September 2024 Minutes
Timberland and Thorpe Tilney Parish Council Meeting Minutes (Draft)
Date Monday 30th September, 2024
Start time: 19:00
Close: 20.43
Meeting Location Timberland Village Hall
Attendees:
Councillors Lenton (Chair), Kornat, and Audis
Clerk – Kay Harvey
Apologies for Absence: Cllr Slater, Cllr Sharplin, District Councillor Kendrick
1. Parishioner open forum
There were five members of the public in attendance. One asked if it is possible to approach the Timberland community market to see if its is possible to hold one on a weekend. The PC advised this is not a PC event however the market is held on a Thursday as most of the stall owners have other weekend commitments.
Lindsay and Brian from The Grapevine magazine attended and presented a cheque to the PC for £250.00 (proceeds from advertising ) to thank volunteers who provided content for the magazine and distribute the magazine locally following ten years of publication. They would like these funds to be used to pay the rent on the Timberland Green for next year (2025/26). The PC would like to express thanks for the donation.
2. Apologies for absence
Cllr Slater, Cllr Sharplin, District Councillor Kendrick
3. Declarations of interest
None.
4. Minutes of previous meeting
Minutes of meeting on Monday 15th July 2024 were approved.
Proposed: Cllr Kornat, Seconded: Cllr Audis. All Agreed
5 . District & County Councillor remarks
None, Cllr Kendrick absent.
6. Planning
Nothing to discuss.
7. Highways
• Cllr Kendrick asked for the highways email regarding the 30 mph signs to be forwarded to him so he can help move this forward.
• Cllr Kendrick has also received from the Clerk, photographs of the damaged wall near the dyke at Church Lane.
• Fen Road has now had an upgrade and road surfacing has now been completed up to the junction at Witham Bank. The road is greatly improved and is now suitable for traffic.
8 Standing Parish items
8.1 Timberland Green
• Cllr Kornat has advised we still don’t have confirmation that the lease of the green has been registered.
• ROSPA inspection has taken place with some advisory items to look at. Bolts on top of one of the swings need to be slightly adjusted and will be done in the spring. Both hand gates entering/exiting the green require a buffer spring for safety.
• ROSPA has mentioned the toppings on the church wall are in some disrepair. The PC will contact the church to understand if there are any plans to repair the coping stones. When understood the PC will discuss a possible contribution to their repairs.
• The wooden bench at the village green is warped and should ideally be replaced. The wooden bench is currently in the container ready for disposal. A decision will be discussed at a future meeting.
• The PC discussed the option of providing a new shelter to replace the one which was removed earlier in the year. A decision was postponed and the matter will be discussed again when a PC meeting has a full attendance.
• The PC have agreed that ROSPA inspections will be requested and carried out each year.
Action: Cllr Audis to investigate costs of a shelter and a bench for village green.
Action: Cllr Audis to investigate costs of capping on the church boundary wall.
Action: Clerk to write to church warden about on-going works.
8.2 Timberland Village Hall
• Cllr Kornat has been in discussions with the Chair of the Village Hall Committee. The asbestos problem is still on going however works are to commence Saturday 5th October to make good the ridge tiles causing issues. Once again, the PC and the VHC would like to express thanks to District Councillor Whittle for his assistance in this matter.
• The Chair of the Village Hall Committee has asked for a copy of the Insurance Policy and the Asset list which Cllr Kornat is forwarding on.
• The PC needs to appoint a representative for the VH when Cllr Kornat leaves in December.
Action: Cllr Kornat will share the updated PC Asset List with the VH Chair.
Action: Clerk to send the insurance policy to VH Chair.
8.3 Community Market
A second hand PA system and an external storage shed have been purchased for the VH out of Community Market proceeds.
8.4 Grounds Maintenance
• Cllr Kendrick is now in receipt of the pictures of the culvert wall at the dyke near the gate at the bottom of Church Lane is falling down.
• Clerk has had a reply from Sarah Wells regarding the Bayfield Road dyke, she has advised they are organising the clearing of it and will let us know when this is scheduled.
