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East Farleigh Parish Council > Documents > Minutes > January 2022 Monthly Council Meeting Minutes

January 2022 Monthly Council Meeting Minutes

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Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Tuesday 11th January 2022 @ 7.00pm

In The Old School Hall, Lower Road, East Farleigh

Present:              Cllrs Alex Fullwood (AF)(Chair), Gina Ashcroft (GA), Angela Howe (AH), David Hussein (DH),

                              Barry Older (BO), Adam Palmer (AP), John Wilson (JW)

In attendance: Desiree Home (Clerk)

  1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Cllr Steve Shearman (SS), PCSO

 

  1. RECORDING OF PROCEEDINGS

The Clerk was recording the meeting for the Parish Council.

 

  1. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST AND LOBBYING;

               Cllr AF                 – Planning Little Pitchford

               Cllr AH /Cllr JW – Lobbying re Planning

              

  1. EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC

Members AGREED that no items required this and is not relevant.

 

  1. MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 7th December 2021

               187.1    The Minutes of the Meeting were APPROVED as a true and accurate record.

               187.2    Matters arising from the minutes not otherwise covered in the Agenda: None.

 

  1. PLANNING; Note – Councillors and members of the public can view all Planning matters on the MBC Planning Portal https://pa.midkent.gov.uk/

                    188.1      To consider any notified Planning Applications since the last meeting:

  • 21/506117/TPOA TPO application for 1x Lime (T1) To reduce current height & spread – The deadline date for Consultee comments has expired. However, it was unanimously AGREED that EFPC would have recommended concurring with the Tree Officer’s decision.

188.2    To receive notifications of any planning decisions made by MBC since the last meeting:

  • 21/505497/FULL Sundowner, Charlton Lane – REFUSED
  • 21/505680/SUB Little Pitchford, Dean Street – APPROVED Part A and REFUSED Part B.
  • 21/506187/TCA Hoplands Lower Road – NO OBJECTION
  • 21/505679/FULL The Old Rose Garden Dean Street – REFUSED
    • To note any information reported to/received from MBC on planning enforcement issues:

None.  Clerk to produce a schedule of outstanding matters for KCC Planning Enforcement comments for the next meeting.

Action:       Clerk

  • Any other planning matters, including late planning applications:  

 

  1. PARISH COUNCILLORS/PARISHIONERS

               189.1    To report on any events (ON-LINE seminars etc) attended on behalf of the Council, including                the Clerk: None.

              

 

 

               189.2    To raise matters reported to them by parishioners:  

  • Dean Street Bus Stop/Forge Lane junction – parking issue ; It was reported that there is permanent parking on the pavement at the bus stop at this junction. The Clerk will report this to the PCSO and ask if anything can be done to prevent this problem.

Action: PCSO/Clerk

  • Anonymous Letter; A typed anonymous letter was delivered to the Parish Office post box by hand regards parking on Vicarage Lane at the junction with Lower Road. It was AGREED that whilst a reply cannot be made to the anonymous correspondent, the Clerk will request parishioners adopt a sensible approach to parking via The Grapevine and social media.

               189.3    Any other IMPORTANT/URGENT matters Councillors wish to raise NOT otherwise covered in                  the Agenda;

  • EFPC members agreed to Co-opt a Councillor to fill the vacant seat. EFPC are entitled to 9 Parish Councillors, of which at present, only 8 positions are filled.

Action: Clerk

  • The Clerk reported that SLCC are lobbying Government to allow Parish Councils to have the OPTION to use online meeting platforms, but only if they wish to do so.
  • It was reported that The Bull Inn publicity sign has been removed. It was agreed that no further action necessary unless the situation occurs again.

 

190       FINANCE

190.1    To ratify payments made since the last meeting:

  • Direct Debit BC&E People’s Pension £     16
  • Direct Debit Lloyd (EFPC Multipay Card) £     39

(includes Zoom subs/monthly Bank Charge)

  • SO Clerks Salary December 2021 £   00
  • SO Car Park Attendants Salary December 2021 £   00

190.2    The following BACS transfer payments are to be authorised on Unity Trust Internet Banking

 by 2 signatories following the meeting:

11012201          Clerks Time Sheet & Expenses November 2021              £   564.70

(note: 5 wk month & includes Laserjet printer ink/toner expenses)

11012202          L Owen Time Sheet November 2021                              £   248.64

11012203          HMRC Quarterly NIC contributions                               £     87.70

11012204          Pearsons – monthly contract/works                                £ 1652.69

11012205          AcuIT – monthly maintenance & backup                        £     73.25

*Late Invoice    11012206          npower (was E-on) Street Lighting 1-31 Dec 2021          £       8.95

190.3    Financial Statements

  • To receive the Financial Statements for the period up to 31st December 2021 which represent the state of play at the end of week 39, 2020/21
    • Any Other Financial Matters:
  • Final Budget 2022-2023; This was discussed, proposed, seconded and AGREED with 2 abstaining, with amendments as below. This represents an 8.1% increase in the Precept received of £75,000 (to be submitted to MBC before 31st Jan). This is a 6.4% increase to the Band D tax base because of decreasing tax base and rising village costs.
  • Delete the line for Diffusion Tubes as the Council agreed at previous meeting not to continue with this scheme and move the budgeted amount to Pearsons Contract.
  • It was noted that the previous draft budget did not allow for VAT on Pearsons quote, it was AGREED to make an adjustment for Pearsons’ contract to include VAT.
  • To Note: Horsewash Rent due and letter to be sent out.
  • Landscape Services Annual Contract £   94

