February 2023 Minutes
Harlaxton Parish Council
3 Church St
Harlaxton
Lincolnshire
NG32 1HB
Email: harlaxtonpc@gmail.com
MINUTES
Parish Council Meeting 22 February 2023 19.30 at Harlaxton Village Hall
1. Meeting Opened 19.30hrs Council Chair Cllr Cartlidge
2. In attendance - Cllr Cartlidge (Chair), Cllr Wicks (Vice Chair), Cllrs Brown, Darcey, Gabriel, Smith. No members of the public present.
3. Apologies (Non-Attendance) - Cllr Whitworth
4. Approval of minutes of Parish Council Meeting held 10 January 2023 - Approved and signed
5. Parish Councillors Declarations of Pecuniary Interest - None
6. Public Forum (15 Minute Presentation/Discussion) - Not required
7. Updates - County Councillor, District Councillor, Police & Crime – None received
8. Matters arising from last meeting – Updates and discussion.
8.1. Parish Clerk Vacancy
8.1.1. Replacement Parish Clerk/RFO - update (Human Resources Committee). Possibility of splitting the roles. Discussion and decision.
NB. It was noted that the Human Resources Committee is actually the Employment Committee and will be referred to as such in the future.
It was agreed that the recruitment of a new Parish Clerk should be deferred until the new Parish Council was in place after the May elections and the current arrangements for dealing with admin matters will remain in place until a new Clerk is appointed.
It was also agreed that the current Payroll Manager will be asked to undertake further work on the accounts including year end returns and VAT reclaim.
Cllr Cartlidge has been researching accounting software packages to handle HPC accounts and it was unanimously agreed that this should be pursued further. A free trial of Scribe accounting software, which is designed specifically for use by Councils, will take place over the next month.
Action: Cllr Cartlidge
8.1.2. Job description and person specification. (Employment Committee) Further work required.
Action: Employment Committee
8.2. Bank Mandates -. Proposal that completion of new mandates should be postponed until after the elections. Unanimously agreed.
8.3. LALC Training for Councillors - New Councillor Training Course 07 Feb 23. Report.
Cllr Cartlidge gave a brief report on the Zoom training session for New Councillors and advised that this was very useful. Councillors were encouraged to attend. The date of the next New Councillor training session will be circulated.
Action: Cllr Brown
8.4. HSSC
8.4.1. Roof repairs – update. (Cllr Cartlidge)
The repairs to the HSSC building roof have been completed including additional work which was identified by the contractor during the course of the work and agreed by Councillors by email consultation to enable the work to be carried out whilst the contractor was still on site.
8.4.2. CCTV – update on purchase of signage and installation of additional camera and solar lights. (Cllrs Cartlidge and Wicks)
Work still required to be completed as soon as possible by Cllrs Wicks and Gabriel.
Cllr Wicks to investigate where the data from the CCTV is stored and report back to Councillors. Solar lights will need to fitted after the additional camera is installed.
Action: Cllrs Wicks, Gabriel, Cartlidge
8.4.3. Accessible Toilets – update. (Cllr Cartlidge)
The contractor has carried out the onsite survey and is preparing the necessary drawings before quotations for the work can be requested.
8.4.4. Car Park Flooding. Update on investigation in conjunction with Harlaxton Manor and quote for replacement pipe. Change of liability adjuster Crawford & Co. (Cllrs Cartlidge and Wicks)
Quotations for work to repair the drains and car park have been requested.
It was unanimously agreed that a meeting with Harlaxton Manor representatives is required to discuss further investigation of the drainage system via a slit trench on Harlaxton Manor land. Dates have already been received. Cllr Smith offered to attend the meeting with Cllr Wicks and Cartlidge.
Action: Cllrs Cartlidge, Wicks, Smith
8.4.5. Provision of Defibrillator. Decision on purchase. London Hearts quotation approx. £1235 = VAT) HPC has been contacted by Alan Page, who is a First Aid training Consultant, offering to supply a pre used defibrillator and case (unlockable) for £500. The defibrillator comes from a charity (Defibrillators For All) previously who have recently upgraded all their defibrillators. It was unanimously agreed to purchase the defibrillator. Cllr Brown to contact Alan Page.
It was also agreed that the cost to purchase a new lockable case, similar to the existing one on the village hall, would be advantageous to prevent vandalism.
The new unit will need to be wired in.
Action: Cllrs Brown, Cartlidge
8.5. Village Hall – update on damp treatment (Cllrs Gabriel and Cartlidge) Work not yet completed.
Action: Cllrs Gabriel, Cartlidge
8.6. Playing Field Equipment – Update on purchase and installation of replacement beam. Latest inspection report (Cllr Wicks)
Replacement beam has been ordered. Cllr Wicks to chase supplier re. delivery and installation.
Action: Cllr Wicks
8.7. Harlaxton PC Standing Orders - update from Standing Orders Working Party (Cllrs Cartlidge, Brown, Whitworth)
No progress to date
Action: Cllrs Brown, Cartlidge, Whitworth
8.8. Saltby Airfield - update (Cllr Brown)
Planning Meeting for 02 March cancelled. Next meeting 30 March but not known if the application is scheduled for this meeting. The action group are working on getting some media coverage. Further comments have been submitted to Melton Borough Council in opposition to the application.
