Minutes of a Meeting of the Asfordby Parish Council

28 MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE ASFORDBY PARISH COUNCIL HELD AT THE PARISH HALL, ASFORDBY ON THURSDAY, 18 TH NOVEMBER 2004 AT 7.00 P.M.

PRESENT: Mr. J. Bullimore, Chairman. Miss. R. Cates, Messrs. P. Ainge, J. Garland, J. Hackett, T. Hall, J. Robinson, M. Sheldon, C. Summerland and D.Tempest.

96/11/04 DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS The following declarations of interest were made by Members of the Council:- Mr. T. Hall declared an interest in Minute No:110/11/04 as Mr. Hall is an allotment tenant. Mr. M. Sheldon declared an interest in Minute No: 116/11/04 (9) as Mr. Sheldon is a governor at Asfordby Hill School.

97/11/04 MINUTES The Minutes of the meeting held 21st October 2004 were confirmed as circulated and signed by the Chairman.

98/11/04 ESTIMATES A comparison of actual income and expenditure against estimates for the financial year 2004/5 was received.

99/11/04 ACCOUNTS The Clerk reported that cheques had been drawn in payment of the following accounts since last meeting:- Voucher nos: 314 - 354 Vchr Cheq. Cde. Name Description Amount 314-324 BACS 21 Personnel Wages, etc – October £2,346.79 335 1964 86 Cash Petty Cash £161.74 336 1959 86 John T Cook Hedge cutting/brook clearance £663.87 337 1960 113 British Telecom Telephone charges £151.39 338 1961 117 Photostatic Digital Copy charge & staples £96.03 339 1962 85 C.P.R.E. Annual Subscription £25.00 340 1965 88 Poppy Appeal Poppy wreath £20.00 341 1966 113 British Telecom Telephone charges £95.46 342 1970 20 Mrs McCarthy Refunded damage bond £30.00 343 1969 202 Carrier Landscapes Ltd Phase 1 - Cemetery extension £11,626.74 344 1968 114 Viking Direct Ltd Office supplies £43.43 346 1971 86 Newdev (UK) 3 signs £165.67 347 D.D. 260 Public Works Loan Board Loan repayment £1,858.84

TOTAL £17,284.96 RESOLVED that this action be approved.

100/11/04 RECEIPTS A list of receipts totalling £674.46 was received for voucher nos: 314 – 354.

101/11/04 PLANNING APPLICATIONS Consideration was given to applications for planning permission as notified by the Borough Council as follows:- 04/00886/VAC JOHN STRONG 8, Regency Road, Asfordby. Change of use from 10ft storage to games room. RESOLVED that the Parish Council is of the opinion that permission should not be granted. The condition was originally attached to prevent the use of the garage and store as a living area and this should be upheld. 29 102/11/04 DWYERS YARD RESOLVED that, when an amended planning application is submitted for the Dwyers Yard site, the Parish Council should request a developer contribution to fund a Vehicle Activated Sign for Main Street in the vicinity of the site entrance to mitigate the effect of the additional vehicles generated by the development on Main Street. FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chairman and Clerk will discuss the matter with planning officers and Leics. County Council to determine their support for the proposal.

103/11/04 PRECEPT FORM FOR 2005/2006 RESOLVED that the Precept form for the financial year 2005/2006 be signed in the sum of £64,255.00.

104/11/04 WORKING PARTY MEETINGS Reports of the following Working Party meetings were received: 1. Cemetery Extension Working Party 2. Cemetery and Allotments Working Party 3. Burial Safety Working Party 4. Cemetery and Allotment Working Party meeting with the Allotment Tenants’ Committee. RESOLVED that all of the recommendations are adopted with the exception of clearing the vegetation at the south eastern corner of the churchyard, as the cost of this work would be £800.

105/11/04 RISK MANAGEMENT WORKING PARTY MEETING A report of a meeting of the Risk Management Working Party was held on 10 th November 2004 was received. RESOLVED that: 1. The Council agreed its own Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures based upon the Model provided. 2. Employees will be given a copy of the procedures and will sign a receipt for their copy. 3. A Staffing Committee consisting of Messrs. P. Ainge, J. Robinson and M. Sheldon (reserves are Miss. R. Cates and Mr. D. Bailey if other Members are not available) will have delegated powers to deal with all disciplinary and grievance matters that cannot satisfactorily be resolved by the Clerk. 4. An employee can appeal against any decision made by the Staffing Committee and the appeal will be heard by the remainder of the Council (the Staffing Committee Members will not be present). 5. Grass cutting work within the parish will be put out to tender for a five year contract commencing in 2005. 6. Mr. S. Hearn, the Council’s Lengthman, will be asked if he would like to attend a health and safety course that is relevant to his work.

