HERTINGFORDBURY PARISH COUNCIL Members are hereby summoned to a council meeting to be held via Zoom on Wednesday 10th February 2020 commencing 19:00. Members of the public may view the meeting. If any member of the public wishes to address the council, please register with the clerk before 11.00 on 10th February. The public will be held in a virtual waiting room until members are logged into the meeting. Zoom Link: HP Council Meeting 10 February 2021 19:00 Meeting ID: 883 3735 3041 Passcode: 248485 AGENDA 1. Apologies for absence 2. Declarations of interest 3. Chairman’s remarks 4. Public participation (please register to speak) 5. To adopt the minutes of the 13th January 2021 meeting ‡ 6. Matters arising not covered elsewhere 7. To receive the clerk’s report on ongoing works ‡ 8. To consider co-option to fulfil casual vacancy 9. To consider funding a defibrillator for Birch Green 10. To consider a cloud accounting solution 11. No parking signs on greens. a. Location plan b. Appointing a contractor 12. Risk management a. To review the risk register b. Greens risk assessments 13. To review the asset register 14. To receive the planning report and comment on current applications ‡ 15. To agree the archiving of documents ‡ 16. Arrangements for the Annual Parish Meeting 17. Items for next meeting Tom Brindley CILCA Clerk to the Council, 1st February 2021 ‡ See supporting papers HERTINGFORDBURY PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF HERTINGFORDBURY PARISH COUNCIL HELD AT 19.00 ON 13th JANUARY 2021 VIA ZOOM VIDEO CONFERENCING PRESENT: Cllrs Paul Rochford (Chairman), Haidy Blake, Niki Gordon, Lizzer Bradbury, Jim Coppard, Roger Morris, Ruth McDonald, Gary O’Leary and Magda Atkins. In attendance: the clerk, Tom Brindley. 1. (Agenda 1) APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE None. 2. (Agenda 2) DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST None. 3. (Agenda 3) CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS None. 4. (Agenda 4) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION None. 5. (Agenda 5) MINUTES Minutes of the council meeting held on 21st December were approved as a true record of the meeting and duly signed by the chairman. 6. (Agenda 6) MATTERS ARISING NOT COVERED ELSEWHERE 6.1. [Ref 21.12.2020-9] Cllr Rochford advised planting was delayed due to inclement weather. 7. (Agenda 7) TO CONSIDER CO-OPTION TO FULFIL VACANCY The clerk reported an expression of interest from a resident of Hertingfordbury village who, on discovering they were not resident within the parish, declined to apply. 8. (Agenda 8) TO RECEIVE THE CLERK’S REPORT ON ONGOING WORKS 8.1. The report was noted. 8.2. Panshanger Park Liaison meeting. Cllr Morris and the clerk had attended an online meeting. Cllr Morris gave a verbal report noting that the proposed car park would be chargeable using ANPR technology. Members expressed a view that local residents should be exempt. 8.3. Banking mandate. Members RESOLVED to change the banking mandate to remove Cllrs O’Leary and Bradbury and to add councillor McDonald. 9. (Agenda 9) TO RECEIVE THE Q3 2020-21 FINANCIAL REPORT The report was noted. 10. (Agenda 10) TO AGREE THE 2021-22 BUDGET 10.1. Members debated the budget proposal from the clerk/RFO. 10.2. The budget, as presented, was adopted. The headline figures being: Planned receipts of £16,487, Planned spend £26,239 (recurring spend £19,079, projects £7,250). The balance of spend over receipts to be met from reserves. – 493 – HERTINGFORDBURY PARISH COUNCIL 11. (Agenda 11) TO SET THE 2021-22 PRECEPT 11.1. Members RESOLVED to set a precept of per £49.39 band D house (no increase over 2021/22). 12. (Agenda 12) TO RECEIVE THE PLANNING REPORT AND COMMENT ON CURRENT APPLICATIONS 12.1. Members noted the planning report. 12.2. 3/20/2613/ASDPN 37 Birch Green. Additional storey to increase the height from 5.8m to 8.0m. 12.2.1. Members noted this was not a planning application, but an application for lawful development over recently changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. 12.2.2. Members asked the clerk to write to EHDC to establish when the agricultural tie was removed. 12.3. 3/21/0002/HH First Letty Green Scout Hall Pipers End. New garage. 12.3.1. Members RESOLVED to ask for additional planting to screen the new building from the road. 13. (Agenda 13) RESOLUTION TO EXCLUDE THE PRESS AND PUBLIC Members RESOLVED to exclude the press and public due to the confidential nature of the business to be discussed. 14. (Agenda 14) CONTRACT FOR GRASS CUTTING 14.1. Members discussed the potential contractors and asked questions on both the financial and quality aspects of the quotes. 14.2. Members asked for a quality review to be incorporated in the contract. 