2019 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held in the Village Hall, Kettlethorpe, on Monday 04th February 2019 at 7.40 pm 

Present 

Cllr Richard Elliott, Chairman,
Cllr Richard Barnard, 
Cllr David Byrne
Cllr: Lauren Flinders
Cllr Tim O’Callaghan 
Cllr Tony Scawthon,
Mr. Ron Gee, clerk. 

1. APOLOGIES

PC Martin Doherty, PCSO Glenn Patchett.

2. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the January meeting had been circulated to all members and were proposed as  a true record by Cllr David Byrne, seconded by Cllr Richard Barnard and approved by the  meeting. 

3. MATTERS ARISING

3.1 Local Policing Issues - The Police Report for January listed 8 burglaries, 3 thefts, 2  vehicle  crimes and 1 criminal damage, none of which were in this Parish. (Correspondence  item 4.1)

3.2 Jubilee Park – 

i.  Fence painting – waiting an improvement in the weather.
  
ii. Overhanging trees – MKS had quoted £120 plus VAT to cut back the trees, but after some  discussion between members, the Chairman and Richard had carried out the work themselves  including trimming a number of other trees around the Park.  Thanks were offered by the  meeting.

3.3  Highway Matters i. Tesco grant for speed equipment - Tony had contacted Tesco  and learned that if the application is successful, the work must be completed within one year. The amount available from Tesco is not known at this stage but he offered to make further  enquiries.  Richard suggested that if we get all the purchase money that’s fine, but asked if  fund raising for this purpose is really worth doing, considering the lack of interest shown by  residents in last year’s survey.  Catherine mentioned that the majority implied that they  would not be happy if Council money was spent to support speed equipment.  On the  other hand, as pointed out by Tim, certain residents are very passionate about speed control  for Laughterton and this Council has a responsibility for the protection of children.

Depending upon the type of speed equipment being planned, i.e. the pole mounted  speed indicator or the gun, it was thought that approval from Highways and a risk assessment  may be needed.  David suggested that the guns can definitely help reduce speeding, as the  police will have the evidence for prosecution on camera, but their success is dependent upon  continued interest by the volunteers who operate the them.

The Chairman said that we do not know the cost of the speed gun or if there is a  charge for training volunteers, but Tony suggested that sharing with other villages, for  example, Torksey and Fenton could be beneficial.  In summing up, David said that we need  to know three things:-  i.  the cost of speed guns,  ii.  the cost of training,  iii.  what back up  there is.
  
ii. Newark Road verge problems - Residents of Newark Road were less than happy at  the poor quality of workmanship when LCC contractors moved street lighting poles from the  opposite side of the road into verges outside their homes.  Despite the verges being highways  owned, residents had always kept the grass neatly mown and tidy, but on completion of the  job, the verges had been left rutted and  unkempt with manhole covers standing proud above  the grass. When help was sought from the Parish Council, Tony and the Chairman visited to  look into the problem.  Photographs were taken and a full report sent to the Highways Fault  Reporting agency, and in addition, a letter of complaint was sent to the Executive  Member for Highways, Councillor Richard Davies. 

Whilst supporting the residents in their complaint, the Parish Council also thanked  LCC for providing better lighting and a safer approach to the village.

3.4 Flower trough to reset – Tim and local resident, Mr Mike Bernard had met with  some difficulty when they tried shifting the trough back into place using a teleporter,  but  they eventually got the job done by means of muscle power, with help from Richard, who  had built a new solid wooden platform for it to stand on 

3.5 Parish Council Surgery –resume’  The first Surgery was taken by Catherine, who  enjoyed a very pleasant hour or so in the Friendship, sadly uninterrupted by any Parishioner’s  questions.  The next Surgery will be taken by Tim on 11th February from  7.00 to 8.00 pm for  which the clerk will provide notices for the Parish and Village Hall notice boards.

3.6 Parish Council Dinner – all food orders have now been  received, and the list will be  taken to the Friendship in readiness for the meal on Friday 8th February, 7.00 for 7.30 pm.

3.7 Parish Council Facebook – The Chairman had spoken with one or two residents  who, it was hoped, might have better contact details for Alex, with a view to asking him to  de-activate the old Facebook.  The clerk, Catherine and her husband are to meet up with the  hope of stopping the existing site and opening up a new one.

4. CORRESPONDENCE

4.1 Police Crime Report for January

4.2 Bassetlaw D.C. – Draft Bassetlaw Local Plan

4.3 WLDC – Agenda for forthcoming meeting 

4.4 Jubilee Park – overhanging trees)

4.5 WLDC – Parish Council Elections – Thursday 02 May 2019 

4.6 LCC – Communicating better on planning 

4.7 LCC – various grants

4.8 MKS – Quotation to trim Jubilee Park trees

4.9 Verge reinstatement – Cllr Scawthon/Chair/Cllr Barnard/clerk letters 

4.10  Request- for information on PC meetings under Freedom of Information 

4.11  LALC – Power supply for defibrillator

4.12 TESCO grant

E-mailed  items for January – see list appended to these minutes 

5. PLANNING

None

6. FINANCE

6.1 Parochial Church Council, grass cutting - £556.60 (1/3 of total).  After some  discussion, a donation of £556.60 was proposed by Councillor Tim O’Callaghan, seconded by  Councillor Richard Barnard and agreed by the meeting.
 
6.2 PAYE / Salary for end January - It had agreed at the start of the financial year, that  these items should be paid monthly and consent was given by the meeting for their payment.
 
6.3 Parish Accounts - The clerk reported that £7,098 had been spent to date, leaving  £12,045 remaining in the bank, as confirmed by the Parish Accounts’ Sheet and the HSBC  bank statement.  It was agreed by the meeting that the Chairman and the clerk should sign the  accounts.

7. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION

7.1 Tree lights – Richard reported that the battery powered lights he had bought and put  on test in mid - December are still lit to date, (4th February) although a little dimmer.  They  had been running continuously since purchase under the control of a 6 hour a day timer  It  was agreed that a spare  control box and battery should be obtained in case of any future  problems.  

Catherine and the clerk will look into advising Npower as soon as possible that their  services will no longer be required when the contract runs out in November this year and  Richard offered to check the circuit breaker in the connection pillar to ensure that the  incoming supply can be totally disconnected                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
 
7.2 Smells from waste – A resident had complained to David about the dumping of  waste, creating smells close to Hatchery Lane,  thought to be from chicken waste.  Tim said  that he had already had some involvement in this issue and had advised those concerned to  log deliveries and get in touch with Environmental Health at WLDC giving them full details.   The Chairman said he was also aware of the problem and felt that the site had already been  in operation for longer than the permitted period and was being used as an unlicensed   transfer station of other  operatives’ waste.  Richard suggested that the Environment Agency  and the Rural Payments Agency would be interested in the way this site is being run..
 
7.3 Apologies - The Chairman offered his apologies as he may be absent for the next  meeting.

8. DATE OF NEXT MEETING

This will take place in Kettlethorpe Village Hall on Monday March 4th at 7.40.pm.

As there was no further business, the meeting closed at 8.45 pm.
        
E-mails circulated - January