* Mr. D. Bailey joined the meeting at 8.15 p.m. *

106/11/04 LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN CONSULTATION A questionnaire for the Leicestershire Local Transport Plan Consultation was completed by the Council. 30

107/11/04 NOTTINGHAM EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT CONTROLLED AIR SPACE A re-consultation document regarding air space proposals for Nottingham East Midlands Airport was received. RESOLVED that the Parish Council is of the opinion that night flights should not be permitted in order to protect residents directly under proposed flight paths.

108/11/04 HIGHWAY SERVICES QUESTIONNAIRE RESOLVED that Mr. D. Bailey will complete a highway services questionnaire on behalf of the Parish Council.

109/11/04 DEVELOPER CONTRIBUTIONS – FACILITIES REQUIRED RESOLVED that Members will submit ideas for new facilities that will be required for the parish as new development increases. A list of these will be kept to assist in making applications to Melton Borough Council for developer contributions.

* The Clerk declared an interest in the following item, as the land is adjacent to her home. *

110/11/04 REDUNDANT ALLOTMENT LAND Mr. J. Garland proposed that allotment tenants should be moved to the area of redundant allotment land at the southern end of the site and the currently used land would be sold for affordable housing. It was suggested that a feasibility study be undertaken. RESOLVED that the Council are against the proposal and will not undertake a feasibility study.

111/11/04 ASFORDBY CEMETERY The Clerk reported that the cemetery extension phase I has been completed with the exception of some minor works to be undertaken in the near future. The Asfordby Mine Fund will be officially launched at Asfordby Parish Hall on 26th November, when it will be possible to formally apply for a grant for phase II of the extension works. The Chairman and Clerk are invited to the launch. It was further reported that Melton Mowbray Thorpe Road cemetery has approximately ten years left before it reaches capacity and a search has already started for another burial site. It is anticipated that a new site will be open before full capacity has been reached.

112/1//04 FUNDING CONFERENCE RESOLVED that the Clerk will attend a regional one day conference on “Funding and managing community projects” on Friday 10th December 2004 at Huntingdon. It is hoped that new avenues of funding for the sports/changing pavilion will be discovered at the conference.

113/11/04 MEMORIAL PLAQUE A request was received from Mr. M. Thurman for permission to erect a memorial plaque within the rose garden at Asfordby cemetery. RESOLVED that permission is granted.

114/11/04 POLICE LIAISON MEETING RESOLVED that the Chairman and Clerk will attend a meeting at Police Headquarters for parish councils with the Chief Constable for Leicestershire.

115/11/04 CLERK’S HOURS OF WORK RESOLVED that the Clerk’s hours will be increased to 31 hours per week with immediate effect in recognition of the number of hours currently worked without payment. 31

116/11/04 CORRESPONDENCE 1. Railings at Asfordby Valley:- A letter was received from Leics. County Council stating that the railings at Asfordby Valley will be painted next spring. 2. Wheeled bin trial:- An evaluation report of the wheeled bin trial was received for information. 3. Pride alarms charity:- A request for a donation was received from the Pride alarms charity. This was refused. 4. Planning seminar:- Notification was received that a planning seminar will be held at Melton Borough Council on 27th January 2005. Three representatives of the Council will attend. 5. Victim Support:- A request for a grant was received from Rutland and Melton Victim Support. This was refused. 6. Planning Policy Updates:- A letter was received from Melton Borough Council asking how often planning policy updates should be sent and on which topics. RESOLVED that a request should be made that all policy updates should be forwarded to the Parish Council. 7. Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group:- A letter was received from F.W.A.G. praising the parish hall, which had been used by them recently as a seminar venue. All participants had scored the venue as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ and the group also praised the temporary caretaker at that time, Mrs. J. Devereaux. 8. National Tree Week:- Notification was received that National Tree Week runs from 24th November to 5th December 20004. 9. Asfordby Hill Play School:- RESOLVED that, as attempts to form a play group at Asfordby Hill School had failed, permission should be given to the fund raising group to use a donation given by the Parish Council to assist in purchasing sports equipment for the school. 10. Council of the Year 2004:- Letters of congratulation to the Council on being awarded Council of the Year 2004 were received from Alan Duncan, M.P., Melton Borough Council, Quorn Parish Council and Mr. P. Thornton.

There were no Crime and Disorder implications relating to any of the above resolutions.

