2019 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

Deeping St James Parish Council

The Institute, 38 Church Street, Deeping St James, Peterborough PE6 8HD

e-mail: clerk.dsjpc@btconnect.com

Tel: 01778 343266

Webpage: parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk/deepingstjames

Parish Clerk: Julie Fortnum

The minutes of the meeting of Deeping St James Parish Council held on Thursday 31 January 2019 at 7.30 pm at The Institute.

Present: Parish Councillors Barber, Blessett, Bowell, Dilks (District), Gilbert, Green, Hall, Hardy, Hosking, Shinkins-Hoppe, Stevens (District), County Councillor Dobson and one member of the public.

Press report to be written by Councillor Shinkins-Hoppe and minutes to be taken by the Parish Clerk.

Open Forum

County Councillor Barry Dobson referred to his report which had been shared with the Parish Councillors prior to the meeting drawing attention to the Bus Services meeting he would be attending on Friday 1 February 2019 and the meeting he had had with the Deepings Business Club regarding the ‘Love Deepings’ campaign. No questions were raised by the Parish Councillors. He apologised for not being able to attend the illegal encampments working party and the Clerk confirmed that she would share the notes from the meeting with him.

District Councillor Phil Dilks referred to his report which he had shared with everybody prior to the meeting.

District Councillor Judy Stevens spoke of Invest SK’s work on High Street regeneration including improvements to Town Centres including a Saturday market in Market Deeping and on how they would be challenging Barclay’s branch closure and encouraging another finance house to the Deepings. She also confirmed that the Literary Festival brochure had been distributed and tickets were now available as well as the news that the SKDC Arts Officer was holding consultation meetings about holding other creative arts festivals in the area and that a Sports Officer had been appointed to encourage people to participate more in sports.

County Councillor Dobson left the meeting.

98.19 To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies had been received and were accepted from Councillors Halls Pelling and Thomas.

99.19 To receive notifications of interest and consider requests for dispensations, if any.

Councillor Bowell - agenda item 102.19.1

Councillor Stevens - agenda item 102.19.1

Councillor Gilbert - agenda item 102.19.1

Councillor Green - agenda item 102.19.1

100.19 To approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on Thursday 21 December 2018.

The minutes were approved and signed as a true copy.

101.19 Clerks Report

102.19 To consider financial matters

1. To approve accounts for payment

Councillor Hosking proposed seconded by Councillor Barber that with the following additional amounts:

Staffing costs £860.82

CCC Finance 1916.34

CCC Finance 2272.15

Neil Jibb 122.12

FC 2019/20 Page 36

Steve Gilbert Building Services Ltd 396.06

Deepings First 2500.00

payments totalling £15712.63 should be paid. Resolved

103.19 To consider planning matters

1. To receive and consider minutes and any recommendations of the planning and transport committee meeting held on Thursday 24 January 2019 – Councillor Blessett introduced the minutes from which there was one recommendation for approval relating to planning application S18/2282 for outline permission for the demolition of an existing building and the erection of a two storey detached dwelling with all matters reserved. Resolved

104.19 To receive and agree the Council’s response to correspondence received since the last meeting.

105.19 To receive and consider minutes and recommendations of committees, reports from advisory committees, members reports from external bodies, members reports of meetings, seminars, training and events attended on the Council’s behalf:

1. Carols in the Park held on Friday 22 December 2018 at Jubilee Park off Thackers Way – Well attended event with lots of positive feedback

2. Councillor Surgery held on Saturday 5 January 2019 at The Deepings Community Library – Councillor Barber advised that there were no enquiries raised.

3. Events committee meeting held at 7pm on Thursday 16 January 2019 - Councillor Stevens introduced the minutes from which there was one recommendation which was that the Parish Council should serve refreshments at the official opening event following the installation of the outdoor gym equipment trim trail. Resolved.

