HECK PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF HECK PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON Tuesday 3rd Nov 2020 at 19.00 via Video Conference

Chairman: Cllr L Watkinson-Teo

Clerk/RFO: Mr J R Hunter, 20 Blackthorn Close, Whitley, Goole, North DN14 0GE E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 07764404885

Present: Cllrs J Wright (Vice Chair) G Mycroft; H Benson-Collins; J Lumb; Clerk/RFO – JR Hunter. No members of the public were present

Agenda items 062001. Welcome - Chairman welcomed all present to the meeting.

062002. Apologies - Apologies for absence were received from Cllr L Watkinson-Teo.

062003. Public Forum: - To receive comments from electors on any agenda items. Information only; clerk to take notes - no members of the public were present at the meeting.

062004. Minutes of last meeting: - The council resolved to accept the minutes as a true record of the Heck Parish Council meeting held on 1st September 2020 and gave approval to the Chairman to sign as acceptance of the minutes for posting onto the Parish website.

062005. To receive reports, for information only, from: a) District and County Councillor – apologies were received from Cllr J McCartney.

b) County Councillor – the county councillor did not attend the meeting

c) Other representatives – there were no other representatives in attendance.

062006. Planning:

1. Applications – to discuss and resolve comments on any applications received

- 2020/1143/FUL Junction House, Heck Lane application for grant of approval of erection of single storey agricultural storage building. Following clarification of the location of the site the Council had no further comments or objections.

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2. Decisions –

a) 2020/0201//MWU, Bay Horse Inn, notification of the requirement for the submission of planning application for the car park. The Council discussed alterative approaches to the requirement including seeking a financial contribution from the brewery to cover the cost of the preparation of the retrospective application. Cllr Wright outlined details of actions recommended by Cllr Watkinson-Teo following discussion of the issue with the new tenants of the pub. Given that the Parish do not have surplus resources to fund the planning application the new tenant makes and fund the required application in consideration for which the Parish Council will offer the extra car park space rent free for a period of 6 months. Should this offer be unacceptable the car park be brought out of use, cordoned off and District Council informed accordingly.

Action: Clerk to communicate with Planning to establish cost of planning application, explore consequences of failure to make a retrospective application, i.e. reversal of use of land back to original state. Based on information received Clerk to communicate with new tenant to establish their preference in the management of the car park space.

b) 2020/0149/FULM, Sellite Blocks, Long Lane, proposed erection of foamed glass manufacturing facility, following changes to the original application. The Council discussed the status of the planning application including the changes proposed in the face of previous objections. It was noted that the changes seem to be largely cosmetic with the object of securing planning permission. The impact of emissions will not be alleviated and the issue facing the Parish is the difficulty in establishing an accurate measurement of emission levels. Cllr Lumb observed that recent noise levels from lorries operating within the site were excessive prompting him to lodge a complaint with Selby District Council. Cllr Wright noted that buildings on the site are also being extended without appropriate planning permission. It is also worth noting that the amended planning application suggests that the nearest property to the proposed foam glass plant is over 500 metres away when the truth is there are properties as close as 100 metres. The nature of the pollutants that will be emitted are highly toxic carcinogenic substances, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide which is in direct contradiction to environmental ambitions to reduce pollutants particularly close to young children; the village nursery school is near to the proposed development and there are many children resident in the village. Exposure times will also be significant for while the pollution reports cited in the application are based on a working exposure limit (WEL) of a standard shift pattern of 8 hours the exposure time for residents within the village will be 24 hours 7 days a week 3 times the WEL limit which effect is not considered in the application.

It is clear there are many factual errors in the application including but not limited to the fact that the Sellite operation did not begin in 1962 and there are far more than 50 properties in the village.

Action: Clerk to lodge an updated objection to the most recent planning application on behalf of the Council. Councillors to lodge individual objections.

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c) NY/2019/0091/ENV Gale Common Ash Extraction: The planning committee meeting to consider the application has been postponed until 17th November 2020. The planning officer has recommended approval of the application.

