Minutes from 2022

Wainfleet All Saints Town Council Meeting        

Minutes of the council meeting held at 18:00 on 5th April 2022 in the town council offices.

Councillors present : 
Mayor D.Wickes (DW), Cllr. D Kettleborough (DK), Cllr. S.Baird (SB), Cllr. W.Hatchman (WH), Cllr. V. Parker-Hill (VPH).

Absent : Cllr. J. Hart (JH), Cllr. C.Harbon (CH), Cllr. B.Harbon (BH).

Also Present :
Clerk C. Cleary (CC), 2 members of the public

Mayor DW welcomed everyone and opened the public meeting at 18.00 hrs.

1. Police                                            
To receive reports from the Police Representative
Absent. No report sent.

2. Public session                                        
An opportunity for the public to ask the Council questions and to bring new observations.
Sandra Smith YMCA Community Development Officer introduced herself and explained her role in the area. Here to identify needs that the community requires. Will be meeting with ELDC regarding vital and viable survey. Met today with MV and they will work at improving communication and getting further activities for Wainfleet. 
No further questions

Mayor DW closed the public session at 18:13

3. Apologies for absence                                        
To receive and approve apologies for absence.
Apologies were received from Cllrs. JH (illness), BH (holiday) and CH (holiday).

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.
Cllr. VPH Item 11a.

5. Draft Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 1st March, 2022.
To confirm the notes as a true record of the decisions made.
Draft minutes of the meeting held on 1st March had already been circulated to councillors.
PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to accept the minutes as a true record of the meeting held on 1st March.

6. Clerks report and action points from the previous minutes                    
To receive the clerks report and deal with matters arising.

Return of unused plots – awaiting family return.
Buttercross uplighters – quote received from S.Bogg. Discussion on quotation. Await second quote from TRJ.
All Saints hedge – resident has had reply from council
Market trader policy – issued to all market traders
Farming allotment rents – 2 out of 3 tenants have paid.
Garden allotments – e-mail sent to plot 12 re: tidiness and dogs – no response
Ian Naylor invoice for 2021/22 and lease for 2022/23 have both been paid.
2 batches of Queens Jubilee badges ordered and received. Band also booked. Total spend to date : £780 (ex VAT). Balance of band payment will be £700. Figures do not include any contribution from WSM or charity, and exclude bunting and flags (invoices submitted to ELDC for repayment).
Advertisement for local traders – on office notice board and website. No response as yet.
Wainfleet conservation area map now on website
Healthguard UK have started mole control
Market place contractor agreement signed by all parties
Keep Britain tidy survey completed
Quotation for banners and additional play area signage received. Play area £75 each, banners £35 each. Discussion on signage, Agreed to re-measure and check location for the market advertising signs.
Proposed, seconded and resolved to purchase the additional signage for play area and market (once location and dimensions are verified).
Councillors gmail accounts - pending
Dog poop bag stations – ordered by ELDC directly – artwork being prepared by supplier
Interactive notice boards – pending
Clerk incurred  3hrs overtime in 4 week period to 25th February.
Clerk has requested to take outstanding 2021/22 holiday from Thursday 7th April returning on Tuesday 19th April. 
New salary levels have been agreed for 2021/22 as advised.
As agreed in the January meeting, clerks salary point should be adjusted from SCP 10 to SCP11.
PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to agree the clerks holiday and increased salary.

7. Councillors Action list report                                    
To receive a report from Cllr. D.Kettleborough on the councillor action list.

Quotation for car park repairs sent out to Verebros – site meeting requested for 7/8 April. Agreed to meet on 7th April at 4pm.
Difficulty in obtaining planings for cemetery paths.
Still looking for grant options to improve the Buttercross.
Welcome to Wainfleet signs to be repaired by Cllr, WH on 16th April
War memorial grant application to be resubmitted.
Bus Shelter tap to be moved by Cllrs. WH/DK
Bus Shelter cleaning and graffiti removal to be done once lights are disconnected.
Cllr. WB advised that Balfour Beaty had funding available for small playing field projects. Agreed to allow Cllr. WB to investigate further.

