Part A
- Present
- Cllrs C. Hamilton (Chair), D. Botterell, L. Fitzpatrick, G. Foster and T. Spong. Also in attendance; Clerk; K. Harkin and 5 members of the public.
- Apologies: Apologies were received from Cllrs P Taylor, J Beady, K Green, ECC Cllr D. Land and TDC Cllr P. Harris.
- Minutes of the previous meeting: The minutes of the meeting held on 15 November 2021 circulated in advance of the meeting were proposed by Cllr Botterell, seconded by Cllr Spong and approved as an accurate record.
- Declarations of Interest: The Chair asked members for any declarations of interest. None were offered.
- Actions taken since the previous meeting: The Clerk provided a brief summary of developments since the last meeting. His report is attached as Appendix A.
- Public Participation:
- A question about storage at the Village Hall was raised. Cllr Hamilton agreed to look into it.
- The Charity concert raised £1,173.
- Mrs Winn’s memorial bench request remains outstanding. She is keen to have it in place before the first anniversary.
- Tendring District and Essex County Councils: TDC Cllr Harris passed on a message that he is keen to ensure Weeley secures government funding being offered to community groups. The deadline March 2022.
- Correspondence: No relevant correspondence received since the last meeting.
- Queen’s Jubilee: The Council agreed to set up a Working Party to examine options to mark the anniversary. Cllr Fitzpatrick was elected Chair assisted by Cllrs Brown and Foster. It was agreed to report back in the New Year.
- The Spinney, Clacton Road: Cllr Hamilton reported that a local man wants to purchase a small area of land owned by WPC to allow his daughter to gaze her horse. This area has a confused history of ownership, which would be helpful to clarify. Cllr Brown provided a potted history of the situation. Apparently, a number of people own small plots that were sold off after WW2. Trees have recently been felled on the site and there has been other ‘suspicious’ activity including raising the level of the land. An email from TDC was read out. It was agreed to conduct further investigations to attempt to clarify the situation.
- Planning Applications: The applications set out in Appendix B were considered by the Council. The Clerk agreed to notify TDC of the comments made.
- Weeley Parish Council Reports:
- Street Lighting; An inspection is being conducted this evening.
- Tree Warden; Cllr Brown reported that he attended School tree planting and that three whips were kindly donated to WPC.
- Playing Field; The work to fill-in the sunken French drains remains outstanding.
- Children’s Play Area; The Working Party hopes to report back in New Year.
- Grass Cutting and Maintenance; This matter will be dealt with in Part B of the meeting.
- Christmas Tree; The tree scheduled to be delivered on Wednesday morning.
- Other Reports:
- Highways and Footpaths; Cllr Beady submitted a written report in her absence. It is attached to the minutes as Appendix C.
- TDALC; Essex Ramblers (ER) gave a talk at TDALC. The group is trying to identify footpaths. It is suggested that footpath defects are reported to ER as they may be able to assist e.g. help to cut back overgrowing/encroaching on footpaths.
- Rural Policing; 20 crimes were reported in Lt Clacton and Weeley in November.
- Speedwatch; Cllr Beady submitted a written report, which is attached as Appendix D.
- Weeley Residents Ass; A written report is attached as Appendix E.
- Weeley in Bloom (WiB);
- Petanque Court; The Clerk confirmed that TDC has authorised funding for the installation of an access path. It is hoped the work will be undertaken at the end of January 2022.
- Finance and Budget:
- The payments for November as set out in the table in Appendix F were proposed by Cllr Hamilton, seconded by Cllr Botterell. Resolved: Approved.
- The Clerk provided a summary explanation of his report for Quarter 3 and the Annual budget, which is attached as Appendix G. It was proposed by Cllr Botterell, seconded by Cllr Hamilton and unanimously approved.
- Public Participation: This item was deferred.
- Exclusion of the Public: In accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 and in view of the confidential nature of the business about to be transacted, Part A of the meeting closed at this point and the Chairman invited the public to leave the meeting.
