Broughton Astley Parish Council
VAT Registration No. 705 5707 41
/ Telephone: 01455 285655Fax: 01455 283120
Council Office, Station Road,
Broughton Astley, Leicester, LE9 6PT /
e-mail:
COMMITTEE MINUTES
MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEheld on Thursday 6 April 2006 at 8.00 pm in the Astley Room at the Village Hall, Station Road, Broughton Astley.
PRESENTCouncillors:P J Dann (Chairman)
C Grafton-Reed(Vice-Chairman)
N D Bannister
Miss J Gamble
C Golding
Ms H Jones
Mrs J T Watson
Parish Manager: L W GChandler
APOLOGIESCouncillor: J Atack
MINUTE NO.
Declaration of Members’ Interests
55.06There were no declarations of interests.
COUNCIL MANAGEMENT
Financial Statements
56.06Members considered the financial statements for the financial year ending 31March 2006.
Income and expenditure
57.06Bank interest and grant funding has boosted income in the month, and there have been significant increases in March in Administration, Village Hall, Allotments, Recreation, Highways and Council costs. However, both income and expenditure out-turned in line with the year-end forecasts which formed the basis for the Precept bid for 2006-07.
58.06The Parish Council performed well in the year on each of its four key objectives:
▪Council Management - net income was higher than anticipated because of increases in grant funding and bank interest, and lower than expected loan interest payments;
▪Community and Well-being - net income was higher than anticipated because of increases in grant funding.
▪Caring for the Village - expenditure on the Parish Council’s leased vehicles, workshop facilities and street cleansing were all well within budget.
▪Leisure and Recreation - net income was greater than expected because Village Hall, pitch hire and grant income were all much higher, and Village Hall and Allotments costs significantly lower, than anticipated.
Balance sheet
59.06Members noted that the value of Fixed and Other Assets has increased because of payments in respect of the skateboard park and the redevelopment of the Village Hall. Members also noted that the Public Works Loans Board has approved a loan of £230,000 to meet the anticipated professional fees and contractual costs associated with the Village Hall works.
60.06The Parish Manager reported that because of deficiencies in the existing drainage system the contractor completing the groundworks for the skateboard park at Frolesworth Road Recreation Ground has been forced to install an additional drain at a cost of £853.20 plus VAT. Members noted that the problem could have been overcome by increasing the depth of the existing drains, but that this would have been more expensive and time-consuming.
Recommended:That the provision of an additional drain to complete the groundworks for the skateboard park at Frolesworth Road Recreation Ground should be approved at a cost of £853.20 plus VAT.
Debtors and creditors
61.06Members noted that accounts with Harborough District Council, Hinckley Knights FC, and Leicestershire County Council remain outstanding but that arrangements are in hand to secure payment in the near future.
Grant Funding
62.06Members noted that, following the receipt of £5,000 in grant aid from the National Lottery’s Awards for All programme, only £865 of the £5,865 allocated to the project from s106 funds has been spent on the restoration of the artificial cricket pitch at Frolesworth Road Recreation Ground. Members considered what action should be taken with regard to the remaining balance of £5,000, noting that Harborough District Council has yet to confirm the availability from s106 funds of the £62,500 required for the installation of skate park equipment at the Recreation Ground. Members also noted that, before a decision can be taken on the best use of the remaining funds, more information is required on the full extent of the s106 funds available for projects in Broughton Astley.
Recommended:That the £5,000 allocated from s106 funds, but not now required, for the restoration of the artificial cricket pitch at Frolesworth Road Recreation Ground should be held pending confirmation from Harborough District Council of the availability from s106 funds of the £62,500 required for the installation of skate park equipment at the Recreation Ground.
Agreed:That Harborough District Council should be asked to provide full details of the s106 funds available for projects in Broughton Astley to enable a decision to be taken on the best use of the £5,000 in s106 funds allocated to, but not now required for, the restoration of the artificial cricket pitch at Frolesworth Road Recreation Ground.
S137 Grant Aid - Cancer Research UK
63.06Members considered a request from Mrs Elaine Barrett, on behalf of Cancer Research UK, for assistance in meeting the cost of a fund-raising evening at the Village Hall. In considering the application Members acknowledged the value of cancer research, but noted that:
▪payments made under s137 of the Local Government Act 1972 must deliver direct benefit to the parish, or to some or all of its inhabitants;
▪any grant to Cancer Research UK would need to be matched by similar contributions to other large national charities and, because of budgetary constraints, the Parish Council would be forced to choose between them;
▪payments to large national charities such as Cancer Research UK would divert funds away from worthy causes locally;
▪and any sum the Parish Council could afford to give would be no more than a token gesture for Cancer Research UK, but could make a significant difference to a small, local group.
