2021 Minutes

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Minutes of the Annual Meeting of Sutton Bridge Parish Council held 6pm Tuesday, 25 May 2021, in the Bridge Room at the Curlew Centre, Sutton Bridge.

Present: Cllr Simon Booth (chairman), Cllr Anne Scarlett (vice-chair), Cllr Michael Booth, Cllr Chris Brewis, Cllr David Bruch, Cllr Kim Davies, Cllr Rachael Goodwin (to 18:11hrs), Cllr Ray Perkins, Cllr Colin Robinson, Cllr Dave Summers (to 18:11hrs), Cllr Terry York, County Cllr Jack Tyrrell, Mr Robert Smith (clerk), Mrs Karen Croxford (admin assistant), Ms Kat Wakefield (Spalding Guardian), 8 members of the public.

Cllr Simon Booth welcomed attendees to the meeting and gave instructions about the COVID-19 risk mitigation measures in place.

21.095. Election of the chair.

01. Cllr Robinson requested, in accordance with standing orders, that the vote of each councillor was recorded on this matter.

02. Cllr Robinson was proposed by Cllr Bruch, seconded by Cllr Perkins. 

03. Cllr S. Booth was proposed by Cllr Scarlett, seconded by Cllr Brewis.

04. Cllr S Booth received five votes in favour of his election (Cllr M Booth, Cllr Brewis, Cllr Davies, Cllr Goodwin, Cllr Scarlett). 

05. Cllr Robinson received four votes in favour of his election (Cllr Bruch, Cllr Perkins, Cllr Summers, Cllr York).

06. It was resolved to elect Cllr S Booth as chairman for the year 2021/22.

07. Cllr S. Booth signed the acceptance of office as witnessed by the clerk. 

21.096. Election of vice-chair

01. Cllr Robinson requested, in accordance with standing orders, that the vote of each councillor was recorded on this matter.

02. Cllr Robinson was proposed by Cllr Summers, seconded by Cllr Perkins.

03. Cllr Scarlett was proposed by Cllr Brewis, seconded by Cllr S Booth.

04. Cllr Robinson received three votes in favour of his election (Cllr Bruch, Cllr Perkins, Cllr Summers).

05. Cllr Scarlett received six votes in favour of her election (Cllr M Booth, Cllr S Booth, Cllr Brewis, Cllr Davies, Cllr Goodwin, Cllr York).

06. It was resolved to elect Cllr Anne Scarlett as vice-chair for the year 2021/22

07. Cllr Scarlett signed her acceptance of office as witnessed by the clerk.

18.11hrs Cllr Goodwin & Cllr Summers left the meeting.

21.097. No apologies were received.

After a vote by members, the chairman indicated to attendees that they could remove facemasks, 2m social distancing being maintained.

18:15hrs one member of the public left the meeting.

21.098. The following disclosable pecuniary or other interests were declared:

01. Cllr S Booth declared an interest in agenda item on Farm Business Tenancies (FBT) being a tenant of the Parish Council (minute 21.112.07 & 21.114.05).

02. Cllr M Booth declared an interest for the agenda items on FBTs, being a close relative of a tenant (minute 21.112.07 & 21.114.05).

03. Cllr D Bruch declared an interest in agenda item on Curlew Community Centre being a committee member of the Curlew Community Centre (minute 21.114.08).

21.099. The following written representations were noted.

01. Cllr M Booth reported that an email had been received from SHDC regarding a scheme being set up which involved working with children, both District Cllrs were happy for the Police room to be used for this service and a meeting would be arranged with the organisers.

21.100. It was resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 27 April 2021

21.101. The following Police matters were noted.

01. The clerk reported that a meeting would be arranged with a Police representative to discuss details of the use of the Parish Office whilst Holbeach station was refurbished.

02. Reports of a broken fence and further vandalism in the Memorial Park had been received.

21.102. The chairman reported the following matters.

01. Thanks were expressed to councillors and staff for their work during the past year dealing with the frequently changing situation relating to COVID-19.

02. It was considered that the Council had adapted well to remote working.

21.103. The clerk reported the following matters.

01. The website had been updated.

02. Legionella training had been successfully completed by Cllr Davies, Cllr Perkins, the clerk, and the administrative assistant.

03. No response had been received following contact with the Parish Council’s Community Speed Watch co-ordinator.

04. A response from Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) to queries about the marina was awaited.

05. It was intended that planning applications for this month would be dealt with via email in accordance with the Parish Council’s planning policy.

