INGOLDMELLS PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER ON MONDAY 13 FEBRUARY 2017
Public Session
Cllr J Orgine spoke of his concern over the escalation of rubbish outside the premises known as PJ’s on Sea Lane, Ingoldmells
Cllr B Vincent expressed his concerns over the delay in clearing the land following the fire at the Sea Lane Hotel, and the accumulation of debris on land behind the Cherry Tree public house, Ingoldmells.
Before the Council meeting was opened the Chairman reminded all present of the procedure for evacuating the building in the event of an emergency and on the use of mobile phones.
Present:
Councillors L Hemingway (Chairman), M Holyer, S Chambers, Mrs J Ellis, B Vincent, Mrs A Wormald, J Orgine and Mrs J Hardy.
1. APOLOGIES
Cllr L Chapman (Vice- Chairman)
Cllr Mrs P Chapman
Cllr E Gasson
Lincolnshire Police Constabulary
2. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
None declared
3. TO CONFIRM THE MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON 9 JANUARY 2017
Cllr S Chambers proposed that the minutes be approved, seconded by Cllr B Vincent - RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY
Matters arising from the minutes:
None
4. TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON THE ACTIVITIES OF ANGLIAN WATER BY MATTHEW MOORE, CUSTOMER LIAISON MANAGER
Mr Moore was unfortunately at the last moment unable to attend however, he conveyed the following via email:
Flooding of water course from tidal surge – Mr Dale from Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board has confirmed there was an issue with sand at the outfall and this has been resolved. There will be ongoing maintenance to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
Hardys Farm Ltd., Planning Application - Anglian Water originally advised the developer that the best place to connect onto their network to ensure no detriment would be Addlethorpe, as the problems on Anchor Lane are well documented. This was on the condition that the discharge rate did not exceed 3.8 litres per second. Anglian Water did not receive detailed enough plans from the developer to prove how they were going to successfully store their effluent onsite, so have modelled the detriment based on “worse case” scenario which was without any limited rate of discharge (a substantial amount of flow). Based on this evidence, Anglian Water has stated that the network does not have the capacity for this development, nor does Ingoldmells Water Recycling Centre. Once the developer can prove how they plan on successfully storing the effluent on site and to prove they can throttle the discharge to 3.8 litres per second, they will review the application as with this discharge limit, the network and Ingoldmells Water Recycling Centre does have capacity. Communication between Anglian Water and Hardys Farm Ltd., is on-going.
The Clerk expressed his concerns regarding both matters as firstly he had been informed by the Environment Agency that their engineers were considering a permanent solution to the outfall situation, which had not to date been confirmed. Secondly, the Council is repeatedly informed that the Water Recycling Centre has capacity for further development in the area, but now are being informed there are capacity issues with sewerage and its network. The Council needs to be advised and informed on the centres volume limitation and how close this is to reaching its maximum capacity, in order to be able to deliberate material factors fully when considering future development applications.
Cllr Mrs J Hardy expressed her concerns over the visualization of a growing coastline that is attractive to outside investment remaining a “pipe dream” because the infrastructure that is integral to the success of such development and investment is not fit for purpose. Cllr Mrs Hardy considered that Anglian Water should be held accountable for their error in using an incorrect model that is in essence preventing much needed investment from them into the infrastructure. To say they have made a mistake and have now corrected the model does not alter the longevity of the infrastructure.
Putting future development aside residents have suffered for years with a poor infrastructure and have been “fobbed off” by both Anglian Water and East Lindsey District Council.
Cllr Mrs Hardy said to Cllr Davie, District and County Council Councillor representative for Ingoldmells, who was in attendance at the Council meeting, “ that it was not appropriate that the burden should be put on businesses to inject capital to improve functionality when the main issue is the size of the sewage works and pipes within the transmission system. Anglian Water is a business, and as such needs to improve its services; it cannot all be down to the developer.”
Cllrs Mrs Ellis and B Vincent expressed their concerns over the capacity of the sewage works and the impact that obsolete underground piping in the area was having on the provision.
Cllr Davie replied that an improvement would be seen with the approved Skegness new water mains project and agreed that steps to improve waste disposal would need to be undertaken next. He and his colleagues from the District and County Councils would be in dialogue with the Chairman of Anglian Water and he was hopeful that the issues raised would be resolved.
The Chairman at this juncture invited Cllr Davie to give his update.
Cllr Davie gave an update on the following:
· The County Council’s Council Tax is to increase by 1.95% plus 2% for Adult Care and the minimum wage. Cost requirements however, still not met by the increases
· Health issues and the sustainability and transformation plan for Lincolnshire
· Rationalization programme for Councils in Lincolnshire and Unitary Authority status
· County Council Procurement
· Ambulance Services and withdrawal from EMAS
· Police Services and the Police Commissioners visit to Ingoldmells being hosted at the Royal Arthur Centre on the 8 March 2017
· County Council Investment growth Agenda
Cllr Mrs Hardy expressed her concern that hearing how basic needs are not being met by the County Council because of cut backs and of the potential impact that Brexit may have on future public spending, found it difficult to comprehend the correlation between cut backs and investment growth.
Cllr B Vincent expressed his views on what he considered to be a detrimental cut back on evening street lamp lighting times.
Cllr S Chambers expressed his concern over monies wasted by Council’s and in particular gave the example whereby the administrative mistake made in 2016 over the public Green Waste Collection services announcement cost the Council Tax Payer £28400.
Cllr Davie responded by elucidating on the challenging role that Councillors undertake and the difficult decisions they often have to take. Nevertheless their commitment to the public, visionary and problem solving responsibilities remained paramount. He also suggested that moving to a Unitary Authority status would enable the County Council to become further strategic in its role with parts of its services transferring to Town and Parish Councils, which would result in less being spent on administrative/management costs and more on public services.
