Minutes of the Annual Parish Council meeting held at the Village Hall on
Tuesday, 7th May 2024 at 8.20pm.
- Present
- Cllrs M Gillett (Chair), D Turner, K Wilkinson, M Mann, S Baker
- In Attendance
- Mrs J Blackburn – Clerk, Cllr N Hardingham – District Council
ES07/24/25 – Election of Chair
Cllr Gillett declared the meeting open.
Cllr Wilkinson proposed that Cllr Gillett be elected as Chair, which was seconded by Cllr Mann. Decision – Cllr Gillett was duly elected Chair.
Cllr Gillett signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and then took the Chair for the remainder of the meeting.
ES08/24/25 – Election of Vice-Chair
Cllr Wilkinson proposed that Cllr Turner be elected as Vice-Chair, which was seconded by Cllr Baker. Decision – Cllr Turner was duly elected Vice-Chair.
ES09/24/25 – To Receive Apologies of Absence
Apologies had been received from Cllr Stanford and Cllr Budd.
ES10/24/25 – To Receive Declarations of Interest
None had been received.
ES11/24/25 – To Receive Applications for Dispensation
None had been received.
ES12/24/25 – To Approve the Minutes of the Meetings Held on 4th March and 18th March 2024
It was AGREED: That the minutes of the meetings held on 4th March and 18th March 2024 be approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman.
ES13/24/25 – Public Forum
Two members of the public were present. No matters were raised.
ES14/24/25 – To Receive the County Councillor’s Report – Cllr Hicks
It was NOTED: That the County Councillor was not present at the meeting and that he had submitted a report to the Annual Parish Meeting that was held prior to this meeting.
ES15/24/25 – To Receive the District Councillor’s Report – Cllr Hardingham
It was NOTED: That whilst the District Councillor was present, he had submitted a report to the Annual Parish Meeting that was held prior to this meeting.
ES16/24/25 - To Appoint Representatives to Outside Bodies
- Suffolk Association of Local Councils (SALC) – Decision – All Cllrs.
- Village Hall – Decision – Cllr Gillett was appointed representative to the Village Hall.
- Church – Decision – Cllr Stanford was appointed representative to the Church.
- Community Emergency Village Hall Key Holders – Decision – Cllr Turner and Cllr Gillett were key holders for the Village Hall.
- Earl Stonham Trustees – Decision – Cllr Budd and Tony Turner were appointed representatives to the Earl Stonham Trustees.
- Recorder Publication – Decision – Cllr Turner was appointed representative for the Recorder Publication.
- Recorder Distribution – Decision – Cllr Baker was appointed representative for the Recorder Distribution.
- Carols on the Green – Decision – Cllr Stanford was appointed representative for the Carols on the Green.
- Footpaths – Decision – Cllr Budd and Cllr Wilkinson were appointed representatives for the Footpaths.
ES17/24/25 – Authorisation of Annual Subscriptions
It was AGREED: That the annual subscription of £311.67 be paid to the Suffolk Association of Local Councils in order to renew the Parish Council’s membership.
ES18/24/25 – To Receive the Clerk’s Report and Financial Matters
a) Clerk’s Report
The Clerk wished to thank Tony Turner for refurbishing the noticeboard on the Green.
b) To Receive the Clerk’s Financial Report
The Clerk reported on the Council’s current financial position and movements since the last meeting. It was reported that the balance in the accounts on 30th April 2024 was £11,793.07.
c) To Authorise Payments and Note Receipts
The Clerk reported the following payments be authorised:
| Payee | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SCC | Street Light replacement to LEDs | £3,127.20 |
| SCC | Street Light Energy & Maintenance 2023/24 | £239.57 |
| T Turner | Noticeboard Refurbishment | £29.93 |
| T Turner | Noticeboard Refurbishment | £66.00 |
| D Turner | Recorder Printing Reimbursement | £190.00 |
| ES Village Hall | Donation for D-Day Celebrations | £100.00 |
| Jennie Blackburn | Clerk's Pay (Apr) | £254.45 |
| Jennie Blackburn | Clerk's Office Allowance/Exp (Apr) | £26.00 |
| Trevor Brown | Internal Audit for 2023/24 | £250.00 |
| Vertas Group Ltd | Grass Cutting (Apr-Jun) | £415.56 |
| Barbara Heard | Refreshments for Foothpath Walk | £6.25 |
| SALC | Membership Subscription for 2024/25 | £311.67 |
| HMRC | PAYE for 2023/24 | £259.00 |
| Clarke's Fencing | Posts for Noticeboard | £50.38 |
| Great Bricett PC | Contribution to ink toners (Clerk's printer) | £131.00 |
| Jennie Blackburn | Clerk's Pay (May) | tbc |
| Jennie Blackburn | Clerk's Office Allowance/Exp (May) | £36.53 |
| Lindsey Stone | Refreshments for APM | £20.00 |
It was AGREED: That payments totaling £5,513.54 be approved.