06. Enso Energy had been contacted about a community fund. It was resolved to defer this matter to the next meeting.

07. Training for councillors was being arranged at the earliest opportunity.

08. The vandalised fence had been replaced in the Memorial Park.

09. Further vandalism and anti-social behaviour (ASB) occurring in the Memorial Park had been reported to the Police and to the District Council’s ASB team.

21.104. The following reports on District and County Council matters were received:

01. District Cllr Chris Brewis

i. The next Mutual Gain meeting was to be held on the 02 June 2021. Two students from University Academy Long Sutton had designed the artwork for the logo.

ii. Following the closure of the TSB Bank in Long Sutton, banking services could be accessed every Tuesday 09:30 to 16:30hrs in the Market House, Long Sutton.

02. District Cllr Michael Booth

i. At the annual meeting of South Holland District Council Cllr Paul Redgate had been elected chairman of the Council and Cllr Andrew Woolf elected as vice-chairman.

ii. The Government had confirmed that a £2.6 million pilot scheme to tackle COVID-19 transmissions would be introduced to South Holland, Peterborough, and Fenland where infection rates were stubbornly high. If the scheme proved successful, it would be rolled out across the country.

03. County Cllr Jack Tyrrell.

i. Thanks were expressed to all those that had voted in the recent County Councillor elections.

ii. The first garden waste collection in Sutton Bridge would be available to everyone around the middle of July. Cllr Tyrrell would fund the first collection, with future funding being sought from the Parish Council and other sources. Thanks were received from members of the Parish Council.

iii. Tidying up the roundabout near the Bridge Hotel was considered a priority for action.

iv. Cllr M Booth enquired if Cllr Tyrrell could exert pressure on the District Council to resume Saturday waste collections in the village.

21.105. Financial Matters.

01. It was resolved to approve the April bank reconciliation and cash book.

18:45hrs two members of the public left the meeting.

02. It was resolved to approve payments to 25 May 2021 as below. It was noted that Cllr Scarlett and Cllr York would authorise the Unity Trust bank transfers. 

03. The following receipts were noted: bank interest £68.45; garden allotment rent £84.50; LCC receipt for maintenance of East Bank picnic site £868.00; VAT reclaim £461.17; farm business tenancy £4,884.94.

04. It was resolved to approve the bank reconciliation for the year ended 31 March 2021.

05. It was resolved to approve the asset register as of 31 March 2021.

06. It was resolved to note LGA 1972 s.137 expenditure of £3,675.00 for y/e 31/03/21, being within the limit of £28,512.64.

07. It was resolved to accept the annual internal audit certificate 2020/21 (AGAR page 3 of 6), noting that all relevant control objectives are appropriate and satisfactory, and that no weaknesses in control had been identified.

08. It was resolved to accept the detailed internal auditor’s report for 2020/21 and for the Finance Committee to consider the instigation of a suitable finance software package as recommended in the report.

09. Considering each statement in turn, it was resolved to agree and approve the annual governance statement 2020/21 (AGAR page 4 of 6) and for the chairman to sign.

10. It was resolved to approve the explanation of variance 2020/21.

11. It was resolved to approve and for the chairman to sign the annual accounting statements 2020/21 (AGAR page 5 of 6).

12. It was resolved to resolve to appoint Auditing Solutions Ltd as the internal auditor for the financial y/e 31/03/2022.

21.106. It was resolved to adopt Council’s Standing Orders as currently published, with the amendment that clause 3. Meetings held under COVID-19 emergency legislation, be deleted.

21.107. It was resolved to readopt the Council’s Financial Regulations as currently published.

21.108. It was resolved to readopt the Council’s Risk Register (financial & operational risk assessment schedule)

21.109. Terms of reference for committees and working parties.

01. It was resolved to readopt the terms of reference of the Finance Committee.

02. It was resolved to readopt the terms of reference of the Personnel Committee.

03. It was resolved to readopt the terms of reference of the Burial Ground Committee

04. It was resolved that the terms of reference of the Pavilion & Projects Committee be considered at its next meeting and that the committee’s recommendations be brought back to full Council for consideration.

05. It was resolved to readopt the terms of reference of the Open Spaces Working Party with the amendment that the chair of the committee should be elected at its first meeting.

06. It was resolved to readopt the terms of reference of the Allotments’ Working Party with the amendment that it will solely consider garden allotment matters and not the Council’s Farm Business Tenancies.

07. On a point of order, Cllr Robinson said that all comments should be directed to the chair of the meeting. This was noted by the chairman.

21.110. New committees / working parties.

01. Cllr Robinson requested, in accordance with standing orders, that the vote of each councillor was recorded on these matters.