8. Reports from External Agencies                                
To receive reports from LCC and ELDC Cllr. Wendy Bowkett.
Other Councillors reports from external meetings.

Lincolnshire is set to receive its first Ukraine evacuees, which will stay with 200 sponsor families under the Ukraine programme. 
They are spread across Lincolnshire and a lot are friends and families, all families will be supported to settle in.
Covid testing sites are now closed, covid is still spreading rapidly so please take care and keep your distance in crowded places.
Please keep reporting on fix my street, the backlog of potholes with extra gangs been sourced is finally being impacted and hopefully over the coming weeks we will have seen a difference.
I will be supporting Wainfleet st Mary in trying to get Fibre to the area and hopefully you will decide to try and take up this opportunity too.

Report from Broadband meeting has been circulated. Discussion on disusing copper connection. WB to contact Steve Brookes to come to meet with us and the public. Council agreed to facilitate and encourage the local population to register their interest.
M&P report see item 11c
P&A report see item 11d

9. Finance                                            
To receive financial reports and updates. 
The March bank reconciliation and financial report had previously been circulated to councillors. Discussion on financial report.

PROPOSED, SECONDED AND RESOLVED to approve the March financial report.

To approve payments and receipts. 

Discussion on payments to be made. 
PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to approve all payments and receipts for March.

For transparency, payments made in March in excess of £100 were :

10. Planning
To receive and discuss applications.
S/194/00399/22 – Regent House – Change of use recording studio to living space. No objections.
S/194/02419/21 – New Bridge Farm - Approved

11. Properties, Amenities and Burial Grounds                            
To discuss and agree actions and associated expenditure for Properties, Amenities and Burial Grounds and to receive reports from the associated working groups.
a. Northolme Cemetery & Closed Churchyards. 
New memorial plot 310
Change of reservations plots 1079 & 1080

War Memorial Trust contacted regarding grant application. Change in application process, will need to re-submit and will be announced if successful or not in June.
Alpha Memorials contacted regarding damaged graves. Awaiting quotation.
Request to install a kerbed grave around recent baby burial. Refused.
All good in closed churchyards.
DK to contact tree surgeon to look at scheduling work.

b. Allotments. 
E-mail sent to plot 12 – work has started.
Farming allotments – one payment outstanding.

c. Market Place  
Buttercross up lighters. S.Bogg has made site visit and advised that he has so far been unable to source the same type of lighting. He is looking at other options including replacing all current lights. Requested second quote from TRJ.
Ian Naylor Auctions lease agreement.  Response had been circulated. Discussion on response.  ACTION: Clerk to amend contract and send to Ian Naylor auctions.
Heritage England contacted to apply for grant for refurbishment of Buttercross – awaiting reply.
Market stall charges apply from Friday. Monies will be collected by DW/WB.
WH reported that the work done on the drain outside the PO is unsuitable. WB to contact LCC to revisit site.
DK will organise plants for planters.
Discussion on car park restrictions and signage. To be further investigated.

d. Play Area and Playing Field. 
The P&A sub-committee meeting minutes had been circulated to councillors prior to the meeting.
A broken swing had been reported. Cllr DK will repair.
Grass cutting contractor has not been doing litter pick prior to cutting, Contractor has been advised.
New gate on play area is not closing securely. Cllr DK will repair.
Discussion on poplars along railway line. ACTION: Cllr. WB to contact railways to see if they will cut back the trees.

12. Marketing and Promotions                                    
To discuss and agree actions and associated expenditure for the following marketing and promotion events
a. Christmas 2022
Discussion on xmas lighting for 2022. Expected costs to replace damaged lights to be around £3000. Finance sub-committee to meet and review available finance for lights.
b. Queens Platinum Jubilee celebration
Minutes from the sub-committee meeting had been circulated. All in order and progressing well. Next meeting 13th April.
Clerk to send risk assessment template to Cllr. VPH for review.

