May 2024 Minutes Annual Parish Council Meeting
GEDNEY HILL PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MAY PARISH MEETING held at The Parish Pavilion, North Road on Monday 20 May 2024 AT 6.35pm
PRESENT:
GHPC Councillors: N Watson (Chair), M Shepherd (Vice-Chair), K James, A Watson
Clerk: V Watson
Also present: Cllr L Eldridge, South Holland District Council, Cllr N Pepper, Lincolnshire County Council, and three (3) members of the public.
APOLOGIES: Cllr Paul Redgate (email timed before the start of the meeting but not seen due to no coverage in the Pavilion)
PUBLIC FORUM
Cllr Eldridge spoke briefly about the many solar farms in planning in the area. She is attending a meeting in Crowland for the Meridian Solar Farm.
Cllr Pepper spoke about the flooding and pot holes on Highstock Lane. He is taking this up with Lincolnshire County Council and will keep GHPC informed.
1. Apologies for absence and acceptance
At the time there were no apologies.
2. Election of Chair
Cllr Neil Watson was elected as Parish Council Chair. Proposed by M Shepherd and seconded by A Watson, agreed unanimously.
3. Election of Vice-Chair
Cllr Mellissa Shepherd was elected as Parish Council Vice-Chair. Proposed by N Watson and seconded by A Watson, agreed unanimously.
Declarations of Acceptance of Office were signed.
4. Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.
5. Approve the draft minutes of the meeting held on 18 March 2024
The minutes were approved as a true and accurate record and signed by the Chair.
6. Matters arising from last meeting:
i) Parish Pavilion
a) CCTV – the installation was a success and all is as should be.
b) Disabled Access – on hold for the time being.
c) Storage Area – no longer required, files are being stored by Parish Clerk.
ii) Updating bus stops – this rests with Lincolnshire County Council. Clerk has been in contact and is waiting for a reply.
ACTION: CLERK
iii) Public Footpaths – the footpath from North Road to Mole Drove now has a ‘no cycling’, ‘no horse riding sign’. This is very small. Clerk to contact Council to ask for a post to be added to the bridge to prevent horses crossing. Clerk has asked for the hedgerow to be cut back.
Footpath from Mole Drove to Sutton St Edmunds: Path waterlogged and bridge underwater. Lincolnshire County Council have raised this with the farmer of the adjacent field. It is the responsibility of the farmer to keep the ditch clear. Once this is done the council will replace the bridge.
ACTION: CLERK
iv) The Speedwatch group continues but is small in number which limits the number of sessions that can be had. GHPC will work with Shepeau Stow and Fleet to hold sessions together.
v) Lamppost Poppies have been purchased. Some have been loaned to the Memorial Hall and Church for their use. The remainder will go on lampposts in the village during the D Day celebrations and be removed soon after.
ACTION: N WATSON
vi) The litter picking sessions are a work in progress.
7. Grass and Cemetery Maintenance
T A Blackmore Ltd have increased costs by 3% to £1311.12 for the year 2024/25. It was agreed to continue to use Blackmore for this year.
8. Insurance Renewal
The current insurer is NCi. The premium will increase to £1951.33 for 1 June 2024 – 31 May 2025, an increase of approximately 10%. It was agreed to continue with NCi as our insurer but at renewal next year to source other quotes.
9. Use of Website Administrator
We currently use Pete Langford at LALC website maintenance to keep the parish website up-to-date. It was agreed to continue with this for 2024/25.
10. Planning
i) Current planning applications. There are no current planning applications
ii) To discuss consultations and concerns. There are no current consultations or concerns.
Application status:
H07-0242-24 APPROVED
H07-0195-24 APPROVED
H07-0118-24 REFUSAL
H07-0324-24 UNDECIDED
H07-0311-24 UNDECIDED
11. Clerk’s Report
As the clerk is new she has nothing to report at this stage.
12. Financial Matters
i) To update on accounts – end of year 2023/24.
The accounts have been approved by the internal auditor and a clean audit report given.
ii) Income and Expenditure Year to date:
Income
11/04/24 HMRC VAT £731.21
16/04/24 SHDC (Precept) £17,750.00
16/05/24 SHDC (speed awareness) £222.00
At this point a question from a member the public asking if the Precept is paid annually or in instalments. The precept is paid annually.
Expenditure
02/04/24 EDF Energy (electricity) £19.00
04/04/24 Domain Name Management £23.76
04/04/24 Circle Fire (Fire Safety - Pavilion) £81.00
09/04/24 Anglian Water £17.35
09/04/24 Viking Direct (Stationery) £160.80
10/04/24 Lincs Alarms Ltd (CCTV – Pavilion) £976.20
12/04/24 Royal British Legion (Poppy Wreath) £85.00
17/04/24 iD Mobile (Clerk SIM) £6.00
19/04/24 Staff Costs (Clerk Salary) £437.84
23/04/24 South Holland Drainage Board £33.51
23/04/24 Subscription SLCC £120.00
01/05/24 EDF Energy (electricity) £19.00
07/05/24 Domain Name Management £23.76
16/05/24 D Day Commemorative bench £2338.80
16/05/24 Audit £150.00
16/05/24 Staff Costs (Clerk Salary) £437.84
16/05/24 iD Mobile (Clerk SIM) £6.00
iii) To review and approve the financial statements and the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) for the year 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.
Reviewed and approved.
iv) To complete the Annual Governance statement.
Agreed and signed.
Neil Watson signed as he was Acting Responsible Financial Officer for the financial year and Mellissa Shepherd as Vice-Chair (current Clerk/RFO was not in office in the 2023/24 financial year).
13. To advise of any items to be added to next meeting agenda:
Use of the Pavilion.
14. Meeting dates for 2024/25
Monday 15 July 2024
Monday 16 September 2024
Monday 18 November 2024
Monday 20 January 2025
Monday 17 March 2025
Monday 19 May 2025
The meeting closed at 7.05pm.
Vicki Watson
Parish Clerk
22 May 2024