Minutes of a Meeting of St Michael Parish Council Held at the School Room, St Mary’S Church, Childwick Green, St Albans on Tuesday 23 October 2018 at 6.30Pm

St Michael Parish Council

Minutes of a Meeting of St Michael Parish Council held at the School Room, St Mary’s Church, Childwick Green, St Albans on Tuesday 23 October 2018 at 6.30pm.

Present: Councillor P Limebear Chairman Councillor G Dumpleton Vice Chairman Councillor S Craven Councillor E Rolfe Councillor E Rose Councillor S Slaughter Councillor R Woodward J Reading Acting Parish Clerk

63/18 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE None - all Members present.

64/18 DECLARATION OF MEMBERS’ INTERESTS Cllr Slaughter – regarding planning applications 5/2018/2475, 5/2018/2481 and 5/2018/2482 Cllr Craven – regarding planning applications , 5/2018/2481 and 5/2018/2482 Both by virtue of personal connections with the applicants. Cllr Slaughter – regarding obtaining an estimate for potential repairs to notice board.

65/18 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL HELD ON 11 SEPTEMBER 2018 The minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on Tuesday 21 August were unanimously agreed as a true record and were signed by the Chairman.

66/18 MATTERS ARISING The Acting Clerk reported that:  St Albans District Council had recently confirmed that there would be no objection to St Michael Parish Council adopting the notice board at the playing fields in Toulmin Drive, St Albans. Members discussed the site. While it was considered to be less than ideal, being so close to the Parish boundary, it nevertheless fulfilled the obligation to provide a means of posting statutory notices. It was agreed that subject to confirmation of costs, adopting the notice board at Toulmin Drive would be regarded as an interim measure pending the identification of a more central and permanent location. A contractor would now be asked to give an estimate for the work to replace the panel.  A mobile phone had been purchased for Parish Council use within the budget cost agreed at the previous meeting. The phone came with an initial amount of air-time credit and the Acting Clerk proposed to see how long this might last before assessing whether it was worthwhile taking up a monthly payment option.  An application had been made for a PO Box address through Royal Mail and the outcome was awaited.

67/18 SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS A Schedule of accounts was RECEIVED and CONFIRMED, each payment being dated 23 October 2018 unless otherwise noted:- Cheque 000487, £330.00, Royal Mail, PO Box subscription (signed 21/09/2018 ref. Minute 56/18) Cheque 000488, £98.75, C P Associates, HR advice Cheque 000489, £113.67, J Reading, Expenses, 1 September - 31 October 2018 Cheque 000490, £255.00, J Reading, Salary, 1 September - 31 October 2018 Cheque 000491, £23.40, St Michael's PCC, Meeting room hire 23/10/18

68/18 BANKING ARRANGEMENTS Further to Minute 54/18, Cllr Woodward reported that Nat West Bank had acknowledged errors in its systems for the Parish Council’s bank accounts and admitted liability with a written offer of compensation in the sum of £200. The Nat West still could not trace any operating instructions and consequently general mandates would be required for both accounts and then individual applications from all signatories with the Council’s authority to use the accounts. Councillors agreed that the offer of compensation was inadequate in view of the amount of time the situation demanded. As well as the Acting Clerk’s time, Cllr Woodward had already made several visits to branch to achieve the bank’s admission of their error and all Councillors would have to complete mandates and go through an identity check procedure. It was agreed that the Acting Clerk would draft a letter to Nat West proposing that a) the offer of compensation was insufficient and b) that the bank send a representative to the January 2019 meeting to collect the banking mandates and to verify ID of all signatories. The Chairman thanked Cllr Woodward for all his efforts in this matter.

69/18 PLANNING APPLICATIONS Details of the following planning applications/decisions were received: New Applications  5/2018/2228 - The Walled Garden Gorhambury St Albans Hertfordshire - Change of use from agricultural to equestrian arena with timber perimeter fencing (resubmission following withdrawal of 5/2018/0826). PENDING. No comment.  5/2018/2475 - Barn At Shafford Farm Redbourn Road St Albans Hertfordshire - Prior Approval - Change of use and conversion of agricultural barn to dwelling house. PENDING. No comment.  5/2018/2481 - Forge Cottage Childwick Green Childwickbury St Albans Hertfordshire AL3 6JJ - Discharge of Conditions 6 (method statement and structural assesment) and 7 (details of materials and plans) of 5/2017/3668 dated 08/03/2018 for Listed Building consent - Single storey side extension following partial demolition of external wall and dormer. PENDING. No comment.  5/2018/2482 - Forge Cottage Childwick Green Childwickbury St Albans Hertfordshire AL3 6JJ - Listed Building consent - Alterations to stairs and replacement door. PENDING. No comment.  5/2018/2662 - Beesonend House Beesonend Lane Harpenden Hertfordshire AL5 2AB - Single storey tack room and store bale. PENDING. No comment. Decisions by SADC  5/2018/2099 - Gorhambury St Albans Hertfordshire AL3 6AH - Discharge of Conditions 3 (mix of render) and 4 (render finish) of 5/2018/0368 dated 6/4/2018 for Listed Building consent - External re-rendering of North Wing. Discharge of Condition – Approved, 25/09/2018.  5/2018/2126 - Garden Cottage Gorhambury St Albans Hertfordshire AL3 6AL - Certificate of Lawfulness (proposed) - Single storey rear extension. Certificate of Lawfulness Approved, 26/09/2018.

