2024 Parish Council Meeting Agendas

NOTICE OF A MEETING OF HECKINGTON PARISH COUNCIL

Dear Sir/Madam

You are summoned to attend the Heckington Parish Council meeting to be held in the Parish Council Chambers, St Andrews Street, Heckington on Monday 25 November 2024 at 7.00pm.

Members of the Press and Public are invited to attend.  All members of the Parish Council are summoned to attend for the purpose of considering and resolving upon the business to be transacted at the meeting, as set out hereunder.

Signed: Heidi Wilson, Acting Clerk & RFO                                                                                          Dated: 20 November 2024

AGENDA

1. Chair’s Welcome (Safety Announcements)

2. Public Forum: Fifteen minutes will be set aside for Members of the Public to ask questions or make short statements to the Council.  The Council may choose not to answer any question; a response may instead be given in writing.  Matters raised may be added to an agenda for a future meeting.  Members of the public are welcome to stay for the Parish Council meeting after the public session but are not permitted to speak during the meeting.  If you would like to make comment during the meeting, please raise your hand if you are able to do so.

3. Councillors present

4. Apologies

Apologies for absence and reasons given.

5. To receive any reports of member’s interest, pecuniary or otherwise in relation to the agenda and any dispensations in accordance with the Localism Act 2011

6. Minutes (Please note that Committees will approve their own minutes at their next committee meeting)

A. To resolve to approve the minutes of the extraordinary meeting of the Parish Council held Monday 21 September 2024.

B. To resolve to approve the minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Monday 28 October 2024.

7. Report from the County and District Councillors

8. General Matters

a. To note the email from Heckington Cricket Club dated 29 October 2024 – permission to install an all-weather (artificial) pitch and request for a funding contribution.

b. To discuss moving the January Parish Council meeting to a date earlier in the month to allow the budget and precept to be agreed in a timely manner for submission to North Kesteven District Council.

c. To review Standing Orders for adoption.

d. To review an amendment to Financial Regulations to give the RFO, under delegated authority, the ability to authorise expenditure for any items £500 and under as long as the expenditure remains within the agreed budget.

e. To discuss the parish council approach to future planning applications; to discuss the delegation of powers to the Clerk to collate responses from members and submit to the Planning Department at NK (exceptions for larger or controversial planning applications which may call for an EOM).

f. To ratify a decision to use cloudnext.uk to host the parish council email server.  The domain registration is £50 plus VAT per year, email hosting is £49.99 per year (2bG of storage for up to 25 email addresses).  The first year will be free courtesy of a government grant. Councillor Spencer

g.Caladine Lifts

i. To receive a report from the 6-monthly inspection.

ii. To discuss setting up a service contract with Caladine Lifts Ltd for the mandatory two services per year at a cost of £190.00 plus VAT (£95.00 plus VAT per service).

h. To discuss the commemorative plaques on the road nameplates with a view to replacing them per signage at Alexander Walk due recurrent vandalism.  Councillor Garlick

• Signs of the Times – Street sign with posts, £311.88 including £20.00 carriage.
• Signomatic - £245.18 (no posts).  Carriage, information unavailable.
• Street Signs Direct - £214.80 (including posts), Carriage, information unavailable.

i. To review quotes/costings for electrical work including EiCR tests and lighting changes at the Caretaker’s workshop and the parish council chambers.

• JW Electrical, £350.00
• Fentec, quote awaited.
• Third quote pending.

ii. Chambers (27 x 6ft LED emergency strips, 5x LED emergency domes, 4x LED ip65 bulkheads, 1 EiCR report)

• JW Electrical, £2,100
• Fentec, quote awaited.
• Third quote pending.
•  

j. To note the date of Code of Conduct training delivered by North Kesteven District Council (17 February 2025 at 7.30pm in the Chambers).

k. To receive a proposal from Councillor Bell in her capacity as Chair to Heckington in Bloom for Spring 2025.

l. To understand Councillor Atkinson’s role on the Village Hall Committee further to advice from LALC in his capacity as a Trustee.

m. To understand why the parish council is not required to pay business rates on the parish council chambers.

n. To discuss the village green power supply.

o. Investigating VAT implications for the sale of teacups and saucers and the parish council laptop.

p. To receive a recommendation from Councillor Tucker in relation to preferential suppliers.

q. To review the quote from Euromec for x1/x2 annual service for the Park Ranger 2150.

r. To receive a report from Councillor Garlick about the Evolis Speed Device statistics.

s. To review quotes for official play area inspections (due annually).

