Old Buckenham Parish Council January minutes

Parish Council discussions in January
These notes have been written by the blog editor from the draft minutes and so may contain information that is amended at a later date.
Old Buckenham Parish Council met on Thursday 4 January in the Village Hall. Councillors present were Adrian Joel (chairman), Rona Boggia, Jon Hicks, Sarah Hornbrook, Phil Little, Steve Milner, Andy Nicholls and Paul Philips. Also attending was Andy Emms, who took the minutes, and ten members of the public.
The Chairman announced that he had received a letter from Hilary Clutten on 29 December 2017 resigning as Clerk to Old Buckenham Parish Council from 1 January 2018. As instructed by the parish councillors, he had written back to the clerk and accepted her resignation and for her to cease carrying out any further work for the parish council from 31 December 2017.
The Chairman introduced Andy Emms, a retired local government Democratic Services Officer, who had agreed to temporarily help the parish council following the resignation of the parish clerk.
Apologies for absence had been received from Jonathan Kemp and Ben Devlin.
Minutes of December 2017 meeting. Sarah Hornbrook pointed out two amendments that needed to be made. The council then approved the minutes.
Matters arising from these minutes. In response to queries about the village hall footpath the chairman said he had received an email from Isobel Horner, Norfolk County Council asking to meet with the parish council and the village hall committee. He would circulate councillors a copy of the email and it was suggested that Jon Hicks raise the matter at the next village hall committee meeting. Sarah Dye said she would progress obtaining a copy of the existing map of the Green. Rona Boggia asked if a letter had been sent to Norfolk County Council regarding the 20mph limit and signs on Abbey Road. The chair said that with the resignation of the Parish Clerk he didn’t know if a letter had been sent and so Rona Boggia was asked to write to Norfolk County Council on behalf of the council.
Public participation relating to agenda items. The Chairman summarised a letter received from Lesley Coates relating to the pathway along from the Post Office, pot holes near the school and the play area bins. On behalf of the church, a parishioner said that although a representative of the Norfolk Association of Local Councils (NALC) had confirmed that the parish council could not make a grant to the church for the maintenance of buildings, it could grant aid the running costs of the church. He wished therefore to change the precept grant application, to be considered later in the meeting, to that effect. A parishioner suggested that the 20mph solar powered sign be moved from its present location to where the 30mph limit begins. The Chairman agreed that this be an agenda item for the next meeting.
Planning applications. Downmore Farm, Banham Road. 25m high lattice tower. This was a resubmitted application of a previously approved BT application and the council resolved not to express a view on this resubmitted application.
Sunnyside House, The Green. Annex/garage conversion. This was supported subject to a condition being placed on the approval restricting use as an annex to the existing house, not allowing it to be used as a separate dwelling.
Financial matters. Among the payments agreed were £11.97 for water on the allotments, £66 for Village Hall hire and £96 to Broadland Tree Services in connection with the Christmas tree on the Green.
Precept grant applications.
a) Parochial Church Council (PCC) re All Saints Church. The chairman referred to the request from the PCC that the application be changed from maintaining the condition of the church to supporting the running costs of the church. Paul Philips was uncomfortable about the application being changed after the deadline of receipt of applications and the precedent this might set. Some councillors commented on the level of funding requested considering the draft budget for grants and the effect on the precept of increasing this budget. Also, the £1500 granted to the church in 2017/18 had yet to be spent. Some councillors had sought legal advice regarding the ability of the parish council to support the PCC. It was clear that support for maintenance was not allowed. However there was conflicting advice on whether support for running costs was appropriate. Rona Boggia said the church was important to the community and pointed out that any grant given by the parish council could also lead to matching grants being made by other organisations. Other councillors also commented on the importance of the church to the community and how they would want to support the PCC. However there was real concern regarding the conflicting legal advice. Andy Nichols proposed and Rona Boggia seconded that a grant of £2000 be made to the PCC but this to be subject to clear legal advice being received that such a grant was allowed. With three voting in favour and five against it was resolved not to make a grant to the PCC.
b) Buckenham Pre-School Group. It was agreed, unanimously, to make a grant of £216.57 to provide a farmyard play set.
c) New Buckenham Junior Football Club. During discussion it was recognised that the club had its roots in Old Buckenham and had many members from the village and some councillors agreed it should therefore be supported. However, the club should consider also making applications for grants from New Buckenham Parish Council in the future. It was resolved, with four voting in favour, two against and two abstentions, to make a grant of £450 to provide a moveable shelter.
d) Senior Citizens Annual Party. It was agreed to make a grant of £250 towards the cost of the annual party.
e) Women’s Institute. It was agreed to make a grant of £110 to cover the cost of hiring the village hall for the Open Produce and Handicraft Show.
f) Old Buckenham Village Hall Committee. It was resolved unanimously to make a grant of £1000 towards the cost of replacing the emergency lighting.
g) Old Buckenham Fete Committee. It was resolved unanimously to make a grant of £250 towards the cost of providing entertainment at the fete.
h) The Monday Mardle Group. It was agreed to make a grant of £100 to support the group.
i) Old Buckenham Cricket Club. It was decided unanimously to make a grant of £375 to fund 50% of the cost of three young adults obtaining ECB Level 2 coaching qualifications, the grant to be reduced if applications to other grant funding bodies are successful.
