PRESENT: Councillors Mrs J Boulton - Chairman
Mrs M Race
Mrs T Travell
S J Boulton
C Everard
K Pieri
W A Storey
V Weeks
CLERK: Mrs J A Schettino
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98. APOLOGIES
FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bob Horrocks and Peter Hastings.
99. DECLARATION OF MEMBERS INTERESTS
There were no declarations of members interests.
100. MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
It was agreed that the Minutes of a
Meeting held on
101. MATTERS
ARISING
a)
It was noted that no reply had been received from the Managing Director of First Capital Connect.
b) WHALC
i) New Valuation of Council’s Buildings
The Clerk
confirmed that she had written to Zurich Insurance asking them to take account
of the new valuation of the Councils buildings when preparing for the insurance
renewal on
ii)
Article for Welwyn Hatfield Council Life Magazine
Councillor Mrs
Boulton advised that due to personal reasons Councillor Hastings had not been
able to produce an article on The Great North road for Life Magazine as agreed
before the deadline of
She said that as the Association of Parish & Town Councils had fought very hard for this privilege and the North Mymms Parish Council had been nominated to supply the first item, she had managed to find something for submission after Life Magazine had kindly extended the deadline for it.
c) METAL STORAGE BOX FOR FOOTBALL NETS
Councillor Everard
said that the storage container had been delivered on
The Clerk reported that youngsters had already climbed on its roof. It appears that they may have been berated for this so they came back late evening on Sunday19 April and smashed the windows of the Burns Pavilion causing damage costing £273.10. There was now anti-climb glue on the roof and a sign advising of this.
It was also agreed that the storage container and its contents of football nets and equipment should be added to the Council’s insurance policy.
d) HOARDING AT GREEN CLOSE
Councillor S J Boulton said that the hoarding at Green Close had not been reduced in height within the stated time restriction and he would speak to the Enforcement Officer at WHBC.
e)
Councillor Weeks
said that as the occupants of
f) YOUTH SHELTER
Councillor Everard reported that he had not been able to locate any suitable lighting for the youth shelter on the Council’s playing field.
102. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
a) FINANCE
Councillor Storey said that at a meeting of the Finance Committee held earlier in the evening, a Schedule of Accounts for payment totalling £18,787.53 had been presented (and was being recommended for approval) split between £9,937.09 which had already been paid with the balance of £8,850.44 now being due for payment.
A Statement
of Balances dated
Based on the year end information he had produced a new list of figures and recommended that a one off extra installment should be made to the Equipment Fund, plus a contingency amount of £3,492. This would leave the Council with a reserve figure of over £20,000.
A Statement of Balances dated
Approval was also given to the
Clerks action in transferring £27,000 from the Council’s SIBA account to
current account on
The Finance Committee noted that NALC pay negotiations were in progress for 2009/10 for an increase of .5% but the new Mileage and Allowance Rates for 2009/10 had been agreed, with effect from1 April 2009.
It was agreed to recommend to council the expenditure of £328.44 on a heavy duty picnic table for Gobions Recreation Ground.
Councillor Storey said that an
Internal Audit had been carried out on
Councillor Storey said that a quotation of £1,500 for the new equipment necessary for future planning meetings had been received. Due to the restriction on office space this would include a fixed, pull down screen, ceiling mounted projector and associated wiring and cables. He said that although this amount had not been budgeted for there was enough money in the general reserve to cover the expenditure. It was agreed to recommend this expenditure to full council for approval.
Councillor Storey’s proposal that the Report of the Finance Committee be adopted was seconded by Councillor Everard and carried unanimously.
The originals of the Schedule of Accounts for payment referred to above were signed by Councillor Mrs J Boulton, in her capacity as Chairman of the Council.
b) AMENITIES AND BUILDING
DEVELOPMENT
Councillor Everard said that the
last Meeting of this Committee had been held on
Councillor Everard’s proposal that the report of the Amenities and Building Development Committee be adopted was seconded by Councillor Mrs T Travell and carried unanimously.
The following matter was discussed:
Councillor Storey said that the office was now too small to hold all of the filing for the Parish Council and it was agreed that Councillors C Everard and S J Boulton would investigate the possibility of extending the office outwards from the rear door entrance to meet the outside edge of the kitchen extension and the rear wall of the office.
c) PLANNING
Councillor Everard said that meetings of the Planning Committee had been held on 25 March and 15 April 2009, the Minutes of which, together with notes of the decisions reached and action taken, had been copied to all Councillors and he had nothing further to add
Councillor Everard’s proposal that the Report of the Planning Committee be adopted was seconded by Councillor Mrs T Travell and carried unanimously.
