The Annual meeting of Hartington Nether Quarter Parish Council
was held on Monday, 09 May 2022 at 7.30pm
in Biggin Village Hall.
Present: P Tapping, S Griffiths, D Currington, S McCurrach, M Heathcote, the clerk, S Hampson. There were two members of the public in attendance for part of the meeting.
Part 1 non-confidential information
22.5.1 Election of chairman, vice chairman and acceptance of office
A discussion took place regarding the long and historic practice of the parish council rotating the role of Chairman. Mrs Coles, the previous year’s vice chair person and had expressed a wish, in her absence, to continue with the practice and offered to be chair person from May 2022. The previous year’s chairman, Mr Tapping questioned why the practice existed and also wished to be considered as chairman for a second term. Mrs McCurrach provided some background on why the practice had successfully existed for approximately 25 years.
Resolved: By majority vote to elect Mr Tapping as Chairman.
Resolved: To unanimously elect Mrs Coles as Vice Chair person
Declaration of acceptance of office forms were duly completed.
22.5.2 Apologies
Apologies had been received in advance of the meeting from Mrs J Coles, due to annual leave
22.5.3 Minutes of the previous ordinary meeting
The minutes of the previous meeting had been displayed on the noticeboard and forwarded to the members and the parish council’s website, in advance of the meeting. Mr Tapping questioned the decision for the clerk to write a letter to the landlord of the public house regarding parking on the grass verge rather than an informal chat. The clerk checked the notes of the previous meeting where it was recorded that a letter should be sent.
Resolved: To accept the minutes as a true record of proceedings. Mr Tapping duly signed the minutes.
22.5.4 Matters arising and pre-meeting
Mr Tapping had received a certificate of attendance at a ‘tree inspection’ course and may now use the outcome of this to inspect parish trees and to subsequently identify any trees requiring attention from qualified tree surgeons.
22.5.5 Update of members’ Register of Interest forms
The clerk had sent these to the members in advance of the meeting for update and return. These were returned to the clerk.
22.5.6 Public Speaking Procedures Document
The document was available.
22.5.7 Public speaking
There were two members of the public in attendance, one of whom had raised matters in the Parish Annual Meeting regarding inappropriate use of drones. The other member of the public wanted to know how to find out about the use of the playing field. He was advised that this was administered by a committee not under the control of the parish council.
22.5.8 Internal audit of accounts for the year ended 31st March 2022
The internal auditor had attended the clerk/Responsible Finance Officer (RFO)’s house and conducted the internal audit of the accounts in preparation for the submission of external audit documentation. The RFO advised that the internal audit was successful with no items to bring before the council.
22.5.9 Section 1 Annual Governance Statement for year ended 31st March 2022
This had been completed by the RFO
Resolved: To approve the Annual Governance Statement.
Resolved: The RFO and Chairman added their signatures to the Governance Statement
22.5.10 Certificate of exemption for the year ended 31st March 2022
The RFO explained that as both the expenditure and income for the audit year was less than £25,000 a declaration of exemption had been completed.
Resolved: The RFO to sign the Certificate of Exemption.
22.5.11 Section 2 Accounting Statement for the year ended 31st March 2022
Resolved: To approve the accounting statement and for the RFO and Chairman to sign the document.
22.5.12 New cemetery fees
The clerk had commenced preparation of the new cemetery fees but needed to obtain new grave digging fees.
Resolved: to adopt the new fees upon completion of the document.
22.5.13 Review of existing policies
The clerk had amended the review dates on some policies.
Resolved: to defer completion of the review until the June meeting.
22.5.14 Telephone box
Some repainting of the telephone box had been undertaken with thanks to some residents.
Resolved: To contact Mrs Coles for an update on the design works.
22.5.15 Queen’s Jubilee
The clerk and RFO had successfully completed a grant application in the sum of £500 towards the cost of design works for telephone box in jubilee colours with the remainder to contribute towards jubilee celebrations such as village hall hire costs previously agreed by the parish council.
Bunting has been erected throughout the village and shortly to take place at Heathcote. Mrs McCurrach requested that the bunting be carefully wrapped up when being put away. Volunteers are presently helping to attach knitted flowers to a net, in readiness to cascade from the church tower.
22.5.16 War Memorial
It was reported that some of the trees need trimming, after the bird nesting season. The base needs cleaning and repointing. Mrs McCurrach had already kindly volunteered to assist with this task.
Resolved: To place the item on the next agenda.
22.5.17 Items of account, salaries and HMRC, playground insurance/donation, insurance, Queen’s jubilee grant
| Cq 1363 | S Hampson | May Clerks Salary and Back pay | £232.32 |
| Cq 1364 | S Hampson | May internet provision | £17.00 |
| Cq 1365 | S Hampson | Reimbursement of expenses | £16.95 |
| Cq 1366 | Peak Park Parishes Forum | Annual Subscription | £12.00 |
| Cq 1367 | Biggin Community Project ’97 | Donation to Playground | £500.00 (section 137) |
| Cq 1368 | Brian Coles | Mowing for April | £411.43 VAT £68.57 |
| Cq 1369 | Zurich Municipal | Annual Insurance Premium | £285.06 |
| Cq 1370 | B Wood | Internal Audit Fee | £54.00 |
| Cq 1371 | Shelter Maintenance | Bus Shelters Cleaning | £21.43 VAT £3.57 |
(See Queen’s jubilee grant item 22.5.15)
22.5.18 Planning applications, planning sub-committee
A previous application for The Old Scrap Yard on the A515 for a change of use of land erection of a building for Class E purposes (previously with class B1) will be considered by planning committee later in the week.
Other planning applications included:
Stanedge Grange: Proposed livestock building and agricultural storage building.:
Resolved: to support this proposal.
Heathcote Grange Change of use of existing single storey agricultural building to holiday let use and to ancillary accommodation.
22.5.19 Correspondence and communication
The clerk had forwarded this to members in advance of the meeting and included:
Mobile library routes, health and well being social media, bunting on street lamps.
In addition, a resident had provided a suggestion for an inscription on a memorial plaque in respect of covid. Members gave some consideration to this but thought it could be condensed a little.
The clerk suggested one point of contact for the supply of a plaque.
Resolved: To place the matter on the next agenda.
There was still no further update on the requests to refill existing boxes or to install a new one near the Tissington Trail bridge.
22.5.20 Highways and Street Lighting
Despite repeated requests to attend to the 30 mph signs, the replacements have still not been forthcoming from DCC.
Resolved: The clerk to make yet another request to attend to these dilapidated signs with replacements.
22.5.21 Articles for News and Views
Resolved: to submit an article in June.
22.5.22 Items for the next agenda
PCSO, Phone box, Queen’s jubilee, war memorial trees, covid memorial, bank account, review of policies. Additional items to be compiled by the clerk.
22.5.23 Date of the next meeting
Monday, 6th June 2022
Part 2 Confidential information
There was no confidential information to discuss.
The meeting was declared closed at 8.30 pm
Mrs S Hampson,
Clerk
15th May 2022
©Hartington Nether Quarter Parish Council minutes remain draft until approved by the parish council at the next meeting