Full Council 19 Oct23

Full council meeting 19 October 2023
Brereton and Ravenhill Parish Council
Minutes of the full council meeting of Brereton and Ravenhill Council held at the Parish Hall,
Ravenhill Park, Brereton on Thursday 19th of October 2023
Minutes
1 Counsellors present: Miles Blackham (MB) (chair), Dana Blocksidge (DB), Alison Cowdell (AC),
Caroline Davies (CD), Jay Gascoyne (JG) (vice chair), Rebecca Hall – Davies, (RH – D), Ruth Hall
(RH), Clare Harris, (C H.) (acting Clerk for this meeting), Sue Merriman (S.M), Kay Paul (KP),
Kevin Theobald (KT)
Counsellors, apologies: Carl, Boulton (CB)
Counsellors, absent: Jake, Johnson (JJ)
In attendance: Mr John Smith (JS) (RFO/Caretaker)
No public attendance
2 Declarations of interest in any items on the agenda
No declarations of interest noted.
3 Full council minutes from meeting held on Thursday, 21 September 2023
Approved and signed.
4 Matters arising
None just
5 Correspondence received.
None
6 Finance report
Finance report, breakdown on expenditure by JS,
Counsellors are aware that bills have not been invoiced for whole hires and SM/KP
investigated the income coming in, and the figures did not tally it up. SM suggested the
phone as Team work on the income from the Hall hires as they have no fixed income amount
given with the system now. Also, aware that within the last week it has been double booked
and not in the calendar. Also noted that hire is turning up earlier than the time that they hire
and pay for the hall and are leaving later. It is suggested that we charge for set up and pack
away, now this is not part of the invoice. The new Scribe accounts will be up and running
soon and counsellors will have a fixed amount provided for the whole hires and be far more
transparent.
Katy queried about the allotment payments, and there is no pattern of pay, very disjointed.
Counsellors had no information on how many allotments are rented all the price. Katy to act
and provide answers.
Audit report update – Mazars came back with queries – JS to action.
Updates on bank accounts and online banking – had contact with the banks and Peter action.
Update on Scribe accounts – JS and finance committee counsellors have had training on the
system.
JG entered the meeting.
7 Hall, management and community engagement held on Thursday seventh of September
2023
Minutes approved and signed.
8 Hall update
Roof cleaning quotes – had three quotes £800 and £1500 both with 12 months guarantee
and £2200.
Counsellors all agreed on the £800 quote JS action.
Energy provider – all up and running with NU energy, need a meter reading. MB to send
email, JS action.
Sim card and phone. MB to sort Phone out and SM to sort Sim card.
Climate action fund – fund of £1500 per county counsellor that we approach, Peter
Kruskjonic. Happy to be one of them. We only need one quote of a list of energy saving
equipment such as taps. JS to action
Solar panels cannot be funded by the climate action fund. MB has a contact that will be
shared when they get back to him. CD discussed that we cannot get it funded for us because
it is a council building. We can either pay towards it and then it reduces our bills or pay
outright that will dramatically reduce our bills. SM spoke to an energy guy waiting for him to
return information about it.
Rates for hires update – been covered in the Hall meeting two weeks ago, the group agreed
to review Harris fees, right to them now, so fees can be changed for January. Packages that
reflect set up and packing away in the price of the hire. Action by Hall committee.
Not discussed but was on the minutes from last full council meeting about a price listing of
hiring the Hall needs to be added on the website. Also need to confirm a phone number for
contact on the website to move forward with the times. This needs to be actioned.
9 Community engagement update
Christmas lights – CD discussed the paperwork being sent back for a second time, waiting on
reply. DB said the changes on the paperwork has increased this year and has made it very
difficult for everyone. – D has investigated the whole decoration, as Santa is in disrepair. I am
costing for the Merry Christmas sign to be erected into the tennis courts. Costing of £1600
for ownership however council agreed storage will be an issue. JS also informed us on the
LED lighting around the hall, roof edge and the three-way supply on the roof.
A light show with a projection was suggested Christmas light subgroup action with an agreed
budget of £1500.
Community events, update
Indoor car boots – to be discussed at January Hall Management and community engagement
committee.
Volunteer day – reminder of joint community day clean-up main road Saturday 21st of
October from 9 am
Afternoon tea and bingo – booked three dates, Wednesday 25th of October 22nd November,
and 20th of December. RH to action the Brereton million community funding for the
afternoon tea and bingo, deadline date, Monday 23rd of October 2023
Tractor, digger, and lift update – public post. Select the residents side. SM to Wright post, CD
to post on site.
Heritage walk – reminder for Sunday 22nd of October 2023 at 11 am.
