West Dereham Parish Council Minuites September 19

DRAFT MINUTES OF THE WEST DEREHAM ANNUAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD AT WEST DEREHAM VILLAGE HALL AT 7.30 pm ON THURSDAY 5th SEPTEMBER 2019 PRESENT (Four Councillors):- Annie Barber (AB), Tom Foy (TF), Stuart Glove (SB), Keith Gore (KG), Lorraine Hunt (LH) Chair and Susan Pepper (SP) In attendance: Peter King, Parish Clerk, and 22 members of the public. The Chairman welcomed everyone present to the Parish Council Meeting. 1. Election of Chairman and Declaration of Acceptance of Office (chaired by the Parish Clerk) The Parish Clerk reported that the previous Parish Council Chairman had recently resigned and that therefore a new Chair was to be elected. LH was proposed as Chair by AB and seconded by KG. It was agreed that LH sign the Declaration of Acceptance of Office after the meeting. 2. Apologies for absence: None received. 3. Declarations of interest on agenda items The Parish Councillors confirmed that they had no personal interests for items coming up on the agenda. 4. Notice regarding use of social media, audio recording of Parish Council meeting and invitation for public contributions LH asked “Will anyone present be filming, recording, blogging, or tweeting during this meeting?” There was no response from the members of the public present. LH advised members of the public that if they wished to comment on any item, before a decision was made, they should raise their hand and they would be invited to speak. 5. Reports 5.1 Chair’s Report LH welcomed Tom Foy back onto the Parish Council and new Parish Councillors, Sue Pepper, Stuart Glover and Keith Gore. LH thanked them for all applying to become Councillors and showing patience for what turned into a lengthy co-option process of approving their applications. 5.2 Parish Clerk’s Report 5.2.1 Parish Councillor Resignations The Parish Clerk reported that Paula Kellingray had resigned as a Parish Councillor on 27th June 2019 and Pamela Walker on 2nd September 2019, who had also been the Chairman. 5.2.2 Ditches, Church Road The Parish Clerk reported that he had received a third report since July 2018 of effluent being present in the open ditches outside properties in Church Road. The Parish Clerk noted that both he and the Parishioner who reported the matter had contacted Norfolk County Council Flood Department (NCC –FD) and the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Environmental Health Department (BCKLWN-EH). A Parishioner reported that NCC-FD had 2 been present with cameras and jetting the ditches that was helpful, but was concerned that septic tanks or cesspits were still being emptied into the drainage system creating this problem. The Parishioner noted that BCKLWN-EH had reported that they had applied different coloured dyes to some local septic tanks and cesspits, but too date this had not identified the source of the effluent. The Parishioner continued that BCKLWN-EH had assured her that further testing with dyes was due to take place in the following week. TF reported that he had spoken to the NCC-FD staff who had commented that a blockage had occurred in the same position as before and that a camera was noted as lost somewhere in the ditch system of pipework. The Parish Clerk requested that if any Parishioners received correspondence from any of the other authorities involved, who were dealing with this matter, if they would send him copies. 5.2.3 Noise Complaints, Church Road The Parish Clerk reported that he had received three separate complaints regarding noise coming from an address in Church Road noting that two of the complainants had also written to Freebridge Housing authority and that he had written to the BCKLWN Anti-social department with details of the information he had been provided. 5.2.4 Reported Robbery, Church Road The Parish Clerk reported that he had been provided with information of a robbery that took place at an address in Ryston Road, whereby a young couple approached the householder stating that one of them needed to urgently use a toilet and then proceeded to rob the premises whilst the householder was distracted at the door of the property by the other person. The Parish Clerk noted he understood that the Police had been informed. 5.2.5 Village Handyman, Resignation The Parish Clerk reported that Roy Poole who had been the village handyman for the past 4 years had written a letter of resignation and would be finishing on 11th October 2019. 