Full Council Minutes - 1 April 2020 - 31 March 2021

28 July 2020

Minutes of an ordinary meeting of Ruskington Parish Council held remotely on Tuesday 28 July 2020 at 7.00pm via Microsoft 365 Teams. 

Present: 

Chairman 

Cllr Conway 

Councillors: 

     

P Cunningham, P N Dean, C Fryer, S Tonge, K White, R Langley, T Dixon 

Also in attendance: 

Mrs Kathryn Locke (Clerk to the Parish Council), D/Cllr Richard Wright 

Apologies:  

Cllr S Johnstone, Cllr Trolley 

No members of the public were in attendance. 

The Chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm. 

1.  To receive and accept apologies where valid reasons for absence have been given to the Parish Clerk prior to the meeting. 

Apologies had been received from Cllr Johnstone and Cllr Trolley and their reasons for absence were known. 

Action: The Council RESOLVED to accept Cllr Johnstone’s and Cllr Trolley’s valid reasons for absence. Proposed by Cllr Fryer, seconded by Cllr Dixon and approved unanimously. 

2. To receive declarations of interest and to consider applications for dispensations in relation to DPIs. Disclosure of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests is to be in accordance with the Localism Act 2011 and to consider any applications for dispensations in relation to DPIs.   

None were made at this time. 

3. Election of a vice-chairman for Ruskington Parish Council. 

No nominations had been received and this item was deferred to the next ordinary meeting. 

4. To approve as a correct record the notes of the extra-ordinary meeting of Ruskington Parish Council held remotely on Monday 13 July 2020. 

Action: The Council RESOLVED to approve the notes of the extra-ordinary meeting of Ruskington Parish Council held on Monday 13 July 2020 as accurate minutes. Proposed by Cllr White, seconded by Cllr Tonge and approved unanimously. 

5. Financial Matters (Circulated prior to the meeting) 

    5.1 Approval of payments made since the last ordinary meeting held on 30 June 2020. 

Action: The Council RESOLVED to approve all payments made since the last meeting held on 30 June 2020. 

Proposed by Cllr White, seconded by Cllr Cunningham and approved unanimously. 

 

    5.2 To consider approval of payments made in July 2020. 

Action: The Council RESOLVED to approve all payments made in July 2020. Proposed by Cllr Dixon, seconded by Cllr Cunningham and approved unanimously. 

    5.3 To consider approval of the bank reconciliations since the last meeting held on Tuesday 30 June 2020. 

Action: The Council RESOLVED to accept the bank reconciliations since the last meeting held on Tuesday 30 June 2020. Proposed by Cllr Dixon, seconded by Cllr Dean and approved unanimously. 

6. Review of Covid-19 measures in place for the following, and any agree any amendments required: 

6.1 & 6.2 Following a proposal by Cllr White, Chairman of the Recreation Committee, it was unanimously  agreed to discuss agenda items 6.1 and 6.2 in Closed Session at the end of the meeting. 

     6.3 Multi-use games area (currently closed).  

Action: Following further government and Football Association guidance, once the Covid notices had been amended and erected the MUGA could be prepared for opening. 

     6.4 Sports Pavilion (currently closed) 

Action: Following the latest guidance the toilets at the Pavilion could be opened for half an hour before and half an hour after a training session or match only.  

7. To receive reports from committees: (Reports circulated prior to the meeting) 

     7.1 Annual internal auditors report. 

Cllr Conway, as Chairman of the Finance and Policy Committee advised that the report had been praiseworthy,  favourable and commended the Council and RFO on their organisation and efficiency.  

     7.2 Cllr Conway, Chairman of the Environment Committee 

A response to further correspondence regarding the grass cutting at Horseshoe Hollow was awaited from the contractor.  A review of the waste policy due to the imminent move to new premises had been undertaken by the Recreation Committee. Ways to encourage the reporting of fly-tipping to be discussed at the next committee meeting on 18 August 2020. 

Action: The Council RESOLVED that that only general waste could be collected and disposed of in the Council’s bins and all fly-tipping had to be left in-situ and reported to NKDC to enable prosecution. Proposed by Cllr White, seconded by Cllr Cunningham and approved unanimously.  

     7.3 Cllr Fryer, Friends of Horseshoe Hollow 

  • A volunteer tidy-up of Horseshoe Hollow had taken place. The area looked well kept, well used, and well looked after. The next tidy-up was to take place on 16 August 2020. 