02. A resolution to appoint a youth programme committee failed to pass. Four votes were recorded in favour of the resolution (Cllr Bruch, Cllr Perkins, Cllr Robinson, Cllr York). Four votes were recorded against the resolution (Cllr M Booth, Cllr S Booth, Cllr Brewis, Cllr Davies). There was one abstention (Cllr Scarlett). The chairman’s casting vote was against the resolution.

19:00hrs three members of the public left the meeting.

03. A resolution to appoint a committee to instigate neighbourhood development failed to pass. Four votes were recorded in favour of the resolution (Cllr Bruch, Cllr Perkins, Cllr Robinson, Cllr York). Four votes were recorded against the resolution (Cllr M Booth, Cllr S Booth, Cllr Brewis, Cllr Davies). There was one abstention (Cllr Scarlett). The chairman’s casting vote was against the resolution.

04. It was resolved to appoint a funding committee and that the chair of the committee be elected at its first meeting and for the committee to make a proposal to full Council regarding its terms of reference. Six votes were recorded in favour of the appointment (Cllr M Booth, Cllr Brewis, Cllr Bruch, Cllr Perkins, Cllr Robinson, Cllr York). One voted was recorded against the resolution (Cllr S Booth). There were two abstentions (Cllr Scarlett, Cllr Davies).

21.111. Appointments to the committees and working parties:

01. It was resolved to appoint the following members to the finance committee: Cllr S Booth, Cllr Brewis, Cllr Bruch, Cllr Davies, Cllr Goodwin, Cllr Scarlett, Cllr York.

02. It was resolved to appoint the following members to the personnel committee: Cllr Brewis, Cllr Bruch, Cllr Davies, Cllr Goodwin, Cllr Scarlett, Cllr York.

03. It was resolved to appoint the following members to the burial ground committee: Cllr S Booth, Cllr Brewis, Cllr Davies, Cllr Scarlett.

04. It was resolved to appoint the following members to the pavilion and new projects committee, to be reviewed in six months: Cllr S Booth, Cllr M Booth, Cllr Brewis, Cllr Bruch, Cllr Davies, Cllr Goodwin, Cllr Perkins, Cllr Robinson, Cllr Scarlett, Cllr Summers, Cllr York, Mr D. Earth (co-opted). Mr D Smith (co-opted).

05. It was resolved to appoint the following members to the funding committee: Cllr Brewis, Cllr Bruch, Cllr Perkins, Cllr Robinson, Cllr York. Cllr Davies abstained from voting.

19:22hrs Cllr Robinson left the meeting. 

06. It was resolved to appoint the following members to the open spaces working party: Cllr Davies, Cllr Perkins, Cllr Robinson, Cllr Scarlett.

Cllr S Booth & Cllr M Booth declared an interest in the following agenda item and did not take place in discussions.

07. It was resolved to appoint the following members to the Garden allotments working party: Cllr Brewis, Cllr Davies, Cllr Goodwin, Cllr Perkins.

08. It was resolved to appoint the following members to the Footways and Byways working party: Cllr C Brewis, Cllr D Bruch, Cllr Perkins.

19:25hrs Cllr Robinson returned to the meeting.

21.112. Representatives on outside bodies:

01. It was resolved to appoint the following to the Allen’s and Thomas Blank’s charities: Cllr Scarlett, Cllr York, Mrs York (co-opted).

02. It was resolved to appoint the following to the Curlew Community Centre: Cllr Scarlett. 

03. It was resolved to appoint the following to The Wash & North Norfolk Marine Partnership: Cllr Brewis, Cllr York.

04. It was resolved to appoint the following to the Voluntary Car Scheme: Cllr M Booth, Mr Grimwood (co-opted).

05. It was resolved to appoint the following to the Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils (LALC): Cllr Brewis.

06. It was resolved to appoint the following to the Sutton Bridge Power Station liaison group: Cllr Brewis, Cllr Bruch, Cllr York. 

07. It was resolved to appoint the following to the Suttons’ emergency planning: Cllr M Booth, Cllr Perkins, Cllr York.

08. It was resolved to appoint the following to the Charter of friendship group: Mr Grimwood (co-opted).

21.113. Agreements and arrangements with other local authorities, not-for-profit bodies, and businesses:

01. It was resolved to note the agreement to April 2022 with LCC to maintain the East Bank picnic site. The following year’s agreement to be considered January 2022.

02. It was resolved to note the agreement to April 2022 to undertake highways verge grass cutting on behalf of LCC. The following year’s agreement to be considered December 2021.

03. It was resolved to note the ongoing agreement to provide agency litter picking on behalf of the District Council.

04. It was resolved to note the agreement to 31/12/21 for Heronwood Landscapes to provide grass cutting services to the Council. Agreement for 2022 to be considered October 2021.

