PARISH COUNCIL Minutes of the Annual Meeting held on 13.5.2019 in St Nicholas Hall Tolleshunt Major

Prior to the meeting, all Councillors signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office as Councillors of Tolleshunt Major Parish Council.

PRESENT: CHAIR – COUNCILLOR W FROST COUNCILLORS M COSTER, A PAYNE, N WOOD AND THE WARD MEMBER COUNCILLOR M THOMPSON. The Parish Clerk Miss V Banyard and seven members of the public.

4073.19 To elect the Chair of the Parish Council for the year 2019-2020. It was unanimously RESOLVED to elect Councillor W Frost as Chair of the Council for the above year.

4074.19 To receive the Chair’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office. Councillor W Frost signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office as Chair of the Council for the above year.

4075.19 To receive apologies for absence and Declarations of Interest in the Meeting’s agenda items. Apologies for absence were received from Councillor C Morley (Ward Member). Councillors Mr Payne and Mr Frost declared a non-pecuniary interest in planning application FUL/MAL/ 19/00490 below.

4076.19 To allow members of the public to ask or answer questions or give evidence or information on matters relevant to the business of the Council. A number of residents expressed concern at the amount of parking outside Beckingham Business Park. This is a regular problem and is now becoming much worse. Residents are having difficulty accessing their properties, service vehicles are unable to get by, postal deliveries are being hampered and HGVs are mounting the pavement in order to avoid the parked vehicles when turning into the Park. Lorries waiting to access the Park in the morning are also parking half on the pavement and half on the road, and the parked vehicles are impeding visibility for passing motorists. Residents are concerned that these problems have led to a very hazardous situation outside the Park. It was noted that the South Parking Partnership could apply for and finance a Traffic Regulation Order if asked to do so by the Parish Council, but in the past residents did not support this idea. Councillors agreed to discuss this issue later in the meeting.

4077.19 To appoint the Vice Chair of the Parish Council for the year 2019-2020. It was unanimously RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Tony Payne as Vice Chair of the Council for the above year.

4078.19 To receive the Vice Chair’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office. Councillor Payne signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office as Vice Chair of the Council for the above year.

4079.19 To consider co-option to fill the current vacancies on the Parish Council. The clerk explained the process whereby vacancies can be filled by co-option following an election. It was RESOLVED that the vacancies should be advertised on the Parish Council’s web site, Facebook and at the forthcoming Village Fair, and that co-option could take place at the June meeting.

4080.19 To approve the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 2.4.2019. It was RESOLVED to approve the above Minutes.

4081.19 To receive information on items included in the above Minutes. No issues were raised.

4082.19 To approve the Minutes of the Additional Meeting held on 30.4.2019. It was RESOLVED to approve the above Minutes.

4083.19 To receive items of information included in the above Minutes. No issues were raised.

4084.19 Planning a) To receive decisions by District Council – none received to date. b) Latest planning applications – Councillors considered the following application. Councillors Mr Frost and Mr Payne had earlier declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item.

FUL/MAL/19/00490 Land opposite St Nicholas Change of use of land to car park for use of St Village Hall Road Nicholas Village Hall. Tolleshunt Major It was RESOLVED to support this application but to ask for signs on each side of the new access to warn oncoming traffic that vehicles could be turning out of the car park. c) Councillors noted the following Appeal to the Planning Inspectorate:

18/00997/FUL Meadow Brook Loamy Hill Proposed erection of a barn to store and APP/X1545/W/19/3226236 Road Tolleshunt Major maintain a boat and trailer, tractor and other equipment for maintaining the land, with hedgerows and trees.

4085.19 Finance

a) Councillors received the financial report and bank reconciliation. b) Expenditure:

1. £ 76.02 Council Grounds maintenance weeks 1 – 13 The clerk will query this invoice as instructions were sent early in February to stop all work until further notice.

It was noted that until the new bank mandate is in place, Maldon District Council can pay any approved payments. c) To consider the setting up of a new bank mandate – appointment of signatories. The bank has advised that only an existing signatory can ask for new mandate instructions and request that the bank communicate with the clerk on future issues. Councillor Mr Frost will ask the bank for a new mandate and the clerk will collect the necessary signatures. It was RESOLVED that all four of the present Councillors should be signatories to the account.

