FPPC 2024 Agendas

DEEPING ST JAMES PARISH COUNCIL
The Institute, 38 Church Street, Deeping St James, PE6 8HD
E-mail: clerk@deepingstjames-pc.gov.uk
Tel: 01778 343266
Webpage: //deeping-st-james.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk
Facebook: Deeping St James Parish Council

Parish Clerk: Julie Fortnum

Dear Councillors Bowell, Gilbert, Halls, Hosking, Shinkins-Hoppe and Stevens.

You are hereby summoned to attend a meeting of the Finance, Policy and Personnel Committee to be held in the meeting room at the Institute 38 Church Street Deeping St James PE6 8HD at 8.00pm on Tuesday 13 August 2024. 

The business to be dealt with at the meeting is listed in the agenda. 
 
Julie Fortnum
Parish Clerk 
Issued Wednesday 7 August 2024. 

AGENDA

25.14 To receive apologies of absence.

25.15 To receive any declarations of interest.

25.16 To adopt the minutes of the previous meeting held on Tuesday 4 June 2024.   

25.17 To receive the Clerk’s report.

At the request of Unity Trust Bank the Financial Services Compensation Scheme annual review 2024 has been completed confirming DSJ Parish Council’s eligibility.  

An application to add Councillor Stevens as a signatory to the Unity Trust Bank has been completed and requires signing by two other signatories. 

Notification of a change to the Unity Trust current account tariff has been received moving from T1 to T2. This will allow DSJ Parish Council to better track the charge payable on the account. 

25.18 To receive a report of the financial position as at 7 August 2024.

Bank Account balances as at 7 August 2024

25.19 To receive a report on the income and expenditure against budget for the period 1 April 2024 to 7 August 2024. 

25.20 To review the following documents deferred from the meeting held on Tuesday 4 June 2024 

1. Standing orders – each committee’s terms of reference and delegated powers  

Revised delegation suggestions 31.05.24 by GS

Planning and Transport 

Existing delegated powers for Planning and Transport Committee

“The Committee shall be authorised to make decisions on the following categories of planning applications where there is unanimous agreement of those present at the meeting and no contrary view received from the nearest member:

(i)   Conservatories;

(ii)   Small domestic extensions;

(iii)   Amended plans where the Council has recorded no objections to the original proposals.

(v)   Expenditure of a capital nature to take the form of a recommendation to the Council for decision.

(vi)   All other activities/actions of the Committee to take the form of a recommendation to the Council for decision.”

Proposed 

This Committee’s remit extends to all responses arising in relation to applications for Planning Permission, Listed Building Consent, Advertisement Consent, Conservation Area Consent (including trees in such areas) , Tree Preservation Orders, Certificates of Lawfulness,  Hazardous Substances Consent, Prior Approvals, consents and consultations submitted to or received by the District or County Council arising from  highways  legislation,  and consultations for the installation of electricity cables under the Electricity Acts,  or other infrastructure connected with Water and  Gas pipelines. 

The Committee shall be authorised to make decisions make comments on the following categories of planning or other consultations where there is unanimous a majority agreement. of those present at the meeting and no contrary view received from the nearest member. 

i.   Developments of up to 5 houses. 

ii.   Extensions, conservatories, and outbuildings, or similar structures. 

iii.   Works to trees and hedgerows.

iv.   All non-residential uses and all engineering work (except major pipelines and major electricity infrastructure). 

v.   Mobile phone communication masts. 

vi.   Commercial and Farm buildings or structures smaller than 1000m2. 

vii.   Amended proposals where the Council has recorded no objections to the original proposals.

viii.   All issues affecting highways, footpaths, street furniture including bus shelters and road signs, electric vehicle charging and associated infrastructure. 

ix.   Section 106 or other legal agreements arising from the above 

x.   Any other decision passed to it from time to time relevant to planning and transport matters 

Expenditure of a revenue nature (i.e. maintenance/general) may be approved by the Committee without recourse to the Council providing the expenditure is contained within the previously approved annual budget for the Committee and reported to the next Council meeting.

Any development or matter not in the above  lists shall take the form of a recommendation of the Council for a decision.

The Committee may at any time choose to refer any decision on to the Full Council for confirmation. 

Recreation, Open Spaces and Events Committee

(i)   Expenditure of a revenue nature (maintenance/general) may be approved by the Committee without recourse to the Council, providing the expenditure is contained within the previously approved annual budget for the Committee and reported to the next Council Meeting.

(ii)   Expenditure of a capital nature may be approved by the committee without recourse to the council providing the expenditure is contained within the previously approved annual budget for the Committee and reported to the next Council meeting.

