Full Council Minutes 2023

CHAPEL ST LEONARDS COUNCIL

 MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

7.00pm on the 13 February 2023 at the Church Hall

Present:  Cllr G Dalton (Chair), Cllr P. Robinson (Vice Chair), Cllr P. Hamilton, Cllr S. Whitmore, Cllr R. Christie-Smith and Cllr David Simmons, Cllr Caroline Seabrooke

Apologies: Cllr C Jude

Absent: Cllr Festim (Bob) Doko                                                            

Parish Clerk: A. Maynard

5 Residents, Cllr S Evans (ELDC)

Public Participation

A member of the public raised the question of our Finance arrangements and that the information is generally too late for the full council meeting, this was responded to and the responses are detailed in item 23/206 below. There were no other comments.

23/200 Apologies for Absence

Apologies were received and accepted from Cllr C Jude.

23/201 Declarations of Pecuniary Interests not already registered.

None

23/202 To receive and approve the draft minutes of the Parish Council meetings held on 09 January 2023.

Proposed, seconded, and unanimously approved RESOLVED to adopt the draft minutes as the adopted minutes of the 09 January 2023 meeting which the Chair signed.

23/203 Cemetery Committee – The Chair of the Cemetery Committee reported that there will be a small increase in the cemetery fees, and these will be printed by the next meeting. The tree work that was agreed previously will begin on Monday 20 February 2023. The walk round the graveyard by the Councillors to check all graves are compliant with the rules for extra pots/memorabilia are being observed will take place on Thursday 16 February 2023.

23/204 Environment & Amenities Committee – The Chair of the E&A Committee reported that the chalet inspection had taken place and the letters had gone to the owners requiring any damage/painting to be completed as soon as possible. The Tree Preservation Order had been dealt with and there is now a map of trees in and around the village with a TPO. The matter of bins being left out has also been dealt with and ELDC will remind residents to get their bins inside as soon as possible after collection. A MOP, who is part of Chapel Litter Pickers wished to thank the Council & Operatives for cleaning and painting the bus shelter on Trunch Lane and in response the Council thanked the Litter Pickers for the excellent job and contribution to the village they make.

23/205 Events Committee – The Chair of the Events Committee reported that it had been RESOLVED to allow the Carnival to take place over Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 August with a £75.00 per day hire fee. The Family Fun Day will take place over Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 August, there will be a slight increase in pitch hire and extra if a table and/or gazebo are required. The Family Fun Day will be from 10-4pm each day and no trading allowed before 10:00am on both days. King Charles II Coronation will be celebrated by street parties around the village, there will be a photo competition with prizes and more details of this nearer the time. Flags will fly around the Green. Christmas celebrations and Light Switch-On will be co-ordinated by Cllr C Seabrooke and more details to follow closer to the time.

23/206 Finance Committee

a. To answer the queries from the MOP, the Council now use the Income and Expenditure system for recording all financial actions as per our external auditors due to in the past this being done incorrectly. The only proviso is that we publish the quarterly accounts. The MOP wanted to see at each meeting a full account showing deposits and expenses, the office will see if they can do this and report back at the next meeting. The MOP was invited to the office to see any accounts they wished to look at but they refused the invite.

b. The Chair of the Finance Committee reported that going forward there would be two councillors authorising the requests to spend. Our internal audit will take place on 22 February 2023.

c. Proposed, seconded, and unanimously approved RESOLVED to pay the amounts shown in the circulated payments schedule.

Chapel St Leonards Parish Council Payments 13 February 2023

23/207 Committees

The councillors would like to be able to have Committees of a size of their own choosing as they appreciate there is a minimum number of four, but no maximum recorded anywhere.

The Clerk/RFO advised five as the maximum as we have working people in our small committees but no more as decision making becomes difficult as agreement is hard to reach. It was RESOLVED that any number of councillors could be on a committee and that the Events Committee had all councillors as members as there are so many events requiring each councillor to have a role.

23/208 Councillor Surgery Update

The last Council Surgery was held by Cllrs Robinson & Hamilton, a member of the public visited them and commented on how wonderful the Green and village as a whole had looked this year with compliments to the Parish Council and garden staff. A new planter is ordered this year making two in total and will add to the floral display. Our Community Warden is helping with general maintenance of the sea front and this creates a dual role as this means the warden is visible to keep a record of dogs off leads etc, this was witnessed by Cllr Robinson who reported this was effective and a good use of staff.

Councillor Robinson attended a service and exhibition commemorating the 70th anniversary of the floods that stretched the length of the East Coast and as far as to Brussels and Holland, this event was held at the North Sea Observatory (NSO). Cllr Robinson met with Cllr Colin Davey, ELDC, and Cllr Robinson secured the fixing and new cementing of the area at the bottom of the steps of the NSO, this has been on-going since the NSO was built and this is welcome news.

Saturday 25 February - Cllrs S Whitmore and D Simmons will be in attendance.

13:00 at II Gusto, The Green, Chapel St Leonards – booking through the office (01754 875032

23/209 Correspondence received -

LALC E-news circulated to all Councillors.

23/210 To consider new planning applications as a statutory consultee and to note Planning Authority decisions and receive updates on previous application consulted on

N/031/01891/22 LAND ADJACENT MILLERS LEISURE CENTRE, THE ESPLANADE, CHAPEL ST LEONARDS – Planning Permission – Change of use of the land for the siting of 11no.chalets – CSL Parish Council raised concerns and objected due to concerns over the entrance to Sandy Lane and pedestrian use at the approach to the Esplanade. Update only.

N/031/00061/23 3 SOUTH ROAD, CHAPEL ST LEONARDS. SKEGNESS PE24 – Planning Permission – Rear single storey extension to the existing dwelling to provide additional living accommodation, existing outbuilding to be demolished. No objections.

23/211 Dates

Parish Council meeting Monday 13 March 2023, 7pm, Village Hall.

Meeting Closed 7.50pm.