Parish Council budget. There was discussion on the updated draft budget for 2018/19 which had been circulated to councillors. It was agreed that £815 be included in the budget to maintain the village sign. In reply to a councillor’s question, Sarah Dye said that there was much work that could be done to improve the village green if funding was available and ideally £5000 could be spent. Andy Nichols reminded councillors that the proposal had been to spend £10,000 over five years (£4,000 in the first year and £2,000 per year for three years) hence £2,000 being in the draft 2018/19 budget. However, councillors noted that the cost of grass cutting would be higher than anticipated. It was suggested that there was already sufficient funding available in earmarked reserves for the play area and if the additional play area funding identified in the draft budget was reduced, then more could be included in the budget for the village green. It was proposed by Andy Nichols and seconded by Phil Little that £3500 be included in the budget as earmarked reserves for the village green and no additional earmarked reserves be included for the play area. This was agreed accordingly, with seven voting for and one against.
It was resolved to approve the 2018/19 budget as:
Expenditure: Allotments £250
Recreation Area £500
Precept Grants (detailed earlier) £2,751.57
Community Car Scheme £1,000
Miscellaneous £300
Village Newsletter paper £450
Contingency Fund for village maintenance £2,000
Village sign maintenance £815
Christmas tree £500
Administration: Salaries/PAYE £6,795
Clerk's and Councillors Expenses £410
Postage and Stationery £300
Audit Fees £235
Village Hall Hire £280
Subscriptions £500
Training £200
Insurance £900
Total £18,186.57
Transfer to earmarked reserves - The Green £3,500
Total budgeted expenditure 2018/19 £21,686.57
Budgeted income 2018/19 £1280
Transitional grant BDC £246
Total budgeted income 2018/19 £1526
Precept (expenditure less income) £20,160.57
It was resolved, unanimously, that the total parish precept for the financial year 2018/19 be set at £20,160.57 and the Responsible Finance Officer be asked to submit the precept application to Breckland District Council for this amount.
Communication with the public. A parishioner suggested that the parish council include details of its successes/achievements in its minutes. Paul Philips said he had a number of ideas on how the parish council could publicise the work that it did. Social media was an area the council needed to consider carefully. He felt that posts on the village Facebook page over the new year had led to untrue, inappropriate and potentially libellous accusations against parish councillors, such as suggesting they only became parish councillors to get their own planning applications approved. This shows a lack of knowledge because Breckland District Council approves planning applications and parish councillors are only consultees. He said it was a slight on the character of councillors and could influence other people equally unaware of the workings of local government. Despite councillors talking to the person who posted these accusations, they had refused to remove it. He believed that people needed to understand that when using social media they had the same responsibility to remain within the law as they have with any other interactions. He suggested the council consider how to use social media pro-actively, including the possibility of creating its own Facebook page and by renovating/updating the existing website. Other ways of communicating with the public could include holding regular “meet your parish council” sessions on two or three Saturday mornings in the village hall where parishioners could come for a coffee and a chat to find out what the parish council do. He was drafting some information that could be used electronically and in newsletters/posters to explain what the council did in 2017 and what it is planning to do next year.
Councillors welcomed these ideas although some suggested caution regarding proactive use of social media as this would need considerable work updating and moderating. There was a suggestion that consideration could be given to adding this to the duties of the parish clerk. All councillors agreed that abuse of parish councillors was totally unacceptable and agreed to welcome the work being done by Paul Philips and to ask him to circulate his draft text for comment
Appointment of Trustee. It was agreed to defer appointing a trustee to the United Eleemosynary Charity until the next meeting.
Meetings between the Parish Council and the Village Hall Management Committee. The chairman said that the proposal was to meet twice a year with three people from each organisation present. Jon Hicks and Steve Milner had already indicated they were willing to attend and Sarah Hornbrook said she would attend subject to a convenient date being chosen.
The next meeting of Old Buckenham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 1 February commencing at the earlier time of 7pm at the Village Hall.