2020 Town Council Minutes of Meetings

Minutes of a Meeting of Market Deeping Town Council Held on Wednesday 9th December at 7.30pm

Zoom meeting code 842 6995 9065

Password 314107

Present: Cllr Yarham (Chair) Cllr Miss Moran

Cllr Brookes Cllr Neilson

Cllr Hembrow Cllr Mrs Redshaw

Cllr Shelton Cllr Davis

Cllr Mrs Sked Cllr Miss Collins

Cllr Dolan Cllr Broughton

A trustee of the Deepings Youth Group, a member of the public, the clerk and the deputy clerk were also in attendance.

Cllr Yarham welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked attendees to speak in turn. Cllr Mrs Sked spoke as a member of the public to advise members of a fence (placed by the housing association) that was running alongside gardens adjoining footpath 4 near Tescos. The fence had made the path dark and difficult to navigate for cycles and buggies. Cllr Broughton had spoken to one of the residents concerned who had had issues with antisocial behaviour. Members generally felt that there was no mutually satisfactory action to be taken in this case.

There being no other public speakers, the meeting commenced at 7.40pm.

134. Chairman’s Welcome & Introductions

Cllr Yarham welcomed members to the meeting.

135. Apologies for Absence

Apologies were received from Cllr Lester.

136. Declarations of Interest under the Localism Act 2011

Cllr Miss Collins declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 7 as trustee for the council to the Deepings Youth Group, Cllr Broughton declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 8 as a volunteer for the Deepings Signal Box, and Cllr Shelton declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda items 7 and 8 regarding the community library and the Signal box.

137. Acceptance of minutes of a meeting held on 11th November 2020

It was proposed by Cllr Yarham, seconded by Cllr Shelton and Resolved with11 in favour and 1 abstention to accept the notes of the meeting as a true and accurate record. The Clerk will sign the minutes on behalf of the chairman.

138. Reports: Including reports from Deepings First, Committees (Planning and Highways, Amenities and Open Spaces, Town Hall and Cemetery, Finance and Personnel), Mayor’s Diary and the Clerk

Deepings First

Cllr Shelton advised that they were now in the later stages of the public examination. There had been a hearing on the previous day, and the examiner will include the findings of the hearing in the final report, which should be issued in January 2021. The plan will then go for public referendum in May 2021.

Planning & Highways

Cllr Brookes advised members that following approval by Full Council of the request to move the cycle rack, members had considered the most suitable location, and believed it to be on the John Eve field. He also commented on the refurbishment of the bus shelters and the desire for interactive speed signs in the town. Members were concerned about planning application S20/1972 and asked for it to be considered again at the January meeting. Cllr Miss Moran offered to call in the application to be heard at the next SKDC planning meeting and members agreed. Cllr Brookes then proposed that members ratify the decision of the committee regarding the cycle rack, and it was Resolved with 9 in favour, 2 against and one abstention to agree with the decision.

Amenities and Open Spaces

Cllr Broughton had been absent from the last meeting and had nothing to add to the minutes produced, or any comments regarding precepting. Members had no questions.

Town Hall and Cemetery

Cllr Miss Moran advised members of the scaffolding quotation received following the surveyor’s report, and of the progress on the party wall agreement. Cllrs Miss Moran and Hembrow had met with the duty planning officer regarding the replacement of the front door and are awaiting feedback. Cllr Miss Moran then advised that the sanctum garden was progressing well but that there were too many vases placed on the flat plaque area of the cemetery and that the clerks will contact residents regarding this. She had been concerned that there may have been a need to precept for the potential transfer of ownership of the public toilets, but SKDC had advised that this was unlikely to happen within the next year. Cllr Mrs Redshaw advised that the Town Hall had last been refurbished in the 1950s but there was no information available on the front door.

Finance and Personnel

Cllr Yarham advised that he had chaired the meeting of 25th November, chiefly regarding precepting, and the clerk confirmed that the increase to the precept request following the committee budgeting meetings equated to an increase of 6.2% on a band D property. Cllr Yarham advised that when the new website goes live during December the new .gov.uk email addresses will be loaded onto the website and should be used by all.

Mayor’s diary

The Mayor attended the closing of the Gardens of Remembrance at the Riverside Park on 15th November, and

the opening of the deli counter at Grasmere Farm shop.

Clerk’s Report

1. The Christmas tree has been installed and the lights have been placed and switched on to the set timers.

2. Persimmon has advised that they are proceeding with the deed of variation with SKDC to enable the allotments and adjacent land to be passed directly to the council.

