October 2019 DRAFT Minutes VIC
Minutes of the Meeting of the Village Improvement Committee held in the Millennium Hall on Thursday 10th October 2019 at 10.00am
Present: Cllrs I.Fleetwood (Chairman), Cllr. S. Brylewski, Cllr. A. Burge, Cllr. K. Mellor, Cllr. M. Palmer, Mrs. C. Hodgson (RFO), Mrs. L. Cooper (Clerk)
1. Apologies and attendance, including to accept apologies and the reasons for absence
Cllr Bates, Bucke and Longley did not attend. Cllr. Fleetwood advised that Cllr. Longley had stepped down from the committee.
2. Members’ declaration of interests, gifts and hospitality
There were none.
3. To receive the notes of the Village Improvement Committee meeting held on 5th September 2019 and agree for them to be signed as a true record It was proposed and RESOLVED that the notes were a true record and they were duly signed.
4. Items in Progress: to consider and agree any action as appropriate
a. Update on the Emergency Plan
Deferred to next meeting due to the absence of Cllr.Bates.
b. Update on Community Speed Watch scheme
Cllr Fleetwood reported that monitoring would be handed over to Cllr.Burge from 14th October 2019. Additional equipment for the Speed Watch programme was available to purchase which would be shared with Greetwell Parish Council, who were going to join the Speed watch scheme. Concern was raised about access and storage of the shared equipment. Cllr. Fleetwood advised equipment was usually in use and would not generally need to be stored. However, if storage was required Cllr.Burge offered to store it in his garage space. It was asked if new volunteers had been trained and if more training was planned. Cllr. Fleetwood advised that a training date was to be arranged in Nettleham, where a new Community Speed Watch scheme was being formed. The Road Safety Partnership suggested amalgamating resources, which would result in more equipment and volunteers.
It was proposed and RESOLVED to accept the offer to purchase additional equipment which would be shared with Greetwell Parish Council.
c. Update on litter picking
Cllr. Fleetwood reported that the village appeared reasonably clean with no visible litter on verges.
d. Grass cutting matters
A letter had been received from Lincolnshire County Council asking the village to adopt a section of grass on the new Kingfisher development. Mrs. Hodgson presented and discussed a map of the area advising that a quote would be requested for adding this area to the grass cutting schedule.
Going forward the list of grass cutting dates would be checked against invoices received and that itemised invoices, including the date of cutting would be requested, for greater transparency. It appeared that the playing field had not been cut but it was difficult to monitor the area.
A quote for spraying village curbs was out to Glendale..
e. Consider the following Millennium Hall matters and, if applicable, approve expenditure and quotes:
i. Replacement carpet
After discussion it was suggested carpets could be replaced when the interior decoration had been completed.
ii. Replacement lighting
Cllr. Mellor enquired what specifications were required for the hall. There was general discussion about the types of lighting that could be used, and it was agreed that LED lighting would be preferable. Any lighting should be consistent throughout the hall and in keeping with the premises. ACTION: Cllr. Mellor to investigate further.
iii. Redecoration
The redecoration of the hall had been put out to commercial tender. The Clerk had arranged for 3 quotes, but none had responded with a written quotation. Cllr. Fleetwood enquired if the Probation team should be offered the work. This was considered but consensus was that professional decorators would have specific training, equipment and Health and Safety knowledge. It was proposed and RESOLVED to employ a professional decorator. ACTION: Clerk to seek more quotes.
iv. Television
Funding of £510.00 was received for purchase of the smart television. There was general discussion of television price, size, and installation considerations along with payment options available. As the Parish Council’s debit card was not operational yet it was suggested that costs incurred could be reimbursed after purchase. It was proposed and RESOLVED to purchase equipment and reimburse costs.
v. To extend office area
Extension of the office area was discussed but should be put on hold until decoration of the main hall had been completed. The possibility of replacing the base unit in the kitchen area with a cupboard to store crockery and chemicals separately, along with a small fridge was considered.
