March 2020 Minutes (Postoned)
Baumber Parish Council
Notes of (Postponed) Meeting due to be held on Wednesday 18th March 2020 @ 7.30pm Baumber Village Hall.
Due to Coronavirus Emergency Baumber Parish Council was unable convene this meeting on this date and after consultation it was resolved that the Clerk would circulate emails to Members informing & updating them of all the matters listed on the Agenda for their feedback and comment. These emails where circulated on 18th & 19th March 2020. The items were discussed over the phone and where required to do so, were agreed by resolution over the telephone between 19th & 21th March 2020.
Baumber Parish Council conducted this business in accordance with the UK Government advice - guidance available at the time.
Members: Mrs J Fable (Chairman) Vice Chairman M Jones, Cllr R Espley, M Harrison G Roberts & Clerk M Grosvenor.
64/20/03. Clerk has received formal resignation of Cllr T Riddle from BPC. Clerk to thank T Riddle for her service and to inform Monitoring Officer at ELDC.
65/20/03. Declaration of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests under the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012 made under the s.30 (3) of the Localism Act 2011 - no disclosures.
66/20/03. Minutes of last Meeting held on Wednesday 15th January 2020, reviewed agreed and then signed by Chairman as a true record of the Minutes on 21st March 2020.
Clerks report on matters outstanding:
67/20/03. Update ref: 52/20/01.Flooding on Silver St: LCC Highways have pumped out the flooded area and re dug and cleared out a drainage ditch running alongside the road from the flooded area to a drainage pipe which was blocked by silt and debris. This pipe goes under the road and drains to a pit at the back of the Scholey's crew yard. Clerk has been liaising with the affected residents and Cllr P Bradwell, (PB) to further clean up the footpath which remains covered in mud. PB has been liaising with Highways & in addition ELDC who are responsible for sweeping the road, which has been carried out on several occasions. Awaiting an update from PB re the mud and our conversations, re improved traffic calming signage as a result of the recent RTA's.
68/20/03 Update ref: 53/20/01. Highway matters etc: There has been further progress re cutting back the Leylandi trees. Three of the conifers immediately adjacent to St Swithin's access lane were felled during the recent storms. Fortunately the trees fell in away from the roadside & doing so the root balls have caused a section of the tarmac footpath to be damaged & opened up a large hole. LCC are dealing with this, following concerns raised re the safety of footpath users. There are now safety barriers in place and the trees are being cut into sections and removed. Awaiting updates by PB on the other outstanding matters.
69/20/03. Update ref:54/20/01. Community Speed watch. Clerk has continued to liaise with LRSP and have received update: Mon, 16th March 2020 "A camera van site has been identified and approved. At the review meeting last week Baumber was included on the next 6 month enforcement rota. The Parish should see a van there from April/May onwards dependant on allocation times".
Clerk has also updated PCSO N Wass re camera van and is awaiting feedback from Cllr Bradwell regarding flashing speeding warning lights.
70/20/03. Update ref:55/20/01. Footpaths. Awaiting update from Cllr Bradwell.
71/20/03 Update ref: 57/20/01. Baumber School. Clerk has been liaising with Cllr Bradwell - & awaiting further update on potential use. P Bullwinkle has advised that there have been no further issues requiring contact with LCC key holders. Cllr Jones advised that the grass has now been cut in the grounds.
72/20/03. Update ref: 63/20/01 Condition of Bus Shelter. Clerk has established it appears the shelter is the responsibility of BPC & has raised a query with Cllr Bradwell and awaiting an update. We have looked at the repairs required, which we consider do not compromise the safety of anyone using the bus shelter, these can be arranged & carried out by members of BPC.
Financial Matters & Financial Statement.
73/20/03. Financial Statement was circulated to Members @ 18/03/2020.
Bank Statement reconciliation 27-12-2019.
Opening balance: £3763.23
Less Cheques paid Jan 2020. DR £ 888.24
Sub Total £ 2874.99
Sale of 2nd Edition Historical Docs CR £ 50.00
Balance C/F. £ 2924.99
Invoices Due. March 2020.
Baumber Village Hall Hire 01/04/2019 - 31/03/2020, LALC Annual Subs, LALC Annual training subscription & Pelican Trust Historical Doc 3rd Edition
Sub Total: DR £ 379.89
Closing Balance at Year End 31/03/2020. £ 2545.10
Payments agreed and cheques issued.