Part B
- Grounds Maintenance (GM) Contract: The Clerk confirmed that he had invited four local companies to tender for the Council’s grounds maintenance work. He tabled an evaluation report summarising the three tender bids received and answered councillors questions relating to the individual bids. The tenders prices received range between the lowest with a maximum annual cost of £7,700 from Goldacre Contracting to £19,000. The Clerk confirmed that the Goldacre Contracting bid is higher than the current annual expenditure and that this has been factored in to the budget for 2022/23. Cllr Botterell proposed, Cllr Spong seconded and it was unanimously Resolved: That subject to Goldacre Contracting, subject to agreeing to a one year rolling contract, be awarded the contract to undertake the Council grounds maintenance work.
- The Chair closed the meeting at 8.50pm.
Clerks Report: 20 December 2021
| Date | Topic | Action/issue | Who | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19-07-21 | Memorial Seats | Process 2 x applications | KPH | Advice sought from TDC | O/S |
| 19-07-21 | Expansion of Children’s Play Area | Consider options for the renewal/expansion of the facility. | KPH | Working Party formed | Ongoing |
| 20-09-21 | Defibrillator | Replace pads (routine mtnce régime). | KPH | Yet to identify a supplier. | O/S |
| 19-07-21 | Emergency Plan | 2021 annual update. | Cllr H | Cllr Hamilton has agreed to conduct the review | Ongoing |
| 20-09-21 | Litter Bins | Reassessment of provision. | Cllr H and KPH | Agreed to revisit previously written report. | Ongoing |
| 18-10-21 | Grounds Mtnce | Agree new contract | KPH | Tender exercise completed | Ongoing |
| 19-07-21 | Petanque Court | Install access path | KPH | S106 funding now authorised. Work to be completed in the New Year. | Ongoing |
| 15-11-21 | Children’s Play Area | Introduce written inspection reports | KPH | Template to be prepared. | O/S |
Further Developments since November 2021 meeting
- TDC has confirmed the S106 funding for the Access Path to the Petanque Court. The Council’s preferred contractor is attempting to schedule the work at the end of January 2022.
- The hedge running along Oakleigh Close has been cut back to allow access along the pavement.
- The developments relating to the Council’s Grounds Mtnce. be reported at the meeting.
| App No. | Details | Address | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21/01726/LBC | Proposed work to provide EV Charging Point. | The Elms, 8 The Street, Weeley, CO16 9JF | Approved today |
| 21/01757/FUL | Proposed change of use of land and building including agricultural dwelling and annexe to a respite home. | Hawk Fruit Farm Hawk Lane, Weeley, CO16 9AF | No objection and no comment |
| 21/01870/FULHH | Proposed detached garden annex. | 1 Barnfields, Clacton Road Weeley Heath, CO16 9EF | Object: Overdevelopment. Doesn’t look like an annex looks like a substantial dwelling. Concern expressed about the additional vehicle movements from a single access. |
| 21/01935/OUT | Outline application for Access, Layout and Scale for 5 No detached three bedroom bungalows. | Tendring 100 Riding Club Thorpe Road, Weeley, CO16 9JH | Object. Check LP. Is it O/S village envelope? Achieved house nos. Unsustainable ss there is no footway for residents to get to amenities. |
| 21/02014/FUL | Proposed erection of seven dwellings and three garage buildings. | Land off Connaught Road Weeley, CO16 9EL | Object. Creeping development. Encroaching on the green gap. Local Plan in place and housing numbers already achieved. O/S the village envelope. |
| 21/02086/COUNOT | Proposed conversion of an agricultural building into one dwelling. | Reedlands Gutteridge Hall Lane Weeley | No objection and no comment |
| 21/01992/FULHH | Proposed single storey rear extension | 1 Mytle Cottages Thorpe Rd, Weeley CO16 9JL | No objection and no comment. |
Highways & Footpaths
While Speedwatching on the Clacton Rad/opposite Bentley Road it was noticed that drivers tyres were spinning on the ruts that I reported last month (ref 5750728) and also that some drivers were nosing dangerously out onto Clacton road as the white lines were not there or barely visible especially so on wet ground, so I report these two problems to Essex Highways, this has now been accessed and has been added on to the same ref no. 5750728.
