Minutes

Langworth Group Parish Council  

Serving the grouped parishes of Barlings, Newball, Stainton by Langworth and Reasby

E:mail: langworthgroupparishcouncil@gmail.com

Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday 11 January 2022 at Langworth Memorial Hall at 7.30pm

Present:  Cllrs M Herbert (Chairman), P Bowser, A Curtis, A Hyatt, J Machin, K Tyrrell, R Waite (arrived at 7.32pm), C/Cllr I Fleetwood, Mrs M Vail (Clerk), and one member of the public (arrived at 7.44pm).

Meeting started at 7.30pm

   1. Public Forum: There was no public representation.

2. Apologies: Cllr S Taylor (ill), D/Cllr A Welburn

3. Declarations of Interest: None received.

4. To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2021:

RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2021 as a true record; and these were duly signed.

Proposed:  Cllr K Tyrrell, seconded: Cllr J Machin. All in favour.

5. Comments from County Councillor, District Councillors and Chairman:

Cllr I Fleetwood: LCC are looking at a 3% budget increase for 2022/23, although this remains to be ratified.

District Councillors: None were present.

Chairman: No comments.

6. Clerk’s Report

a. To receive the financial report: as previously circulated:

A financial report was given (attached below).  An explanation was given for the Earmarked Reserves and for S137.

RESOLVED to remove S137 from the Earmarked Reserves and put it into the general accounts.

Proposed: Cllr M Herbert, seconded: Cllr J Machin.  All in favour.  Action: clerk

b. Approval of payments: as previously circulated:

RESOLVED to approve payments as per the financial report (attached below). Action: clerk.

Proposed: Cllr J Machin; seconded:  Cllr P Bowser. All in favour.

c. Community Speed Watch: approve setting up of volunteer group and required start up expenditure:

Following the clerk’s report on the current numbers of interested volunteers; and the required steps needed to get the group set up and ready to begin; it was RESOLVED:

i. To approve the creation of a self-run volunteer CSW group

Proposed: Cllr A Hyatt, seconded: Cllr P Bowser.  All in favour.

ii. To approve appointment of a Volunteer Coordinator (Hazel Stilgoe-McCombe) who will:

 Manage the setting up of the CSW group

Arrange training with the Police

 Meet with LRSP to agree suitable locations for undertaking speed checks

Produce a written risk assessment of CSW activities

Oversee completion and submission of all required paperwork

Proposed: Cllr A Hyatt, seconded: Cllr J Machin.  All in favour.

iii. To approve up to a maximum of £500 + VAT to purchase required equipment. 

 Noted that the clerk will be immediately reimbursed for purchasing the equipment given the large monetary amount involved.

 Proposed: Cllr A Hyatt, seconded: Cllr J Machin.  All in favour.

Action: clerk

Cllr I Fleetwood left the meeting at 7.59pm.

7. To set the budget for the year 1/4/22 to 31/3/23:

The Chairman explained the precept process.  The Council Tax bill, in addition to the parish council element, also comprises: Lincolnshire County Council; Police; District Council; and Adult and Social Care.  The Parish Council portion of the council tax bill is small.   

Examples of the precept percentage increase per £1000 increments on a Band D property were noted; with the resultant changes to the financial numbers being small eg a £1000 precept increase would result in an approximate £5.00 per year increase for a Band D property.  For a 0% precept increase, the precept will need to be set at £25,320.00. Noted that the Council Tax bill could, nevertheless, increase if the other elements eg police increase their portion – the Parish Council has no control over the other elements.

Members then considered the draft budget report, line by line, as prepared by the clerk; including to note that:

VAT expenditure is reclaimable; and to remove VAT as a budget pot

Flood mitigation – it has been previously agreed to earmark some money for flood mitigation, although this has not been recorded on the budget report. Item for next agenda.  Action: clerk

Grass cutting should not increase above £5000.

Snow blower and gritter – no separate budget pot exists for this equipment.

RESOLVED to rename the budget head ‘Play Equipment Maintenance’ to ‘Equipment Maintenance’ to include all parish council equipment/assets; and to increase it to £1000.

 Proposed:  Cllr P Bowser, seconded: Cllr J Machin.  All in favour.  Action: clerk

Projected overspend for the 2021/22 financial year is £1047.96. 

Revised draft budget comes in at £21,513.00 before ‘tweaks’. 

Standing Orders were suspended at 8.35pm to allow the resident to speak.  He noted that there may be a bigger percentage salary increase than budgeted for.  Standing Orders then resumed at 8.36pm.

RESOLVED to increase the budget for 2022/23 to £24,813 (an increase of £3300 over the revised draft budget figure of £21,513.00). This allows for increases to clerk’s salary and pension, figures for which are not known at this time as the 2021/2022 pay award has not yet been finalised.  Action: clerk to update budget report.

Proposed: Cllr J Machin, seconded: Cllr P Bowser.  All in favour

8. To set the final precept for the year 1/4/22 to 31/3/23:

RESOLVED to set the final precept figure at £25,320.00 noting; importantly; that this means a 0% precept increase.

Proposed:  Cllr J Machin, seconded: Cllr P Bowser.  All in favour.

9. Date of the next meeting: Tuesday 1st February 2022, 7.30pm, Langworth Memorial Hall

Meeting ended at 8.44pm.

Michelle Vail, Clerk/RFO to the Council            

Dated: 27 January 2022

LANGWORTH GROUP PARISH COUNCIL, BANK RECONCILIATION, 1st Dec - 31st Dec 2021                                                 

CURRENT ACCOUNT, ACCOUNTS PAID                                                   

OPENING BALANCE, £3498.23

MRS MICHELLE VAIL, EXPENSES, £27.90

WELTON PARISH COUNCIL, £20.00

GLENDALE, £264.00

LONSDALE PRINT, £142.00

LL EDITOR (Backpay), £34.02

LCC PENSION, £167.88

MRS MICHELLE VAIL, DEC SALARY, £566.58

SAGE, £ 8.40

LL EDITOR, £171.84

INCOME:

WLDC - CLLR WELBURN CIF GRANT (Noticeboard), £250.00

CLOSING BALANCE, £2345.61

DEPOSIT ACCOUNT                                                        

OPENING BALANCE, £41448.49

INTEREST, DEC, 0.34p    

CLOSING BALANCE, £41448.83

Accounts for Payment in January                                                                             

Office Utilities Interne, Jan, M Vail, £22.50

Mileage, 12 miles @45p/mile, post notices, M Vail, £5.40

Langworth Local Editor, Inv 034, £175.62

Lonsdale Print, Estimated, £142.00

Parish Clerk Salary, Jan, M Vail, £566.58

Welton PC, play area inspection, £20.00

Sage payroll, £8.40

Pension, Dec, £167.88

Knights of Langworth, Noticeboard, £960.00

TOTAL, £2068.38

Ear Marked Reserves                                                                    

Elections reserve, £4,000.00                       

S137 Local Gov Act expenditure, £2,000.00                          

VAS sign installation, £4,000.00                  

Grant expenditure, £1,900.00                    

Total, £11,900.00