Recommended:That, in response to a request from Mrs Elaine Barrett, the Parish Council should not contribute to the cost of a fund-raising evening at the Village Hall in aid of Cancer Research UK.
S137 Grant Aid - South Leicestershire Citizens Advice Bureau
64.06Members considered a request, from the District Manager of the South Leicestershire Citizens Advice Bureau, for £600 towards the cost of purchasing a laptop computer for the ‘outreach service’ in Broughton Astley. Members noted that although the Bureau is looking for help in purchasing this specific item grant aid from the Parish Council can be used in meeting any of the costs of running the outreach service in the village. Members also noted that any assistance the Parish Council can give is limited to one third of its grant aid budget for the year (£150).
Recommended:That, in response to a specific request from the District Manager, the Parish Council should contribute £150 to South Leicestershire Citizens Advice Bureau as its annual contribution for 2006-07 towards the cost of running the ‘outreach service’ in Broughton Astley.
Town Status
65.06Members considered whether the Parish Council should adopt town status, in line with the findings of a recently commissioned consultant’s report on the benefits to be gained. Members noted that it is difficult to identify significant tangible benefits, but that town status may make it easier to address infrastructure deficiencies and might influence the perception of local authorities in their delivery of services to the village. Members also noted that Broughton Astley can be defined as a town under various Government definitions for determining policies.
66.06In considering the timescales involved Members noted that the Government’s White Paper on the reorganisation of local government, which could have a significant impact on the Parish Council’s decision on whether to change to town status, is due to be published in the summer of 2006.
Agreed:That the Executive Committee should reassess whether the Parish Council should adopt town status at its meeting in September 2006, when the findings of the Government’s White Paper on the reorganisation of local government are known.
Quality Status
67.06Members considered whether the Parish Council should apply for quality status under the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme, in line with the findings of a recently commissioned consultant’s report on the benefits to be gained. Members noted that when measured against the Scheme’s tests of quality status the Parish Council is already a quality council, except that the Clerk does not hold one of the relevant academic qualifications. Members acknowledged, however, that achieving official recognition under the Quality Scheme would improve the Council’s credibility in the eyes of its stakeholders, including the principal local authorities, and would provide an opportunity to deliver more and better services to the local community. Members also noted that the Quality Scheme is rapidly gaining momentum and that several councils in the county have already achieved quality status.
68.06Members noted that to achieve accreditation under the Quality Scheme the Council will need either to recruit a qualified Clerk or to support the incumbent in gaining the necessary qualification. Although a growing number of Clerks are now qualified, demand exceeds supply and recruiting externally would be both costly and disruptive. Members acknowledged, however, that it will be difficult for the existing Clerk to achieve the necessary qualification unless the staffing and workload issues currently being addressed by the Scrutiny Committee are resolved.
Recommended:
(1)That the Parish Council should seek to achieve quality status under the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme.
(2)That the Chairman and Vice-Chairman should liaise with the Clerk to the Council to draw up a plan for achieving this objective, setting a target date for completion and identifying the measures required to enable the Clerk to obtain the academic qualification required.
69.06Members acknowledged that the consultant who prepared the reports on town and quality status, Peter Butcher, has requested a reference from the Parish Council and noted that he completed the assignment within the agreed timescale and budget.
Recommended:That the Parish Council should provide an open reference to Peter Butcher for his work in preparing two reports on the benefits of town and quality status, noting that the work was completed within the agreed timescale and budget.
Advertisement of Commercial Ventures on the Parish Council’s Website
70.06Members noted that the County Council, which provides the platform for the Parish Council’s website, has no objection to links to commercial websites provided the services offered by the business concerned are of clear benefit to the community and the Parish Council makes no charge for the link. Because of this stipulation the Parish Council would not be able to provide links to commercial websites from the ‘Community Groups’ section of its website on the same basis as advertisements are permitted in the Parish Council’s bimonthly magazine Broughton Matters.
Recommended:That, as a matter of policy, the Parish Council’s website should not be used to advertise commercial ventures or to provide links to commercial websites.
COMMUNITY AND WELL-BEING
Public Toilet Facilities
71.06Members noted that since the refurbishment of the toilets in the Village Centre car park, the removal of the adjacent planter, and the introduction of new locking and unlocking arrangements, there have been no complaints from members of the public about the public toilet facilities in the Village Centre and no further reports of anti-social behaviour. Members noted, however, that the District Council has yet to make good the tarmac in the area formerly occupied by the planter.
