Stonham Aspal Parish Council

Approved Minutes of the Council Meeting held on Tuesday 18 October 2016 at 7.30pm at the Village Hall, The Street, Stonham Aspal

Present: Cllr Malcolm Leith (Chair), Cllr Ian Wright (Vice-Chair), Cllr Josephine Mitson and Cllr Jean Timms

Attendance: Cllr Suzie Morley (District Councillor), Cllr Matthew Hicks (County Councillor), Simon Ashton (Parish Clerk) and two Members of the Public

1. Apologies and Approval of Absences Apologies were received from Cllr Peter Emberson, Cllr Rob Stevenson and Cllr Charles Tydeman and their absences were approved by the Members.

2. Declarations of Pecuniary or Non-Pecuniary Interests by Members There were no interests declared by any of the Members.

3. Approval of Minutes of Previous Meetings Minutes of the meetings of the Parish Council held on 19 July and 20 September 2016 had not been taken due to the lack of a Parish Clerk in post.

4. Appointment of Parish Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer The Chair recommended that Simon Ashton take on the role of Parish Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer. The recommendation was accepted by the Members.

5. Reports by the District Councillor & County Councillor Cllr Morley delivered her district council report at the meeting. Cllr Hicks delivered his county council report at the meeting. Copies of the reports have been made available at the end of these minutes for information. The Parish Clerk agreed to arrange with Cllr Hicks to facilitate the future distribution of the Trading Standards weekly newsletters.

6. Contributions by Members of the Public A member of the public raised a safety concern over the lack of a paved footpath in a specific part of the village along the A1120. It was agreed to consider this matter further at the next meeting on 15 November 2016.

7. Consideration of Planning Applications (a) MSDC 3847/16: Application received on 13 September 2016 Erection of single storey side extension (following demolition of outbuilding/ workshop: Thorn Cottage, Mill Green, Stonham Aspal IP14 6DA It was agreed that there were no objections to this application. (b) MSDC 3205/16: Officer’s Report & Recommendation on 22 September 2016 Change of use of land from agricultural land to residential garden land (C3) The delegated officer’s decision on the outcome of this application was noted. (c) The summary of planning activity in the parish during the year to date was noted. (d) There was no further update on Stonham Barns.

8. Finances a) Payments were authorised in favour of the Parish Clerk’s wages (£345.01) and office and personal expenses (£89.63), the former Parish Clerk’s wages (£135.81), Business Services at CAS Ltd for an extension of public liability cover (£46.20) and Mid District Council for the annual playground inspection (£55.64). b) & c) It was agreed to update the Council’s bank mandate in accordance with its cheque signing requirements and for future bank statements to be sent to the new Parish Clerk. It was agreed to make arrangements to co-ordinate the collection of identification documents from the new signatories and the completion of an updated mandate form to make the changes at the next meeting on 15 November 2016. Cllr Mitson agreed to contact the bank to arrange for bank statements to be sent to her as an interim measure. (d) The Parish Clerk confirmed that it was his intention to prepare a bank reconciliation for approval at future Council meetings ideally by two non-cheque signatories. However, this was dependant on gaining the necessary access to the Council’s bank statements. (e) The Parish Clerk also proposed to include regular reviews of the Council’s budget during the year including the identification of any significant variances. (f) The Chair confirmed that a VAT refund of £2,388.64 had been received from HMRC on 26 September 2016 for payments made during the period from April to August 2016. He also confirmed that a VAT refund had been claimed for the month of September 2016.

9. Web Site Following consideration of the options available, an agreement was reached to continue with the onesuffolk web site hosted by CAS and for the Parish Clerk to register this intention online with CAS by the deadline of 1 November 2016. The Parish Clerk agreed to submit a request to CAS for the site’s system administrator access rights to be re-issued so that arrangements could be made for the Council’s web site to be brought up to date. He also agreed to co-ordinate efforts with the village’s web site in the future. It was also agreed to apply for the funding of £60 (£50 plus VAT), offered by Cllr Hicks from his locality budget, which represented the first year’s costs to 31 October 2017.

10. Governance Following a recommendation made by the Parish Clerk, an agreement was reached to consider the introduction of governance documents, particularly Standing Orders and Standing Financial Regulations, for the Council’s review and potential adoption at the next meeting on 15 November 2016.

11. Highways It was identified that reflective plastic posts had been installed outside Lavender Cottage and Rose Cottage in Mill Green, Stonham Aspal. The Parish Clerk agreed to ask the county’s Highways Department to determine whether there were any plans for any further installations. Concerns with flooding along roads in the village were also raised. Firstly, outside Orchard Farm, and secondly, along Scotts Hill to Debenham Road between Elm Farm and Old Rectory Cottage. The Parish Clerk agreed to bring these cases to the attention of the county’s Highways Department for investigation.

