SELLACK PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF SCHEDULED MEETING HELD ON
TUESDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2021
IN THE LOUGH POOL AT 7.30PM
Present: Cllrs Mark Robinson (Vice Chair), Sarah Aitken, Nick Washington and Paul Franklin
In attendance: Claire Vaughan (Clerk)
Residents: None.
1.Apologies were received from Cllr Mark Whittal.
1.1 County Cllr Elissa Swinglehurst and Terry Griffiths, parish lengthsman were unable to attend.
2.Declarations of Interests – There were none.
3.Minutes of meeting held on 13th July 2021
It was RESOLVED to adopt the above minutes, subject to the following amendment:
3.1 Item 9.3 to read ‘It was RESOLVED that the Clerk would contact Balfour Beatty to request that funding be made available until the end of this financial year’.
The minutes were then signed by the Vice Chairman.
4. Report from County Councillor Elissa Swinglehurst
Councillor Elissa Swinglehurst had circulated her monthly report, which was discussed and noted.
4.1 The Chair agreed to move agenda item 12.6 (bus service) as it was also raised in the County Councillor’s report.
It was RESOLVED that the council would write to the Cabinet Member for Transport to raise their concerns regarding the reduced No.44 bus service.
4.2 Regarding the Queen’s platinum jubilee referenced in the County Councillor’s report, it was RESOLVED that the clerk would contact Herefordshire County Association of Local Councils (HALC) to check the process for planting a tree on common land. It was RESOLVED that Cllr Aitken would have initial discussions with residents in and around Sellack Marsh to gauge opinion about planting a tree alongside the Millennium Oak and feedback to the next meeting.
5.Open Public Session
There were no residents present to raise views.
6.Report from Parish Footpath Officer and Lengthsman Report
6.1 Cllr M Robinson, Parish Footpath Officer, provided the following update:
6.1.1 SK8 and SK10-11 – new metal gate installed by the lengthsman and marker post SK10-11 reinstalled.
6.1.2 Footpaths SK10/SK11 (through the woods – from the Lough Pool Pub to the church and back of Lawless Cottage) – Cllr Robinson thanked Cllr Washington for his assistance with clearing the vegetation along these footpaths.
6.1.3 Wooden stiles at church – The Parish Council still requires confirmation from the parish lengthsman of the type of wooden gate and self-closing mechanism to be used to replace the present stiles. It was RESOLVED that, after this confirmation had been obtained, Councillor Robinson would then liaise further with the landowner to obtain formal written approval for such replacement works.
It was also RESOLVED that the Parish Footpath Officer would confirm the priority stiles (as agreed at Council in December 2020) with the parish lengthsman.
6.2 Terry Griffiths, parish lengthsman, was not present but provided an update in advance of the meeting. Council noted the report.
6.2.1 Caradoc Lodge Road Bridge Culvert at Lough Pool – It was RESOLVED that the clerk would confirm the generic email address for Balfour Beatty so as to check with them, and the parish lengthsman, the progress of carrying out further works to this culvert
6.2.2 Corner Cottage Works – It was RESOLVED that the clerk would ask the parish lengthsman when the work to put in the new pipe would be completed.
6.2.3 Lower Grove Common Pond – The parish lengthsman needs to know the ownership of this land. It was RESOLVED that Cllr Robinson would endeavour to carry out land registry searches to ascertain the ownership.
6.2.4 It was RESOLVED that the Clerk would submit the drainage grant invoice ‘Sellack DG001’,totalling £8450.00 net, to Balfour Beatty, for works completed to date and pay Terry Griffiths on receipt of the funding.
7.To approve and adopt the following new policies
Council RESOLVED to approve and adopt the following policies:
7.1 Working group protocol (new) – review date agreed as September 2023.
7.2 Social media policy (new) – review date agreed as September 2023.
8.Backney Bridge Picnic Site (BBPS)
8.1 There was no further update on the picnic site.
8.2 BBPS working group – It was RESOLVED that a working group would be formed and it was that Cllr Aitken would chair that group and that she and the clerk would draft objectives, scope and outcome for the working group and present them for consideration and approval at the next meeting.
9.Website
9.1 Cllr Washington fed back to council on his research into developing a new website for the parish council. It was RESOLVED that the clerk would instruct Herefordshire County Association of Local Councils (HALC) to develop a gov.uk website for the parish council. The council noted the cost associated with this as follows:
- Upfront cost- £125 for initial two-year hosting of the website by HALC plus £650 for the new website (which includes free training, uk email addresses for you all and 10 months free support).
- Ongoing cost- £100 per annum (following the initial 10 months free) support plus £125 every two years (next payment end of 2023) to HALC for hosting the website.
9.2 It was RESOLVED that the clerk would set up and manage a Facebook account for the parish council. Cllr Aitken stressed the importance of utilising the account for emergency planning purposes.
10. Finance
10.1 The Council noted the bank balance as £11,946.23 on 4/9/21.
10.2The Council noted payment of the following invoices under the Clerk’s delegated powers:
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- HALC Clerk recruitment invoice H1355 – £200.00 plus VAT
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10.3 Invoices for payment – it was RESOLVED to pay the following invoices:
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- Clerks C Vaughan salary – July and August
- Clerks C Vaughan salary – September
- HMRC PAYE and NI (July-Sep) – £278.59
- Autela Payroll Services invoice 6873 – £36.25 plus VAT
- Terry Griffiths contracts invoice TGC1563 – £1496.00 plus VAT.
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It was RESOLVED that the clerk would speak to the parish lengthsman to request that amount of hours/days worked be included on invoices going forward.
10.4 To consider proposed changes to banking arrangements for the council – It was RESOLVED to move the parish council’s bank account to Unity Trust Limited as soon as possible. Council noted that this would incur a monthly account charge of £6.
10.5 To consider development of a finance working group – It was RESOLVED to discuss this at a future meeting.
10.6 No immediate financial risks were identified.
11. Planning
11.1 The Council noted the planning applications received and decisions made from Herefordshire Council since the last meeting.
12. Updates:
12.1Defibrillator – It was RESOLVED that the parish council would purchase a new set of electrode pads for the defibrillator located at the village hall, at a cost of £36.50.
12.2Village Hall public noticeboard – The parish clerk informed council that the noticeboard had been cleaned and would be painted shortly.
12.3 Speeding issues on road by Picts Cross/Loughpool – It was RESOLVED that Cllr Robinson and the clerk would return a community commissioning assessment request form to Balfour Beatty requesting a quote for slow markings.
12.4WW1/2 Plaques – It was RESOLVED to include an armistice link on the Parish Council website (once developed) including the stories and walking route created.
12.5War memorial – no further update.
13. Information Sheet
The Parish Council noted the correspondence received and Clerk’s information sheet.
14. Matters arising after the preparation of this agenda
None.
15. Future meetings
- It was RESOLVED that the following items be included on future agendas:
- Setting the precept – November meeting
- BBPS working group – November meeting
- Finance working group
- Drainage work and outstanding works
- Website
16. Next Scheduled Meeting: Tuesday 9th November at 7.30pm at Sellack Village Hall.
Meeting closed at 21:36.