Minutes 2024

NOTES:  IN PLACE OF THE MEETING OF EASTVILLE, MIDVILLE & NEW LEAKE GROUP PARISH COUNCIL THAT WAS HELD ON MONDAY 10th JULY 2024 AT 7.15PM IN THE  EASTVILLE, MIDVILLE & NEW LEAKE VILLAGE HALL 

1. Public Forum

1. To receive reports from representatives on outside bodies, reports sent via email

2. Dist Cllr Dickinson

Community Grant scheme is now fully open and any not-for-profit organisation, email Dist Cllr Dickinson to discuss their project.

3. County Cllr Bowkett

Advised about local roadworks.

2. In attendance: Cllrs Thorold, Scott, Baker and Nunn (Chair) 
   1. Also In attendance:  Parish Clerk Deborah Money,
   2. Apologies for Absence: Dist Cllr Dickinson and County Cllr Bowett
   3. No Apologies received from Cllr Hastie

3. Declarations of interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011

There were no declarations of interest

4. Draft Notes of previous meetings.
   1. Draft notes of the meeting held on 13th May 2024 to be approved and signed as the minutes It was proposed by Cllrs Baker and seconded by Cllr Nunn that the minutes be signed as a true record.
   2. Draft notes of the last meeting held on 12th June 2024 to be approved and signed as the minutes It was proposed by CllrsThorold and seconded by Cllr Nunn that the minutes be signed as a true record.

5. Clerks Report
   1. Courses attended this month by the clerk:  Internal Controls, New Clerk Finance, VAT for exempt Councils.
   2. Courses coming up: Planning 4 September 2024 being held in New York 1300-1500 Cllr Nunn and Cllr Baker to attend with clerk.

6. Chairman’s Report
   1. Chairman reported that ex Cllr Eric Waltham had sadly passed away and that he felt that a donation for one of his favourite charities would be a nice gesture for all of the work he did for the good of our Parish community.  It was decided that we would donate £100 to the RNLI and this was agreed by all cllrs present.
   2. Also advised all Cllrs that all signatures and addresses had been changed at the bank on 27 June 2024.

7. Risk Assessment

Was sent out via email before the meeting for councillors to review.Everyone at the meeting agreed that nothing needed amending.

8. Audit for the year ended 31 March 2023

1. To receive the Internal Audit Report
   1. The Clerk read out the Internal Audit report.
   2. The Certificate of Exemption was confirmed and signed as required
2. To complete the Annual Governance Statement
   1. The Chairman read out each section of the Annual Governance Statement and ticked     the relevant boxes following responses from the Parish Councillors.
   2. The paperwork was signed as required.
3. To approve the Accounting Statements
   1. The Clerk read out the figures in the Accounting Statement
   2. The Accounting Statement was approved and signed where required.

9. Finance report 

To approve payments for July:

To approve payments for August:

Latest Bank Balance

10. Planning applications and decisions.
    1. S/047/00733/24 – Extension to existing dwelling to provide additional living accommodation.  FAIR HAVEN, SPILSBY ROAD, EASTVILLE, BOSTON, PE22 8JR Approved
    2. S/195/00965/24 – Green Burial Site, Wainfleet not within our area but discussed

11. Memorial Garden Update
    1. Discussed what exactly was required from this project.  It was agreed to get the water connected to the church, and to then purchase a kitchen and have it fitted.  Clerk advised that three quotes are required before work can commence, or it needs to be shown that we have asked for three quotes.  Clerk to draft a letter for Cllr Nunn to approve to be sent to potential builders.  We hope to receive some quotes for the September meeting to allow us to move forward.
    2. It was agreed that Lucy Lawns should weed kill the paths and to ask them about the cutting of the hedge once the birds had finished nesting in September.  All grass cutting at all sites have either been completed or scheduled to be done.

12. Clerk’s Laptop and Mobile Phone

It was agreed that an e sims could be purchased for clerk’s own phone, as the alternative did not work correctly.It was also agreed that Microsoft and a anti virus software needed to be purchased, plus a budget of £600 was authorised and agreed by all councillors present for a new laptop.This is to assist clerk to complete all necessary Parish Council business.Clerk is willing to use her personnel laptop with ink to be purchased on expenses, going forward a printer will need to be purchased when it stops working.Clerk contacted Microsoft to try to purchase Microsoft 360 at a reduced price through the Microsoft nonprofit offer, this was refused.

13. GDPR Security Compliance Checklist

New updated checklist’s given out for all councillors to tick and sign for records.

Cllr left the meeting

14. .gov.uk email addresses Update

After concerns on cost were raised by Cllr Baker, it was agreed at the meeting by all councillors that at this time they would not continue with the new emails due to cost.Clerk did advice that for the first year they could receive £100 towards the cost and that we would only be looking at emails and not a full website.Clerk made sure that everyone was aware the new emails are recommended in the NLCC practitioners guide for security.

We received 3 quotes which were as followed:

1. £100 plus VAT a year
2. £190 plus VAT for 2 years
3. £250.80 plus VAT per year

All of these will make the parish councillors GDPR compliant.

With our current electoral roll the cost after the first year would be on average an extra 22p a year.

Below is a summary of what is recommended.   

It is important to note that it is not a legal requirement. However, using a .gov.uk domain for council business, emails, and website is a sign of good practice, trust and professionalism. Local councils with a .gov.uk domain can benefit from:

• Robust security measures and monitoring for cyber vulnerabilities by the Cabinet Office.
• Emails that are immediately recognisable as legitimate and trustworthy by the recipient.
• Separation of personal and professional communications. Recipients will always understand the capacity in which the email is sent.
• Administrative control over email accounts for easy management of change (new joiners, leavers, sudden absences) and Freedom of Information and Subject Access Requests.
• Peace of mind that the council's .gov.uk domain will never be sold to another organisation should it not be renewed on time.
• Local councils can read the full guidance about using .gov.uk domains in Section 5.213 of the 2024 Practitioners' Guide. Councils are also signposted to Section 1.26, which states that "every authority should have an email account that belongs to the council and to which the council has access." In February 2024, NALC also issued guidance around the use of email for council business

Will need to add to next meeting agenda as councillors will need to discuss an alternative email system to comply with the        current policy.

15. Parcel Pick-Up Points

Could be an asset to the village so councillors will spend some time over the next few weeks, to look and see where a good place would be to place a pick-up point within the village.

16. Lincs Rural Volunteer

Cllr Baker is going to contact LHRA.

17. Receive Latest Speed Data

Still unable to receive any data.

18. Matters for next agenda

Review Standing Orders

19. Date of Next Meeting

The next Parish Council Meeting will be held on 11 September 2024.There will be a Public Forum at 7.15pm

There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.30pm