(iii)   To apply for grant funding from a variety of sources, reporting to Full Council with updates as needed.   

(iv)   To seek assistance from professional sources including consultants, via grant application, to promote the development of Recreational and open spaces, reporting to Full Council as needed.

(v)   To organise community events within approved budgets.

(vi)   To attend community events, with other organisations both locally and nationally to promote the Parish and the Council.

2. Financial regulations – to consider the adoption of NALC revised model template

25.21 To consider the recommendation from the recreation and opens spaces committee held on Tuesday 9 July 2024 to recruit a new member of staff on a full-time basis to act as the ground maintenance Supervisor.    

Proposed discussion ideas for staffing going forward into 2024/25

At the last Parish Council meeting, Councillors were asked to consider some ideas relating to how the Council could consider some options with regard to staffing/maintenance etc.

There would need to be further discussion before a recommendation could be put to the Staffing and Personnel Committee

•   One proposal was that the Parish Council could consider recruiting an additional maintenance staff member.  This person would head up the maintenance team, manage the annual maintenance tasks and schemes of work.  In addition, the Council would also consider purchasing the equipment needed to enable our Council to take on some of the grass cutting.  This idea was driven by the problems being encountered with the current grass cutting contractor.   
•   Since that meeting, there has been time for further consideration – particularly relating to financial implications.  

(a)   Taking on an extra staff member means the Council will not only have to find one extra staff salary but also the on-costs relating to pension, holiday pay, sick pay, NI contributions. 

(b)   One consideration could be that we ask our existing maintenance staff to increase hours.  The 25 hour contract could increase to 30 or even 35 hours per week.  One of the 15 hour contracts could increase to 20 hours per week.  The on costs would increase but by a much smaller margin than above.   This would of course be dependent on the current staff members being willing to take on the extra hours.  We could also explain that the increase in hours could be seasonal – or we could keep the hours throughout the year and manage many more maintenance jobs overall.  

(c)   By saving the cost of an additional staff member, there would be some monies available for the purchase of the equipment needed to extend the range of roles to be covered by the team.  

It would appear therefore that there is room for much for discussion but with the adoption of Jubilee Park imminent, and the expectation of the role of our Parish Council continuing to grow, I would suggest that we cannot or should not be complacent.  

Taking all of the above into account, there is of course other pressures likely to be placed on the Parish Council budget, including the request for support for the Leisure Centre, the project to extend Jubilee Park and the continued support of the Library and the Youth Group.  

All of these will impact on our decisions when trying to set our budgets for the following financial year and how we manage this through the precept.  

Kate Shinkins-Hoppe
6th August 2024

25.22 To note SKDC’s approval of a UK shared prosperity fund grant of £23,425 for design work to improve Jubilee Park, the associated consultation, and the production of tender documents and to agree who to award the contract to.

Jubilee Park Regeneration Project – Agreement to proceed with Design Work 

1.   Purpose of report and recommendation .

Councillors are recommended to: 

a.   note the successful approval of a grant to DSJPC for £23,425 for design work for a new Jubilee Park, associated consultation, and production of tender documents. 

b.   agree which of the three organisations quotations have been obtained from should be awarded the contract to lead on design work 

2.   Background 

On 1 August, South Kesteven Council (through its UK Shared Prosperity Fund Board) agreed a grant of up to £23,425 to Deeping St James Parish Council to advance the future development of Jubilee Park. The Park is imminently due to be transferred to the ownership of the Parish Council.

The project is in two stages, but a grant from SKDC was only sought for Stage 1 -the initial stage of consultation, design options, site review, and production of tender documents. This is to create a strong framework for seeking considerable grant aid from other sources for reconstruction and improvement work.

The grant is for expenditure in 2024/25 to 

•   secure design options; and present the community with options 
•   agree a new master plan design.
 
3.   The quotes received

Several agencies were approached, and some were not able to offer the range of services, were not interested, or did not  have the requisite experience.

4 landscape architecture companies with public park development experience were finally invited to quote, and 3 of these quotes were selected for assessment  by the Jubilee Park Working Group. 

For commercial confidentiality, their quotes are not listed here, but all quotes were very close to each other in price. The final decision is based on the companies’ experience, and ability to support the Parish Council in seeking future capital grants to actually carry out the work.

Councillor Gordon Smith  06.08.24

25.23 To agree 

1. When the staff appraisals to take place and who will complete them

2. A date for a personnel sub-committee meeting  

25.24 To agree the date of the next meeting – to be held at 8pm on Tuesday 08 October 2024.