Meeting 14th April 2025

DRAFT MINUTES OF PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

Meeting of the Parish Council
held on Monday 14th April 2025
7.30 pm, at Edingale Village Hall

Members present: Cllrs Mason, Baughen, Cliffe and Maskery.
Present: 2 members of the public, Mrs Jones (Clerk)
44/25 To receive and approve Apologies
Cllr Startin and Cllr Meikle had apologised due to previous commitments. The apologies were accepted.
Lichfield District Cllr Bennion had apologised as he had another meeting to attend.
Cllr Mason chaired the meeting.
45/25 To receive any Declarations of Interests
None received.

46/25 To approve the draft Minutes of the Meeting of 3rd March 2025 The draft Minutes were approved and signed.
47/25 To adjourn, to hold the public session, to reconvene the meeting No contributions by members of the public present.
48/25 To receive the Clerk’s Report Environment Agency – Flood Resilience team advised villagers should sign up on their website to receive flood alerts by phone and/or email. A representative could attend a future meeting to advise the Council. Lease of land off School Lane – no update from the solicitors, to be chased up. Climate action fund – Alan White to chase up again for a decision. Christmas lights – Cllr Maskery offered to keep these in storage until required.
49/25 To consider any Planning matters (a) Applications – no new applications received. Application 25/00133/COU New Buildings Farm, annexe – approved by Lichfield District Council. (b) Consultation on Draft Statement of Community Involvement 2025. (c) Local Plan – Cllr Bennion had confirmed still no draft preferred options for consultation.

50/25 To consider Best Kept Village Community Competition organisation. Cllr Meikle unable to commit as much this year; Cllr Mason would complete the entry form. Various changes this year (information to be posted on Facebook), Judges’ visit in June.
51/25 To consider purchase of a new noticeboard for village information. Cllr Meikle to order this within the £750 budget. Site to be confirmed with the Village Hall.
52/25 To adopt a Co-option Policy. RESOLVED to adopt the policy as amended. Co-option of a new member due on May 13th.
53/25 To approve the Financial Risk register, confirm earmarked funds and confirm appointment of an Internal Auditor for financial year 2025-6. Financial Risk Assessment agreed as amended. Earmarked funds confirmed – Capital (assets) £59,085.80, Best Kept Village prize £750. Internal Auditor – approved appointment of Kim Squires for the financial year.
54/25 To review and approve the Health and Safety Policy. RESOLVED to approve the policy. Copy to be sent to the maintenance contractor.
55/25 To receive Councillors’ Reports and questions Cllr Cliffe – potholes outside the school, Cllr Mason to report these. Cllr Baughen – update on school bus, new provider starting after Easter break for Edingale and Croxall, using minibus which can cross the bridge, shorter journey for pupils. Cllr Mason – reported on issues for following up: He would meet Highways flood resilience team to discuss depth markers on local roads. There was a query about the solar panel battery at the Village Hall. The tree surgeon should be reminded that the Council was still awaiting its tree inspection. He would shortly be planting the flower barrels and would submit a receipt. He expressed concern that the new saplings would need watering due to dry weather. The contractor was due to clean and strim round the road signs.
456/25 To receive Correspondence SPCA bulletins, training, briefing on local government reorganisation and devolution; Lichfield District Council, Community Safety strategy; PCSO, crime prevention, scam information; SCC Highways, updates, road notices; Severn Trent, pipeline information.
57/25 To receive a Financial Report See appendix 1 below. RESOLVED to approve the report.
58/25 To approve payments on the Payment Schedule
Staff costs: salary, expenses, pension and PAYE, £466; Village Gardeners, maintenance £669;
Tamworth Have a Heart, donation £75; Holy Trinity Church, donation £900.
RESOLVED to approve the payments. Cllr Maskery to authorise.

59/25 Date of next meeting
Tuesday May 13th (Annual Parish Meeting 7pm, (Main hall) Annual Council Meeting 7.30)
The Meeting closed at 8.35.

Appendix 1 Financial Report April 2025

(a) Bank Reconciliation – year end

Balance bf 9,904.94 Cooperative
less payments 24,949.74 Community Acc.
Plus receipts 25,879.16
Total 10,834.36 10,834.36

* Receipts are actually £18,879.16 as £8000 was an internal transfer

(b) Comparison against budget

Budget Actual
Staff costs 5522 5395
Admin 2114 1464
Maint. 9170 8181
Grass cutting, trees etc
S137 2620 1600
Donations, church, party

(c) Capital Funds

Cooperative Buckinghamshire TOTAL
instant access acc. Bond CAPITAL
1.43% 3%
2,853.43 53,383.14 56,236.57

Received interest
5.4.24 86.53
4.10.24 87.24
30.11.24 2,461.64

(d) End of Year accounts circulated

(e) Forms completed for Cllr Sivieri to be removed as a bank signatory.