Minutes 2024

Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council

Minutes of an ordinary meeting of Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council held at the Community Building, Spring Lane Playing Field on Monday 08 July 2024.

Present:  Chair:               Jenny Bailey

Councillors:  Angie Adams, Graham Arnold, Frances Franklin, Colin Hibberd and Susan Waring

Also in attendance:  Lincolnshire County Councillor Richard Wright

In attendance:  Mr Eddie Findlay, Clerk to Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council

No members of the public were in attendance.

At 7:00 pm the Chair welcomed everybody and declared the meeting open.

94.  To receive apologies for absence and reasons given, i.a.w. Local Government Act 1972, Sch 12, para 40.Cllr Chambers and Cllr Milligan were unable to attend and their reasons were made known to the Council.
Action:  The Council RESOLVED to approve the reasons for absence from Cllr Chambers and Cllr Milligan.
Proposed by Cllr Bailey, seconded by Cllr Franklin and approved unanimously.

95.  To receive declarations of interest and to consider dispensation applications in relation to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests.
None declared at this time.

96.  Public Forum.
Cllr Richard Wright reported that LCC were awaiting a declaration from the new Government, especially in regard to new solar farm applications.  Concern had been raised on the possible strain of Adult Social Care following the removal of the Winter Heating Allowance.

97.  Notes of the ordinary meeting of Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council held at the Community Building at the Playing Field on Monday 08 July 2024 to be approved as Minutes.
Action: The Council RESOLVED that the notes of the ordinary meeting of Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council held at the Community Building at the Playing Field on Monday 08 July 2024 be approved as Minutes.
Proposed by Cllr Adams, seconded by Cllr Franklin and approved unanimously.

98.  Receive reports from the Clerk and Councillors in relation to the minutes and other Council matters.
No resolutions may be passed under this item but requests for matters to be placed on the next agenda can be made.

Bench – minute ref; 6.f. page 3-2024.  Bench now installed.

GOV.UK – minute ref; 15.g. page 6-2024.  .GOV.UK email addresses only, will be used for all Council communication as of 31-Aug-2024.

Play Area signs – minute ref: 84.f. page 30-2024.  New play signs received and installed.

Councillors.

Minute ref: 83. page 30-2024.  Cllr Arnold asked if there was any update on the issue of the overgrown hedges/bushes.  The matter was raised using Fix My Street (report reference number  2812156).  The matter was investigated and the final response was; “A quick note to let you know that we’re taking enforcement action. This type of action can take a long time to complete so whilst it might not look like we’re working on the issue, we’re being busy behind the scenes. Thanks for your patience. As this progresses, we’ll update you when we can. State changed to: Closed.”

Cllr Hibberd asked if the bushes/hedges on Moor Lane and Gorse Close junction could have similar action.  The Clerk was already investigating this issue.

Cllr Hibberd also aske what frequency the Neighbourhood Plan was to be reviewed?  Cllr Wright advised to await the publication of Central Government’s NPPF.  The Chair suggested New Year when the NPPF outcome was known.

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99.  Financial Matters.
a.  Approve payments made since the last meeting.

Action:  The Council RESOLVED to approve the payments made since the last meeting.
Proposed by Cllr Adams, seconded by Cllr Hibberd and approved unanimously.

b.  Approve the payments of invoices etc. as listed on the Payments to be Authorised sheet.

Action:  The Council RESOLVED to approve the Payments to be Authorised.
Proposed by Cllr Franklin, seconded by Cllr Arnold and approved unanimously.

c.  Approve the bank reconciliation for July 2024.
The Clerk reported that at the end of July, the bank accounts stood at £41,990.28, which included £586.31 on behalf of the Neighbourhood Plan fund raising Village Fayre (Aug-2017) and £11,285.55 on behalf of the Community Benefit Fund.
Action:  The Council RESOLVED to approve the bank reconciliation for July 2024.
Proposed by Cllr Arnold, seconded by Cllr Adams and approved unanimously.
* Note for end of August, £7,107.66 received from Solar Farm for Community Benefit Fund.

d.  Note the preliminary findings from the External Auditor for FY 2023/2024.
i.  The AGAR was not accurately completed before submission for review.  The smaller authority has not addressed the ‘except for’ matter raised by the external auditor when qualifying the prior year AGAR.  Assets purchased during the year had not been included in Section 2, Box 9 and should have been corrected in the prior year comparative for this year’s AGAR.

ii.  Section 1, Assertion 1 has been incorrectly completed, and should have been answered no.  The balance sheet did not balance, and lack of invoices meant an adequate audit trail had not been complied with.  This is consistent with the Internal Auditor’s response to Internal Control Objectives A and J.

iii.  Section 1, Assertion 2 has been incorrectly completed, and should have been answered no. There was no financial regulations or standing orders on the website and no way of telling if reserves were held.  This is consistent with the Internal Auditor’s response to Internal Control Objectives B and D.