5.2.6 Charity Event The Parish Clerk noted details of a coffee morning to be held on 27th September in support of the charity, Macmillan Cancer Support starting around 9.30am in West Dereham Village Hall. 5.2.7 Police, Monthly Engagement Drop-in Sessions The Parish Clerk noted that he had received information leaflets with dates during October and November for Police Drop-in Sessions in the local area. It was agreed that Parishioners present could scrutinise the leaflets after the meeting and that copies would be placed in the Village Hall and on the Parish Council website. 3 6. 6. Finance Report 6.1 Accounts for August 2019 - Payments The Parish Clerk reported that there had been no income. The Parish Clerk noted the following payments that were due. Payee Cheque No Net VAT Gross Remarks Pear Technology 101103 £200.00 £40.00 £240.00 Software Support & Updates 2019/20 R Poole 101104 £180.55 £0.00 £180.55 Handyman's Payment & expenses- August 19 Holly Landscapes 101105 £487.50 £97.50 £585.00 Grounds Maintenance - July 2019 Paris Print 101106 £30.00 £0.00 £30.00 Printing of Village Newsletter - July 19 Paris Print 101107 £7.50 £0.00 £7.50 25% of Printing of Village Newsletter - August 19 Peter King 101108 £644.43 £0.00 £644.43 Parish Clerk's & expenses - August 19 HMRC 101109 £4.80 £0.00 £4.80 Parish Clerk's PAYE - August 2019 West Dereham Village Hall 101110 299.25 0.00 299.25 Meeting Hire - April to June 2019 Total £1,854.03 £137.50 £1,991.53 The Parish Clerk noted the total payments were £1,991.53. LH asked the Councillors present if they were content with the payments. All Councillors noted that they were content. LH noted that the cheques and control processes would be signed off as soon as possible. 6.2 Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2018/19 The Parish Clerk reported that the Parish Councillors were asked to discuss and approve the annual financial report to be sent to the External Auditors (PKF Littlejohn LLP). The Parish Clerk noted that the approval should have been agreed before the end of June 2019, however the Parish Council had been unable to meet for several months. The Parish Clerk summarized the audit process that he completes the end of year accounts, these are then inspected by an Internal Auditor who produces a detailed report that the Parish Council note and approve. The Parish Clerk added that although the Parish Council does not need to request an External Audit as a result of having a financial turnover of below £25,000 4 per year, for the purposes of transparency, it requires that one be carried out. The Parish Clerk advised that on the approval of the Parish Council, the accounts will be open to scrutiny by the members of the public who would be able to inspect the accounts held by the Parish Clerk at his home between the period of 9th September and 18th October 2019. The Parish Clerk noted that his contact details are available on the document ‘Electors’ rights advertised’ to be added to the Parish website, advertised in the monthly Village Magazine and displayed on the two Parish Noticeboards for the six week period. The Parish Clerk noted that it was his duty to ask the Parish Councillors present that in the knowledge that the Accounts having been approved by the Internal Auditor, seven questions listed in the Annual Return regarding control processors to fulfil this stage of the Audit process, listed under Section1 - Annual Governance Statement 2018/19 and to confirm by the Councillors their understanding to the best of their knowledge and belief of the controls put in place. The Parish Clerk noted that the first question on the return could not now be answered in the affirmative on the advice of the External Auditors, due to the timescale of submitting the documentation for audit. The Parish Clerk then read out the statements that the Councillors agreed by each saying “Yes” to all questions. The Parish Clerk added these affirmations to the Return and it was duly signed by the Parish Clerk and Chair of the Council. The Parish Clerk explained to the Meeting that the Annual return was now required to be sent for External Audit that would take several weeks to be completed. 7. To receive further reports/items of business for the next agenda 7.1 AB requested that there is a discussion regarding having a defibrillator in the village. 8. Date of Next Meeting: Thursday 10th October 2019 at 7.30pm. 9. Open Forum 9.1 A Parishioner noted that on the pathway along Church Road, that although the grass areas are cut there are a number of brambles that are overgrown and require attention. 9.2 A Parishioner requested that the Parish Council would consider the setting up and use a microphone system during the meetings. 10. Close of Meeting. The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and final closure of the meeting was at 9.25pm. Parish Clerk: Peter King – Email: clerk@westderehamparishcouncil.uk Telephone: 01366 502110