3. The total amount raised from the Poppy Appeal collection in the foyer was £105.11.

139. Correspondence to be noted and resolved upon

Correspondence to be noted

Correspondence to be resolved upon:

140. Council Finances

a) Income and expenditure by budget cost centre

Members had received a copy of the Council Finances and Omega report prior to the meeting. Cllr Yarham asked if there were any questions. There were none.

b) Accounts to be paid

Cllr Yarham pointed out the additional items and it was then proposed by him, seconded by Cllr Davis and Resolved with 9 in favour and 3 abstentions that the council pay its bills. See appendix A.

c) Precept Planning 2021/22 to include Grant aid provision for the library and the Youth Group

The clerk had issued members with a copy of the Ear Marked Reserves held, and precept sheets detailing each budget line with projected expenditure to the end of the financial year, in addition to the omega report. Councillors were also issued with accounting information for the community library and the youth group. The clerk then explained that the 6.2% increase in precept indicated would equate to £6.37 on a band D property. Cllr Yarham then asked that all committees agree to the admin budget figures. Cllr Miss Moran advised that the swimming club was due to meet in January with chief officers at SKDCleisure, and that they are keen that the swimming club continues. It is hoped that within 18months the request for funding would stop. Cllr Yarham then thanked the library committee and the Youth Group for providing comprehensive figures to aid councillors with their decisions. Councillors then discussed the need to be cautious with spending tax payers’ money whilst providing improved services for the town. Cllr Miss Moran pointed out that there had been no increase in precept request from the town council in 2020/21.

d) interactive speed sign provision: for members to ratify the decision of the Planning and Highways committee to take £4000 (no longer required for grass cutting provision) from Ear Marked Reserves during the current financial year 2020/21 and to adjust the precept for 2021/22 to £2000

Cllr Yarham asked members to agree on an amount to be precepted for the proposed signs. It was noted that LCC would have to agree the signage, and that the signs could only be placed on a lamppost. Cllr Brookes advised that it had been shown that interactive speed signs did have a positive impact on speeding, which is one of the main causes of concern for residents regarding highways issues. Cllr Davis confirmed that he had contacted LCC, who were not able to provide any funding assistance. It was then proposed by Cllr Brookes, seconded by Cllr Mrs Sked and Resolved with 10 in favour and 2 against to ratify the decision of the planning and highways committee as shown above.

e) Ratification of the precept request as agreed by the Finance and Personnel committee at their meeting of 25th November, subject to any alterations as agreed in c) & d) above.

Cllr Yarham asked members to vote on the proposed precept given that there were no changes initiated. Members considered deferring the decision to January in an attempt to strip costs back further but committees had already considered the precept on a number of occasions. Cllr Broughton thanked the clerks for their work on the precept in his absence and recommended that the council all pull together. Cllrs Yarham and Neilson advised that the increase would equate to approximately £1 per head. It was then proposed by Cllr Yarham, seconded by Cllr Miss Moran and Resolved with 11 in favour and one against to proceed with the precept request as presented.

141. Grant aid: Deeping St James signal box group

The clerk had provided the completed grant aid application form to members prior to the meeting, plus detailed accounts information provided by the signal box committee. Cllr Broughton advised that he had worked on the project but that he did not have a financial interest in it. Cllr Brookes advised that the money was intended to purchase concrete for the base of the box, and Cllr Broughton confirmed that students from Stamford college had been learning new skills whilst volunteering there. It was then proposed by Cllr Miss Collins, seconded by Cllr Yarham and Resolved unanimously to grant the £500 requested.

142. For members to receive an update on the Persimmon Homes transfer of allotment and other land

Cllr Shelton advised members that there had been no progress since the last meeting as he and the planning consultant were awaiting a meeting with Persimmon and SKDC to progress the issue. He hoped that there would be information to report for the January meeting. The clerk confirmed that, in line with Full Council instructions last month, she had advised Persimmon to proceed with the variation order to allow the land to be transferred directly from Persimmon to Market Deeping Town Council.

143. For members to receive an update on Digital Council

Cllr Yarham confirmed that the credit check on the council was still awaited and there should be a date for delivery of the new ipads soon. He is in the process of drafting a new policy to govern how the devices should be used.

144. Forthcoming events: For members to consider arrangements for Carols Round the Tree

Cllr Miss Moran advised members that the proposed date for the event was Christmas Eve at 4.30-5.30pm. Santa will be there and children will not receive presents due to social distancing. A local resident will sing and there will be carols before and after her performance. Cllr Miss Moran had purchased small selection boxes to give to children and needed assistance with moving Santa’s sleigh. Cllr Brookes asked if there would be a road closure and there will not be due to time constraints, but residents will be asked not to park in the square.

145. For members to consider and discuss any points raised in the public session.

There were none.

146. Confidential/Personnel Matters: Consideration to go into Closed session to discuss:

Staff issues

It was proposed, seconded and Resolved unanimously to move into Closed Session to members of the press and public in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, for members to discuss items that contained information of a confidential nature: It was Resolved to agree office closure times over the Christmas period. It was then Resolved unanimously to come out of Closed Session.

Cllr Yarham then thanked all members for attending and declared the meeting closed at 9.15pm. The next scheduled meeting of the Full Council will be held on Wednesday 13th January 2021.