74/20/03. Update ref 60/20/01. Clerk circulated Historical Document - 2nd Edition financial statement, the total revenue is £280.
75/20/03. Glendale Grass Cutting Quotation 2020, requiring approval. Clerk circulated notes setting out costs per village cut @ £143.61 an increase of 3% from £139.43 - budgeted for a 5% increase. St Swithin's cut is £145.86 also a increase of 3% from £141.61 - budgeted for a 5% increase. Members resolved to accept quotation and proceed as last year, with 5 village cuts and 2 Churchyard cuts. LCC have confirmed the Transitional payment for 2020 will be £640.03, based on 3 safety cuts which BPC achieved in 2019, despite Glendale missing 2 of the village cuts. BPC remained on budget by authorising Glendale to undertake works to clear the footpath running from the back of the School to St Swithin's.
76/20/03. Update Community Vision Parish Plan: Annual Community Meeting scheduled for 20th May 2020. It is likely that this meeting will also be postponed. Steering Group have discussed putting on hold the finalising of Parish Plan conclusions, as this was to be prepared at a meeting of a SG in early April, ready for publishing and printing for presentation at the Annual Community Meeting. BPC will need to be guided by Government Public Health statements.
Planning.
77/20/30. Update ref 61/20/01. Red Lion demolition. Clerk continued to chase ELDC and received this update on Monday 16th March 2020. (Presumably the time table provided will be dependent on availability of staff on site.)
The works on the Red Lion Inn will be carried out as follows; Asbestos removal will be completed either 17th or 18th March. Demolition will be completed either 24th or 25th March. PCA will start the final archaeological dig under the footprint of the Red Lion on Monday 6th April. Their report will follow two to three weeks later, as they have already carried out their dig on the other 4 plots.
Clerk circulated the 2 part archaeological dig report which was previously submitted and approved by ELDC, who advised the archaeological condition will be finally discharged following the last archaeological dig on the site, once the completed report is approved.
77/20/03. Eastfield Farm Caravan Park Application ref: S/122/00354/20. Re-submitted application to provide a new and second access road on to the caravan park site & existing fishery. Clerk has requested an extension to Friday 20th March from 18th March, which has been agreed.
Clerk circulated:
1. The accompanying planning statement, in 2 parts.
2. The plan of the new access which includes reconfiguring the roadside along the frontage to improve visibility for access to and from the site. (See red line)
3. Submission by LCC Highways supporting the application.
On reviewing the revised planning statement and checking the proposed new access, the applicants have addressed Members previous concerns leading to the qualified objection, which was included in the grounds of ELDC's refusal of the 1st retrospective planning application. Members resolved to support the 2nd resubmitted planning application & clerk to submit BPC's consultation response on 20th March.
78/20/03. Baumber PC new website. Clerk was due to attend a training session on 15th April, all training sessions have now been postponed until further notice. The current website will continue to function until the training session has been completed.
Correspondence.
79/20/03. Clerk is beginning to receive information re Coronavirus and will pass these on as required.
AOB
80/20/03.Clerk has been in communication with ELDC re the Great British Spring Clean campaign, which is on hold. Clerk & Chairman have agreed to request that ELDC allocate litter picker tools, rubbish bags and bag rings, as there is only a limited supply. Clerk arrange for ELDC to provide these so we are ready when the scheme is up and running later in the year. ELDC will arrange to collect the litter bags from an agreed kerbside location when they are full.
Date of Next Meeting.
81/20/03. Baumber PC's Annual Parish Council Meeting is scheduled to be held on Wednesday 13th May, however Clerk has received this notification from LALC;
For councils that are already thinking about their Annual Parish Meetings and Annual Parish Council Meetings the advice that LALC is issuing is the following: The Chairman could call an extraordinary meeting at the earliest opportunity to discuss and resolve the implications of the council not being able to meet and put a plan in place. The council could resolve to postpone the Annual Parish Meeting (held between 1 March and 1 June), should the risk of a public meeting become too high and hopefully NALC/The Government will provide further advice in regard to this over the coming days.
Clerk will keep Chairman & Members updated.
BPC concluded the matters on the Agenda for the 18th March Meeting on 21st March 2020.