15. (Agenda 15) AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR GRASS CUTTING 2021-2024 15.1. Members RESOLVED to award the contract to Richard Dawes Ltd. Proposed Cllr Rochford, Seconded Cllr Atkins. 16. (Agenda 16) MATTERS FOR NEXT MEETING New clerk recruitment. The meeting closed at 20.16 Chairman _________________________________ Dated NEXT MEETINGS: Regular Council meeting: 10th February 2021 – 494 – HERTINGFORDBURY PARISH COUNCIL Clerk’s Report February 2021 Precept Precept demand issued and accepted by East Herts District Council New NALC Code of Conduct NALC and the LGA have agreed a new format for the Code of Conduct. I contacted the EHDC monitoring officer, James Ellis, who says: “I have been in discussions with the other Hertfordshire Monitoring Officers, including NHDC, about the possibility of us all looking to adopt the new model code of conduct, however I will need to take this to East Herts Council’s Audit & Governance Committee first in order to get a steer from members. If East Herts members are against it then I cannot implement it here, however once I have further information I will of course be sure to update parish and town clerks on whether we will be asking them to consider adopting the same.” I am attending a briefing on the new Code of Conduct on Thursday 11th February. Notice Board Staines Green The A3 landscape board has been erected in Staines Green. The old post is loose, and the board needs re-siting. Work to be done in parallel with No Parking signs. Councillor Vacancy No enquiries. Birch Green Hedges Work schedule dependent on weather and ground conditions. Greens Working Party De-registration Sent follow up email to HCC asking for a status. Still awaiting invoice and validation. No Parking Signs Awaiting members’ reports on recommended locations for No Parking signs. Greens Safety Inspection Report received from Cllr Blake (Birch Green). Awaiting reports for Cole Green, Staines Green, East End Green, Letty Green Oak Tree at Cole Green A request has been received from Barry Wade-Simkins that an oak tree, on parish council land at Cole Green, be removed. The tree (T1 on the 2019 survey) is growing near to a main sewer. The tree is within the Cole Green TPO area. I have tried to contact Thames Water for advice, but it has proved very difficult to speak to anyone who has authority to advise on the legal status of working on a tree adjacent to a sewer. There is a risk that any disturbance could cause damage. I believe the responsibility for the sewer is with the drainage authority and not the parish council, and this would include damage from the tree. 191 HIGH STREET ∙ CODICOTE HERTFORDSHIRE ∙ SG4 8UD TEL: 07956381764 ∙ EMAIL: [email protected] CLERK TO THE COUNCIL: TOM BRINDLEY ∙ CHAIRMAN: PAUL ROCHFORD HERTINGFORDBURY PARISH COUNCIL Old Coach Road Hedges I wrote again to Michael Charlton (Tarmac). Promise of action. Grass Cutting and Greens Maintenance “Walk the Greens” scheduled late February for new contractor (Richard Dawes) and his key operatives. New contract commences 1st April 2021. Road Signs Presentation sent to HCC for comment and costing. Ken Crofton has found some correspondence between Barry Simkins and Martin Neville (Highways Project Engineer) dated 19th January 2019 regarding this. I will be contacting Martin over the next few days. I had a brief chat with a colleague from the HCC bridges section, they will be undertaking the design on these two bridges for the amendments to the signs at the bridges and the approach signs, plus St Marys Lane. It is intended that the advance signs are carried out at the same time. A review of the signs and sign plates will be undertaken in advance to see if it is viable to incorporate the metric and imperial height measurements under one sign plate. Unfortunately, I do not have a definitive timescale for these works, but needless to say it will be in the next financial year. I believe and perhaps you can confirm this, that Hertingfordbury Parish Council will be financing this particular element of the works (sign layouts as previously shown on the previous e-mail sent across earlier today). The exact costs have as yet to be determined and will depend upon the makeup of the signs. I cannot be more specific at this moment in time, but I will be in contact again once a more definitive time scale is known plus the exact makeup of the signs. The other signage as shown on the plan ‘unsuitable for HGV’s will be as shown on the plan. If you want to call to go through anything prior to your meeting please do so. regards Martin Nevill Clerk Vacancy A job advert has been placed with HAPTC and is on the council website. Contacted Little Berkhamsted clerk to see if she wanted to take on an additional role and she has asked for more information.