062007. Heck Ladies Group:

- Cllr Wright reported on behalf of Cllr Watkinson-Teo that Heck Ladies Group have agreed to sponsor two litter bins for the village, one in the Heck Memorial Layby and the other for the Fishermen’s car park. It was observed that the Memorial Layby is believed to be on public land as is the entrance to the gate of the Fisherman’s car park.

Action: Clerk to liaise with Selby District Council to purchase the bins and agree appropriate locations on public land to ensure waste is emptied.

062008. RFO's report on closing balances; payments; preparation of accounts for audit

a) Current balances: The RFO presented the report on the current financial position and status of the Heck Parish Council. Accounts for the new financial period up to 31st Oct 2020 were presented for review. The sum of £213 has been received since the last meeting being annual rental of the Land at Great Heck which added to the first tranche of precept income generates a total of £2,713 of income to date. This compares with a cumulative expenditure of £4,167 producing a total deficit at the end of August of £1,454. A projection of total income and expenditure for the year to March 2021 showed a total income of £5,393 compared with expenditure of £6,553 leaving the anticipated balance of Council reserves at £5,827.

The Councillors noted the projections of income and expenditure for the remainder of the year including a budget for maintenance of Parks & Verges at £600 and a provision for plants of £50. In addition to the second tranche of precept due to be paid in October there is the balance of allotment rent payments that are due amounting to the sum of £275 from which will be offset the contribution from the Land Rental that is payable to Balne Parish Council. This share of £142 being two amounts of £71 outstanding from last year 2019/20 that will be paid from the current year’s 2020/21 Land Rental. In recognition of the administration of the Land Rental collections postage etc. the council resolved that a charge of £5.00 per year would be applied to the contribution to Balne Council; the amount due to Balne Parish Council would therefore be £132. (i.e. £71 x 2 less £5 x 2)

b) Payments to be made at this meeting: 03/11/2020 – chq no 100424 JR Hunter clerk’s salary June to Oct = £576.00 03/11/2020 – chq no 100425 HMRC PAYE on clerk’s salary = £144.00 03/11/2020 – chq no 100426 P Harrison – internal audit = £100.00 03/11/2020 – chq no 100427 POSPA – inspection of play area = £ 168.60 03/11/2020 – bank transfer – share of rental = £132.00

The cheque payments were unanimously approved by the Council.

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c) Payments made between meetings:

22/09/2020 – British Gas – light and heat parish room = £9.79 20/10/2020 – British Gas – light and heat parish room = £9.32 01/10/2020 – Selby District Council – council tax for parish room = £136.00

The retrospective payments were approved by the Council.

d) Payments received: none.

e) Any payment requests received since agenda preparation – none received at time of agenda preparation

f) Acceptance of report – the Council resolved to accept the details of the report and make the payments listed above including any received since publication of the agenda.

g) Annual Governance and Accountability Return for 2019/20, completion of AGAR reports.

a. The Clerk shared the details of the internal audit report and the issues raised as follows:

i. Precept calculation for 2019/20 – the budget meeting to calculate this figure was held on 9.1.2019 - see Minute number 111915 where a 5% increase on the 2018/19 year was agreed. According to the accounts approved for 2018/19 in the AGAR the precept was £4448.00 thus, attracting an increase of £222.40 giving a precept of £4670.40. A precept of £4407.00 has been received for 2019/20 representing a shortfall. In Addition, the 2018/19 precept includes the central government grant of £36.61 – this figure was included in the precept for that year on that AGAR but should have been included in Box 3, Other receipts. Had this been excluded, a different precept should/would have been claimed for 2019/20. I appreciate that the 2018/19 figures must stand since that audit is now complete. However, the fact remains that this has led to an underclaim in the precept for 2019/20 and members are advised to review the parish council’s financial requirements in the forthcoming financial year very carefully to ensure the correct sums are claimed form Selby DC and are able to meet the financial needs of the parish in 2020/21. It is acceptable to agree percentage increases, but this should be supported by the actual figure to be claimed in the minutes. ii. Internal audit report 2018/19 – Minute APM1909 reflects that an internal audit has been carried out but does not clarify whether any issues were raised. Minutes should reflect the fact that either no issues were raised, or any issues raised should be reported therein and a resolution to adopt/accept recommendations should be made. iii. Minute 051910 – Item b) iv – shows the annual Non-Domestic rates payable for the year but the bank statement shows the payment was for the half year. Actual transactions should be reported in the minutes to ensure each transaction corresponds with the bank statement entries. iv. Minute APM1909 – refers, generally, to the raising of cheques for auditor’s fees, payroll fees and Clerks’ salary – these were not individually itemised and the minutes state that the details would be posted in the agenda for the next meeting. I can find no evidence that these payments were reported in

