12 December 2023
Notice of a meeting of Ruskington Parish Council
Dear Sir/Madam,
I hereby give you notice that a meeting of Ruskington Parish Council will be held on Tuesday 12 December 2023 at the Winchelsea Centre, 11 High Street North, Ruskington, NG34 9DY at 7pm. A public session, lasting no more than 15 minutes, commences at 7pm. Members of the public and press are welcome to attend. Alternatively, questions or short statements can be submitted to the Clerk in advance of the meeting.
All Members of the Parish Council are summoned to attend for the purpose of considering and resolving upon the business to be transacted at the meeting, as set out hereunder.
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Signed: K H Locke |
K H Locke |
Date: 7 December 2023 |
Agenda
1. Apologies for absence. To receive and accept apologies where valid reasons for absence have been given to the Parish Clerk prior to the meeting.
2. To receive Declarations of Interest under the Localism Act 2011- being any pecuniary interest in agenda items not previously recorded on Members’ Register of Interests.
3. To approve as a correct record the notes of the meeting held on Tuesday 14 November 2023.
4. Financial Matters (Information previously circulated).
4.1. To consider approval of payments made since the last meeting held on 14 November 2023.
4.2. To consider approval of the bank reconciliations for October and November 2023.
4.3. To receive the quarterly financial report as prepared by the RFO.
4.4. To consider the recommendations below from the Finance Committee for the hire of the sports facilities at Parkfield playing fields in FY 2024/2025 following a meeting on 5 December 2023.
a. The fees for 20204-2025 for sports clubs to use the pavilion, MUGA, playing field and changing room to remain the same as the current year.
b. Fees for the Lions Junior Football Club to use the pavilion, pavilion kitchen and playing fields to remain the same as the current year (£1,500).
c. Fees for Ruskington Athletic Football Club to use the Changing Rooms and a pitch to remain the same as the current year (£500.00)
d. Hire of the Pavilion and Parkfield facilities for non-sporting activities.
4.5. To consider the recommendations of the Finance Committee for fees for the following:
a. To increase the cemetery fees in line with inflation for FY 2024/2024.
b. To increase the allotment fees from £25.00 to £27.50 per plot from 1 October 2023 to reflect the cost of maintenance and water bills.
4.6. To consider the company recommended by the Finance Committee for the hire of the Mercedes-Benz Evito L2.
4.7. To consider the quote recommended by the Finance Committee for the superfast broadband for the Parish Office and office spaces at the rear of the property.
4.8. To consider the recommendation of the Finance Committee to round up the £ 930.69 remaining CIL money to £1,000 for replacing all the tubs beside the Beck with tubs made of recyclable materials.
4.9. To consider the allocation of up to £500.00 for the purchase of two second-hand desks and two chairs for the offices at the rear of the parish council and then review requirements in six months as recommended by the Finance Committee.
4.10. To consider the recommendation of the Finance Committee that the internal audit for 2023/2024 be arranged via the Lincolnshire Association for Local Councils (LALC).
4.11. To consider the recommendation for replacing the goalposts at Parkfield playing field as the current posts have reached their end of life.
4.12. To consider the revised superfast broadband quotes from BT as recommended by the Finance Committee following their meeting on 5 December 2023.
4.13. To consider the recommendation of the Finance Committee to allocate £3,000 to the budget for 2024/2025 for the purchase of an interactive speed sign for Lincoln Road.
4.14. To consider membership to Caring for God’s Acre for specific advice on the rewilding and maintenance of churchyards at a cost of £100.00 per annum.
4.15. To consider the expenditure to improve the path at the Memorial Garden.
4.16. To consider a request for purchasing equipment for the Emergency Plan and general use at a cost of £281.09 (excluding VAT).
4.17. To consider the quotes to replace the 2 council owned defibrillators which were out of warranty.
4.18. To consider a quote from the air-conditioning company to relocate one of the air-conditioning units, if available.
4.19. To review the use of Edge software for the Council’s financial accounting.
4.20. To consider the draft budget for 2024-2025 following a meeting of the Finance Committee held on 5 December 2023.
5. To receive an update on co-option to Ruskington Parish Council.
6. To receive the Clerk’s report – for information only.
7. To consider / approve the policy documents below:
7.1. Annual Investment Policy following review by the Finance Committee on 5 December 2023.
7.2. Salting and Gritting Policy
8. To approve the terms of Reference for the Finance Committee as recommended by the Finance Committee.
9. To appoint Members to the following joint committees:
9.1. Recreation and Environment
9.2. Estate Management and Planning
10. To consider obtaining legal advice for the review and update of the Council’s byelaws.
11. To consider the recommendation from the Finance Committee following a meeting held on 5 December 2023 to stop publishing the Signpost Magazine after the Spring 2024 edition.
11.1. To consider the Communication Working Party reviewing how residents wanted to receive council news and local information, such as by a newsletter via Mailchimp or a 4-sided newsletter as a hardcopy.
12. To consider the Estate Management Committee researching the fees and booking system for hiring the offices spaces at the rear of the office property once the building work is completed.
a. To consider the Estate Management Committee having devolved powers of expenditure to an agreed limit.
13. To consider the recommendation from the Finance Committee following a meeting on 5 December 2023 regarding the request from a resident to repair their garden fence which borders Parkfield carpark. (Information previously circulated.)
14. To consider leasing the pavilion to the Lions Junior Football Club on a full repairing lease for a peppercorn rent following a feasibility study and consultation with the football club.
15. To consider the opening hours for the parish office.
16. To consider a request from South Lincs Church for the parish office to become a distribution centre for warm packs to be collected by referring agencies. (Information previously circulated.)
