Minutes of Stoke Ferry virtual Meeting June 2020

STOKE FERRY PARISH COUNCIL (Draft until approved at the next Council meeting) Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on Wednesday 3 June 2020 at 7.00 pm, Virtually online via Zoom

Present: Cllr Sue Lintern (Chair) Cllr Kit Hesketh-Harvey (Vice-Chair) Cllr Trudy Mann Cllr Gail Reeve Cllr Donna Stocking Cllr Janet Taylor Helen Richardson (Parish Clerk and Financial Responsible Person)

Public – Nil.

95/20 Openness and Transparency Notice The Chair read the notice.

96/20 To Record Those Councillors Present who do not have a Video Link There were none.

97/20 To Receive and Consider Acceptance for Apologies of Absence Apologies were noted and accepted for Cllr Andy Hayward (illness) and for Cllr Mandy Leamon (work commitment).

98/20 To Receive Declarations of Interest from Members Cllr Trudy Mann declared an interest regarding the Bluebell public house at minute number 103/20.

99/20 To Approve the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 4 March 2020 and Extraordinary Meeting held on 21 May 2020. There were no amendments.

RESOLVED: • That the minutes of the Ordinary meeting held on 4 March 2020 be approved as a correct record. (Cllr Gail Reeve proposed, Cllr Sue Lintern seconded, all were in favour). • That the minutes of the Extraordinary meeting held on 21 May 2020 be approved as a correct record of the meeting. (Cllr Trudy Mann proposed, Cllr Donna Stocking seconded, five were in favour, Cllr Kit Hesketh-Harvey abstained as he was not able to attend).

100/20 To Note Matters Arising from the Minutes of the Last Meeting. There were no matters arising and the Clerk’s report was noted as follows:

Buckenham Drive Land Transfer – The Clerk contacted the Borough Council but is yet to receive a response. This issue is unlikely to be progressed until after the initial virus outbreak. Mill Liaison Committee – The Mill Manager confirmed the Committee will be restarted but when further past the Covid-19 outbreak. Indigo Streetlights – There was no update, it was for Norfolk County Council to resolve.

Handyman – As a result of the Assets Inspection the Handyman was given various tasks to complete mid-March as part of their usual hours. The Clerk asked him to also weed the Garden of Remembrance in the cemetery.

Financial Accounts – The Clerk transferred between the two Parish Council accounts funds into the Community Account where payments are made to the total of £5k via telephone banking. The Clerk has completed paperwork for online banking, and it is progressing.

Clerk Training – The Clerk changed agreed webinar attendance to cover Virtual Meetings as a result of Covid-19 as opposed to other subjects previously agreed, this was at no extra cost, costing £13.33 excluding VAT split with two other Parish Councils.

ICO (Information Commissioners Office) Confirmed Renewal of the Annual Fee (Data Protection) through the annual direct debit arrangement for £40.

Bridge Road Path – Norfolk County Council have programmed pathway work, but this cannot be completed at this time due to social distancing. Following the Clerk reporting again on 19 May the engineer agreed to check the crack on the path to see if any extra measures were needed in the interim.

Village Gates Project – Norfolk County Council agreed to extend the funding for finalisation of the project to September because the sign manufacturer and Norfolk County Council for installation work were effected by Covid-19 either by being closed or unable to complete due to social distancing. The Clerk will look to try and update with them again in July.

Annual Review of Declaration of Interests – The Clerk emailed Councillors mid-May to ask that these be reviewed and amended where necessary as good practice.

Council Vacancies – Cllr Andy Hayward completed and returned the signed Code of Conduct, Declaration of Acceptance of Office and Declaration of Interest form which was forwarded to the BCKLWN. The vacancy advertised following Jim McNeill’s resignation had been completed with the BCKLWN and could now be co-opted to.

Planning Decisions Received since the last meeting in March 2020 were: 20/00204/F Stoke Ferry The Old School House High Street Stoke Ferry King's Lynn Norfolk PE33 9SF - Garage extension to dwelling Application Permitted 17 March 2020 Delegated Decision 20/00078/TREECA Stoke Ferry Millstones Oxborough Road Stoke Ferry King's Lynn Norfolk PE33 9SY - T1 Cherry Plumb - Has very bad rot. Fell the tree and replant with similar within a conservation area Tree Application - No objection 7 May 2020 Delegated Decision

Planning Application Received for Consultation Between Meetings were: 20/00612/F Removal of garage, extension to dwelling and construction of new garage at Cockshill Oxborough Road Stoke Ferry King's Lynn Norfolk PE33 9SY- No comments or objections returned.