Someone else reported to me that a house that backs onto the Weeley Bypass had dug a trench from their back garden through a daffodil bulb patch and water was flowing out down the trench over the path and into the road, which in freezing conditions is causing risk to both pedestrians and drivers. I took a short walk up there, could not find it, did a search on Essex Highways website, it seems someone else reported it and Essex Highways are ‘pondering’ what to do about it.
Speedwatch
Since the last Parish Council meeting, we have held 9 Speedwatch sessions, logged 146 speeders, the fastest doing 48 mph in a 30 mph zone. We logged 7 repeat speeders, 8, if you count the one that was logged twice in the same session. 3 were untaxed, 1 was SORN.
Weeley Residents Ass
We celebrated the end of this year with our Christmas Party in the Village Hall on 12 December with around 50 members. The afternoon was organised by Bet, Pauline and Kevin and was enjoyed by all who attended. There was a choir of ladies who had been members of ‘The Crafters during the recent months, who entertained us with carols, Gwenyth got our brains working with a Christmas quiz, and Bryan taught us how to play the game of Hoy. There was also a raffle and a game of ‘Find the Coin’ run by Pauline. A full two hours of fun in good company. The refreshments included mulled wine both alcoholic and non-alcoholic which Pauline made for us and she and Bet also made sausage rolls and mince pies. Thank you to all three members who worked to make this a great afternoon.
The afternoon activities that we introduced for a three month trial have been reviewed by the committee and we have decided that the Crafters sessions, led by Pauline, have had the most attendance and are really enjoyed by those people who have participated. I am pleased to say that these will RESUME in FEBRUARY.
The card and games afternoons have been enjoyed by many but numbers are still small and we have to consider the finances as to whether these sessions are viable. So the committee has decided to extend the trial period for a further three months which will take us up to the AGM in March/April. These will also RESUME in FEBRUARY.
We are not having the regular Friday afternoon meetings with a speaker, but we are making enquiries for an occasional speaker on important topics when appropriate.
We shall be confirming the dates for the above activities at our committee meeting in January. So please follow the Facebook page and the Website for details.
Our coffee mornings at Floral Days Cafe will continue next year on the second Tuesday of every month 10am to 11.30am.
Outings for next year so far are as follows:-
- THURSDAY 24 MARCH will be the visit to The Regent Theatre Ipswich for Chicago.
- FRIDAY 29 APRIL we are going to Horning for a trip on a paddle steamer through the Broads, followed by lunch at Wroxham Barns.
- FRIDAY 6 MAY a coach ride through the Suffolk countryside to Aldeburgh for coffee, on to Dunwich for a Fish and Trip Lunch and ending the day in Southwold.
- FRIDAY 24 JUNE a visit to the Royal Chatham Dockyards where we shall have two tours, one to The Ropery and the other to The Submarines. Full details and costings will be announced in the New Year.
We are in the process of planning entertainment for 2022 so please follow our Facebook page and Website for up to date information.
As you know Sharon, our Secretary, is a busy lady who goes to work full time, so we are helping her with responsibilities that will ease her personal time table. We are pleased to say that Derek Ward who has been a committee member for some time has taken over the responsibility for our Website. Sharon and Ian also manage the production every month of The Parish News so they are busy people.
We are very fortunate to have a hard working, very willing and supportive committee and we are pleased, as from January, to welcome Angela Whittaker to our team.
DM.