• Wicksteed, £150.00 (plus £55 for an accompanied inspection).
• *RoSPA Play Safety, £385.00 (plus £50 for an accompanied inspection).
• Third quote pending.

9. Committees

a. Finance Committee

i. To receive a report from the Finance Committee further to their inaugural meeting on 14 November 2024.

ii. To receive a recommendation from the Finance Committee to enlist the services of Worknest, Risk Assessment.

iii. To receive a recommendation from the Finance Committee to moving payroll provider in April 2025 to Autela Payroll Services.

iv. To discuss delegation of powers to the Finance Committee for the application of all future funding bids on behalf of the parish council.

v. To note correspondence from PFK Littlejohn dated 30 October 2024 in relation to objections lodged about the 2023/24 AGAR.

b. Staffing Committee

i. To ratify the decision for Councillors Spencer, O’Connor and Wright to sit on the interview panel.

ii.To receive proposals in relation to the appointment of a Clerk.

iii.To discuss further training for employees - PA1, safe use of pesticide at a cost of £125.00 plus VAT per person (clerk and caretaker).  PA6 AW, handheld applicator course; application near to water at a cost of £136.00 pl us VAT (caretaker only).

c. Cemetery Committee

i.To resolve to approve signage for the cemetery informing members of the public that they enter the cemetery at their own risk, advising of the instability of headstones, trip hazards and that children should be a accompanied by an adult at all times.

• PDP Printed Products - £486.05 plus VAT.
• DisplayPro - £250.00 plus VAT, carriage £18.99. 
• Third quote, pending.

d. Allotment Committee

i. To review a quote from Wright’s Garden Services for contracting services for maintenance of the allotments (vacant plots and public areas) and contracting in the village in general at £13 per hour.

ii. To discuss requirement for a portable toilet facility at the allotments (s111 LGA, Equality Act 2010).

iii. To discuss support for a grant application by the allotment committee to erect a temporary community meeting building (24ftx12ft).

iv. Christmas tree planting.

e. Pavilion Committee

i. To ratify a decision to appoint Carter Jonas to carry out a Condition/PPM survey of the pavilion building at a cost of PRICE.

ii. To discuss a revised tenancy agreement for the pavilion building and playfields.

iii. To discuss a need to install ‘no dog fouling’ signage at the pavilion.

f. Events Committee

i. To receive a round up from the Events Committee in relation to the Remembrance Event and the Big Christmas light switch on.

10. Highways

Members of the public are encouraged to report any new faults or existing defects at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/faultreporting or email, cschighways@lincolnshire.gov.uk or via FixMyStreet.

1. a. o note that the village walkabout with Rowan Smith, Head of Highways for Lincolnshire County Council will take place on 28 November 2024.

11. Planning Matters

The Parish Council does not have the power to approve nor reject applications – it is merely a consultee and can submit comments.

a. New or Amended Planning Matters.

b. Decisions received or pending.

12. Finance

a. To note the current bank balances as of 19 November 2024.

b. To note the income received between 17 October 2024 and 19 November 2024

c. To resolve to approve the expenditure between 17 October 2024 and 19 November 2024 (expenditure in italics is to be ratified at the meeting as this expenditure was agreed by members in between meetings to ensure the continued running of Parish Council operations).

d. To resolve to approve the monthly income and expenditure account for November 2024.e. 

e. To ratify the transfer of £10,000 from the deposit account to the current account to cover expenditure dated 1 November 2024.

f. To delegate powers to the RFO to transfer the necessary funds to the current account to cover outgoing expenditure as and when required, accompanied by an email to all Councillors for information. 

13. Correspondence

a. None.

14. Date and time of the next meeting/s

Parish Council – DATE TBC 2024 in the Parish Council Chambers, St Andrews Street at 7pm.

Finance Committee – 16 December 2024 in the Parish Council Chambers, St Andrews Street at 7pm.

15. Closed Session

a. To discuss the code of conduct breach by a councillor.

b. To resolve to approve the appointment of the Clerk further to recommendations from the Staffing Committee.

c. To resolve to approve the Clerk’s contract of employment.

d. To discuss the provision of Christmas bonuses for staff.

If you require a more detailed version of the agenda, please contact the Clerk.

If you would like to attend the Parish Council meeting and have accessibility requirements, please contact the Clerk ahead of time so that reasonable adjustments can be made.