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subsequent minutes. I recommend the Clerk check all payments for the 19/20 year against minutes and report any omitted transactions in the current year, seeking retrospective approval. v. Cheque number 353 and 354 – not minuted. See recommendation above re retrospective approval. vi. British Gas Direct Debits appear regularly on bank statements but are not reported in the minutes nor can I locate a voucher supporting these payments. If this is a long-standing arrangement it is good practice to retain a copy of the original agreement in the accounts every year. vii. The internal audit report for the 2018/19 year recommended that a review and assessment of potential risks the council may face should be carried out. I can find no evidence that this recommendation has been adhered to. I repeat this recommendation that an annual financial risk assessment should be carried out and reported in the minutes. Whilst I appreciate that bank reconciliations etc were reported in the minutes this is a separate exercise which covers other potential risks. viii. Payroll – I note that a third party is involved with the Administration of payroll costs which attracts a fee – given the parish council’s limited budget I would suggest that this may not represent good value for money for the precept payers and would suggest the council reviews the need for this service.

The Clerk advised that Council that all the recommendations have been followed up to ensure that all matters are rectified. The Council noted the content of the internal audit report and the lack of positive response to all questions on the AGAR.

b. Payments made during 2019/20 details of which not reported in the minutes i. 01/6/2019 – NYCC – Street Lighting chq no 100352 = £1,235.81 ii. 17/06/2019 – Autela Group chq no 100353 = £53.00 iii. 17/06/2019 – C Philips Internal Audit chq no 100354 = 85.20 iv. 21/06/2019 – British Gas D/D = £42.02 v. 23/06/2019 – G Kitchen Clerk salary May 2019 chq no 100355 = £162.18 vi. 25/10/2019 – British Gas D/D = £28.39 vii. 14/12/2019 – Autela Group – preparation of payroll chq no 100393 = £47.08 viii. 14/12/2019 – HMRC PAYE on payroll chq no 100394 = £115.00 ix. 20/12/2019 – British Gas D/D = £29.89

Noted by the Council and agreed.

h) Budget and assessment of precept for 2020/21. The Clerk presented details of a projected budget for the Parish Council for the year from 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022 total expenditure of which amounts to £6,090. To balance expenditure with income a precept of £5,700 would be required which when added to anticipated rental income of £469 will cover all Parish costs. The Clerk outlined the impact of setting the precept at £5,700 on council tax levels. Currently the band D charge is £52.96 for the year at a £5,000 precept which would rise by 14% to £60.37 for the year if the precept were to be increased to £5,700.

Setting the precept at this level would ensure that current parish reserves will be maintained going forward. The Council discussed the itemised budget and agreed that given the limited additional income available to the Parish together with the magnitude of reserves a precept of £5,700 should be approved.

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062009. Correspondence received since last meeting. For information only unless stated otherwise.

There was no correspondence received other than that concerning items included in the agenda. Noted.

062010.To receive information on the following ongoing issues and decide further action where necessary:

062010.1 - Environmental Health Issues and concerns in the Parish–

The issues concerning Gale Common and Sellite Blocks applications have been discussed under the planning agenda items above 062006 Decision b) and c).

