Meeting 13th May 2025

DRAFT MINUTES

Annual Meeting of the Parish Council
held on Tuesday 13th May 2025
7.30 pm, at Edingale Village Hall

Members present: Cllrs Startin (Chair), Baughen, Cliffe, Maskery, Mason, and Meikle.
Present: 4 members of the public, Mrs Jones (Clerk)
60/25 To appoint a Chair. To receive the Chair’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
Cllr Startin was proposed by Cllr Mason, seconded by Cllr Cliffe, RESOLVED to appoint Cllr Startin; the Declaration of Acceptance of Office as Chair was signed.
61/25 To receive and approve Apologies
Lichfield District Cllr Bennion had apologised as he was attending a conference.
62/25 To receive any Declarations of Interests
None received.
63/25 To approve the draft Minutes of the Meeting of 14th April 2025. Approved.
64/25 To co-opt a new member of the Parish Council. To sign the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and Register of Interests. David Layland was co-opted to fill the vacancy on the Parish Council. His Declaration and Register of Interests was signed and he then joined the Parish Council.
65/25 To receive the Clerk’s Report. Union flag – a replacement flag was required, a sewn flag would be ordered at £59. Note an increased sum required in the next budget. Dog waste bin at Croxall Lakes – a resident had reported that this had twice not been emptied recently. This had been reported to LDC. County Cllr – Tracey Dougherty had been elected as Staffordshire County Cllr for this area. It was agreed to invite her to a Parish Council meeting. Clerk Vacancy – the Clerk wished to retire from the role; arrangements for selecting a replacement were discussed.
66/25 To consider any Planning matters.
(a) CIL report sent to Lichfield District Council and put on the Parish Council website.
(b) Lullington Solar Farm EIA screening information received. A renewed application was likely to be made.
67/25 To review and approve Standing Orders, Financial Regulations and Asset Register. RESOLVED to approve the Standing Orders and Financial Regulations. Amendments to the Asset Register were agreed.
68/25 To consider the Internal Auditor’s Report. Not yet received; the Internal Audit had taken place that morning. Defer until June meeting.
69/25 To approve the Annual Governance Statement. Defer until June meeting.
70/25 To approve the Annual Accounting Statements. Defer until June meeting.
71/25 To approve the Certificate of Exemption from Limited Assurance Review. Defer until June meeting.
72/25 To approve representatives to bodies such as Village Hall and Parish Network. Cllr Cliffe, Village Hall representative; Cllr Meikle, Parish Network representative.
73/25 To consider renewal of the Parish Council’s insurance. RESOLVED to renew the insurance with Hiscox as quoted by Gallaghers, on a 3 year agreement. This was the cheaper quote and met the Council’s needs.
74/25 To consider Best Kept Village Community Competition. Cllr Mason had submitted the entry, Cllr Meikle thanked him and asked for volunteers to tidy the village before judging in June.
75/25 To receive Councillors’ Reports and questions Cllr Cliffe – raised a matter which would be passed on to PCSO Hickman. Cllr Mason – reported on the following: abandoned road sign to collect at Croxall gateway; useful visit of County Council flood resilience team; tree saplings recently planted along Harlaston Road would need watering; could the Lease be chased up with the solicitors again; all Cllrs requested to make a scarecrow for the event in June.
76/25 To receive Correspondence SPCA bulletins, briefing on local government reorganisation and devolution (Cllr Mason to attend); Staffordshire County Council various road closures; Sarah Edwards MP, Parish Council Chairs meeting (Cllr Startin to attend); NALC bulletins.
77/25 To receive a Financial Report See appendix 1 below. RESOLVED to approve the report.
78/25 To approve payments on the Payment Schedule
Staff costs: salary, expenses, pension and PAYE, £443.59; Village Gardeners, maintenance £669; Lichfield District Council annual dog bin and litter bin emptying £1171.87; Community Foundation, Best Kept Village Competition entry fee £35; Gallaghers, insurance fee £457.14.
RESOLVED to approve the payments. Cllr Startin to authorise.

79/25 Date of next meeting
Monday 2nd June (7.30 pm)
The Meeting closed at 8.30.
 
Appendix 1 Financial Report May 2025

(a) Current Account
Bank Reconciliation Current
Balance bf 10,834.36 Cooperative
less payments 2,113.20 Community Acc.
Plus receipts 17,500.00
Total 26,221.16 26,221.16

(b) Receipts – LDC precept £17500

(c) Savings
Capital Funds
Cooperative Buckinghamshire TOTAL
instant access acc. Bond CAPITAL
1.43% 3.08%
2,918.38 53,383.14 56,301.52

4.4.25 Received interest
64.95

(d) Invoice to be sent to Staffordshire County Council at year end for grass cutting totalling £1029 from April 2025 to March 2026 (8 cuts)