5. TO APROVE A LIST OF ACCOUNTS SUBMITTED FOR CONSIDERATION
Cllr Mrs J Ellis proposed that the accounts be approved. Seconded by Cllr B Vincent – RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY
The list of accounts now shown on page 3601 to these minutes are approved as submitted
Cllr Vincent expressed his concern on the amount spent on the erection and dismantling of the Christmas Tree Lights and asked that the work be further market tested for best value.
6. TO RECEIVE DRAFT COPIES OF THE FINANCE AND GENERAL PRUPOSES COMMITTEES MEETINGS
Both committees membership consist of all Councillors. 3 Members were absent at the Finance Committee and 5 Members absent at the General Purposes Committee.
The Finance Committee confirmed the following:
· Minutes of the meeting held on the 17 October 16
· The December 2016 quarterly update on income and expenditure
· The budgets for 2017/18
· An increase in the Precept for 2017/18 by £13010 to meet anticipated budget requirements, an increase of 50p per week on properties were Council Tax is collected, expressed as a percentage increase 50%.
· To produce a “Pie Chart” at the end of each financial year to visually show the breakdown of Council expenditure
· No increase for 2017 in the hire charges for the Community Centre
· To replace the Autoslot car park vending machine for 2017 (previously budgeted for)
The General Purposes committee confirmed the following:
· Minutes of the meeting held on the 24 October 2016
· To confirm the draft Parish Council Constitution with amendments
· To consider the future of the disused Bowling Green
· To offer assistance to the Christmas Tree “Switch-On” community led group for the 2017 event to offer ideas regarding accessing funding and its future development
7. TO FORMALLY APPROVE THE COUNCIL’S CONSTITUTION
Following deliberations and on the suggestions of Cllr B Vincent the Clerk was asked to make the following changes:
Page 22 – To add the following paragraph
“Staff appointments other than the appointment of the Clerk, which will involve all Members of the Council in the process, will be interviewed by the Chairman, The Clerk and two other Members, to be selected by the Council.”
Page 33 – In the event of an “emergency” The Chairman and five further Members may authorize expenditure up to £1500 without referral for full Council approval.
The amended pages to be circulated at the next Council Meeting for approval prior to the Constitution being confirmed.
8. TO CONSIDER ANY HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES
Cllr Mrs Ellis raised her concern regarding the surface of the road between the pedestrian pavement at the end of her property boundary and the boundary to that of the East Midlands Buildings. The Clerk to take photographic evidence and forward to Lincolnshire County Council Highways as this area had only recently received repair works.
Cllr J Orgine requested to address Members at this juncture to inform them of the Lincolnshire Health and Care Sustainability and Transformation Plan for health services, which is available for viewing on their website; and about the full public consultation before any decision is taken on the plan and of the BBC Radio Lincolnshire live broadcast from the Storehouse, Skegness on the 23 February between 6 and 7.30 pm to debate the plan, which Cllr Colin Davie amongst other invited guests will be in attendance to be interviewed.
9. TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF ANY PLANNING PERMISSIONS, REFUSALS AND/OR AMENDMENTS
S/090/02483/16 – 8 Windsor Crescent, Ingoldmells – Full Planning Permission granted 10 February 2017.
10. TO CONSIDER ANY NEW PLANNING APPLICATIONS
S/090/00104/17 – Fantasy Island Operations – Change of use of former takeaway restaurant car park used under class A3: to use as a seasonal go-kart track under class D2. Proposed to accept the application Cllr B Vincent, seconded by Cllr Mrs A Wormald – RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY
S/090/00184/17 – J Pont, Full House Arcade, Sea Lane, Ingoldmells – Change of use of, alterations to former arcade to provide a restaurant and flue with and outside seating area. Proposed to accept the application Cllr B Vincent, seconded by Cllr Mrs J Ellis – RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY
11. TO RECEIVE ANY REPORTS FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND CLERK/RFO
The Chairman reported on the following:
· Work to construct bus stops outside the Beacon Medical Practice, Ingoldmells has been postponed until the autumn owing to Voles taking up residency in the area, which are a protected species.
· 36 Lighting columns on the Sea Defence have been identified as being owned by East Lindsey District Council who is to replace current lamps with LED’s and re-instate the power source. The work is to be undertaken in the autumn.
· On the 30 January 2017 the Chairman, Cllrs Vincent and Ellis together with James Parker, Fantasy Island, Stuart Hardy, Hardys Farms Ltd., and John Panter, Bourne Leisure had their inaugural meeting on developing a Community Emergency Plan/Response Team. The next meeting of the group is scheduled for the 20 February 2017, where Cllr Orgine and Jack Sargent will join the group, as they were unable to be present at the January meeting.
The Clerk reported the following:
· The cost to disconnect the water storage capacity in the roof space and adapt the public toilets to meet health and safety and legionella testing by East Lindsey District Council is estimated to be £340. It was agreed that the work be undertaken.
· The cost of entering into a gas appliances care plan is cost excessive and recommended, based on local rate charges that servicing of the Council’s gas appliances should be on a “pay as you go” basis. Agreement was given to the recommendation with Cllr B Vincent requesting costings for the current hybrid heaters in the Royal Arthur Centre to be replaced with Air Conditioning Units.
· The Car Park Vending Machine to replace the outdated “Auto Slot” will cost £3575 fitted with a 10 week waiting time. The machine has been ordered and is within budget provision.
· Cost to refurbish the War Memorial in accordance with the Diocese of Lincoln’s faculty is still outstanding and Frank Wood & Son, Funeral Directors have been requested to chase.