At a meeting of the Parish
Council held on 26 November 2007 at 7.00pm
the following Parish
Councillors were present:-
C
Mitchell (Chairman)
T Baldwin, G Downey, M Duggan, F Forrest, P Gill, J Harkins, L
Green, G Payne and M Varney
4487 Minutes – 12 November 2007
The
minutes of the meeting held on 12 November 2007 were received as a correct
record and signed by the Chairman.
4488 Financial Matters
The
Parish Council
1)
approved the following invoices for payment:
|
Payee |
Details |
Amount £-p |
Cheque no. |
|
BDO Stoy Hayward |
Annual audit fee |
675.63 |
4899 |
|
Euphony |
Telephone calls for October 2007 |
5.58 |
D/D |
|
Kirkby skips |
Skip hire 14 November 2007 |
129.25 |
4900 |
|
R Atherton |
Purchase of hedge cutter |
54.15 |
4901 |
|
Aitkens |
Fertilizer/herbicide |
84.53 |
4902 |
|
Handscon |
Quarterly H & S monitoring |
313.62 |
4903 |
|
GLM |
Hollow core to bowling green |
311.38 |
4904 |
|
G Payne |
Mileage/photocopying |
13.73 |
4905 |
|
Police Community Action Fund |
S137 donation |
100.00 |
4906 |
Councillor
Payne declared an interest in the payment for cheque 4905 and took no part in
the discussion or decision for that payment.
2)
agreed that the above
payments were lawfully payable under the General Powers of the Parish Council
and Open Space legislation
3)
agreed that in accordance with its
powers under section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972, it should incur the
following expenditure which in the Parish Council's opinion, is in the
interests of the area or its inhabitants and will benefit them in a manner
commensurate with the expenditure: grant of £100 to the Police Community Action
Fund
|
Summary of receipts and
payments |
Receipts £-p |
Payments £-p |
Balance £-p |
|
Total
balances b/f - 138,583.71 |
|
|
|
|
Bowls |
107.24 |
|
|
|
Capital
Reserve interest |
957.35 |
|
|
|
Donations |
2.56 |
|
|
|
Golf |
1.28 |
|
|
|
VAT
collected |
19.42 |
|
|
|
Admin
expenses |
|
29.14 |
|
|
Bank
charges |
|
34.70 |
|
|
Electricity/gas |
|
75.62 |
|
|
Fuel |
|
15.71 |
|
|
Mileage |
|
82.63 |
|
|
Park
expenses (see breakdown) |
|
141.76 |
|
|
Professional
fees |
|
250.00 |
|
|
Tax/NI |
|
975.50 |
|
|
Telephone |
|
214.99 |
|
|
VAT |
|
113.20 |
|
|
Wages |
|
4,221.89 |
|
|
Totals |
£1,087.85 |
£6,155.14 |
£133,516.42 |
|
Park expenses Cleaning materials - £31.76 Skips - £110.00 |
|
|
|
4489
Audit of Accounts for 2006/2007
The RFO submitted
a) the audited
Annual Return for 2006/2007
b) the external
auditor’s report for 2006/2007 as follows:-
“The following issues have been raised to assist the Council. The
Council is recommended to take action on the following issues to ensure that
the Council acts within its statutory and regulatory framework.
Fidelity Guarantee – Weakness identified:
The council have reviewed the level of fidelity guarantee cover, however
this still appears to be insufficient in light of the bank balances held at 31
March2007 and the amount of precept then subsequently received in April 2007.
Impact on the Council:
A local council, under S114 of the Local Government Act 1972, must take
security as it considers sufficient in the case of any of its officers likely
to handle its money. The council may decide that insurance is not 'sufficient'
for them, but in order to come to this opinion they must have reviewed the
requirement annually and they must have objective grounds for such a
conclusion.
Recommendation:
The council should consider the level of insurance cover and set it to a
level that will protect the council against potential loss. The council should
review the level of cover at least annually as circumstances may change
throughout the year.
It is recommended that the amount is sufficient to cover the maximum
amount of money the council holds at any one time during the year. A council
does not have to have Fidelity
Guarantee Insurance if it considers that no security is 'sufficient' but
there must be objective grounds for such a conclusion. Smaller councils may
decide therefore that the cost of this insurance is disproportionate to the
risk involved. If this is so the council should minute this decision annually.
No other matters came to
our attention.”
The RFO then reported that
the Parish Council had increased the level of the fidelity guarantee cover.
The
Parish Council agreed that
1)
the audited Annual Return for 2006/2007 as submitted be accepted and
approved
2)
the external auditor’s report be noted and accepted
3)
the RFO be requested to keep the fidelity guarantee level under review
to ensure that the Parish Council complies with the external auditor’s
recommendations
4)
the RFO be authorised to increase the level of the fidelity guarantee level
when required.
4490
Altside Business Village Partnership
The Parish Council
1) received and noted Councillor Payne’s report on the
partnership’s recent AGM
2) agreed that the Parish Council's thanks and
appreciations be recorded to Councillor Green who was a member of the team
which had organised the recent very successful Hornby Exhibition
3) agreed that consideration of membership of the
partnership be deferred to the meeting of 28 January 2008.
4491 General
Correspondence
1) Sefton Council re commemorative Ain Tree in the
library grounds; Clerk to reply that the result of Mr Harper’s ballot was
unknown, the site of the Christmas Tree should be kept for that purpose, the
police had advised against a tree due to the CCTV in the area and so the Parish
Council had allocated £1,600 to the History Group for a commemorative stone in
the library grounds; further consideration be given to adopting the tree at the
Old Roan junction as the new Ain Tree.