4. Staffing sub-committee held at 7.45pm on Thursday 16 January 2019 – Councillor Gilbert and Shinkins-Hoppe will arrange a suitable date to complete the Clerk’s appraisal

106.19 To agree the budget and set the precept for the financial year 2019/20

As there had been no amendments or additions to the budget and precept figures since it was discussed at the council meeting held on 20 December 2018 (minute 96.19) it was agreed that the precept requested for 2019/20 would be £135,119.69 which equates to an annual increase of £1.04 or 1.90% increase for a Band D property.

Resolved

107.19 To consider the revised communications policy recommended for adoption by the finance and general purposes committee at the meeting held on Thursday 22 November 2018, taking into account Councillors conduct and the role of public office.

Councillor Gilbert introduced this item stating that the new communications policy considered by the finance and general purposes committee on 22 November 2018 which had amalgamated 3 policies (Communications, Media and Social Media) had led to it being stripped down to the point that some important points were now missing. He proposed that it is re-considered by the finance and general proposes committee at their next meeting on 21 March 2019.

Resolved

108.19 To consider whether to add previous year’s minutes to the new webpage, and if so how far back.

It was proposed and seconded that no minutes prior to January 2017 are added to the new webpage but that a note is added to it advising people to contact the Clerk if they wish to access older minutes.

Resolved

109.19 To consider the following proposals concerning the closure of the Market Deeping branch of Barclays Bank

1. Deeping St James Parish Council supports the campaign to try and stop the closure of the last bank in the Deepings by writing to Barclays, outlining reasons for keeping the Branch open, and asking them to reconsider their closure programme.

2. If the closure is inevitable, Deeping St James Parish Council agrees to actively support and lobby InvestSK in the search for an alternative Banking provider for the Deepings

3. Deeping St James Parish Council writes to Market Deeping Town Council asking them to support the campaign to try and save the last bank in the Deepings and to work with Deeping St James Parish Council and InvestSK to try and find an alternative Banking provider in the event of Barclays closing.

Councillor Bowell led these proposals which were seconded and Resolved.

110.19 To consider a request by local residents to ask Lincolnshire County Council to switch off some part night street lights on public right of way no.1 due to the anti-social behaviour occurring in the area

Councillor Stevens explained that local residents had contacted both her and the Police about anti-social behaviour under a particular street light and this was one of the suggestions that had been made deal with it. It was agreed that Councillor Stevens would obtain the Neighbourhood Policing Inspector’s views on this and that Clerk would speak to LCC Street-lighting to see if it was possible.

111.19 To consider Lincolnshire County Councils new scheme enabling communities to turn the part night street lights back on at a one off cost of up to £300 per light.

Councillor Dilks clarified that the payment was a maximum figure per light and that it would be used to convert the light to LED and cover the energy cost for 20 years. The Clerk was asked to contact LCC streetlighting to obtain a map showing the part night lights and the number of them. As this scheme had now been publicised the Clerk was asked to monitor the number of requests received from the residents so that it could be considered for inclusion in the 2020/21 budget.

112.19 Due to the resignation of Councillor Ward to consider the following:

- Filling the vacancy by co-option

It was agreed that the vacancy would remain unfilled due to the closeness to the May 2019 elections.

- Nominating a representative to become a Trustee of Deeping St James United Charities

It was agreed to leave putting forward a nomination until after the May 2019 elections.

- Nominating someone to act as Vice Chair and Chair of Finance and General Purposes.

It was proposed and seconded that Councillor Gilbert should be nominated as the Chair of finance and general purposes.

Resolved

113.19 Parish pump – items for information or inclusion on future agendas

- Volunteer to write the press report for the next meeting.

Councillor Blessett volunteered to do this.

- Volunteers for the Councillor Surgeries from April 2019 onwards.

Councillor Bowell volunteered to attend the surgery on 6 April 2019 and Councillor Shinkins-Hoppe volunteered to attend on 4 May 2019

Councillor Hosking advised that she would be unable to attend the annual parish meeting on 23 April 2019

Councillor Bowell requested that the reports generated from the speed indicator devices were again shared with the Neighbourhood Policing team m

Meeting finished at 9.50pm