101/20 To Approve the ‘Register of Decisions Made Online by the Parish Council for Ratification at the Next Full Council Meeting’. The Register of Decisions had been published on the website alongside the agenda and notification added to the noticeboard. The Council noted the contents confirming it was a true and correct record and it was proposed for approval, as follows:

Decision Funding Application Facilitation of Funds for Covid 19 Scheme of Delegation COVID 19 Emergency Operation Procedure Safeguarding Policy Approval to Support Covid 19 Community Group Approval of Action Plan, Revised Procedure and Scheme of Delegation Clerk to Pay SSL Certificates and Claim Funds for Website £30 March Payments (Total £2553.09 inc VAT see attached) Parish Council Insurance Quotation from 1st June 2021 (Three Years) (Cost £614.86 inc free Parish Online for NP and Council) Streetlight Maintenance Contract 3 Years (Cost £194.75 plus VAT inc 5% discount) Revised Action Plan Covid 19 Approval of Cllr Kit Hesketh-Harvey to be Vice Chair Approval of Neighbourhood Plan PC and Grant Accounts for Return (Returned on Email 020520) Approval of Co-option of Andy Hayward and non-acceptance of a second application received (Proposed by Cllr Sue Lintern, Seconded by Cllr Trudy Mann) April Payments (Total £1760.26 inc VAT see attached) Statement of Accounts YE 31.03.20 New Standing Orders April 2020 Revision Review of Financial Regulations (no revisions) Approval of the Assets Register YE 31.03.20

RESOLVED: That the Register of Decisions Made Online by the Parish Council for Ratification at the 3 June 2020 meeting be approved as presented. (Cllr Donna Stocking proposed, Cllr Kit Hesketh Harvey seconded, all were in favour).

102/20 Annual Accountability and Governance Return 201920:

a) To Consider the Internal Audit Report – AGAR 201920 The Parish Council noted that there had been no discrepancies made by the Internal Auditor in their report following review of the accounts for 201920.

RESOLVED: That the Internal Audit report be noted. (Proposed Cllr Donna Stocking, Cllr Kit Hesketh-Harvey, all were in favour).

b) To Approve the 201920 Annual Return Governance Statement The Chair read the statements to the Councillors which in turn they answered each of the eight statements on the form positively. It was proposed for approval.

RESOLVED: That the Annual Return Governance Statement 201920 be approved in answering favourably on all accounts. (Cllr Sue Lintern proposed, Cllr Janet Taylor seconded, all were in favour).

c) To Approve the 201920 Annual Return Accounting Statement It was proposed for approval in accordance with the year end statements provided to the Council for 201920.

RESOLVED: That the Annual Return Accounting Statement 201920 be approved. (Cllr Kit Hesketh-Harvey proposed, Cllr Sue Lintern seconded, all were in favour).

103/20 To Approve: Payments and Accounts Reconciliation - May 2020 The payments were presented for approval as follows:

In answer to a query the Chair advised that the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group had included all possible aspects of the project within the grant funding terms and conditions. And prior to finalising the final fund amount to be returned in terms of value for money, at the end of the grant period the group had tried query all other possible costs outside the terms, but it was not possible to include.

RESOLVED: That the payments as presented be approved. (Cllr Gail Reeve proposed, Cllr Donna Stocking seconded, all were in favour).

104/20 To Receive an Update on the Bluebell Public House The Chair advised that she had spoken to the representative of the Bluebell Pub campaign group in Stoke Ferry for an update. The group’s expression of interest bid had been made by the deadline set but had been unsuccessful as they were not a registered community benefit society. A request by the group to extend the deadline to include this registration had been declined due to the constraints of legislation. However, the campaign group were continuing in the project by negotiating with the owners on the price and the conditions that were in place regarding its sale.

The owner had appealed the planning decision to refuse change of use from a public house to a domestic dwelling, and it was currently awaiting resolve with the Planning Inspectorate. This also meant that the owners at this time were unable to sell it as a domestic dwelling.

The Parish Council at this point invited the representative of the campaign group to the meeting so they could hear the Council and the Council were able to hear them. Following offer of support by the Parish Council, the representative of the group confirmed that they would welcome assistance from the Council in writing to the Borough Council to ask that they reconsider the decision of not allowing an extension of time in order to deal with the registration to be a community benefit society, and in light of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The representative explained that the campaign group also needed support to the project to the local community and wider to include businesses and investors. The campaign group were also reviewing grants available. The representative thanked the Parish Council for their support. The representative left the meeting at this point.

Cllr Kit-Hesketh Harvey agreed to draft a letter on behalf of the Council and circulate to the Councillors for comment online before sending it to the Borough Council to ask that they re-consider the decision to not allow any extension time for the campaign group to resolve their registration as a community benefit society which fell within the definition of a ‘community interest group’ set under regulation 5 and 12 of the 2012 Asset of Community Value regulations capable of triggering moratorium.

105/20 To Receive Urgent items of concern & matters to be included on the next agenda from the Parish Council and note forward items It was agreed to email the Clerk following the meeting.

106/20 To Confirm the Date of the Next Ordinary Meeting – Wednesday 1 July 2020 at 7 pm. It was confirmed.

Meeting closed at 8.15 pm.