13. Litter pick and town tidy                                    
To discuss and review the litter pick. 
Litter pick postponed due to weather. Rescheduled for Saturday 10 am.
General tidiness of town – discussion on tidiness and dog fouling. New poop bag dispensers will be arriving soon. Residents to be encouraged to look after the area in front of their properties. To review regular litter picks after the scheduled one on Saturday.

14. Office issues                                            
To discuss issues related to the office, including cleaning and manning of the office during the summer months.
A revised electric contract had been received from our current supplier. Discussion on electricity prices.
PROPOSED,SECONDED and RESOLVED to accept the new contract for the current supplier.
Discussion on proposal to hire an office cleaner for approx. 1 hr per week. 
PROPOSED,SECONDED and RESOLVED to contract a cleaner for 1 hr per week.
ACTION: Clerk to advertise post.
Discussion on manning of the office during the summer. Agreed in principal to hold weekly councillors surgeries during the summer.
ACTION: M&P subgroup to plan out schedule for surgeries and coffee mornings.
Discussion on A3 printer. Cllr. SB has offered his printer for councils use. Agreed to trial use of printer prior to any purchase.

15. Policies and Procedures                                    
To discuss a proposal to amend the councils working group policies to allow the inclusion of non-councillors to the working groups.
Discussion on allowing non-councillors to participate in the sub-committee groups.
Standing order 4b allows for non-councillors to be members of any sub-committee except finance, but the working group policies state that they are not open to members of the public and that membership is appointed at the annual parish meeting. In order to include non-councillors to be members of the working groups, then the proposal is to amend the working group policies for marketing & promotions and properties and amenities as follows:
2. Working group meetings prepare recommendations to bring to the council. To ensure public involvement in the process, the council actively encourages non-councillors to become members of the working group.

Furthermore, article 5 of the working group also states that at least 3 councillors must be present to allow the meeting to proceed. Discussion on the number of councillors required to attend a sub-group meeting. Agreed to amend article 5 to say at least 2 councillors.
PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to accept the proposals to amend articles 2 and 5 as detailed above.

To review any updated and revised policies.
Clerk advised that many of the councils procedures would be subject to review at the annual meeting and would circulate any updates.

16. Correspondence                                        
To discuss correspondence received
LCC Highways grass cutting agreement signed and returned
I.Naylor Auctions reply to lease – see item 11c
E-mail from resident complaining of dog fouling and litter – response sent. No further contact.
Visit to by parishioner complaining about abandoned car in Market Place. Advised authorities are dealing with this.
E-mail from S.Smith (YMCA) advising us of MV using the field for Easter activities.
E-mail from ELDC (Treescape) asking if interested in further funded tree planting. Reply sent confirming.
Meeting with resident re: Winchester Road garages -issues with children playing on rooves. On site meeting held and Cllr. WB to contact Platform Housing. CC has advised PCSO.
Meeting with PSCO JR – suggested community speed watch – further information requested from LCC.
E-mail from Lincs EUS – forwarded to councillors and reply sent to them. No further contact.
AGAR advice received from external auditors – needs to be submitted by 1/7/22

17. Agenda items for next meeting                                
To receive items for inclusion on the next meeting’s agenda.
Speeding

Future meetings :
Annual Parish Meeting 17th May 18:30
Finance : Thursday 21st April 9.00 am.
Marketing : Thursday 21st April 10.00 am
P&A : TBC

Mayor DW thanked all for their contribution and closed the meeting at 20.06 hrs.

I certify these minutes to be a true record of the meeting held on 5th April, 2022

Signature: Mayor: Cllr Wickes
Date: 3rd May, 2022

Initial:    Date: 3rd May, 2022