4086.19 Documents for the audit of accounts for the year ended 31.3.2019 (AGAR) a) To sign the Certificate of Exemption for the year ended 31.3.2019 (AGAR part 2) It was RESOLVED to approve the above Certificate. b) To receive the Annual Internal Audit Report. The report was received. c) To consider and approve the Annual Governance Statement (AGAR section 1). It was RESOLVED to approve the above Statement. d) To consider and approve the Accounting Statements (AGAR section 2). It was RESOLVED to approve the above Statement. The audit process is now complete and the above documents will be posted on the Parish Council’s website.

4087.19 To receive and consider the Internal Auditor’s report for the year ended 31.3.2019. The above report was noted and approved.

4088.19 To confirm the dates for Parish Council meetings for the year to May 2020 (the first Tuesday of each month) It was RESOLVED that meetings will normally be held on the first Tuesday of each month. 4089.19 Amenities a) Schedule for the ground maintenance contract – update. Councillor Mr Frost will update the schedule; which can then be put out to tender. Councillors Mr Frost and Mr Payne undertook to carry out some mowing in the playing field in readiness for the Village Fair. b) To consider any issues concerning the grass cutting, hedges and trees, and work in the play area and car park. No issues were raised. c) To consider any other issues concerning the playing field or amenities. No issues were raised. d) Any other issues – including: A permanent war memorial (Solitary Soldier) for the village. Councillor Mr Wood undertook to find out the costs for a steel silhouette, and it was agreed to open up a wider discussion about the possibility of moving this project on. Residents will be asked for their views via the Parish Council website, Facebook and the report in the Maldon Standard – does the parish want a more permanent Tommy, and if so where to locate him and how to fund the project. The current plywood Tommy is still in the Church and he will be put back at the junction by the bus shelter. Funding of various schemes by the Garden Club – planting in the village. The Garden Club would like to put planters and flowers at the village entrances and has asked the Parish Council for some funding. Details of the planting will be sent to Councillors, and at the next meeting the Council will discuss how this can be done within budget constraints.

4090.19 Highways matters a) Update on the use of Trucam for monitoring speeding in the village and for setting future dates. In April the Trucam patrols made four captures of speeding vehicles in the space of one hour. Further patrols will be arranged. b) To consider any further responses to speeding issues in the parish. Another volunteer has been enrolled in the team and received training. c) Local Highways Panel issues. Update on the scheme for junction improvements outside St Nicholas Village Hall. The LHP has advised that this is not considered a safety issue and the removal of the Bennett junction could increase vehicle speeds at this location. The scheme has therefore been removed from the Potential Schemes List. The Council felt that safety at this junction was still a concern but the LHP’s budget constraints made it seem unlikely that the scheme could be reinstated. d) To consider any other highways issues which may arise. The Council discussed the concerns raised earlier in the meeting about parking outside Beckingham Business Park. It was RESOLVED to ask the South Essex Parking Partnership for help and advice due to concerns about the safety of the site. Users of the Park could also be asked to regulate the issue and a contact will be sought so that a letter can be sent.

4091.19 Public rights of way – to receive any reports No issues were raised.

4092.19 To consider any issues concerning the Common land. No issues were raised.

4093.19 To consider any items of correspondence received, including: Code of Conduct Training evening to be held in the Town Hall Maldon on Wednesday 22nd May at 7 pm.. The clerk will attend on behalf of the Council.

4094.19 Progress report on any issues concerning the defibrillator. Mrs Steele was thanked for all her hard work in moving this project forward. As this is a Parish Council responsibility she will now step back and a volunteer will be sought to take on some responsibility.

4095.19 Issues concerning the Council’s web site and reporting of Parish Council meetings in the Maldon Standard. No issues were raised.

4096.19 Data Protection Regulations: Any issues arising, including storage of Parish Council papers. Former Councillors returned some Parish Council documents, and Councillor Mr Frost will store these for the immediate future.. Councillor Mr Payne will ask Mr Richardson about the two filing cabinets which he is storing at present. To date there has been no response from Village Hall Management Committee about storing a Parish Council filing cabinet, although contact has been made.

4097.19 To consider other items for information or for inclusion on future agendas. RCCE suggestion to allocate equipment for adults in the playing field.

As there was no further business the meeting was closed at 10.19 pm..