• Anglian Water have contacted the PC to advise there is a waste pipe damaged following the clearing of the dykes and leaking sewerage in to the dyke. They wanted to ask how it happened but that there was no blame just that we needed to be extremely careful in future. The PC has taken this on board and will ensure anyone that clears the dykes needs to approach with caution.
• Cllr Audis usually finishes cutting in October and has approx. another 9 grass cuts for the Bayfield Road grass.
Action: Clerk to contact Cllr Kendrick regarding any progress on the wall
8.5 Family fun Day 2024
• The family fun funds are now in a separate account and the amount is £1540.69.
• A new volunteer is required to organise the 2025 FFD. If a councillor is unwilling to take on the workload a call will be made to parishioners for volunteers who will report into the PC on progress and requests for fundig. Failure to identify a volunteer will result in the cancellation of the 2025 FFD.
Action: Cllr Lenton to email all PC asking if anyone would like to step forward to run the next FFD and the proposal for engaging volunteers if no councillor is willing to take on the responsibility
8.6 Social Media
• The PC has been made aware of a post on a village social media page regarding on going issues with dog waste. Cllr Kornat has contacted NKDC for advice, they have sent notices to put up on lampposts etc. Cllr Kornat has written a substantial article for The Grapevine regarding the consequences of not picking up dog waste.
Action: Cllr Audis to put up dog waste posters around the village
Action: Clerk to investigate costs of dog waste bin
8.7 Parish Council
• There are currently three Parish Council vacancies with three current applications.
• All interested parties have attended a PC meeting
Action: Cllr Lenton to create and distribute a guide on the requirements and responsibilities of being a parish councillor to all interested parties.
8.8 Human Resources
• Clerk has received the invitation to apply for the annual litter picker grant. The service level agreement that is required to be fulfilled in order to receive a grant requires that the litter removes dog waste. The PC agreed that clearing dog waste is the responsibility of dog owners. If the litter picker is unwilling to clear dog waste the PC will decide on the course of action to be taken regarding a grant application.
Action: Clerk to discuss new SLA change with NKDC and then with litter picker.
8.9 Correspondence
• The clerk has received an email from two parishioners expressing interest in becoming a parish councillor. They have been invited to addend the PC meeting and send the good councillors guide.
• The PC has received the sad new of Pete Langford passing unexpectedly. Pete was the PC web master and will be sadly missed. The PC would like to send condolences to Pete’s family. LALC have advised they will revert on the website service and Pete’s replacement.
• Cllr Head has been notified that the PC will not be takingup the offer of a climate change meeting at this time.
• Following an email from a Parishioner asking if we could provide bleed kits in the defib area. Bleed kits are approx. £90 - £180 depending on the amount of kit is included and are self-administrating and there is a risk to the person administering the bleed kit. The PC will discuss this option further.
9 Finance Status Update
9.1 Accounts Status / Finance update
• Bank Balances – Community Account £4,268.16, Reserve Account £8874.19, Family Fun Day Account £1,540.69
9.2 Payments for Approval
All Payments listed are to be paid via Bank Transfer / petty cash
• Clerk Salary £660.55
• Clerk Expenses £20.00
• Litter Picker £100.67
• Cllr Audis Mower fuel and cable ties £52.37
• Cllr Lenton gift for R South £26.00
• Cheque 100821 for HMRC £100.00
Proposed Cllr Kornat, Seconded Cllr Lenton, ALL agreed.
• The PC have now started to spend some of the CIL monies on various things that require attention in the Village. There is £292.64 to be moved from savings account to current account to cover the spending so far. The remaining CIL monies are £2003.71 (included in reserve account)
Action: Cllr Lenton to meet with Finance Committee to update half year spending on the PC finance tracker
Action: Clerk to update the CIL tracker with up to date spending and circulate.
10 Supplementary Items
10.1 Defib
• The Clerk and Cllr Kornat are in discussions with the landlady of the Penny farthing Public House with regards to moving the donated funds from the landlady to the PC. Once in receipt the PC will order the new defib.
• The PC has agreed to cover the maintenance of the new defib along with the current defib. The PC would like to get the defib ordered in the coming weeks.
• Action: Clerk to contact landlady of Penny Farthing to organise transfer of funds to the PC and order a new defibrillator when complete.
11 Agenda items for next meeting
None.
Meeting closed at 20.43