10 Police update
Report from PCSO, 8848, Sean Nichols, Cannock Chase Planning Office for incidents in the
Brereton and Ravenhill Council
Discussing the domestic abuse figures in the area, DB confirm that she has been in contact
with two groups, One group (name?) Waiting for them to confirm as they offer free training
but will not be available till next year February/March time, possibly based in Stafford. And I
council droppings on a Tuesday have been registered and now subscribe to the warm safe
place. Advertising it, simply as offering a hot, drink biscuits, a chat and warmth in a safe
place. JG has spoken to Kathy Cope and pathway project and he’s just waiting for them to
confirm a date to come and talk about domestic abuse on one of our Tuesday droppings.
Will need to advertise on the website and Facebook page when the date is confirmed. DBD
to action.
Discussed drug abuse in the area has increased, which may have contributed to domestic
abuse figures.
Suggest we get residents to sign up to Smart, alerts advertise on the council website on
Facebook page, Lee, Featherstone, (LF) volunteer administrator and DBCD to action.
11 District and county Council update
No district or county, counsellors, attended and no correspondence received.
MB discussed with Gerald Molineux about the speeding along Armitage Road, and he says
we can ask the council. If we can purchase the mandatory 30 signs that we pay for using our
parish funds. counsellor RH has witness the speed from certain cars leaving the Ashtree
island and travelling along the Armitage Road who have no intention of dropping to 30 miles
an hour. Council decided to create a sub group for community speed watch around the
parish DB, Katy TRH and AO volunteered counsellors discussed the whereabouts of a speed
gun, but the previous council was supposed to have purchased. JS has no idea its location.
DB cried if we had any quotes for the solar sign that flashes your speed. MB to contact Mark
Keeling, Staffordshire County council, highways officer about how we can take action on this
issue.
District counsellor, Paul Fisher, if he is aware of the location of the speed gun. AC to action.
12 Job description
Three applications submitted and one applicant asking for the closing date. It has only just
been advertised on the district Council website. So, SM KP decided 31st of October 2023 is
the cut-off date. SMKP will be interviewing as soon as possible all the candidates for the
position. Chair as council if there are any certain questions you would like to be used for the
interview to add to a Google sheet, SM to action.
13 Subgroup report on policies
SM insisted that all counsellors need to read and have knowledge of our policies that has
been compiled for this parish council. We all need to be responsible for our duties and
positions in this council.
14 Website updates and change of logo and name.
SM discussed during our campaign to be counsellors. We discussed changing the name to
community instead of parish and we didn’t have any objections from residence to the name
change. Over the country, many councils are modernising and the parish word, since 2019, is
changing to Lab community local. Believe we need to tread carefully and there may be
stronger opposition to the name change. The website colouring can be easily addressed.
However, the logo we need to consider carefully. KP suggested holding a competition for the
community to design the new logo with a new name and slowly introduced the word
community. DB believe the word parish may be dated. However, it helps residence to
understand the voting system with the three tiers of council. Search on how to make
community title, formal and look at the timeline in changing it. SM to act.
All counsellors agree to change the colouring of the new website. Lee Featherstone, (LF),
volunteer administrator to action. Who will be notifying LF?
This needs to be discussed again and stay on the agenda.
15 Remembrance update
Public liability insurance the insurers are asking for all the figures attending, that is those in
the parade and the public watching. Katy to contact Royal British Legion (RBL) who can give
an estimated number from previous parades. DB is waiting on school numbers attending the
parade and will confirm ASAP.
KT confirmed all closing documentation has been received.
Itinerary for the day. From 8:30 am to meet at Brereton social club. Road closures from 8:50
am for the parade to make their way to attend. Saint Michael’s church service. Road will
reopen when the last person enters church service. Five minutes before the service finishes,
the road will be closed again, and parade will walk down towards the cenotaph. Where
laying of wreaths will take place. Then public disperses and dignitaries will then walk towards
Brereton social club. Road will reopen as soon as all is clear. Marshalls still needed.
SM had a query from a lady who was given the responsibility of laying a wreath and is
Unsure how. KP and KT suggested Helen Ulrickson from RBL. KT confirmed the council parts
of the parade is just the road closure; it is the RBL responsibility of how people conduct
themselves during the parade. There is a practice parade on the Saturday before. KT to
supply details of practice run for counsellors.
St Johns first aid – no counsellor confirmed they were in attendance.
17 Planning, update
No recent planning developments for major consideration
18 Public session
No public attendance
19 Dates of next meeting
Full council will meet on Thursday 14th of December 2023 at 7:30 pm
Meeting closed 8:38 pm
signed by chairperson