                              (Annual contract for regular mowing of Rec Grnd  x 16 times per mowing season)            

Action: Clerk

 

  1. DEFIBRILLATORS
  • Sign on the notice board outside the OSH to show the location of the Defib.

Action: Clerk

              

  1. TRAINING; Ongoing. Cllrs are reminded to monitor emails sent from the Clerk regards forthcoming events.

Cllrs GA is attending the KALC Introduction to Planning and both Cllrs GA and AH are attending the KALC Dynamic Councillor online webinars.

Action:  ALL

 

  1. FLOOD PLAN (Flood Pod): Nothing to report.

 

  1. VILLAGE CAR PARK/REC GROUND/PLAY AREA Vicarage Lane

194.1    Car Park:  Nothing to report

                        194.2    Rec Ground: Nothing to Report. 

194.3    Play Area:  

  • The latest MBC Inspection report was received.
  • Cllr GA has received a couple of quotes for Play Area refurb.   It was AGREED to replace          the broken bench but to ask Gary Hindley for a quote for installation as Pearsons quote was too        expensive.

            Action: Cllrs AP/GA

 

  1. PEARSONS
  • Monitoring: No report this month but once new Contract agreed and signed, Cllrs SS & AP will request regular reports.

Action: Clerk/Cllr SS/Cllr AP

  • Contract Renewal: It was unanimously AGREED to try and negotiate a fairer price with Pearsons as the original quote did not include VAT as per 2022/23 agreed budget. 

Action: Clerk

 

  1. HIGHWAYS
    • Highways Working Group (HWG):
  • No report this month, meeting to be held in the next couple of
  • Public Consultation: To be finalized at the next HWG meeting.
  • Format of Reports to Council: HWG to formalise reports for Council meetings.
  • HWG to explore the cost of duplicate “Turn off Engines” signs for Station Hill.

Action:  HWG

  • Highways: Other Matters:
  • KCC Parish Fault Report received.
  • It was AGREED that the Clerk will ask Cllr Simon Webb if he has received a response from Highways.

Action:  Clerk

196.3    Highways KCC – pavements/paths (not prow); update:

  • It was reported that the new EF Primary School path is a “Private In-house” scheme with no KCC Highways input. It was noted that EFPC did not support and cannot comment on the scheme (Minutes of meeting 2nd February 2021, item 233.2).

 

197        SPEEDWATCH:   No report.  It was AGREED that the Clerk will ask Peter Beasley (PB) for an update on Speedwatch and Operation Scarecrow (including a new schedule for Police speed checks).  It was further requested that there be more “Speed camera” signs to further deter speeding through the village (HWG to investigate).

Action: PB/HWG/Clerk

 

  1. PUBLIC FOOT PATHS/RIGHTS OF WAY (PROW):
  • It was reported that with current road closure of Forge Lane, vehicles have been driving up on the bank/footpath to get around the barriers. It was AGREED that the Clerk should contact KCC roadworks dept to see if there is a possibility of extending/fixing the barriers to prevent this.

Action: Clerk

 

  1. FETE COMMITTEE &
  2. QUEEN’S PLATINUM CELEBRATION/QUEEN’S GREEN CANOPY
  • It was unanimously AGREED to amalgamate items 199 & 200, to be renamed “Queen’s Platinum Celebrations Working Party” supported by The Fete Committee, EFPC and any other village organisations who wish to be involved – Cllrs AP & GA agreed to contact EF Primary School, Pre-School, local Scouts, Brownies, WI etc. EFPC AGREED to help with finance and publicising any events which are to replace the Annual Village Fete this year. Events are to be scheduled for the Queen’s Platinum Bank Holiday weekend (2nd/3rd/4th/5th June 2022).
  • National Trust: Cllr AH reminded Cllrs that the National Trust is linking with The Woodland Trust to deliver free packs of trees to plant to commemorate this major event.  Cllr AF confirmed that 100 saplings have been ordered.

Action: ALL

 

  1. COMMUNICATIONS (Website, emails, etc); Nothing to report.

 

  1. CORRESPONDENCE
  • Heart of Kent Hospice (HokH): donation request.  It was unanimously AGREED that the HoKH would receive the usual annual S137 donation at the end of the financial year.
  • Astra Recycling: Request to locate clothes donation bins in the village.  It was AGREED that EFPC do not “own” any suitable land to accommodate recycling bins and therefore cannot accommodate this request.

 

  1. ABSENCES

    To note forthcoming absences of Councillors and Clerk.  It was noted that the Clerk has 6 days annual leave to take before the end of March 2022.  Two of these days will be 24th & 25th January when the office   will be closed.

   

  1. DATE OF NEXT PARISH COUNCIL MEETING;

               Tuesday 1st February 2022 at 7.00pm in the Old School Hall, Lower Road.

 

The meeting closed at 9.32pm