March 16 2023 - Annual Parish Meeting - NOTES
Annual Parish Meeting 16 March 2023
Order of Proceedings
Chairman’s welcome and introduction
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Fenton & Torksey Lock Annual Parish meeting and thank you for coming.
This is not a parish council meeting however, being the parish council chairman, I am responsible for the management of these proceedings.
Item 1
Minutes of the last Annual Parish Meeting held on 17 March 2022 have been published and circulated to members.
On the basis that there are no objections I will sign them as minutes, being a true record of those proceedings.
Item 2 – Chairman’s report on parish activities for the year.
The Chairman reported that the current membership stood at 4 of 7 parish councillors. This includes District Councillor Jane Ellis.
Since the last APM, Cllr. S Wride and Cllr. Deborah Canning-Jones resigned. No other residents have expressed an interest in joining the parish council during the period.
Regular crime reports are received from the local police and incidents in the parish are being monitored.
Defibrillator.
Cllr G. Newton is the nominated Guardian for the equipment and weekly inspections are carried out and recorded. The PC is a member of the WLDC defibrillator maintenance scheme. There are no current issues with the equipment.
Frequency of cutting verge grass areas has been maintained for the 2022/23 season.
Parish assets are being maintained. The Torksey Lock notice board is in the process of being replaced.
Community Speed Watch in Fenton has been suspended due to lack of interest. A team of volunteers has been recruited and trained in Torksey Lock from the residents on little London Park and this has been operating regularly in the village. An additional sign giving warning of the teams activity has been ordered so that speeds can be monitored in 2 directions from the same location.
Speed Limit Reduction. The 50mph speed limit in Torksey Lock has been reduced to 40mph. Residents report an improvement in speed reduction.
Speed survey carried out in Fenton during November 2022 by the Lincolnshire Road safety partnership has shown that the criteria required for either fixed or mobile speed camera enforcement were not met.
The parish council has produced 5 issues of the parish newsletter to date and is continuing with these being delivered to every household in the parish during. Although we haven’t received any feedback we will continue to produce the newsletter for the time being.
A bench was installed during August in the small garden area of Chestnut Corner in Fenton. A similar installation is being planned for Torksey Lock with funds secured from the District Councillor’s Initiative Fund.
A plan for the maintenance of footpaths in Torksey Lock has been agreed in principal with Lincolnshire C. C. Highways together with the considerable assistance of County Councillor Richard Butroid. Additionally, requests have been made by the Parish Council, through LCC Highways and C/Cllr. Butroid, for changes to be made to level and locations of speed limits in both Fenton and Torksey Lock and for the relocation of the Fenton village sign to encompass all the properties within Fenton on the north side of the village.
A proposal has been put forward by LCC Highways to reduce the speed limit on the A156 through Fenton from 40 to 30mph. The proposal also includes the extension of this limit to include all residences and properties on the north side of Fenton that are currently in the 60mph zone. Formal consultation has commenced. Thanks to County Councillor Richard Butroid for his efforts on this matter.
Item 3. To receive report of parish council finances from the Responsible Financial Officer to the council, Ms. Ruth Keillar.
The Deposit Account.
At 09 March 2023 = £15,486.89
Payments into this account: None.
Interest accrued is added monthly, totalling £29.35 at 9/03/2023.A reserve of £3400 is kept for Contested Election costs.
The remainder was previously earmarked for the S106 agreement costs for the Play Area, however the Parish Council can re-allocate funds to other projects by resolution.
The Current Account.
Amount carried forward from the previous year was £3,629.91.
Precept for the current year, 2022-23, = £5,300, no increase/decrease from the previous year which was £5,300.
The total income on 1 April 2022 = £8,929.91
Income:
LCC Grass-cutting contribution, £180.92.
a). WLDC Jubilee Fund grant for Bench at Chestnut Corner, £400.
b) WLDC CIF grant for additional safety sign for CSW, £95.80.
c) WLDC CIF grant for Bench at Torksey Lock, £604.84.
d) VAT reclaim for period 01/08/2021-31/01/2023 has been submitted, awaiting receipt, £291.12
Expenditure:
All payments are noted in each month’s Minutes.
This includes:
a) Purchase and installation costs of a bench at Chestnut corner, £583.37
b) Purchase of additional safety sign for CSW, £95.80
c) PC Newsletter, at £49 per quarter.
d) Expected Parish Churchyard upkeep at a cost retrospectively advised as £440.00, budgeted £667, (£560 2021-22)
Precept 2023-24:
The Precept required to cover anticipated costs for April 2023 to March 2024 is £6,200.
The budget for 2023-24 was agreed at £8,641. The Parish Council anticipated that £2,441 of savings would accrue in the 2022-23 accounts and that all of this saving would be put towards the required budget and reduce the precept request thus keeping the Fenton element of the increase to ratepayers as low as possible. (11.38%)
Audit arrangements
Accounts for the Parish Council to be audited by T Holleran Accountancy.
A full Statement of audited Accounts for this financial year, April 2022 – March 2023, will be presented to the full Parish Council Meeting when completed.
The external auditors for 2022-23 year end are PKF Littlejohn; the Parish Council will be exempt from submitting the accounts, however the Audit documents will be completed and displayed as required.
Item 4. To consider any points which any parishioner may wish to raise.
You may now speak on any subject you wish, raise any matter that you see fit or ask any questions provided that it concerns this parish.
Persons wishing to speak are asked to raise their hands and the chairman will make a selection. Speakers are requested to identify themselves and be as brief as possible.
Date of next meeting
To be advised.
The meeting closed at …19:10……pm
Please be advised that these are notes of the meeting taken by the Chair/Clerk and cannot in any way be regarded as the official minutes of council proceedings until they are approved and signed at a next Annual Parish meeting.