| Cheque No. | Payee | Service | NET £ | VAT £ | GROSS £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 103176 | St Andrews Church | Donation for upkeep of the Churchyard. | 750.00 | 0 | 750.00 |
| 103177 | DM Payroll Services | Admin of payroll | 60.00 | 0 | 60.00 |
| 103178 | TDC | Replacement & installation of bin | 436.40 | 87.27 | 523.68 |
| 103179 | GCS Alarms | Supply and install CCTV camera | 357.00 | 71.40 | 428.40 |
| DD | E.ON | Electricity for street lights | 151.33 | 7.57 | 158.90 |
| 103180 | A & J Lighting | Monthly Mtnce | 99.98 | 20.00 | 119.98 |
| 103180 | A & J Lighting | Call out and repair | 221.50 | 44.30 | 265.80 |
| 103182 | K Harkin | December salary | 332.95 | 332.95 | |
| 103182 | K Harkin | Miscellaneous expense | 10.00 | 10.00 | |
| 103182 | K Harkin | Mileage expenses | 12.74 | 12.74 | |
| TOTALS | 2,431.90 | 230.54 | 2,662.45 | ||
2021/2022 Budget Quarter 3 Report and Precept Setting for 2022/2023
| 21/22 Annual Budget £ | Q3 Predicted £ | EOY Estimate £ | 2021/22 Proposed £ | Commentary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admin | 14,110 | 9,420 | 14,340 | 14,890 | |
| Capital | 5,000 | 0 | 3,300 | 12,000 | The EOY figure relates to the cost of the access path to the Petanque court. This will be offset by £2,810 S106 funding. |
| Grants | 1,270 | 770 | 1,270 | 1,470 | |
| Grounds Maintenance | 6,100 | 3,700 | 4,500 | 6,250 | |
| Lighting | 10,790 | 5,850 | 9,020 | 7,610 | |
| Parish Maintenance | 4,100 | 1,000 | 2,430 | 4,200 | |
| Parks | 3,500 | 190 | 1,790 | 3,800 | |
| TOTAL | 44,870 | 20,930 | 36,650 | 50,170 |
Quarter 3: The third quarter shows the Councils expenditure at 66% of the 2021/22 annual budget. This is a little down on profile and may possibly be explained by less activity as we eased out of Covid-19 restrictions.
Administration: Expenditure for this budget heading is normally predictable throughout the year. The salary budget will overspent this year due to operating with two Clerks during the handover phase. The Covid-19 pandemic restrictions reduced expenditure mileage. The Council had allocated an additional amount for training this year in expectation of new Councillors and a new Clerk but much of this budget remains unspent. The professional fees budget remains unspent but it is prudent to allow for this in next year’s budget. It has been necessary to purchase a new laptop and this has resulted in the Office Equipment and Stationery budget being overspent this year.
Capital: Whilst the Council is planning to refurbish/extend the Children’s Play Area, no allowance has been made in the budget as it is hoped that this project will be funded S106 payments. An allocation has been made to fund the cost of converting 35 of the Councils 91 street lights to LED fittings. This expenditure will be recovered over time from reduced energy and maintenance costs. A similar amount will be needed again next year to complete the project.
Grants: In 2021/22, the Council continued to grant fund the churchyard maintenance at £750. A small additional sum has been included in this budget.
Grounds Maintenance (GM): The tender exercise in December 2021 indicates that GM costs will increase and so, additional budget provision has been included to fund the increased cost.
Lighting: The installation of LED bulbs has resulted in significant energy savings. Maintenance costs are expected to continue to increase until the fittings are replaced. Notice from the Councils supplier has been received of an increase in the electricity costs from 1st December 2021.
Parish Maintenance: A number of budget headings that have not yet been used this year but budgetary provision continues to be included as costs can be anticipated in the future. The CCTV budget will be overspent due to the purchase of an additional camera.
Parks: Again, we have a number of budget headings that have not yet been used this year but budgetary provision is included in the 2022/23 budget.
Precept: The amount of precept the Council receives depends on the Tax Base. This is a calculation that uses the number of properties in a Parish. The formula includes consideration of the number of exempt properties and the number of homes where residents are entitled to claim benefits. The Tax Base for Weeley has followed an upward trajectory for the last few years largely due to the increase in the number of residential properties.
| Year | Tax Base |
|---|---|
| 2018/19 | 657.6 |
| 2019/20 | 681.0 |
| 2020/21 | 724.3 |
| 2021/22 | 773.5 |
| 2022/23 | 833.1 |
Precept Proposal: Set out in the table below is 2020/21 Precept and the 2022/23 Precept proposal based on the budget figures shown in table 1 above.
| 2021/22 | 2022/23 | |
|---|---|---|
| Precept required for the year | £46,172 | £50,170 |
| Tax Base | 773.5 | 833.1 |
| Council Tax | £59.69 | £60.22 |
| Tax Increase/Decrease on previous year | -6.4% | +0.9% |
Recommendation
It is recommended that Weeley PC submits a request for a Precept £50,170, giving a per household (B and D equivalent) an increase of 0.9% from £59.69 £60.22.