Cllr M Booth & Cllr S Booth declared an interest in the following item concerning FBTs and did not take part in discussions.

05. It was resolved to note the FBT agreements to 10/10/25, with earliest rent review 11/10/23 and break clause with 12 months’ notice in respect of planting a community woodland.

06. It was resolved to note the garden allotment agreements. The allotment working party was to consider a rent review at its next meeting.

07. It was resolved to note the pavilion and pitch fees agreement with SBUFC to 31/03/22. To be reviewed at the September meeting.

Cllr Bruch declared an interest in the following item concerning the Curlew Centre lease and did not take part in discussions.

08. It was resolved to note the lease to 05/01/22 with the Curlew Centre for the use Parish Council office. To be considered at the July meeting.

21.114. It was resolved to note the long-term insurance undertaking via broker BHIB to 29/09/23.

21.115. Council and staff subscriptions

01. It was resolved to note the Council’s LALC subscription @ £739.85 to 31/03/22.

02. It was resolved to note the Council’s Zoom subscription via LALC @ £119.90 to 22/04/22.

03. It was resolved to note the Council’s Microsoft 365 subscription Business Standard 2 user licence @ £225.60 p.a. renews 25/04/22.

04. It was resolved to note the Council’s Data Protection Registration £35.00 p.a.

05. It was resolved to note the Council’s previously approved Microsoft 365 Business Basic x 12 users @ £3.80 user/month (for councillor email accounts) – 12-month commitment.

06. It was resolved to note the Clerk & Admin Asst Adobe Acrobat Pro 2 users £12.64/month/user less TSLPC £4.22/month/user contribution.

07. It was resolved to note the clerks SLCC subscription @ £210.75 p.a. to 30/09/21.

21.116. It was resolved to readopt the Council’s complaints procedure.

21.117. Procedures and practices in respect of its obligations under freedom of information and data protection legislation (see also standing orders 12, 21 and 22).

01. It was resolved for the clerk to revise the publication scheme and resubmit to the Parish Council for approval and adoption.

02. It was resolved to readopt the data protection policy.

03. It was resolved to readopt the publication scheme.

04. It was resolved to readopt the document retention policy.

05. It was resolved to readopt of the Council’s policy for dealing with the press/media.

21.118. Council’s employment policies and procedures.

01. It was resolved to readopt the Council’s sickness & absence policy.

02. It was resolved to readopt the Council’s equality policy.

03. It was resolved to readopt the Council’s disciplinary & grievance procedure.

04. It was resolved that ordinary meetings of the Parish Council up to and including the next annual meeting were to take place at 19:00hrs on a Tuesday in the Curlew Centre on the following dates: 

i. 29 June 2021

ii. 27 July 2021

iii. No meeting was scheduled for August.

iv. 28 September 2021

v. 26 October 2021

vi. 30 November 2021

vii. 14 December 2021

viii. 25 January 2022

ix. 22 February 2022

x. 29 March 2022

xi. 26 April 2022

xii. 31 May 2022 – Annual Meeting.

21.119. Matters to be included on the agenda of a future meeting.  

01. To consider a date for holding a Parish Meeting.

02. To consider the introduction of identification cards/lanyards for staff and councillors.

03. To consider a date for a meeting with the LCC Highways Officer. Suggestions regarding highways matters also to be raised.

04. To consider reports of overgrown hedges obstructing the pavement, following a recent accident involving a pedestrian. 

05. To consider ideas, suggestions, and projects for a local community benefit fund to be set up by Enso Energy in respect of the proposed Gunthorpe Road Solar Farm.

06. To consider the Council’s publication scheme policy.

07. The office lease with the Curlew Centre to be considered at the July meeting.

08. SBUFC pitch and pavilion fees for 2022/23 to be considered at the September meeting.

09. Grass cutting agreement for 2022 to be considered at the October meeting.

21.120. It was resolved to move into closed session on the grounds of confidentiality by virtue of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 s.1(2).

19:53hrs Cllr Jack Tyrrell, two members of the public,and one member of the press, left the meeting. 

21.121. Quotes for works relating to the Parish Council’s assets.

01. It was resolved to repair the adult exercise equipment @ £180.00.

02. It was resolved to reposition the fence growing in the Oak tree next to the Curlew Centre @ £50.00. 

03. It was resolved to proceed with work to tidy up the ‘Commemorative Wood’ area and plant two new trees @ £280.00.

04. It was resolved to mark out the allotments at Wright’s Lane at a cost of up to £350.00.

The chairman closed the meeting at 20:05hrs.