17. To consider responses to the review of communication between Council and its Members.
18. Planning applications received from NKDC since the last meeting.
a. Planning Application Reference: 23/1254/FUL
Proposal: Change of use from residential to mixed use of residential and dog training
facility including the erection of a timber dog training building.
Location: Fontmell Fen Road Ruskington Sleaford Lincolnshire
b. Application Reference: 23/1232/FUL
Proposal: Erection of 3no detached bungalows and 4no detached houses with garages
on Plots 138-144 (formerly 6 pairs of semi-detached houses Plots 135-146) and revised
bungalow types (Plots 111 and 188)
Location: Flaxwell Fields Off Lincoln Road Ruskington Sleaford Lincs
c. Application Reference: 23/1367/HOUS
Proposal: Replace existing wooden windows with UPVC double glazed windows
Location: Brook House 42 Manor Street Ruskington Sleaford Lincolnshire
18.1. Application for work to a tree subject to a Tree Protection Order (TPO)
Application reference: 23/1358/TPO
Description of works: T1- Lime - Reduce lime tree by 2 metres in height and 1.5 metres in spread. Remove any large diameter deadwood Location: 7 Brauncewell Close, Ruskington, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 9EG Parish: Ruskington
18.2 Planning application withdrawn by applicant
Application Reference: 23/0756/VARCON
Proposal: Application to vary conditions 2 (approved plans), 3 (materials) and 13 (occupancy) and removal of condition 14 (register of occupancy) attached to planning permission 19/1378/FUL (allowed under appeal ref: APP/R250/W/20/3250667)
Change of Use of land at Priory Lakes for creation of Holiday Park including stationing of 35 lodges and one unit for office /reception - to allow for residential occupancy for persons over 50 Location: Priory Lakes Priory Road Ruskington
Please note it has now been withdrawn by the applicant and no further action will be taken.
19. – For information only. (Circulated prior to the meeting.)
a. LALC (via email) – Fortnightly newsletter
b. NK Talk Planning – Adoption of the Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document by the Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee, and Transport Strategy.
c. Resident (via email) – Request for a parking permit for Walnut Close (Deferred to County Councillor Wright.)
d. Resident (via email) – Notice of fence and hedge work at Larch Close bordering Elmtree play area.
e. Fairfield Community Farm (via email) – Request for support for a planning application. (Council had already submitted supportive comments to NKDC and was unable to help further.)
f. Methodist Church (via email) – Thank you letter following donation towards the Warm Space Initiative.
g. Broken IX Cricket Team (via email) – Withdrawal their request to use an area of Parkfield playing fields.
h. South Lincs Church (via email) – Request for Council to be a collection point for warm packs. Packs funded by the Winter Pressures budget.
i. NKDC Corporate and Civic Support (via email) - Public consultation on the Polling District and Polling Place Review 2023.
j. Resident (via email) – Thank you for the Remembrance Sunday service and suggestion for an improved sound system. (Request sent to the Parish Church as the organiser of the sound system.)
k. Resident (via email) - Request for no parking sign on Walnut Close. (Referred to County Councillor Wright.)
l. Resident of nearby village (via email) – Request for double yellow lines on both sides of Sleaford Road between the mini-roundabout and the pedestrian crossing. (Information forwarded to County Councillor Wright).
m. Resident (via email) – Request for Council to consider the purchase of land on Manor Street to extend Horseshoe Hollow flood basin. (No information on the sale of the land found.)
n. Lincolnshire Voluntary Engagement Team (Via email) – Information regarding webinars for warm pack distribution centres.
o. LALC (via email) - Notification of School Admission Policy Consultations 2025/26 for St Peter and St Paul Catholic School in Lincoln.
p. Ruskington Methodist Church (via email) – Thank you to the Council for the village Christmas trees and the tree for the Methodist Church.
q. NKDC (via email) – Precept information and calculator for fiscal year 2024-2025.
r. Leasingham Resident (via email) – Questions re flooding in Leasingham. (Signposted to Leasingham Parish Council.)
s. NKDC (via email) - Public path extinguishment order and notice for footpath No.2 in the Parish of Ruskington running from Rectory Road at Point A (OSGR TF 0791 5091) in a southerly direction for approximately 141 metres to Hurn Close at Point B (OSGR TF 0791 5077). Information published as requested.
20. To receive Councillors’ reports for information only and items for inclusion on the next agenda. Councillors are requested to use this opportunity to report minor matters of information not included elsewhere on the agenda and to raise items for future agendas.
21. To receive District and County Councillors’ Reports – for information only. (Any items raised for decision will appear on the agenda for the next meeting.)
22. To resolve whether to exclude the public and press, in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960, to discuss staff pay and pay scales and pensions below. Should this resolution be passed, members of the public and press will be required to leave the meeting. The meeting will end, and a further meeting of the Council will be convened immediately.
23. To consider the recommendation of the Finance Committee that staff pay was in line with the published inflationary increases, and the annual incremental pay point advancements for all staff were appropriate. The pay awards for 2024/2025 as agreed by the NJC and government are not yet known.
24. To consider enrolment of staff members into the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) from 1 April 2024. (An action from the council meeting held on 14 February 2023.)
24.1 The Clerk and RFO as local government officers with local government contracts who have previously requested this enrolment for consideration.
24.2. The Admin Assistant who was enrolled into the LGPS in their last employment and had requested continuation with this scheme be considered. (Please see letter dated 1/2/2023).
24.3. All other eligible staff, following consultation.
25. To adjust the draft budget as required.
End of agenda.