062010.2 – HGV movements -

Cllr Wright informed the meeting that Cllr Benson-Collins has maintained a log of times and numbers of the considerable vehicle movements in the village. These details have been forwarded to Cllr J McCartney. It appears that a similar problem is being experienced in Hensall following the closure of the A19. The Clerk advised the Council that letters had gone out to transport managers of seven of the local businesses in the area. Cllr Wright suggested that it would be useful if the log also included information about the name of the transport company so that legal proceeds can be initiated against operators contravening traffic regulations. Cllr Benson-Collins whilst acknowledging the omission of company name details speculated that the volume of HGV’s already logged should be sufficient evidence to warrant action by Highways to monitor traffic movements. Cllr Benson- Collins highlighted the inadequacy of the road signage at the traffic junction of the A19 and Balne Moor Road both North bound and South bound that does not clearly indicate the weight limits designated for the road.

Cllr Benson-Collins raised the issue of the provision of an Automatic Number Plate Recognition System to provide an accurate measurement of traffic movements. The Clerk advised that approaches had been made to Police requesting that such a system be deployed and funded through the Safer Streets Scheme. We have been informed that the Scheme is limited to the provision of security installation for private homes and cannot be extended to community wide initiatives addressing road traffic movements.

Action: The monitoring of traffic movements to be continued and extended if possible, to inclusion of transport operator names. The information that is collected can then be used to approach the North Yorkshire Police and seek their support and follow up action in the management of illegal vehicle movements in the village.

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062010.3 Litter Sign -

The Clerk advised that litter signs had been provided by Selby District Council deployment of which is ongoing.

Action: Clerk to liaise with councilors in locating the signs as an when covid restrictions are eased.

062010.4 North Yorkshire, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners -

The Clerk provided an update on the progress of the roll out of the scheme; letters from North Yorkshire Police have been sent out to all householders who have registered, and a timetable of visits has been scheduled. It is anticipated that appointments in Heck for security inspection will commence early in the new year.

062010.5 ROSPA Report -

The Clerk presented a summary of the report and recommendations all of which are assessed as low risk issues. The Council noted that the facilities have limited use particularly during the period of lockdown.

a) Long Lane Play Area a. Adding details of contact and phone number to the entrance of the play area b. General warning notice on Kick Wall – do not climb or wear jewellery c. Some minor trip points on the surface assessed as low risk d. Repainting of some of the play equipment b) Trim Trail a. Add signage providing general warning instructions and restrictions b. Some missing caps to screw fittings on equipment all assessed as low risk c. Some trip points all assessed as low risk

Action: Continue to monitor the play areas and trim trail.

062010.6 Local Plan –

The Clerk highlighted the two areas that have been submitted for assessment for inclusion in the revision of the local development plan review. A triangle parcel of land at the northen end of the Sellite plot just at the front of the foam glass plant and a plot by the Boat Club. The Clerk outlined the evaluation process that will be adopted in assessing the applications. All submissions will be rated against a specified criterion and a short list of plots tabled at which time any objections will be invited from interested parties before final approval for inclusion on the list of potential development land. The meeting discussed the ownership of the two plots speculating that the Sellite Plot is likely to be owned by Thomas Armstrong.

Action: Process of evaluation to be monitored and objections raised as appropriate.

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062011. Action taken since last meeting. For information only.

i. Initiating the HGV count on Long Lane was discussed with the conclusion that given current restrictions it would be more appropriate to delay the exercise until after Christmas in the new year when activity will being to grow.

062012. Councillors’ Forum:

There were no matters of concern of interest raised by Councillors.

062013. Items for the next agenda

1) Consider count of HGV movements on Long Lane 2) Progress speed signage with North Yorkshire Highways

062014. To receive further comments from members of public. Information only clerk to note comments – no MOPs present.

062016. To confirm date, time and place of next meeting. – 5th January 2020

062017. Closure of meeting at 8.45pm

Signed: J R Hunter Date: 09/12/2020. Clerk and RFO to Heck Parish Council

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