January 2022 Minutes
KIRTON PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON THURSDAY 25TH JANUARY 2022
Present: Councillors:
P. Watson, Chair, C. Brotherton, Vice-Chair, F. Baillie, D. Brown, D. Jarvis, R. Pryke, S. Watson
Acting Clerk D. Fairweather
PUBLIC FORUM – no public present
POLICE REPORT- email received from PCSO Neil Williams to advise that Lincolnshire Police have agreed not to attend Parish Council meetings nor to give updates. Crime information is now available at Police.UK.
REPORTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES
County Councillor Ashton - Drainage project to start imminently. Details of ‘Fix our Funds, Fix our Roads’ requesting support from Councils to reinstate £12m budget cut from road maintenance in 2021/2022.
Ann Booth – Kirton Management Committee – Jubilee celebrations - they are to hold an afternoon T Party. Quite happy for PC to have an event in Rec. or later in the hall.
The floor in the entrance requires imminent work as it is becoming unsafe. A Competitive quotation of £1900 received for 9 sq metres to be lifted, supports reinforced and relayed. Agreed, due to safety issues no further quotation is required.
Management Committee to have work done. Resolved.
1-22 TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Cllr O’Connor and Borough Cllr Brookes were received and accepted.
2-22 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST UNDER THE LOCALISM ACT 2011
Cllr P. Watson declared membership of the Boston Borough Council Planning Committee and advised he would not take part in discussions on planning applications.
Cllr S Watson declared, married to Cllr P Watson who is on the Planning Committee.
3-22 TO APPROVE NOTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS.
21st October 2021, revised minutes, by acting clerk on recommendations from LALC
23rd November 2021. Following a request of amendment by a Cllr that it had been agreed Council and public be advised a meeting can be recorded. Resolved to accept as a true copy.
Extraordinary Meeting 12th January 2022. Resolved to accept as a true record.
4-22 TO RECEIVE CLERKS UPDATES
RBL flag pole – An original application had been submitted but additional information required. Application together with plans, photographic evidence and support of villagers now completed. Checked with BBC, it will not interfere with CCTV. RBL updated.
A previous request for a bench in the cemetery. Contacted resident and agreed clerk to meet in the cemetery for siting and bench be secured to a concrete base at the residents own cost.
5-22 TO DISCUSS COUNCIL’S PROPOSAL FOR JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS. Albeit late in the day for arrangements PC should hold some form of event. It was agreed Clerk liaise with Cllr Baillie as the church wishes to be involved. To be brought to next meeting.
6-22 FINANCE
A) To Approve Payment of Accounts as per schedule. Resolved
Clerk had received details of replacement CCTV. Due to poor service and reliability following issues raised by Lincs Police and the PC the long-distance wireless link between Boston and Kirton was to be replaced with a wireless transmitter in Kirton.
This would be a stand-alone service with no loss of service if connection to Boston is disrupted. Total cost of £3981. BBC propose to increase the £2000 annual monitoring and maintenance cost by £500 to help towards the cost. Clerk questioned future annual increases. BBC agreed no further increases for at least five years. Proposed, seconded and resolved to accept.
B) To Discuss and Approve Precept proposals from Finance Committee.
It had been difficult to put together budgets for the coming year with the possibility of unexpected financial commitments.
Investment not reinvested previously, but agreed by Finance Committee to do nothing further at this time until staffing issues had been resolved.
£10000 for tree works was not now showing as a reserve.
Finance Committee had originally felt a £5k increase would be sufficient but bringing to light unexpected expenditure, specifically for trees it was proposed the precept be increased from £75k to £85k. 5 fin favour, 1 against, Resolved.
C) To Discuss subscribing to Annual Training Scheme for Clerk and Councillors. The annual cost is £150 but individual session are £23 per half-day and with new councillors attending, cost-effective to pay a one-off. Any Councillor can then attend any course. Resolved to subscribe.
7-22 PLANNING
B/21/0519 33 Princess Road
B/21/0529 Bozen Hall, Wash Road
B/21/0546 Land of London Road
B/21/0434/CD1 Red Brick Barn, Drainside North.
B/19/0040/CD1 Land off London Road,
B/21/0550 43 Horseshoe Lane
B/21/0552 11 Edinburgh Crescent
No objections to any of the applications
8-22 TO RESOLVE TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO RECEIVE REPORTS AND UPDATES FROM STAFFING COMMITTEE MEETING.
Following lengthy discussions, Staffing Committee proposed legal advice be sought and an independent audit undertaken. Council agreed unanimously. Resolved to instruct LALC.
Date of next meeting Tuesday 22nd February 2022