8.9. Traffic in Harlaxton & Speed Indicator Device - update (Cllr Brown)
The Speed Indicator Device is now on Swine Hill. Results from Rectory Close show no major issues with speeding.
8.10. Proposed Development off Swine Hill (Cllr Gabriel)
A meeting of the action group has been held. At the current time no planning application has been submitted and sight of SKDC draft Development Plan etc is awaited as this will influence future action.
8.11. Telephone Box - update on progress and purchase of clips for glass. (Cllrs Wicks and Cartlidge) Telephone Box is still away being painted. Replacement glass and clips have been purchased in preparation for completion of refurbishment work on its return.
8.12. Coronation of King Charles III - update (Cllrs Darcey, Smith)
Good progress is being made with preparations for the Community Gala at HSSC on 07 May 2023. It was unanimously agreed that HPC would allocate £500 towards prizes for competitions on the day.
9. LGA Code of Conduct. Discussion and motion to adopt (Cllr Cartlidge)
Cllr Cartlidge attended an SKDC presentation on the Local Government Code of Conduct which has been
designed to protect our democratic role, encourage good conduct and safeguard the public’s trust in local government. It was unanimously agreed that HPC should adopt this code. A copy of which will be placed on the HPC website
Action: Cllr Brown
10. RFO Financial Report
Cllr Cartlidge presented the updated HPC accounts. It was agreed that there is a healthy reserve in the account but it is essential to maintain this as a contingency against potential expenditure should the boilers in the HSSC building or Village Hall fail. There is also the possibility of major expenditure to repair the HSSC Car Park and playing field drainage work.
It was agreed that the budget for 2023/24 should reflect the 2023/23 budget and will be prepared accordingly.
Action: Cllr Cartlidge
11. Annual Parish Meeting. Update. (Cllr Brown)
The following groups/organisations have indicated that they will attend the meeting on 20 March - Lite Bites, Harlaxton School, History Club, Village Hall, Harlaxton Manor, Gardening Club, The Club HSSC, Harlaxton WI. County Cllr Charlotte Vernon will also attend and give a short report.
It was agreed that the meeting will be publicised on the HPC Facebook page and via posters on the village notice boards.
Action: Cllrs Brown, Cartlidge.
12. Planning
12.1. Applications
12.1.1. S23/0114 & S23/0115 Works within the curtilage of listed building (including realignment and alteration of boundary walls and patio) and removal of internal fireplace (retrospective).
17 Church Street, Harlaxton, NG32 1HB. Previously circulated to Councillors and noted.
12.2.1. S23/0008 Removal of bird cherry tree and remove dead standard cherry tree, Willow Cottage 2 West End, Harlaxton, NG32 1HE. Approved
12.2.2. S22/2446 Proposed roof lift, loft conversion. 3 High St, Harlaxton, NG32 1JB. Approved
12.2.3. S23/0240 Installation of post box. Corner Of The Drift And Daybrook Close. Approved Previously circulated to Councillors and noted.
13. Correspondence
13.1. 09/01/2023 - London Hearts Defibrillator supply. Item 8.4.5 refers.
13.2. 17/01/2023 - Rural Cost of Living Survey. (Link placed on PC Facebook page)
13.3. 16/01/2023 - Parish Policing Priority Setting Meeting Feedback Form. (Completed and returned.)
13.4. 16/01/2023 - Maisie McMahon Safer Together and Strong voices information. (Put on PC Facebook page)
13.5. 25/01/2023 - Village Hall Committee re increase in hire charge.
13.6. 01/02/2023 - Gallaher Insurance, Protect your council from cyber attacks.
13.7. 02/02/2023 - Maisie McMahon, Evaluation of Safer Together. [Cllr Gabriel completed form]
13.8. 08/02/2023 - Charity Commission Correspondence re Pearson Gregory, CHIPPS, Village Hall
13.9. 08/02/2023 - Coronation, High Street Safari
13.10. 14/02/2023 - National Lottery Fund for Community Partnerships and Community Spaces All previously circulated to Councillors and noted.
14. Closed Session
14.1. A Councillor updated the Council on several telephone calls they had received relating to a previous employee. The caller has been advised that they must only communicate with the Parish Council on this subject and Councillors shall not be contacted directly.
15. Any other business.
15.1. Playing Field Hire
Cllr Wicks advised that he had been contacted by a resident regarding hire of the Playing Field by Bronze.com and had advised that the Playing Field can be booked via the booking website.
15.2. Parish Council Website
Following on from a website training session it is proposed that HPC use LALC-provided Website Maintenance Service to reset the website. This was agreed unanimously and payment for 20hrs work at £340 inc VAT approved.
Action; Cllr Brown
15.3. White Lining
The recent work to renew the white lining on car parks is unsatisfactory as the lines are crumbling. The contractor will be asked to make good.
Action: Cllr Cartlidge
15.4. Parish Boundary Markers
Cllr Darcey advised the Council that Harlaxton History Society are going to take part in an exercise to identify Parish Boundary markers.
16. Next scheduled Parish Council Meeting Wednesday 29 March 2023 19.30 at Harlaxton Village Hall
17. Meeting closed 21.50hrs