WELWYN HATFIELD BOROUGH COUNCIL CORE STRATEGY
Councillor Mrs J Boulton had drafted a letter
on behalf of the Parish Council in response to the Welwyn Hatfield Borough
Council Core Strategy Consultation to be submitted by the deadline of
Following a discussion and minor amendments
it was agreed that the letter should be sent and members were reminded that
individual responses were also due in by the cut off date shown.
d)
Councillor Everard reported
damaged/missing street signs in Pine Grove at the junction with
e) LITTLE HEATH
Nothing to report.
f) WELHAM GREEN
i)
“Ambulance”
Parking
It was noted that the above vehicle was now parking in Vincenzo Close or
ii)
Councillor Storey advised that a petition had been presented to the Joint
Highways Panel recommending safety engineering work to
iii) New
Barnfield for Waste Incineration
It was noted that leaflets had been put through doors in Welham Green
advising of a demonstration outside County Hall on
g) REPRESENTATIVES ON OTHER BODIES AND
ORGANIZATIONS
Nothing to report
103. PARISH ENVIRONMENTAL
ACTION PLAN
The Clerk said that she had received information from Councillor Horrocks that under the Parish Paths Partnership 2009/10 program the PEAP steering group were proposing to improve the footpath steps just north of Water End Café which go down Footpath 13, install duckboarding to improve a section of this public footpath which is prone to flooding and a bit further on some cutting back of the bushes to let in daylight and allow the grass to grow.
As the total cost for this work at
£2,025 + Vat is in excess of the £1,000 annual P3 grant, the CMS will approach
104. PARISH PLAN
Councillor Mrs Boulton said the
last meeting had been held on
Councillor Mrs Boulton said that it was envisaged that the preparation of the Parish Plan would conclude in the Summer of 2010.
105. SYSTEM OF INTERNAL AUDIT
The Parish Council considered a report by the Clerk and Responsible
Financial Officer regarding the obligations of the Council and the
effectiveness of the Internal Audit.
Following a discussion the Finance Chairman and members of the Council
considered that the Internal Auditor did a very satisfactory and effective job
at a reasonable price.
RESOLVED
That the comments of the Responsible Financial Officer be noted and the
Council, having reviewed the effectiveness of the system of Internal Audit,
approves the current arrangements.
106. CORRESPONDENCE
CORRESPONDENCE PREVIOUSLY
CIRCULATED TO ALL COUNCILLORS:
1. The Parish Councils (Power to promote Well-being) (Prescribed Conditions) Order 2008 – 4 pages
2.
Borough, Parish & Town Councils minutes of a
meeting held on
3. HAPTC Newsletter March 2009
4. HCC The Future of Hertfordshire’s Waste April 2009 – 8 pages
5.
Welwyn Hatfield Local Launch of Policing Plan
6. Information from CDA for Herts regarding the COMMA Fund
7. Herts Highway Welwyn Hatfield program for 2009/10
THE FOLLOWING CORRESPONDENCE WAS PLACED ON THE TABLE :
8.
9. Community Care Guide – 41 pages
10. Information from the Dogs Trust, Harefield
11.
HCC letter dated
12. CDA for Herts, Information Regarding Funding
13. CDA for Herts Newsletter April 2009 – 6 pages
107. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
a) ST MARY’S SCHOOL & NURSERY
Councillor Everard said that he was producing plans of the nursery building as required for the shared utilities and while measuring he had been asked to report an over-full dog bin outside the school in Dellsome Lane.
Councillor Mrs Boulton said she had been asked by St Mary’s School if the Council’s groundsmen could trim back the trees and shrubs by the play area in Bushwood Close.
b) PARISH PLAN
There was a query on whether the Parish Council would need to adopt the Parish Plan when completed.
On discussion Councillor Mrs Boulton said she would check with Little Hadham, who had recently given a talk to the Parish Plan Steering Group, but the Members were of the opinion that the Parish Plan would need to be adopted by the Parish Council and recommended to the Borough Council for inclusion in their District Plan
c) MEMORIAL HALL CLOCK
The Clerk reported that she had received a letter from the Memorial Hall Management Committee regarding obtaining the Parish Council’s permission to dispose of the old clock presented by Mrs Crawford (now deceased) in memory of her husband. This clock was replaced to mark the millennium and has since been stored in the loft.
A discussion took place and a suggestion was made to dismantle the clock and frame the clock face together with a plaque commemorating the occasion for display in the Memorial Hall, after seeking permission from the Crawford family, or return it to the family as is.
It was agreed that Councillor Everard would take this suggestion back to the Memorial Hall Committee.
108. DATE OF NEXT
MEETING
The Annual Meeting has already been arranged for
Meeting closed at