Council will no longer require the office at the end of the current agreement, and also request rebate for non-access. Clerk to also write to Alsace, thanking them for their offer of office space.
15. Correspondence
To discuss correspondence received
Highways verge cutting rate confirmed at £577.39 (was £570.20 in 2020)
Letter from resident regarding Buttercross (see item 11 Market Place)
Footpath in front of Mawsons Gardens
Discussion on verges/footpath on Skegness Road.
Action: Cllr WB to report damage to verge on FixmyStreet and item to be discussed further at next meeting.
16. Agenda items for next meeting
Footpath, verges and parking on Skegness Road/Mawson Garden
Proposals for council office (location, facilities, financing options)
17. To agree next meeting date as Tuesday 9th February 2021
18. Meeting Close.
Cllr DW thanked all those attending and declared the meeting closed at 2032 hrs.