Annual Meeting of the Parish Council, and

Meeting of the Parish Council

Held on 6 May 2020 at 7.30pm remotely via

Zoom

Minutes

Downloadable/printable versions (open as PDF documents): Annual Meeting Meeting of the Parish Council

Annual Meeting of the Parish Council

Present: Cllrs. Langley, d’Ayala, Lawrence, Higgs and Kershaw and the Clerk. Also in attendance: Dist. Cllr. Morris, County Cllr. Hill and Dist. Cllr. Hunter In addition, 2 members of the public were present This meeting would be recorded for the purpose of the minutes 1. To appoint a Chairman of the Parish Council for the ensuing Council year. Proposed, seconded and all voted in favour that Ken Langley be Chair for the ensuing Year. Cllr. Langley took the chair. Resolved. 2. To receive the Chairman’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office. Signed. 3. To receive apologies for absence. None received. 4. To approve the minutes of the Annual Meeting held on 14th May 2019. Proposed, seconded and agreed by all. Resolved. 5. To appoint a Deputy Chairman of the Parish Council for the ensuing Council year. Proposed, seconded and all voted in favour that Cllr. d’Ayala be Vice Chair for the ensuing year. Resolved. There being no further business the meeting closed at 7.38pm

Meeting of the Parish Council

Present Cllrs: K Langley (Chair), C d’Ayala (Vice Chair), P Lawrence, M Higgs and J Kershaw. In attendance the Clerk Catharine Toms, Dist. Cllr. G Morris, County Cllr. F Hill and Dist. Cllr. T Hunter & two members of the public This meeting would be recorded for the purpose of the minutes 1.5.20 To receive the Councillors Acceptance of Office Declarations. Received. 2.5.20 To receive apologies for absence. None received. 3.5.20 To receive Members Declarations of Interest. Cllr. d’Ayala (item 16.5.20). 4.5.20 To approve the Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on 4th March 2020 and to authorise the Chairman to sign them as a true record. It was proposed, seconded and all voted in favour to approve. Resolved. Approved minutes to be posted on the website. Action: Clerk/Webmaster 5.5.20 To invite Members of the Public to address the meeting. Standing Orders were suspended to allow a member of the public to ask the Council to consider resurfacing beneath the basket-ball hoop on the Green. The Parish Council was thanked for supporting the village so well during the current Covid-19 crisis. Standing Orders were resumed. 6.5.20 Chairman’s Report. Covid-19 – The response to the Coronavirus emergency had demonstrated the close and lively sense of community that existed in Reed. A community support group had been set up by members of the community and the Parish Council. Thanks were given to all those involved. Standing Orders were suspended to allow County. Cllr. Hill to mention that there was funding available from her Locality Budget and other sources to financially assist these support groups. Standing Orders were resumed. Defibrillator check – The unit, battery and pads had all been checked and found to be in working order. This had been reported back to the East of England Ambulance Service. 7.5.20 To agree to cancel Annual Parish Meeting due to government restrictions on public gatherings due to the Coronavirus pandemic. This was proposed, seconded and agreed by all. Resolved. It was agreed to compile an Annual Report newsletter from the Parish Council and invite village organisations to also make contributions. This would be printed and distributed to all households. Action: Clerk/KL 8.5.20 To review action points from the last meeting (See Appendix A). 9.5.20 To note review of Governance documents (including effectiveness of its system of internal control) and to agree any proposed amendments. The Clerk requested that this item be deferred until the July meeting, as more work was required. Proposed, seconded and agreed by all. Resolved. Action: Clerk/KL 10.5.20 To approve the Annual Governance Statement 2019/20. As item 9.5.20 above. To be deferred until July meeting. Proposed, seconded and agreed by all. Resolved. Action: Clerk 11.5.20 To approve the Summary Accounting Statement 2019/20. Proposed, seconded and agreed by all to approve. Resolved. 12.5.20 To complete, sign and date Exemption Certificate. It was proposed, seconded and all voted in favour to complete, sign and date Exemption Certificate. Resolved. Action: Clerk It was reported and registered with thanks that the Internal Auditor was prepared to act again this year for the Parish Council. 13.5.20 To receive report from the Clerk on current financial position - Copies of the accounts and list of monies received and payments to be authorised were handed to all Cllrs. Accounts showed a bank balance of £16,358.15 of which £10,195.00 was Push Energy Community Contribution (ring-fenced for special projects), £900.50 was Bonfire Night reserves, £661.00 was P3 grant balance, leaving general reserves at £4,601.65. Since the last meeting in March, £100.08 had been received from HMRC as VAT reclaimed and £2,500.00 had been received from NHDC as the half year Precept payment. 