Snape with Thorp Parish Council

Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Snape with Thorp Parish Council held on Thursday 9 May 2019 in the Snape Institute

Present: Councillors John Duck, Richard Poole, Liz Watson, Colin Hodges, Cllr John Weighell and Cllr David Webster.

1. Election of Chairman: John Duck was elected Chairman
2. Co-opting to vacant positions on the Council – It was RESOLVED that Colin Hodges and Sara Pringle, who was unable to make the meeting, be co-opted to the Council. Appropriate documentation was signed by all the Councillors and Chairman. Cllr Duck welcomed the new Councillors to the Council.
3. Declaration of Interest – There were no declarations of interest.
4. Minutes of the meetings held on 2 April, copies of which had been circulated with the agenda, were accepted as a correct record.
5. Matters Arising
   1. Stone Bridge – the planning application had been approved. Cllr Poole had organised for a local ecologist to undertake the bat roosting survey required as part of the planning approval. The survey would be undertaken next week and a written report submitted to HDC. Cllr Duck thanked the County and District Council for their financial support towards the work on the bridges and footpath. A site meeting had been held with the successful contractor and he expected to start work on 1 August or late July to avoid activities occurring in the village. The works were expected to take 2 weeks to complete. A further site meeting would be held in June/July. The stone from the current bridge would be moved to Olde Village Farm and be available should anyone want this.
   2. Petition – following discussion at the last meeting and Annual Open Meeting a petition and covering letter opposing the reduction of services at the Friarage had been distributed and responses were being received. The closing date was 20 May. It was noted that those outside the parish could add their names to this; it was suggested that it be distributed to other communities.
6. Financial Matters
   1. Annual internal audit report for 2018/19 (copy of which had been circulated with the agenda) it was RESOLVED that the Annual Internal Audit Report for 2018/19 included at page 3 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return be noted
   2. Annual Governance Statement 2018/19 (copy of which had been circulated with the agenda) it was RESOLVED that the Council approve Section 1 Annual Governance Statement 2018/19 on page 4 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2018/19.
   3. Accounting Statements 2018/19 (copy of which had been circulated with the agenda) it was RESOLVED that the Council approve Section 2 - Accounting Statements 2018/19 on page 5 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2018/2019
   4. Publication of documents required by Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, the Local Audit (Smaller Authorities) Regulations 2015 and the Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities (paper circulated with the agenda) – it was RESOLVED that the following documents would be published on the Parish Council’s website:

• Annual Internal Audit Report 2018/19,
• Section 1 – Annual Governance Statement 2018/19,
• Section 2 – Accounting Statements 2018/19,
• Analysis of variances,
• Bank Reconciliation to 31 March 2019
• Notice of the period for the exercise of public rights and other information required by Regulation 15 (2), Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015
  5. Receipts and payments since the last meeting:

Receipts NYCC – grant for works on bridges and footpath - £5000

Payments Sarah Lowe (salary) £54.40; Sarah Lowe (expenses) £6.25; Snape Methodist Church (room hire) £20; C&A Gregory (cutting of hedge at the playing field) £48.00

Bank accounts as at 29 April 2019

Current account – £5911.81

Deposit account – £2640.81

Deposit account re Institute - £9732.77

The financial position as at 29 April, copies of which had been circulated with the agenda, was noted.

6. 6. Hours of work by the Clerk – it was noted that the Clerk had undertaken 29 hours 30 minutes work since the last meeting.
   7. Signatories for the bank accounts – The Clerk advised that a third signatory was required in addition to Cllrs Duck and Poole. It was RESOVED that Cllr Hodges would be the third signatory.
   8. Membership of YLCA – it was RESOLVED to renew the membership of Yorkshire Local Councils Association at a cost of £132. It was noted that this was £21 less than budgeted. Documentation including YLCA’s privacy statement was noted.
   1. Insurance cover – it was RESOLVED to renew insurance cover with Zurich Municipal; it was noted that the cover for 2019/20 was the second year of a three year agreement and that it included the newly installed aerial runway. The cost of the insurance was £15 higher than budged at £475.
   10. Un-contested election – it was RESOLVED that the charge of £100 for the un-contested election would be paid as a single payment this year. This was £300 less than budgeted as the cost of a contested election payable over 4 years had been included in the budget.
   11. Financial allocation to the Playing Field – it was RESOLVED to allocate £150 as budgeted to the playing field
   50. Financial allocation to the Avenue – it was RESOLVED to allocate £500 as budgeted for the Avenue.
7. Insurance cover for events on the Green – following discussion at the Show Committee and the Institute Committee the Clerk had sought the advice of the Parish Council’s insurers regarding events held on the village green. Apart from the Public Liability generally for the village green the Parish Council’s insurance did not cover risks associated with an event held on the green unless that event was being organised by the Council itself. Anyone running an event on the green would need to have their own insurance cover. Cllr Hodges would let the Show Committee know this was the case.
8. Playing Field Committee – it was RESOLVED that a Committee should continue in existence and that the current membership should continue in place. An invitation to join the Committee would be made to Sara Pringle and generally to residents via the next Parish Council newsletter. Grasscutting around the new equipment was being undertaken by Cllrs with the main field being cut by the contractor; this arrangement would continue until the grass had established through the safamatting. It was appropriate for one of the Committee to assume responsibility for notifying the contractor when the additional cuts between the main village cuts were necessary; Cllr Poole agreed to continue to do this.
9. Asset Register – the Asset Register, copies of which had been circulated with the agenda, was agreed.
10. Risk Assessment – the Risk Assessment, copies of which had been circulated with the agenda, was agreed. There was discussion about including the trees in the village within the document.
11. Financial Resolutions – the Financial Resolutions, copies of which had been circulated with the agenda, was agreed with the inclusion of the signing of the cheque stubs by the two councillors signing the cheque to make payment. The Clerk would update the document for approval at the next meeting.
12. Annual Open Meeting – the minutes of this meeting had been circulated with the agenda and were noted. A number of Highways matters had been raised and a response was awaited. The possibility of narrowing the beck at the west of the village was discussed but would not be taken forward at present.
13. Planning Matters
    1. Retrospective Planning approval for the garage at the Old Vicarage was noted. One of the conditions of the approval related to the method of disposal of surface water. The Council RESOLVED to seek information from HDC Planning department about the approach submitted by the applicant and to seek clarification on a comment regarding housing allocation on the Hares of Snape site made on the officer’s report.
    2. Vehicle movements on the Prices Pavings site – it was noted that some vehicle movements were occurring on site before the 8am permitted start time. The Clerk would contact the Enforcement Officer.
14. Appointment of Councillors to represent the Council at YLCA meetings – It was RESOLVED that any member of the Council or the Clerk if approved to represent the Council at a YLCA meeting should be deemed to have been given authority to vote on the Council’s behalf.
15. Avenue survey – Cllr Duck advised that Mr Whitehead had undertaken a survey of the Avenue and would be submitting a report soon. He had suggested that the Council undertake a survey of the other trees in the village. It was RESOLVED that the other trees should be surveyed.
16. Grasscutting and village maintenance – the contractor would be coming to cut the grass shortly having been unable to do so last week. The contractor had sprayed the weed in the beck as part of the responsibility for keeping the beck clear of weed. There was discussion about the possibility of spraying to kill the dandelions that were in large numbers on the greens. Cllr Duck would discuss with the contractor and obtain a price for undertaking this if it was still possible to do so this season
17. Vote of thanks to the three Councillors who had stood down – It was RESOLVED that a letter of thanks should be sent to each of the former councillors to thank them for their service and for their hard work over their period of office.

The meeting closed at 9.00 pm