2) Sefton Council – noted that a notice had been served
re A boards on the pavement in Aintree Lane.
3) Sefton Council – noted that the two Post Offices were
not on the list of proposed closures.
4) Sefton Council – noted that some cracked flag stones
in Davenhill Park would be repaired but suggested bollards to prevent parking
and further damage would not be installed.
5) Sefton Council – noted that school transport plans had
reduced car use and increased walking as far as getting to and from schools
were concerned.
6) Knowsley Council – Your Kirkby Your Future document
noted.
7) Sefton Council – noted that flooding signs at
Handcock’s Bridge were advisory.
8) Sefton Council – noted that formal building control
approval had been received for the new changing accommodation.
9) Sefton Council – opening hours for the Village Inn and
refusal for outdoor shelter noted; agreed that the Parish Council's thanks and
appreciations be sent to the three ward councillors for their hard work and
time commitment on these two matters.
10) One Vision re non-selling of bungalows in Martland
Avenue under the Right to Buy scheme; agreed they be thanked for their opinion
that they would not sell the properties as they are particularly suitable for
occupancy by elderly persons, in contrast to Sefton Council which had sold some
of them when they owned the properties.
11) Sefton Council re reduction of planning service at
Formby and Maghull libraries; agreed that the existing service should remain
unchanged.
12) Sefton Council – minutes of the Area Committee held on
8 November 2007 noted.
13) Campaign to Protect Rural England – Annual Report for
2006 noted.
14) Councillor G Howe re fence by 180 Aintree Lane – noted
that Councillor Howe would keep the Parish Council informed of progress.
4492 Park/Safety Issues
The Parish Council
1) noted the minutes of Parks Committee held on 21
November 2007
2) noted with concern that none of the parks’ staff would
agree to first aid training but further noted that there was no legal
requirement to have staff so trained
3) noted the breakdown of expenditure on work wear for
the last six months and agreed that the same standard and identifiable work
wear be issued to the parks’ staff on a regular basis, instead of the current
intermittent purchases
4) agreed that the park should be open throughout the
Christmas and New Year period except for Christmas Day; the Chairman agreed to
unlock and lock the main gate on New Year’s Day
5) noted quotation received from GLM Operations for
£2,375 plus VAT and an estimated £600 for materials and agreed that
consideration be deferred pending consultation with Mr Ryan of COMTECHSA.
4493 Planning Issues
The
Parish Council noted the following planning matters:
|
Application Number |
Details |
|
0903 |
Approval for extension –
8 Cranwell Close |
|
0947 |
Certificate of lawfulness
– unit 4 Racecourse Retail Park |
|
1004 |
Application for extension
– 1 Kempton Park Road |
|
0998 |
Application for extension
– 8 Bradfield Avenue |
|
0993 |
Application for nine lamp
post advertising panels |
4494 Parish Councillors’
Business/Clipboard
1)
Builder’s materials again on the pavement outside 32 Kempton Park Road.
2)
Elderly Persons’ bus passes will be usable on any local transport
services throughout England from 1 April 2008.
3)
Netsolver – possibility of using the company for the Parish Council's web
site to be kept under review.
4)
Hedge at junction of Bull Bridge Lane/Altway; Clerk to write to resident.
5)
Aintree Park Group Practice still assessing viability of refurbishing
existing premises, though it might require some educational land which Sefton
Council had previously said could not be used.
6) Councillors Gill and Harkins be requested to represent
the Parish Council at the meeting with Liverpool PCT at the park on 7 December
2007 at 3.30pm re the doctors’ surgery
7) Councillor Gill be requested to represent the Parish
Council at the meeting with the two PCT Chairs and George Howarth MP in
Liverpool on 17 December 2007 at 9.30am; further that travelling and
subsistence allowances be paid in accordance with the Parish Council's scheme
in connection with attendance at the meeting.
8)
Lancashire County Council Epiphany Service on 13 January 2008; Clerk to
send apologies.
9)
Footpath cleansing – Aintree Lane/Mostyn Avenue.
10)
Triangular approach markings – mini roundabout at Wango Lane/School
Lane/Bull Bridge Lane.
11)
Damage to green by 130/140 Oriel Drive.
12)
Painting of bollards – Aintree Lane and Altway.
13)
Yellow lines require repainting – Molyneux Way.
4495 Next Meetings
The Parish Council noted that the next meetings would be held at 7.00pm
on the following dates:
|
17 December 2007 |
|
|
14 January 2008 |
|
|
28 January 2008 |
|
|
11 February 2008 |
|
|
25 February 2008 |
|
|
10 March 2008 |
|
|
25 March 2008 |
|
|
14 April 2008 Annual Parish Meeting to be followed
by a Parish Council meeting |
|
|
28 April 2008 |
|
|
12 May 2008 Annual General Meeting |
|
|
9 June
2008 |
|
|
23 June 2008 |
|
|
14 July 2008 |
|
|
28 July 2008 |
|
|
11 August 2008 |
|
4496 Minute deemed confidential and
not for publication.
4497 Minute deemed confidential and not
for publication.
The meeting closed at 9.20pm
Minutes 4487 to 4497
received as a correct record on 17 December 2007
………………………………………..
Chairman