September 2019 Minutes
WITHERN WITH STAIN & TOTHILL PARISH COUNCIL
24th September 2019
www.withernstain.uk
Present: Cllr Acklam, Cllr Hughes, Cllr Donner.
John Blakeston, LCC Community Speed-watch Co-ordinator(CSW);
16 members of the public; the Clerk Andrew Claydon
No ELDC or LCC Councillors present.
Meeting opened at 19.00
The Public session was devoted to Community Speedwatch, with a presentation from John Blakeston followed by questions from the public. Mr Blakeston emphasised that the scheme concentrated on improving driver awareness of speed through visible monitoring and recording activity. Monitoring sessions involved groups of three volunteers collecting speed data for around one hour and submitting the registration details of vehicles exceeding the limit by more than a set threshold to Lincolnshire Police. Training would be provided by the scheme co-ordinator. A reasonably sized volunteer base (at least six) would give capacity to prevent sessions having to be cancelled / rearranged. The Parish Council role would be to buy equipment, provide insurance indemnity cover and oversee the operation of the scheme (e.g. looking at the size of the volunteer base). At the end of the presentation, eleven of those present indicated that they would be interested in volunteering for the scheme. Councillors were pleased with level of public turnout and interest.
Parish Council business commenced at 7.50pm.
77. Apologies.
Cllr Jackie Harvey; Cllr Alan Jenkinson; Cllr Trevor Osborne; District Councillor Sandra Harrison.
78. To receive any declarations of interest not previously disclosed: None
79. To approve the minutes of the meeting of the 2nd July 2019 for Chairman’s Signature.
Councillors read the minutes and subject to an amendment to M71 to refer to LCC rather than LLC, RESOLVED to approve minutes. (pJH sFD ). Cllr Acklam signed the minutes
80. Updates from those minutes.
Covered under clerks report below
81. Updates from LCC or ELDC
No one present from either council. Clerk to contact Cllr Cullen from LCC regarding the possibility of a written update if he cannot attend.
Cllr Hughes was nominated to attend the ELDC corporate strategy meeting in October and it was RESOLVED that, subject to availability, he would attend as the Parish Council representative (pFD s SA). Other members could also attend but without the capacity to put forward the PC’s views.
82. Financial:
It was RESOLVED (pJH sFD) to approve the following cheques for Signature:
A Claydon (August Salary / expenses) £69.44
HMRC £14.40
The budgetary control position to this meeting was noted, with no major variances against budget noted other than a likely underspend on clerks salary due to four months of vacancy.
83. Clerk’s Report
ELDC had indicated that they could not collect / dispose of the planters on the A157. Members to consider alternative means of doing so. HMRC PAYE now set up.
84. Planning: no applications to consider
85. Vacancy for Councillor: the clerk had circulated a basis for filling the vacancy to comply with electoral law and NALC best practice. It was RESOLVED that subject to there being no petitioning of ELDC for an election, a Co-Option process would take place at the next Council meeting on 5th November 2019 (pJH sFD)
86. Standing Orders and Financial Regulations. The clerk had produced updated versions that were consistent with the NALC standard form. Members felt these were unwieldy and needing to be rationalised. It was RESOLVED that the clerk redraft the documents in more compact form and bring them back to a subsequent meeting. (pJH sSA)
87. Meeting dates for calendar year 2020. After discussion the dates at appendix A were RESOLVED as the dates for Council meetings during 2020 (pFD s JH)
88. Any other Matters for general discussion and/or inclusion in next agenda.
Given the interest in Speedwatch the matter needed to be looked at again at the next meeting to understand the actions required for a scheme to possibly be put in place.
Members also mentioned the potential for a defibrillator to be fitted in the village. The clerk will produce a report regarding possible procurement, costs, training and location.
The draft budget for 2020/21 will also be looked at bearing in mind the potential impact of the previous two items.
A litter-pick will be organised to take place in the spring.
89. Next meeting – Tuesday 5th November at 7pm.
Meeting closed at 8.55
Appendix A
WITHERN WITH STAIN PARISH COUNCIL
CALENDAR OF MEETINGS 2020
All the meetings are scheduled for Tuesday evenings, commencing at 7PM with a short session for public questions before the agenda business is considered by councillors.
JANUARY 21st 2020
MARCH 3rd 2020
APRIL 14th 2020 (*)
MAY 26th 2020
JULY 7h 2020
AUGUST 18th 2020
SEPTEMBER 29th 2020
NOVEMBER 10th 2020
DECEMBER 22nd 2020.
(*) denotes that the Annual Parish Meeting for residents will be held the same evening, prior to the Council meeting