Verified,

Chairman. 32

REPORT OF WORKING PARTY MEETINGS HELD 29 TH OCTOBER 2004

CEMETERY EXTENSION WORKING PARTY: PRESENT: Messrs. P. Ainge, J. Bullimore and J. Hackett. The Working Party inspected the cemetery extension works, which were satisfactory. The following works had been completed: 1. The cemetery extension has been cleared, levelled, graded and fenced around the perimeter. A small area of land adjacent to allotment number 40 required attention when suitable weather permits. 2. The burial of ashes plots adjacent to the main gate have been constructed. 3. New wrought iron gates have been installed.

CEMETERY AND ALLOTMENTS WORKING PARTY: PRESENT: Messrs. P. Ainge, J. Bullimore and J. Hackett. The Working Party inspected the cemetery and allotments and made the following recommendations: Cemetery: 1. Additional plants to be provided to the circular rose bed for winter colour. Allotments: 2. Letters to be written to the following tenants asking whether they are serious about continuing to cultivate their allotments - Nos: 4, 41 & 42. 3. The tenancy of allotment number 9 to be terminated. 4. A letter to be written to the tenant of allotment no: 13 requesting that the allotment is tidied before the next inspection. 5. Letters to be written to the tenants of allotment numbers 27A and 43 requesting that they tidy their allotments and provide numbers before the next inspection.

BURIAL SAFETY WORKING PARTY: PRESENT: Messrs. P. Ainge, J. Bullimore, J. Garland and J. Hackett. The Working Party inspected memorials/headstones in the cemetery and churchyard for safety. The following were found to be unsafe: Cemetery: Churchyard: No.5 – Francis Jackson Ruth Smith No. 110 – Joan Hazlewood John Edmund Laxton No. 186 – Elsie Dale Vivian Thornton No. 459 – Madden Lily Kemp No. 438 – William Edgley No. 468 – Walter Harris. It was also recommended that uneven paving slabs at the churchyard be lifted and levelled and a quotation be obtained for clearing vegetation from the south eastern corner of the churchyard.

CEMETERY AND ALLOTMENTS WORKING PARTY MEETING WITH THE ALLOTMENT TENANTS’ COMMITTEE HELD 4TH NOVEMBER 2004: PRESENT: Mrs. C. Tuck, Messrs. P. Ainge, J. Bullimore, D. Farmer, J. Hackett, G. Johnson and R. Sleath.

1. The Allotment Tenants’ Committee requested that the untenanted allotments are dragged and sprayed with weed killer in the Spring. 2. A request was made that the hedge near to the gate on Hoby Road is cut back to allow easier access through the gate. 33 3. Mr. D. Farmer reported that the Ministry of Agriculture had tested soil and vegetable samples from the allotments and had reported back that the soil was within safety parameters. RISK MANANGEMENT WORKING PARTY MEETING HELD 10 TH NOVEMBER 2004 AT 2.00 P.M.

PRESENT: Messrs. J. Bullimore, T. Hall and D. Tempest.

The following items were inspected and discussed by the Working Party:

Financial matters:

1. Banking arrangements – banking of receipts is undertaken on a regular basis. 2. VAT returns – are submitted at least quarterly. 3. Budget monitoring – the Council are regularly monitoring the budget for the current financial year satisfactorily. 4. Precept request – the annual precept request is made at the appropriate time. 5. Payments approval procedure – the procedure is satisfactory. 6. Bank reconciliation overseen – these are submitted quarterly to the Council. 7. Insurances – It was recommended that: (i) The Personal Accident insurance be extended to cover Councillors aged between 75 and 80 years. (ii) The value of all property should be reassessed (with the exception of the Parish Hall and contents of the I.C.T. Centre) to ensure that each item is insured for replacement value.

Employees and Contractors:

1. Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures – The Council’s current procedures do not comply with the requirements of the recently published Model Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures and, therefore, it is recommended that: (i) The Council formulates its own Procedures based upon the Models. (ii) Employees should be informed that the new procedures exist and a copy can be obtained on request. (iii) A Staffing Committee consisting of three Members of the Council should be given delegated powers to deal with all disciplinary and grievance matters that cannot be satisfactorily resolved by the Clerk. (iv) An appeal can be made by an employee against any decision taken by the Staffing Committee and the appeal should be heard by the remainder of the Council (the Staffing Committee Members should not be present). 2. Employees’ salaries/wages – All wages and salaries are reviewed annually and these are recorded in the Minutes. 3. Ongoing contracts – The contract for grass mowing expires in December 2004. It is recommended that the work be put out to tender for a further five-year contract commencing in March 2005.