April 2020 Minutes
Minutes of the remote Parish Council Meeting of Tattershall with Thorpe Parish Council held on Tuesday 7th April 2020.
Councillors who responded Mrs Harvey, Mr Langley, Mr Coulber, Mrs Taylor, Mr Eldridge, Mrs Dawson, Mr Morgan, Mr Edwards, Mr Brown and clerk Mrs K Elliott. Responses were not received from Mr Leggate and Mr Stanley.
Public Forum: There was no public forum.
2020/176 – 1 Action Plan - To consider devising and implementing an action plan to operate for a period of 3 months starting 1st April 2020 subject to guidelines provided by Public Health England, the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Advisor. The Plan will consider the personal and public safety of councillors, the clerk and all parishioners and allow Tattershall with Thorpe Parish Council to operate efficiently and fulfil its obligations. Unanimously RESOLVED. Remote/virtual meetings are to be held from May 2020 onwards.
To consider, subject to Government, medical and scientific advice:
a) Postponing the annual parish meetings and the annual parish council meeting until we receive advice as to how and when these may be held. The Roles of Chair and Vice Chair and the existing committee structures will remain in place until a suitable and safe public meeting is called and held. Unanimously RESOLVED. Notice boards will be updated.
b) Cancelling the full council meetings in April, May and June. Unanimously RESOLVED.
c) To continue business using telephone calls and emails as far as possible. This matter to be reviewed following Government guidance. One councillor is not comfortable with this proposal, however all others RESOLVED to adopt this new way of working.
d) To suspend Standing Orders should the need arise after giving councillors 24hours notice to raise objections. This may not be required however, it was unanimously RESOLVED.
2020/177 – 2 Community Support - To consider providing the following support for a period of 3 months starting 1st April 2020 subject to guidelines provided by Public Health England, the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Advisor for Coningsby & Tattershall Community Support Group to support the safety and wellbeing of all parishioners. One councillor requested more information, however all others RESOLVED to support this proposal.
e) Allocating £250 to Coningsby & Tattershall Support Group. To cover expenses incurred whilst providing support to parishioners and to aid purchase of any food or medical equipment required by vulnerable parishioners. Two councillors asked if this matter was a one off payment or one payment per month and the clerk confirmed that it was a one off payment and following this clarification it was unanimously RESOLVED to support this donation.
2020/178 – 3 To consider any additional advice received from the Government since the publication of this agenda. This will be considered as and when received and is unanimously supported.
2020/179 – 4 Delegated Authority - To grant delegated authority for a period of no longer than 3 months to the current Chairman & vice Chairman to carry out any urgent functions on the basis those decisions will then be circulated to all councillors and where necessary validated at the next regular meeting. This will be granted as and when required and is unanimously RESOLVED.
2020/180 – 5 Planning – To consider that the Parish Council Planning Committee deals with planning applications via email and gives delegated powers to the Clerk to collate responses and submit to ELDC, on a majority basis. It is unanimously RESOLVED that all parish council members are to be consulted on all planning applications as and when they arise.
2020/181 – 6 Staff Annual Appraisal – To consider that this be delayed until restrictions have been lifted and any monetary rewards be backdated. A forward date is to be set for this matter and this was unanimously RESOLVED.
2020/182 – 7 Finance – To consider that the clerk and those elected members with delegated authority for the authorising and signing of payments put measures in place with robust transparency processes to ensure effective business continuation and to minimise impact on local parish council business with ratification by the Parish Council to be made at the earliest and safest opportunity. Unanimously RESOLVED. A donation of £250 is also being sent to LIVES.
f) To approve items of expenditure (please refer to the separate payment of accounts sheet sent with this agenda) The payment of accounts sheet was circulated with the agenda and it is noted that income is £ NIL and the expenditure is £1,013.27 for this month; all payments were approved and RESOLVED. The clerk, chairman and RFO will make practical arrangements for the cheques to be signed and posted.
g) To Note that the Annual Governance Accountability Return to 31.03.2020. will require completion in due course. (Clarification of delayed completion dates has yet to be received). It was RESOLVED that the clerk will circulate more information when it becomes available.
2020/183 – 8 General Information – To keep elected members (via email/telephone calls) and members of the public (via the Parish Council Website and Notice Boards, where relevant and practicable) updated on advice from: It was RESOLVED that the clerk will keep all members up to date along with the public website and notice boards.
h) Central Government, the NHS & The World Health Organisation
i) Lincolnshire Resilience Forum (LRF) & Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils (LALC)
There being no further business the meeting closed.