12. Recreation Ground The Chair provided an update on the Recreation Ground which had had its official opening to the public on 9 October 2016. There was also an appreciation shown by Members of the Chair’s efforts in the management of the project’s funding which was planned to be concluded by the end of November 2016. The Parish Clerk agreed to contact the district’s Tree Officer to assess whether there was any risk to public safety with overhanging trees along the south side of the Recreation Ground to the main road.

13. Correspondence Received Items of correspondence received by the Council were reviewed. The contents of the SALC The Local Councillor and MSDC Town and Parish newsletters were noted. The contents of the annual playing field inspection report had been superseded by the recent opening of the new recreation ground. The Citizens Advice Bureau AGM was to be attended by Cllr Emberson and Cllr Wright. It was agreed that the village did not have the two red heritage phone boxes identified for removal in the BT consultation document. In the documentation provided, Mid Suffolk District Council confirmed that proposed changes in the rules for a referendum for parish and town councils would not apply to the district’s smaller parishes.

14. Questions to the Chairman There were no matters raised. The Chair confirmed that he would be unable to attend the next meeting on 15 November 2016. The meeting finished at 9.45pm.

15. Dates of the Next Meetings (a) 15 November 2016 (b) 17 January 2017 (b) 21 February 2017

Simon Ashton, Parish Clerk [email protected] 15 November 2016

Mid Suffolk District Council

Report for The Stonhams Ward – September 2016

Councillors in Mid Suffolk Back Vital Public Access Strategy

Councillors in Mid Suffolk have tonight given their backing to proposals to improve the delivery of public services from new Headquarters in Endeavour House.

In a report to the Council on its Public Access Strategy, which included deciding on four options for the new co-location of the joint Councils Headquarters, Mid Suffolk Councillors backed the proposals by a clear majority.

“There is no doubt that the world of government and the public service sector is being transformed by technology, new ways of working and a challenging financial environment.” said Cllr Nick Gowrley, Leader of Mid Suffolk District Council straight after the meeting in . “Councillors tonight have agreed that the status quo is not an option. Their bold decision is the next step to ensuring services are better for residents, simpler for staff and more cost effective for tax payers.”

The Council considered four options including locating all services to Hadleigh, all services to Needham Market, the sharing of accommodation in Endeavour House with Suffolk County Council or a new building for the councils.

“Work has been underway since 2013 on the integration programme for both sovereign councils.” Nick Gowrley continued. “The decision made tonight shows that our members see a move to Endeavour House as one that puts cost, modernisation, simplicity, reliability and convenience at the heart of the future delivery of Mid Suffolk District Council services”

“The current ways the public access the Council’s services are antiquated, confusing, difficult and bureaucratic. Tonight’s vote is local councillors saying they want this to be a thing of the past.” he said.

The Public Access Strategy sets out the case for change with a focus on improving access and contact to modernised local services for residents and refining the way the Councils work.

The Strategy also sets out the five key access channels for the local community that will be radically improved following the decision which are:

Face to Face

While current offices aren’t easily accessible for the public who live some distance from the offices, recommendations before Councillors will ensure one access point in each district is established ensuring the public can have a better quality ‘face to face’ interaction with the council.

Telephone

While telephone contact continues to be the most common access for the public there is confusion with too many numbers and rising costs. The proposals will see one main phone number, charged at a local rate, channelled through a customer contact centre.

Email

There will be the creation and promotion of a single email address for the Councils, handled by the Customer Contact Centre ensuring a better quality service especially in terms of response times.

Online – Digital Services

With a growing number of residents conducting much of their household business online (i.e. banking, bill payment, shopping etc.) there is a growing demand for better online services. The proposals include a development of one new clearer and simpler website which will include new arrangements to view and comment on planning applications.

Webchat and SMS

‘Webchat’ is an online service that allows the public to speak to organisations while they are using other digital services. Proposals include making webchat available to the public as well as the development of SMS text messaging via the customer relationship management system.

“We want to ensure that we have a fully integrated workforce that while considering cost savings, has a focus on the quality of arrangements for the public, staff, Members and partner organisations.” said Cllr Glen Horn, Deputy Leader of Mid Suffolk District Council. “Members in Mid Suffolk have tonight said the status quo is not an option. They are not prepared to see inefficiencies and high costs block the full integration and collaboration of future services.”

Following the vote by Council on Tuesday 20 September 2016 to also back the Public Access Strategy and the option to share accommodation in Endeavour House with Suffolk County Council, tonight’s vote means both councils will now work to progress the implementation of the Public Access Strategy and the move to Endeavour House.

Mid Suffolk Chairman Presents Charity Donation

Cllr Elizabeth Gibson-Harries, Chairman of Mid Suffolk District Council presented a cheque for £1,195 to Home-Start Mid Suffolk at their Annual General Meeting which was held at Morton Hall Community Centre, on Monday 26th September 2016.

Home-Start Mid Suffolk is one of Cllr Gibson-Harries chosen charities for and the money has been raised through various fundraising activities since May this year, including a charity auction which took place at the Mid Suffolk Light Railway in July.

