Minutes of a Meeting of Trimdon Foundry Parish Council held on Tuesday 15th October 2019 at 6.30 pm in May Crescent Community House
104/19 Present:
Councillors Carole Bell (Chairman), Gail Elliott, Gary Elliott, Mike Gilvin, Brian Ferguson
105/19 Apologies:
Councillor M Lenehan-Ferguson (dispensation) Councillor Jean Loverance (accepted)
County Councillor Lucy Hovvels (accepted)
106/19:- In Attendance
Parish Clerk Kate Holmes No members of the public.
107/19 Notice of Motion
The notice of motion to call the meeting was proposed by Cllr C Bell and seconded by CIIr Gail Elliott. This was carried.
108/19 Declaration of Interest
CIIr Bell declared an interest in the grant application received from the Friends of Deaf Hill Primary School and Community Group. This had been received after the publication of the meeting agenda, but needed to be discussed to a timely decision could be made.
10919 Dispensations for Declared Interests
It was RESOLVED that CIIr Bell be granted a dispensation to participate in the discussion of the grant application described above, but not to vote.
110/19 Exclusion of the Press and Public
It was RESOLVED that as no members of the public were present, no exclusion would be necessary..
111/19 Open Session
111a/19 Police and Wardens' Report
PCSO Foreman had supplied the usual report, which showed an ongoing reduction in reported incidents.
It was noted that the designer of the parish's Anti Litter poster had been awarded a Young Person's Award by the police.
It was RESOLVED that the newsletter supplied by PCSO should be uploaded onto the Parish website.
The Clerk reported that, following the report of criminal damage to the fence opposite the Parish Corner, she would liaise with PCSO Foreman about the police response.
It was RESOLVED that the Clerk should alert PCSO Foreman to the increasingly regular gathering of young people at the rear of the chapel, as they are causing damage to the area and may go on to break windows.
It was noted that Ron Hogg is in increasingly poor health, and Chief Constable Mike Barton has retired.
111b/19 County Councillor's Report
CIIr Hovvels not present, so no report received.
111c/19 Public Participation None
112/19 Minutes
It was RESOLVED to accept the minutes from the Parish Council meeting on the 16th July 2019 as a true record, subject to removal of detail in item 091/19.
113/19 Policy Review
It was RESOLVED to allow Members more time to review the draft Information Governance Policy; approval deferred to next meeting.
114/19 Finance
It was RESOLVED to accept all automatic and due payments reported by the Clerk, as evidenced by initialling by the Chairman and a Member.
In response to the Clerk's option appraisal for purchasing cemetery software from the incumbent supplier of the Parish's finance system, or purchasing both cemetery and finance systems from a new supplier, it was RESOLVED that the latter's cloud-hosted solution would provide a more secure repository for Parish data, and should be pursued subject to an acceptable demonstration of the finance package later that week. The Clerk was requested to confirm whether, if another parish were to share the system, its data would be kept separate such that each parish could only access its own. Thereafter approval to proceed to be obtained directly from individual Members.
It was RESOLVED to approve the request for grand funding for the Friends of Deaf Hill Primary School and Community's Winter Wonderland. It was further RESOLVED to grant a further £250 above the sum requested, making a total of £1,750. Clerk to inform applicants and arrange payment.
It was RESOLVED that the Clerk should request monthly invoices for room hire from Trimdon Station Residents' Association.
115/19 CCTV Provision in Playground Area
Cllr Bell had had an unpromising visit to the CCTV shop, but this was followed by a helpful email which she agreed to forward to the Clerk.
116/19 Planning
No applications had been received from within the Parish.
117/19 Chairman's Report
Cllr Bell reported that school children are prepared to participate in Remembrance Day service at the Memorial Garden on Monday 11th November. It was RESOLVED that the clerk should engage a Minister of Religion (possibly Peter Brookes or Susan Richardson) to lead the service.
The bugler (Lynsey) has confirmed availability for the service.
It was RESOLVED to offer tea and biscuits after the service. Clerk to request from Christine Carter at May Crescent Community House, allow for 30 people.
It was RESOLVED that the clerk should obtain battery powered timer lights for the Parish Christmas Tree. Cllr Gail Elliot to supply contact details for Michael Watson, tree supplier. Clerk also to obtain 100 selection boxes for Santa (Kevin Mangles) to give out.
It was RESOLVED that in order to accommodate a Finance Committee meeting on the same evening, November's Full Council meeting should start early, at 6pm with Finance Committee immediately after.
118/19 Clerk's Report
Because of length of meeting so far, it was RESOLVED that members should review the Action List after the meeting and notify the Clerk directly of any concerns.
119/19 Councillors' Reports
Cllr Gary Elliott reported that despite regular spraying, mare's tail is still growing in the cemetery, including in the new tarmac paths.
SE Landscaping is to be asked again to level the hedges along the main cemetery path, and also to edge the newly-seeded grass where it is beginning to encroach on the paths.
Following a meeting with Thinford Nurseries, it was agreed to have six pencil cherry trees planted in place of the six now-vacant beds down the central path in the cemetery.
Cllr Gary Elliott requested the Clerk to reserve a double grave plot on the bottom edge of the cemetery (Section E.) It was confirmed that the price of this for nonresidents of the Parish would be £880.00.
Cllr Gail Elliott agreed to report fly tipping (outside parish) via the DCC website.
The Clerk advised Members that the problem with the emailed playground report that she had forwarded to them but they could not open was that the attachment was a zipfile of several large files that the ipads could not handle. She agreed to find an alternative means of circulating the report.
120/19 Samaritan Tree
Clerk had established correct person to ask about using street light power and had sent email to request. She would follow this up once recipient had had time to read it on his return from annual leave.
121/19 VE Day 75th Commemorations — 8th May 2020
Cllr Gilvin agreed to discuss the use of Trimdon Station Community Centre with the Manager of the Deaf Hill Ward Regeneration Partnership.
122/19 Correspondence Received (*)
E-mails on the appended list were forwarded to online Councillors
123/19 Items for Future Agendas
Cemetery water feature
124/19 Close of meeting
The business of the meeting was concluded at 8.05pm.
These minutes were agreed as a true record at the meeting of Council held on 12th November 2019.
Signed: (Chairman)