2024 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING OF COLEBY PARISH COUNCIL held at The Village Hall Rectory Road Coleby on Tuesday 14th May 2024 at 7.15pm

Present: Councillor Barry Earnshaw, Councillor Alan Vivian, Councillor Theresa Brewer, Councillor Robert Hall, Councillor Andrew Long, Councillor Jens Pedersen, Councillor Quent Stott and Sue Makinson-Sanders Clerk

Apologies: District Councillor Lance Pennell, District Councillor Leigh Sanders, District Councillor Matthew Cooper and County Councillor Ian Carrington

1.  Election of Chairman: Councillor Vivian and Councillor Long proposed and seconded appointment of Councillor Barry Earnshaw as Chairman. Councillors approved.

2. Election of Vice Chairman: Councillor Earnshaw and Councillor Hall proposed and seconded appointment of Councillor Vivian as Vice Chairman. Councillors approved.

3. Councillors unanimously approved the Co-option of Councillor Quent Stott to the Parish Council.

4. Approval of Minutes of Meeting held 9th May 2023: Councillor Long and Councillor Hall proposed and seconded approval of the minutes of the 9th May 2023. Councillors approved minutes.

5. Matters arising: Cllr Earnshaw felt a half yearly review of the budget and projects going forward would be appropriate. David O’Connor confirmed that although the grant applications were not yet open for the Neighbourhood Plan Review for this year it was unlikely that there would be no grants and that the Neighbourhood Plan Review should not involve any expense once the grants were forthcoming.

6. Confirmation of Clerk's Employment:  Councillors unanimously approved the employment of the Clerk.

7. Clerk's Report of Accounts for year 2023/2024 and approval of payments: Report proposed and seconded by Councillor Long and Councillor Vivian as per the report below. Councillors approved the report with the caveat that a cheque has been raised, but not yet cleared, for £4084.89 for refund of unused grant monies for the Neighbourhood Plan Review hence the balance recorded of £14,395.00 does not take this payment into account.

CLERKS REPORT ON ACCOUNTS 2023/2024

On the 31st March 2023 the Parish Council ended the financial year with £8592.00 in the current account and ended the financial year on the 31st March 2024 with £14395.00, which reflects the grants received. The Precept received from North Kesteven District Council reflected an increase on the previous year’s precept with a receipt of £10921.00.

The following grants were received:

Coronation Expenses               £   565.00
Lincolnshire County Council  Grasscutting       £   536.74
North Kesteven District Council Litter Picking       £     95.34
Groundwork UK Neighbourhood Plan Review       £ 7521.00

VAT was reclaimed totalling £297.66. This was lower than last year but is relative to the works done by the Parish Council with no major projects in 2023/2024. Most of the service providers used by the Parish Council are not VAT registered and the amount of Vat varies depending on what services the Parish Council uses.

Other income amounted to £978.31 for burials, ashes interments, plot reservations and memorials and the wayleave on the telegraph pole in the Lowfields Cemetery giving total income for the year of £20915.15

The Parish Council’s main expenditure remains grasscutting and salary for the clerk. Total expenditure for the year to 31st March 2024 was £15111.83 Other than grasscutting and salary the largest items of expenditure were the Neighbourhood Plan revision for which grant funding has been obtained, the repairs to the cemetery wall, insurance and the Coronation celebrations. The Parish Council’s income this year exceeded its expenditure by £5803.22.

Donations were made as follows:

All Saints Church for lighting    £100
Royal British Legion Wreath    £50.00

The Parish Council continues to employ a clerk and to meet all its liabilities.

The internal auditor, Andrea Smith who has taken over from Tom Holleran, who sadly died last year, has now audited the accounts and the Annual Audit is to be approved at the next Parish Council meeting. Sue Makinson-Sanders

01.05.2024

Councillors approved the payments and receipts as per the Finance Report below: 

Finance Report

a)  Payments to be made:

b) Payments received :

c) Payments due:

d) Balance held at Co-Operative Bank as at 7th May 2024 £22,735.51