The following receipts were also noted:
| Source | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SCC | Locality Budget Funding - Street Lights | £1,000.00 |
| A Stanford | Recorder Advert | £30.00 |
| JTS & Countryside Management | Recorder Advert | £30.00 |
| MSDC | Recycling Bins Credit | £328.61 |
| MSDC | Precept (1st instalment) | £3,837.50 |
| HMRC | VAT Reclaim - 2023/24 | £1,353.70 |
d) Annual Governance Statement
The Annual Governance Statement was completed by the Council and signed by the Chair and the Clerk.
e) End of Year 31st March 2024 Statement of Accounts
The Statement of Accounts was presented for approval. Decision – approved and signed by the Chair and the Clerk.
f) Exemption Certificate
The Exemption Certificate was approved and signed by the Chair and Clerk.
g) Internal Auditor’s Report
The Internal Auditor’s Report was received and it was noted that no recommendations had been made.
Cllr Wilkinson wished to second the comment made at point 15 in the Auditor’s report which stated:
“I would like to record my appreciation to the Clerk/RFO for her assistance during the course of the audit work and would particularly commend her for the careful presentation of the documents for the audit.”
The Clerk thanked Cllr Wilkinson and stated that his acknowledgment was very much appreciated.
h) CIL Report
The CiL report was approved and signed by the Chair and Clerk.
i) Asset Register
It was AGREED: That the Asset Register be approved.
ES19/24/25 – Planning Applications
None had been received.
ES20/24/25 - Planning Decisions
The following decision was noted:
Ref: DC/24/00203 - Householder application - Erection of single storey rear and front porch extension (following demolition of existing rear lean-to extension, outbuilding and front porch) - 3 Middlewood Way, Forward Green, Earl Stonham - Granted
ES21/23/24 – Delegation of Clerk - Planning
The Clerk reported that in relation to Planning Applications received, a Delegation to Clerk would be beneficial. It would have in place an approved process, that if a Planning Application be received and the timescale for comments for that application could not be met, then the Delegation to Clerk would mean that the Clerk would email Councillors for their comments on that application. The Clerk would then submit those comments made to the Planning Department.
It was AGREED: That the Delegation to Clerk (Planning) be approved.
ES22/24/25 – National Grid – Pylon Consultation
Cllr Gillett confirmed that a Public Meeting was to be held on Tuesday, 4th June 2024 at 7pm in the Village Hall, where comments and views could be heard from residents in order for it to form part of the Parish Council’s submission to the consultation.
ES23/24/25 – Councillor Vacancies
There was nothing to report.
ES24/24/25 – Update on Fen Lane
County Cllr Hicks had reported at the Annual Parish Meeting that Highways had investigated the road defects on Fen Lane and had stated that works were not needed at that time. They would continue to monitor the site.
ES25/24/25 – Lime Tree Cottage Works
No further information had been received.
ES26/24/25 – Speeding
There was nothing to report.
ES27/24/25 - Footpaths
There was nothing to report.
ES28/24/25 – Update on the Village Hall
There was nothing to report.
ES29/24/25 - Matters to be Brought to the Attention of the Council
- Publication of three editions of the Recorder instead of four – felt it should be re-considered due to some information not being able to be included in the editions.
- Bright lights causing nuisance – Vine Cottage
ES30/24/25 - Dates of 2024/25 Meetings
It was AGREED: That the followings dates be approved for the 2024/25 meetings:
- Tuesday, 7th May 2024
- Monday, 1st July 2024
- Monday, 2nd September 2024
- Monday, 4th November 2024
- Monday, 6th January 2025
- Monday, 3rd March 2025
ES31/24/25 – Date of Next Meeting
Monday, 1st July 2024 at 7.30pm
The meeting finished at 8.55pm.
Chairman: …………………………………………… Dated: ……………………………………………