Recommended:That the current arrangements for the provision of public toilet facilities in the Village Centre should continue but that the District Council should be asked to make good the tarmac in the area adjacent to the toilets in the Village Centre car park.
’Bus Shelters
72.06In considering whether to submit a bid for matched funding under the County Council’s Partnership Funding for Rural ’Bus Shelters Programme, Members noted that there have been complaints about the shelters on Broughton Way over a long period and that the shelter on Main Street, outside Arkwright House, is also in need of attention. Members acknowledged that expenditure on ’bus shelters has not been included specifically in the budget for 2006-07, but noted that funds are available to meet the contribution of £1,500 to £2,000 that the Parish Council would have to make towards a new shelter in the village.
Recommended:
(1)That the Parish Council should submit a bid for matched funding, under the County Council’s Partnership Funding for Rural ’Bus Shelters Programme for 2006-07, towards the cost of a new ’bus shelter on Broughton Way.
(2)That £2,000 should be considered for inclusion in the Precept bid for 2007-08 as the Parish Council’s contribution towards the cost of a new ’bus shelter on Main Street, outside Arkwright House.
Speeding Traffic
73.06Members noted that as part of its Community Speedwatch project Leicestershire County Council is investigating the possibility of training volunteers in the use of hand-held ‘speed guns’ and deploying them to ‘police’ areas where speed cameras cannot be justified, but where speeding is known to be a problem. It is not yet clear how the scheme will work in practice but Members identified several issues, such as the accreditation of volunteers and their role in supporting any convictions arising out of the scheme. The County Council has advised that parish councils and other authorities will be formally invited to join the scheme when these detailed arrangements have been resolved. In the meantime the Parish Council’s interest in the scheme, following discussion at its meeting in March 2006, has been noted.
Agreed:That the matter should be noted.
CARING FOR THE VILLAGE
Street Cleaning
74.06Members noted that the Parish Council’s mechanised pavement sweeper is now operating at more than 75% of the contracted hours. These cannot be reduced under the current contract, but even if they could it is unlikely that utilisation of the machine could be increased significantly because of resource limitations and because of routine downtime (to replace collection bags, connect attachments, adjust sweeper settings, and so on).
75.06Members acknowledged that the new street cleaning arrangements are working well overall and have significantly reduced the number of complaints about litter, but also recognised that there are still areas where specific attention is required, particularly along footpaths and alleyways. Dog faeces also remain a problem in many areas.
Agreed:
(1)That Parish Councillors should advise the Parish Manager of any areas of the village which they feel warrant special attention by the Parish Council’s street cleaning team.
(2)That the street cleaning team should ensure that all dog waste is removed as a matter of routine in all litter collection operations.
LEISURE AND RECREATION
Devitt Way Community Facility
76.06Members noted that Jelson Limited has yet to write, as promised in November 2005, setting out its plans for the Devitt Way site in the light of the new Local Development Framework.
Agreed:That the Parish Manager should include a note in the next issue of Broughton Matters explaining that Jelson Limited has yet to write, as promised in November 2005, setting out its plans for the Devitt Way site in the light of the new Local Development Framework.
Village Hall Site Redevelopment - Phase 1
77.06Members noted that five of the six contractors invited to bid for Phase 1 of the Village Hall Redevelopment have submitted tenders. The tenders were opened and recorded at the meeting and will be submitted to the project architect for analysis.
Agreed:That the matter should be noted.
Village Hall Bar Facility
78.06Members considered whether the existing contract for the provision of a bar at Village Hall events should be renewed, in accordance with clause 2 of the agreement, when it expires on 31 July 2006. Members noted that the existing agreement is operating satisfactorily, but that the option to renew provides an opportunity for the Council to increase the rental charge in line with the overall increase in Village Hall costs.
Agreed:
(1)That the Parish Manager should seek to provisionally agree terms for the renewal of the existing contract for the provision of a bar at Village Hall events for a further twelve months at an increased rent, reflecting the overall increase in the cost of running the Village Hall.
(2)That the agreed terms should be submitted to the Executive Committee for approval in due course.
Frolesworth Road Recreation Ground: Cricket Facilities
79.06Members considered a recommendation from the Parish Council’s Property and Maintenance Supervisor that the £600 donated by Broughton Astley Cricket Club towards the facilities at Frolesworth Road Recreation Ground, should be spent on levelling a section of the cricket outfield. Members noted that this sum would make a considerable contribution towards the work required and would greatly improve player safety.
Recommended:That the £600 donated by Broughton Astley Cricket Club towards the facilities at Frolesworth Road Recreation Ground, should be spent on levelling a section of the cricket outfield.