Minutes
Full Council Meeting Minutes
Wednesday 5 July 2023 7.00pm
St Andrews Community Centre, Saxilby
Members Present:
Cllrs Ashton Derry (vice-chair), Crump, Hewes, Hillman (chair), Meanwell, Waller, and, J Willox
Apologies:
Cllrs Spurr and I Willox
In Attendance:
Lydia Hopton, Clerk
There were 8 members of the public in attendance including Cllr Lee (district councillor).
Public Participation Session
- A resident asked what was happening with the Pavilion bar and asked if could be on the agenda. The clerk explained a council decision had been made previously to outsource the bar and this still stands. However, this cannot be progressed currently as the council is waiting for a lease from the recreation ground charity. This would then potentially enable the council to sub-lease.
- The condition of Lovells estate grass verges was raised by a resident, who asked who was meant to be maintaining it. They were informed the land is still under the developer and had not been handed over to a management company who would then undertake the regular maintenance works, aside from the new burial ground which the council will maintain when it’s handed over.
- Cllr Hewes queried at length the public participation session and its inclusion, or not within the meeting and the involvement of the public in the meeting accordingly. The clerk suggested a meeting for councillors to discuss the query in more detail rather than at full council.
- The chair invited Cllr Lee (district council) to speak. He noted Cllr Brockway continues to deal with most of the local concerns and questions as she is well known in the community. He fed back from recent district council committee meetings; On the regulatory committee he reported only 20 dog fouling incidents, or so, across the district were reported between 2020-2023. Where they have been reported, patrols have been carried out and signage erected. Signage is also available for parish councils from the Enforcement Officer; The environmental and sustainability committee – now have mobile hidden cameras to record fly tipping in hot spots to prosecute perpetrators; There is a push to be carbon neutral by 2050. 30% emissions are domestic and therefore small society and behaviour changes are to be encouraged. The district council is to issue press releases from next month (60% of change relates to society and behaviour change) to encourage behaviour change. Six waste collection trucks now have solar panels which will save six tonnes of carbon emissions per annum.
Meeting
FC133/23 Receive apologies and accept valid reasons for absence, these having been submitted to the clerk prior to the meeting.
Apologies were received and accepted from Cllrs Spurr and I Willox.
FC134/23 Receive declarations of interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011.
None given.
FC135/23 To approve draft minutes, with the chair to sign and date, from:
a. 07 June 2023 Full Council
Resolved Cllr J Willox proposed the notes as minutes for 7 June 2023. This was resolved.
b. 28 June 2023 Extra-Ordinary Full Council
Resolved Cllr Ashton Derry proposed the notes as minutes for 28 June 2023. This was resolved.
FC136/23 To review the action log
Council reviewed the action log.
Community
FC137/23 Agree actions regarding a request for the date of siting the Christmas tree
Resolved The proposal in the paper was resolved for council to write to the landowner to request the Christmas tree is placed on his land and the grounds team to install the tree by Thursday 23 November. This was proposed by Cllr Ashton Derry.
FC138/23 Approve the finance committee recommendation regarding the change in library opening times
Resolved Cllr Hewes proposed the finance committee recommendations of the library opening Tue-Fri and to add to October full council to review the change in opening hours, with the library to share the latest usage statistics. This was resolved.
New Times
Closed Monday
10.30-16.00 Tuesday
10.30-13.00 Wednesday
10.30-13.00 Thursday
10.30-13.00 Friday
Current Times
Closed Monday
10.30-15.30 Tuesday
10.30-16.00 Wednesday
Closed Thursday
10.30-13.00 Friday
FC139/23 To agree a second council trustee for Saxilby’s Recreation Ground Charity
Resolved Cllr Meanwell put herself forward as a second council trustee. This was resolved.
FC140/23 To consider installing a fence on Westcroft boundary
Resolved The background paper was considered and the following was resolved:
1. Cllr Ashton Derry proposed the clerk writes to households adjoining the boundary to advise them regarding the impact of blocking up and back filling the ditches - this will flood and to not cut the hedge,
2. Cllr Hewes proposed to arrange a meeting to speak to the residents who are involved
3. Cllr J Willox proposed to install a fence (option 3 in the paper a stock fence) using capital expenditure to protect the hedge from further damage
4. Cllr Ashton Derry proposed to re-plant whips in the autumn to reinstate the hedge line
5. Cllr Ashton Derry proposed to use the capital expenditure budget for the fence
6. Cllr Crump proposed to report the matter to the police and planning enforcement
Finance and Risk
FC141/23 To review the recreation ground project list
Resolved Cllr Waller noted there is a risk to the council if Fields in Trust don’t set aside the deed of dedication – as referred to in the action list.
Cllr Hewes spoke extensively on the administrative burden that managing the charity requires
2 members of the public left 20.30pm
4 members of the public left 20.32pm
Cllr Hewes spoke on the charities plan to revert to the original indenture position of four cllr trustees rather than the current temporary requirement of two cllr trustees.
FC142/23 Burials headstone paper
2 members of the public left
Resolved
1. Cllr Ashton Derry proposed the council agrees to use up to £2,500 of the burials maintenance budget to target the highest risk memorials – with officers to determine these
2. Cllr Crump proposed that within the burial ground maintenance budget for 2024/25 further resources are budgeted to continue with the risk prioritisation remedial works, until the issue is resolved
3. Cllr Ashton Derry proposed to add the unsafe memorials to the risk register
To review and approve council documents (annual reviews, as per Standing Order)
FC143/23 Review of subscriptions and memberships of, and work with, external bodies (deferral 23-05)
Cllr Ashton Derry declared a non-pecuniary intertest.
Resolved Cllr Hillman proposed the review of subscriptions and memberships of, and work with, external bodies document and it was resolved.
FC144/23 Dignity at work policy (deferred 23/06)
Resolved Cllr Hillman proposed the dignity at work policy was approved, with points 6, 25, and 30 to refer to formal complaints about councillors bullying to be referred to monitoring officer (Ledbury). This was resolved.
FC145/23 Risk Management Policy
Resolved Deferred for further informal meeting first, finance committee Sep, and then Full Council October – Cllr Waller.
FC146/23 Health & Safety Booklet, including statement of intent and policy
Resolved Cllr Ashton Derry proposed approve with two changes - Company – “organisation” - shouldn’t have SK name on as our policy. RIDDOR reporting – Cllr Hewes to flag
2 members of the public left 20.43pm
Closed session
FC147/23 Council to resolve to go into closed session in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 for the following item(s) on the grounds that publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.
Resolved Cllr Meanwell proposed and resolved to go into closed session.
FC148/23 To consider and agree a quote for fire alarm works (smoke detector - internal staircase, wall sounder and beacon - disabled toilet, and heat detector - kitchen)
Resolved Cllr Ashton Derry proposed quote and resolved.
The meeting closed at 20.46pm
"The chairman of this meeting does not believe that the minutes of the minutes that the minutes of the meeting ot the 5th July 2023 in respect of full council were a correct record, but her view was not upheld by the meeting and the minutes are confrimed as an accurate record of proceedings (as per standing order - Minutes 9g)"
Please be advised that these are notes of the meeting taken by the assistant/clerk and cannot in any way be regarded as the official minutes of council proceedings until they are approved and signed at the next meeting.