14.5.20 To agree accounts for payment. Including insurance renewal - Payments to be authorised at the meeting were Clerk’s salary and PAYE, Clerk’s expenses for annual contribution towards cost of broadband £50.00. £222.92 to BHIB for annual insurance and £177.08 to HAPTC for the annual subscription. Proposed, seconded and approved by all. Resolved. 15.5.20 To decide whether to re-apply to MHCLG for a loan in respect of purchase of The Cabinet. It was proposed, seconded and agreed by all to not re-apply for a loan as currently there seemed little prospect of the current owner accepting an offer of the order that the Parish Council could make. If that situation changed then a fresh loan application would be made as Reed Parish Council remained committed to acquiring the property, if that was the only way to save the pub. Cllr. Langley to submit letter to MHCLG. Action KL 16.5.20 Save the Cabinet (SCAG) – Standing Orders were suspended to allow a member of the public to speak. It was reported that the owner had withdrawn all outstanding listed building applications as he had been advised to submit just one application to cover all items that needed listed building consent. Activity at the northern end of the building suggested that a bar was being put in with a view of opening part of the building as a pub. Bonfires in the yard had been causing a nuisance to neighbouring properties. The enforcement notice to stop residential use of the building would come into force from the beginning of August. Standing Orders were resumed. 17.5.20 To note planning application: Permission in Principle : Erection of 7 dwellings. Mill Corner Farm, Jacksons Lane, Reed, Hertfordshire, SG8 8AB Case Ref No: 20/00740/PIP A Permission in Principle application was unusual type of application that only allowed the Planning Authority 14 days to respond to the applicant. NHDC had contacted the applicant’s agent advising them that this was not the right approach in the current circumstances. The agent had since informed that the application had now been temporarily withdrawn and had apologised for not engaging with the village prior to submitting the application. They also wished to give advance notice of an application to build 2 houses on a site to the north end of Gladstone Villas (for information only). Meanwhile a draft response had been drawn up on behalf of the Parish Council and put on hold, it listed 9 reasons of objection to the development of 7 dwellings in Jacksons Lane. 18.5.20 To receive update regarding S106/UU monies available to Reed as a result of the Kilns Development. Standing Orders were suspended to allow County Cllr. Hill to report that in excess of £41,000 had been received by Herts County Council. Criteria was for Middle School, Youth, Library and Childcare. There was no time limit for expenditure. She also informed the Council that there may be additional money available at District level. Standing Orders were resumed. It was proposed, seconded and agreed that Cllrs. Langley and d'Ayala would set up a working party to come up with a proposal that met the criteria and would be spent within the locality of the development. Action: KL/CD 19.5.20 To receive update following Working Group meeting to discuss ideas for Push Energy fund expenditure. A meeting had concluded that there were no imminent projects to benefit the village (apart from the Memorial Tree and planting of bulbs) and that there was no urgency to spend the fund. The matter would remain under review. Action: JK/CD 20.5.20 To receive bi-monthly Parish Council play area inspection report – Cllrs. Kershaw and Lawrence had conducted the inspection. Recommendations for maintenance were made and actions were proposed, seconded and agreed (see Appendix A). The next bi-monthly play area inspection to be carried out by Cllrs. Langley and Higgs. Action: KL/MH. Resolved. 21.5.20 To receive matters for report or referral to next agenda. (Information only) – Referral to the next agenda: Review of action points from last meeting, update on Working Group meeting re: S106/UU monies available from Kilns development, Review of Governance documents, approval of Annual Governance Statement 2019/20, Reservoir Project. 22.5.20 To note correspondence received. (Information only) – Letters of thanks received from both the Friends of Reed School and Friends of Reed Church for the recent donations from the Parish Council. Letter informing that the current litter pickers intended to retire. Grateful thanks were extended to both ladies. A copy of a letter (for information) written to NHDC from a resident regarding a planning application in Coronation Row. Letter from a resident regarding, what she understood as, an unmet planning obligation relating to the Kilns development to create an addition of a path along Brickyard Lane. 23.5.20 To agree date of next meeting. Weds 1st July 2020. Agreed. There being no further business the meeting closed at 10.10pm.