     7.4 Cllr White, Chairman of the Recreation Committee 

  • A netball team had shown interest in using the MUGA. 

     7.5 Cllr Dixon, Chairman of the HVCS Committee 

The scheme remained out of operation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Callers were referred to alternate hospital transport schemes that were still operating.  

     7.6 Cllr Cunningham, Chairman of the Planning Committee 

  • Change of use for the new parish office had been submitted to NKDC. 

  • Telephone boxes may be removed from Fen Road and Lincoln Road. 

  • The number of dwellings for the land off Lincoln Road had been reduced to 190 which remained over the number allocated in the Local Plan. 

8. Christmas 2020 – lit Christmas trees for the High Street business premises 

Action: The Council RESOLVED to erect lit Christmas trees on High Street premises with agreement from the premise’s owners, within a budget of £370.00. Proposed by Cllr White, seconded by Cllr Dean and approved unanimously. 

9. Youth Achievement Award 2020 

Action: The Council RESOLVED to arrange a Youth Achievement Award for 2020 within a budget of £185.00 and with better publicity. Proposed by Cllr White, seconded by Cllr Cunningham and approved unanimously. 

10. Correspondence  - for information only 

Two messages to the Council’s Facebook page regarding the use of Horseshoe Hollow and the possible erection of information notices had been received and would be considered by the Environment Committee at their next meeting. 

11. To receive Councillors’ reports for information only and items for inclusion on the next agenda.  

Cllr White reported the increase in traffic, speeding, heavy goods vehicles on the village roads and  motorbike racing on Rectory Road. The possibility of a Community Speed Watch scheme and other measures to reduce speeding would be considered at the ordinary August meeting. 

Cllr Cunningham asked D/Cllr Wright about a visit by the County Councillor for Highways regarding required improvements to the Willow Lane /A153 junction. This had not yet taken place. 

Cllr Tonge mentioned the negative publicity the Council had received following the resignation of a councillor and their comments on social media, and how this was deterring applicants from applying for co-option to the council. 

The Clerk advised that in addition to her written report, there were currently two parish councillor vacancies and the information and advert had been shared on social media. The Clerk was attending remote training with LCC on 30 July for the setting up of a new and accessible Council website. 

12. To receive District and County Councillors’ Reports – for information only 

D/Cllr Wright advised that: 

  • NKDC were in the recovery phrase of Covid but support for those in need was still available 

  • £20million of grant funding had been allocated to support small businesses and applications were still welcome 

  • Preparation for the review of possible local government restructuring continued 

  • The planning department was busy 

  • NK owned facilities and attractions were open or re-opening and the council were finding ways to allow the public into the council offices for the conducting of essential business 

13. To resolve whether to exclude the public and press, in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960, to discuss the following staffing, legal and contractual matters.  

Action: The Council RESOLVED to exclude the public and press to discuss the contractual and staff matters. Proposed by Cllr Dean, seconded by Cllr Fryer and approved unanimously. 

The Chairman closed the meeting at 8pm and D/Cllr Wright left the meeting. 

The meeting re-opened at 8.01pm. 

13.1 Report from Cllr White, Chairman of the HR Committee. 

  • The HR Committee had held a working party meeting and committee meeting, and advice had been sought from LALC and their recommended HR adviser. An HR issue had arisen and a planned meeting with employees had been deferred because of this.  

13.2  Report from Cllr Conway, Chairman of the Office Relocation Committee, including possible future use of the residential part of the property. 

  • Weekly meetings of the Office Relocation Committee were being held. An incidental expenditure budget of £3,000 had been agreed and would be recouped from committee budgets that were underspent. The use of the current residential part of the property could be for community use, such as a venue for meetings, office space or a “hot desking” facility. 

13.3 Request from a Council caretaker to relocate the workshop and rest room to Parkfield changing rooms. 

Action: The workshop and restroom would be located at the new office premises and the changing rooms were not to be used as a workshop or restroom. 

13.4 To consider a request from a Council caretaker to undertake the grass-cutting at Horseshoe Hollow. 

Action: An agreed contractor would  be cutting the grass in Horseshoe Hollow. 

Agenda items 6.1 and 6.2 from above were considered at this point. 

6.1 Play areas 

These were open but a complaint from a member of the public was being investigated. 

     6.2 Public and disabled toilets  

The disabled toilets were open, but the ladies and gents’ toilets remained closed. A review of the public toilets and their usage was required.  

 The Chairman closed the meeting at 8.34pm.