Cllr Gibson-Harries. Chairman of Mid Suffolk District Council said, “I am delighted to be able to help Home-Start in this way - they are an incredible local charity who do vital work to support parents and young families in this area. I am deeply grateful to the generosity of others who have supported my fundraising activities so far and I know this money will make a real difference to those that rely on this service.”

Carol Read, Chair of Trustees for Home-Start Mid Suffolk said, ‘Home-Start Mid Suffolk have been supporting parents and their families for 33 years now and through the support of the Big Lottery fund Reaching Communities have also been able to expand their work into helping to build better brighter futures for children.

Home-Start helps families to achieve their goals by providing the support of a trained volunteer, enabling the parent to become happier, healthier and to gain more confidence. We are very grateful for the donation from Elizabeth Gibson- Harries fundraising that will help us to work with families and will bring the Home-Start service to the attention of others.’

Winter Preparedness Workshop

On Wednesday 16th of November from 6pm -9pm, Community Emergency Planning will be holding a winter preparedness workshop in the Dove Room at Mid Suffolk District Council's Needham Office. To book a place at the workshop please contact [email protected] To read their most recent newsletter click here or to see what courses they are running click here.

District Councillor Suzie Morley, The Stonhams Ward – 01449 711306 / 07976 927226

October 2016 report for the Thredling Division from Cllr Matthew Hicks

Devolution outcomes considered by Norfolk and Suffolk leaders

The outcomes of the Norfolk and Suffolk Devolution consultation have been considered by council ahead of submission to the Secretary of State. Throughout the consultation period, councils and the New Anglia LEP engaged with a wide range of people including town and parish councils, councillors, businesses, members of the public and partner organisations, such as health and higher education. More than 10,000 responses were received via a range of channels. The majority of responses, 6080, were received via a telephone survey carried out by Ipsos-Mori, gaining views from a cross section of people, reflecting the population of the two counties.

 53% supported the principle of devolution  There was strong support for more decisions to be taken locally across a range of issues with decisions relating road maintenance funding coming out on top  There was 52% support for a Mayor and 58% support for councils to come together as a Combined Authority. 29% Opposed election of a Mayor and 25% opposed establishing a Combined Authority  Job creation and young people either earning or learning came out as top priorities to invest in

250 businesses of various sizes across the two counties were also surveyed by Mori:  54% supported the principle of devolution  Strong support for more decisions to be taken locally across a arrange of issues with decisions relating road maintenance funding coming out on top  59% supported councils joining as a Combined Authority and 47% supportive of a mayor, with 27% opposed  Young people earning or learning was businesses top priority for the Combined Authority to invest in

In addition, the New Anglia LEP in conjunction with the Norfolk and Suffolk Chambers of Commerce held a series of breakfast briefings during July and the Chambers of Commerce also produced their own e- newsletters. This activity has resulted in a number of business leaders sending letters to government supporting devolution. The survey was also available via the East Anglia Devolution website and council websites and more than 2900 people responded. The survey was open to everyone but the results show that certain groups and geographical areas were better represented than others. For example, less than 5% of responses came from under 24’s when in reality they make up more than 25% of the two counties’ population. Response levels were also not evenly spread across the various borough and district areas. Whilst there was less support for a mayor or combined authority through the self-service survey, more than 50% of people responding supported the principle of devolution. Again, strong support for more decisions to be taken locally with road maintenance coming out top and investment by the Combined Authority in transport and broadband infrastructure ranked highest. It is important to be clear that a Norfolk and Suffolk mayor would not be an ‘all powerful’ figure, making decisions without regard to the views of others. The Mayor would need support from other members of the Combined Authority for plans to progress. A summary of all responses will be reported to the Secretary of State once it has been considered signed off by Leaders. If the Secretary of State thinks that the necessary statutory tests have been met, he will lay a draft order before Parliament.

Blue Light Property Sharing in Suffolk

Plans for blue light property sharing based around and fire stations have now been agreed by the Blue Light Executive Board, which is overseeing plans for increased collaboration between our emergency services in Suffolk. Building work, subject to planning consent, should start in September and October 2016 respectively, to accommodate local Police teams at the fire stations. The facilities will also be available, where desired, as ‘drop-in’ bases for ambulance crews. Feasibility studies are also being undertaken to determine whether sharing is advantageous in , , , Mildenhall, Newmarket and Sudbury. These projects, where supported, are likely to be taken forward from 2017. A feasibility study is now well underway to establish the best location, in the centre of , for a blue light response base for Fire, Police and Ambulance. Other partners’ requirements are also being sought with a view to optimising the use of the property. Options include redeveloping the current Princes Street fire station site or, instead, constructing a new building at an alternative location close to the town centre. The above works are substantially funded by the £4.93m DCLG transformation grant, received by the Council in 2014-15, and Home Office funding provided to .

Matthew Hicks - County Councillor for the Thredling Division Tel : 01728 628176 Mob : 07824474741 E-mail : [email protected]