Action:  The Council RESOLVED to note the preliminary findings from the External Auditor for FY 2023/2024 and await the final report.
Proposed by Cllr Arnold, seconded by Cllr Adams and approved unanimously.

e.  Consider the services of an Internal Auditor for the current FY 2024/2025.
Action:  The Council RESOLVED to approve engaging Mrs Denise Gascoyne to act as the Council’s Internal Auditor for FY 2024/2025.
Proposed by Cllr Arnold, seconded by Cllr Waring and approved unanimously.

f.  Consider the cost for Mr Anderson to attend a Play Area Inspection training event.
Action:  The Council RESOLVED to approve sending Mr Anderson on the Play Area Routine Inspection event, Thursday 12Septemebr 2024, at Washingborough Community Centre at a cost, through LALC of £72.50 (+VAT).
Proposed by Cllr Franklin, seconded by Cllr Hibberd and approved unanimously.

100.  Planning Matters.
24/0884/HOUS – Erection of single storey rear extension and new insulated flat roof to existing flat roof element at 4 Jessop Close Leasingham, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 8LJ.
Council had no comments or objections.

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101.Correspondence.
a.  LALC e-news update.  Circulated 15-Jul-2024.
b.  NKDC Funding for Capital Projects in NK – Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF).  Circulated 15-Jul-2024.
c.  LALC e news and Training Bulletin.  Circulated 29-Jul-2024.
d.  NK Parish and Town Council Newsletter – July 2024.  Circulated 29-Jul-2024.
e.  Environment Agency Maintenance update.  Circulated 29-Jul-2024
f.  LALC Training Bulletin – August 2024.  Circulated 05-Aug-2024.

102.  Consider support to Manor Farm Shop, and possibly other establishments, in their application for a Brown Tourism sign.
Action:  The Council RESOLVED to approve supporting Manor Farm Shop in their application for a Brown Tourism sign.
Proposed by Cllr Arnold, seconded by Cllr Bailey and approved unanimously.

103.  Consider the draft Health & Safety Policy, to be reviewed and amended as necessary for adoption.
The Chair thanked the Clerk for the draft document and felt it would require time to review.  The matter would be deferred until the next meeting and once the Policy had been approved as members of LALC, it could be sent to one of their ‘partners’ Worknest, for them to evaluate the content and advise of any changes.
Action:  The Council RESOLVED to defer the Policy until the September meeting.
Proposed by Cllr Bailey, seconded by Cllr Franklin and approved unanimously.

104.  Receive an update on the Emergency Plan.
The Plan was still ongoing and Cllr Bailey was just awaiting confirmation form a couple of outside agencies.
The matter of sand and sandbag storage was discussed and an area near the bottom of St. Johns Close, near the flats was suggested.  Cllr Bailey would speak to the Housing Association to discuss the matter.
Action:  The Council RESOLVED to defer the matter until the September meeting.
Proposed by Cllr Bailey, seconded by Cllr Franklin and approved unanimously.

105.  Consider the request from a parishioner for them to host a “picnic in the park” event.
It was noted that no further information had been received for the event organiser and they had posted the event as ‘cancelled’ on Facebook.

106.  Consider whether to have signage on Community Building and if so, the wording.
An appropriate sign with the following wording was discussed;
“Community Building, owned and managed on behalf of the Community by Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council”, with the contact details of the Clerk.  Prices to be obtained and presented to Council as soon as possible.
Action:  The Council RESOLVED to approve the above signage, subject to a price being confirmed.
Proposed by Cllr Hibberd, seconded by Cllr Bailey and approved unanimously.

107.  Consider dates to ‘dedicate’ the new bench installed at St. Andrew’s Crescent and install the two plaques by the celebration trees, planted for the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.
Cllr Bailey would arrange with Cllr Milligan with regard to the new bench and the dedication.
The plaques would be passed to Mr Anderson to be installed by the two trees.

108.  Confirm the date of the next meeting.
The next meeting date was confirmed as Wednesday 11 September 2024.

The meeting closed at 8:25 pm

Signature:  Original Signed

Printed Name:  Cllr Jenny Bailey

Date:  11 September 2024

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