ALBURY PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
Minutes of the meeting held 6th February 2024, 7.15 pm at the Village Hall
Present: Councillors Kelly, Pope and Sargisson
In attendance: Mrs J Pettitt (clerk), and 1 member of the public
The vicechair opened the meeting at 7.20 pm
1. To receive and accept apologies for absence.
Apologies were received and accepted from Councillors Jolly, Klimowicz, and Lehmann.
2. To receive declarations of interest.
a) To receive declarations of interest from councillors on items on the agenda
b) To receive written requests for dispensations for declarable interests
c) To grant any requests for dispensation as appropriate.
No declarations or requests for dispensation received.
3. To confirm the minutes of the Albury Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 9th January 2024
Resolved, proposed Cllr Kelly, seconded Cllr Sargisson, these minutes are a true and accurate record of the proceedings. Unanimously agreed.
4. To receive reports on actions agreed at the last council meeting
The precept form was submitted to East Herts Council.
The clerk contacted other parish councils to ask for suitable meeting dates (see point 13)
An overview of the Charitable Trusts course (see point 14)
5. To receive petitions, comments and questions from the public
None.
6. To consider planning applications received.
None.
7. To receive statements, bank reconciliation and financial summary
These were received by the Council and found to be satisfactory.
Balance at 9/1/2024 £21063.98
Payments: 10/01/24 J Poulton & Sons (patio sand) -£126.60
10/01/24 B Woollard (patio materials) -£118.97
11/01/24 J Poulton & Sons (patio sand) -£420.00
12/01/24 B Woollard (for patio labour) -£100.00
12/01/24 M Stock (patio invoice 3) -£1000.00
12/01/24 D Langlois (patio invoice 1) -£1100.00
12/01/24 B Woollard (patio invoice 4) -£1000.00
12/01/24 J Pettitt (Litter picking sacks) -£9.75
15/01/24 B Woollard (patio invoice 5) -£220.00
15/01/24 D Langlois (patio invoice 2) -£220.00
24/01/24 B Woollard (patio materials) -£715.20
25/01/24 J Poulton & Sons (patio sand) -£240.00
29/01/24 B Woollard (patio invoice 6) -£220.00
29/01/24 D Langlois (patio invoice 3) -£220.00
Receipts:
10/11/23 GR8 tool hire refund £132.66
Available balance at 6/2/2024 £15,486.22
8. To agree payments due.
None.
9. To discuss the contents of a letter to send to the Environment Agency asking them to clear the River Ash
Local farmers confirmed that the Environment Agency should clear the River Ash.
Action: The clerk will email them to ask them to inspect the river which needs clearing om both sides of the Albury Road to prevent the road and adjacent farmland flooding.
10. To receive the clerk’s report (for information only)
None
11. To discuss the progress of reinstating the Albury Parochial Charities
£4363.83 held at Black Rock has been transferred to the new Lloyds account. This amount is to be reinvested. The CCLA are still working on amending bank account details. Barclays still hasn’t re-issued the cheque for the closing balance of £9503.97. A previous trustee is chasing this on our behalf and is expecting an update by the middle of February.
12. To discuss the progress of the village hall patio work
The budget was £13400. So far, the cost has been £11,323.41, leaving £2,076.59. The last section of the rear patio should be completed by the end of this week and the path is scheduled for 27th and 28th February.
13. To discuss creating a traffic and Speeding steering group with other local parish councils
Suggested dates are 11th to 13th March.
Action: the clerk will suggest these dates to the other parish councils.
14. To receive a report on the Understanding Charitable Trusts training in relation to becoming trustees of the Dole Field.
The parish council was keen to support the current trustees but the training course highlighted too many issues, including the responsibility, the legalities involved and the amount of extra time it would require of councillors to fulfil the role efficiently.
Resolved, proposed Councillor Kelly, seconded Councillor Sargisson that Albury Parish Council should not become a trustee of The Dole Field. Unanimously agreed.
15. To discuss any information available regarding the licence for the next Anthropos Festival planned at Hixham Hall this year
This year’s Anthropos Festival has been cancelled and it is thought there are no plans for it to return to Hixham Hall in the future.
16. To discuss how to save on overall costs of maintaining allotments, hedges and verges
These maintenance tasks use a large portion of the precept. In the last financial year the following costs were incurred:
Mowing unused allotments: £980, village hall hedge cutting: £300, verge maintenance: £650, Village hall mowing: £1100 so a total of £3030.
A strimmer could be purchased to help keep the costs down and an orchard could cover some of the empty allotments. These will be discussed at the next meeting.
Action: clerk to find out more about fruit trees for the allotments
17. To draw the Q2 200 club number
Number 56 was drawn
18. To suggest agenda items for the next Parish Council meeting to be held Tuesday 5th March 2024
Parochial Charities update, River Ash email response, village sign area clearance schedule, patio update, traffic steering meeting, allotment orchard, strimmer purchase, village hall mowing costs sharing