This would benefit hirers using the hall and make it more attractive for future hire. It was proposed and RESOLVED, to purchase a base unit. ACTION: Cllr. Burge to investigate.
f. Work involving Probation Service
Cllr. Fleetwood discussed the work of the Probation Service. There had been a difficult period when attendance was low, but it appeared to be better recently. It was suggested that the Probation Service could be asked to work another day,
5. New items: to consider and agree any action as appropriate
Email correspondence had been sent to Network Rail requesting additional barriers on the level crossing. However, Network Rail required evidence of risk or examples of misuse. It was noted that there was increased traffic flow over the level crossing. It was mentioned that other Parish Council’s had installed CCTV to deter misuse. Concern remained about the dangers to the public. It was proposed and RESOLVED to escalate the complaint. ACTION: Clerk to send a letter to Network Rail.
6. Cherry Fields Issue
Responsibility of Cherry Fields would be moved from the Leisure and Amenities committee to the Village Improvement committee. Discussion took place about what this would mean for the budget in 2020-21.
7. Little Cherry Noticeboard
It was noted that closing the noticeboard door could be very difficult and the board showed signs of wear and tear. It was proposed and RESOLVED to replace the noticeboard. ACTION: Clerk to obtain quotes.
8. Holding items
a) Create footpath from Green Lane to Hawthorn Road
There had been no progress and this would be brought back to the next meeting for an update.
b) Create footpath from Church Lane to Gilbert’s Pond
To create a footpath to Gilbert’s Pond it would be necessary to cut through the churchyard. Permission would need to be obtained from the Parochial Church Council, who could be asked to contribute towards the cost. There was some discussion about what route the path would take and the unofficial path currently used by residents. Costs for the work could only be estimated as it was not known what type and model of gate could be used. Cllr. Fleetwood suggested the Probation Service could be asked to cut the path work to keep costs down and that Grant White at WLDC may have knowledge of any funding streams for this type of project.
c) Update on extending Xmas lighting on Parade
Last year complaints were received that the lighting on the trees was not bright enough. The committee discussed the various lights and batteries available to increase coverage in the trees and suitability and Health and Safety implications of placing lights in the trees.
Cllr. Fleetwood had negotiated a quote of a cherry picker for £120.00 + VAT. The Christmas tree was arranged for delivery on 28th November 2019. Any additional lights should be placed at the same time. Mrs. Hodgson advised there was funding left in the budget for additional community events. It was proposed and RESOLVED to buy additional lighting. ACTION: Cllr. Fleetwood to purchase lights.
9. Budget consideration
Cherry Fields & Grass cutting
The Cherry Field Working Group (CFWG) had a budget for grass cutting at Cherry Fields so it would not need to be covered by the Village Improvement Committee’s budget. The CFWG had indicated they would prefer grass was cut professionally, and not by the Probation Service.
The issue of grass cutting in the village was discussed at length. Cllr. Fleetwood and the RFO would discuss the cutting schedule with Glendale to achieve best value for money. It was proposed and RESOLVED to set the budget for next year’s grass cutting at £14,000.
Tanfaine Field: The field belongs to the Parish Council, generating rental income of approximately £50-100. The Parish Council discussed the possibility of creating a permissive path down the inside field boundary but the route is not an officially adopted Lincolnshire County Council Right of Way.
Discussion continued around the costs and practicality of improving access, when it may not be widely used. If the field were put to other uses it could be used as a burial ground, as could the top of Cherry Pastures. It was recognised that the lower part of Cherry Fields could flood but not the higher ground. Cherry Pasture could also be used to provide a car park to the site. These ideas would need further consideration.
- General Maintenance
There were funds remaining in the budget for this year and surplus could be used to fund the replacement noticeboard at Little Cherry. It was noted that there would need to be a separate budget for the Probation Service in 2020- 21, as it could not be included in General Maintenance. It was proposed and RESOLVED to set the budget for next year at £3,500.
- Community Gazebo: The gazebo had needed some repairs this year which came to £64.00 but rental hire covered these costs and no additional funding was required.
- Any other budget items: This would depend on the completion of work at Millennium Hall, but the committee discussed the possibility of replacing the hall chairs and buying additional furniture. It was proposed and RESOLVED to allocate £2,000 to improve the hall.
Overall, the committee were keen that any budget requirements should not unduly increase the precept.
10. Matters for report and notice of items to be included in the next meeting
Xmas tree and the Probation Service.
11. To confirm the date for next meeting
The next meeting was confirmed for 8th November 2019 at 10.00am.
The meeting ended at 11.45am.