70/18 TO NOTE THAT ORDINARY COUNCIL ELECTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE IN MAY 2019 It was noted that elections would take place in May 2019, with the following schedule of associated dates. It was further noted that election costs would need to be included in the 2019/2020 budget calculations.  New Office date, Tuesday 7th May (i.e. the day after Bank Holiday Monday on 6th May)  Annual meeting, Not later than 14 days after take office: Tues 21st May  Register of disclosable pecuniary interests, Not later than 28 days after take office: Tues 4th June  Co-option, Not later than 35 days after take office: Tues 11th June

71/18 TO NOTE CHANGES TO WARDING ARRANGEMENTS FOR ST MICHAEL PARISH COUNCIL It was noted that the electoral register will be amended on 1 December 2018 to split the Parish into two wards and the Parish election in May 2019 will be run under the new arrangements. Members sought clarification as to whether the two wards would require specific allocation of Councillors and the Acting Clerk undertook to report on this aspect at the next meeting.

72/18 EMAIL BULLETINS TO MEMBERS Bulletins received by the Acting Clerk had been circulated for Members’ interest prior to the meeting and were considered:  County Council’s Notice of Decision on Modification Order Application to record footpath routes in Park Wood St Albans. Noted.  2018 Parliamentary Boundary Review The Boundary Commission for England submitted their final report to the Government on Wednesday 5 September and Parliament must now decide whether to accept or reject the proposal, which is that the St Albans Parliamentary constituency will include two whole wards from Three Rivers and one ward from Watford whilst London Colney will be transferred to the Hertsmere Constituency. The Hitchin and Harpenden constituency remains unchanged. Noted.  (Update) Report on High Court Decision in the case of Elizabeth Harvey v Ledbury Town Council - Briefing paper reported to the SADC Standards Committee on 3 October 2018. Noted.  Invitation to attend the St Albans Highways Liaison Meeting (HLM), to be held at 7.00 pm on Tuesday 30th October 2018, Council Chamber, District Council Offices. Noted. No one was available to attend.  Invitation to read a lesson at St Mary's Carol Service, Sunday 16th December 2018 6.00 pm OR at the Epiphany Carol Service at 6pm on Sunday January 6th 2019. Cllr Rose volunteered to accept this invitation.  Redbourn Neighbourhood Plan Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report for Consultation. No representation necessary.

73/18 ARCHIVE OF ST MICHAEL PARISH COUNCIL DOCUMENTS During discussion in another part of the meeting it emerged that the Vice Chairman had an old minute book in his safekeeping, and it was believed that other archived documents belonging to the Parish Council were still in storage with a relative of the previous Clerk. The Vice Chair agreed to contact the former Clerk to ask for their return.

74/18 ANY OTHER BUSINESS None.

75/18 TO SET DATES FOR MEETINGS IN 2019 The following meeting dates were approved, subject to the availability of the School Room (all subsequently confirmed): Parish Council Meeting Tuesday 22 January 2019 (Moved on request from 15th) Parish Council Meeting Tuesday 19 March 2019 Annual Meeting of the Parish Council (to be followed by quarterly Parish Council Meeting) Tuesday 14 May 2019 Parish Council Meeting Tuesday 10 September 2019

76/18 CLOSED SESSION Notwithstanding the absence of any members of the press or public, the Chairman called to move to a closed session of the Meeting for the matters set out in minute 76/18 below, as it concerned discussion of an identifiable/named individual. RESOLVED That in view of the confidential nature of the business about to be transacted, it was advisable in the public interest that the press and public be temporarily excluded and they were instructed to withdraw.

77/18 POLICE REPORT A crime reference number allocated by Hertfordshire Police was circulated for Members’ information but there was otherwise no material update to report.

78/18 CLOSURE  The next meeting of the Parish Council was scheduled for Tuesday 22nd January 2019.  The meeting closed at 8.00 pm.

Chairman ……………………………………………………………………………. Date …………………………………….