EAST COWTON PARISH COUNCIL

Councillors are hereby summoned and Members of the Public

invited to attend
the meeting of the Parish Council
on Monday 11th September 2023 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.

AGENDA
1. Apologies for absence

2. Disclosures of personal and prejudicial interests from Councillors on matters

to be considered at the meeting.
(The disclosure must include the nature of the interest (i.e. pecuniary or other). If you
become aware, during the course of a meeting, of an interest that has not been
disclosed under this item you must immediately disclose it. You may remain in the
meeting and take part fully in discussion and voting unless the interest is prejudicial.
A personal interest is prejudicial if a member of the public with knowledge of the
relevant facts would reasonably regard it as so significant that it is likely to prejudice
your judgement of the public interest and it relates to a financial or regulatory matter)

3. Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 10th July 2023 (circulated to
councillors)
To determine whether the Minutes are an accurate record

4. Chair’s formal announcements on any matters not the subject of discussion or

debate.

5. Co-option of a Parish Councillor

To consider any applications received for co-option.

6. Police Report
To receive a verbal report from Cllr Shields and to consider future publication of news
reports in a timely manner.

7. Finance
a) To receive and approve accounting statements;
b) To note and authorise payments
c) To receive a verbal update from RFO on year-to-date expenditure against
budget
d) To receive a verbal update on mandate change with Barclays Bank
e) To receive a verbal update from RFO on finalisation of external audit.
f) To receive an updated report from Cllr Shields and to consider the immediate
purchase of new laptop and associated accessories.

8. Asset Inspections
To receive a verbal update from Cllr Simpson in respect of asset inspections and to
consider any matters outstanding or requiring attention.

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 9. Improvements to Play Area Equipment including utilisation of Grant and CIL
monies.
To receive a report from Cllr Wragg and to consider
a) Formalisation of application for £1000 Locality Grant awarded to assist with
immediate replacement of playground equipment
b) To consider the quotation from Play-Scheme for the supply, delivery and fit of new
balance beams, stepping stones and springer.
c) To consider the overall cost of item b) including provision of funds to cover
Council’s contribution and payment of VAT pending reclaim.

10. Website
To receive a verbal report from Cllr Shields on the switch to new website

11. Replacement/relocation of Assets

a) To receive a verbal report from Cllr Cramond regarding bins and to consider action
required including requirement for street furniture license if appropriate.
b) To receive a verbal report from Cllrs Cramond and Wragg regarding planters and
consider action required including requirement for a street furniture license if
appropriate

12. Planning applications

a) To report on outcome of applications numbered ZB23/01450/FUL (erection of
an agricultural building to cover an existing sileage clamp (Whitehouse Farm)
and ZB23/01201/MRC modification of plans (dog training and leisure at Low
Pastures, East Cowton)
b) To consider observations to be made (if any) in relation to application numbered
ZB23/01716/FUL – to relocate existing reception and to erect a dog training
barn (Low Pastures, East Cowton)
c) To receive a verbal account of the drop-in session held on Friday 8th September
2023 regarding the residential development 19/0179/out (Bungalow Farm)

13. Public Participation

14. Date and time of the next meeting

9th October 2023 at 7.30pm is proposed

15. Any other business (urgent or not requiring debate or decision)

Primarily to inform the clerk of items for inclusion on the next agenda

Signed
J. Walker
Clerk to the Parish Council 6th September 2023

At the Chair’s discretion and to reflect the level of public response, the running order of
agenda items can be altered

SEE OVER FOR SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

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Supporting Information

5 Co-option
Where a council is quorate it may co-opt additional councillors but remember to do this fairly to avoid
unnecessary criticism. A template notice to invite people for co-option to these ordinary vacancies can be
found on the YLCA website. Remember that the vacancies created by virtue of an uncontested election are
termed ‘ordinary’ vacancies. Vacancies created in the four-year term of office (or more in some
circumstances), are called ‘casual’ vacancies.

Also remember that as it is the Council that is conducting the appointment, it has a duty to ensure that
persons who are co-opted are eligible to hold public office in accordance with Section 80 of the Local
Government Act 1972. A pro forma eligibility check to hand to applicants can be found on the YLCA website.

Statements from candidates seeking co-option are confidential and the relevant information will be
circulated separately.

6 Police Report
Crime Statistics for period 01/08/2023 to 31/08/2023

All reported Crimes – Total NIL

A verbal report will be given by Cllr Shields and a summary of news items will be provided.

7 Finance
a) Accounting Statement
Accounting Statement
for the period
1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024
as at 0/09/2023
Com m unity Account Prem ium Account
£ 7,145.15 £ 7,785.27
add
Incom e
Interest on Premium Account £ 18.48
Parish Precept - Instalment 1 £ 3,628.00
Parish Precept - Instalment 2 £ -
Other Income ** £ 1,336.50 CIL payment
VAT reclaim £ 4,964.50
£ 12,109.65 £ 7,803.75
less
Transferred to Premium Account £ 1,906.00
Transferred to Community Account -£ 1,906.00
£ 10,203.65 £ 9,709.75
less
Actual Expenditure
1. Gross Wages
2. Contractors £ 828.00
3. Services £ 100.00
4. Sundries
5. Insurance £ 378.00
6. Repairs/Maintenance
7. Rental
8. Subscriptions/Training £ 280.00
9. Asset Purchases £ 222.78
£ 1,808.78 Com bined Total before accrued expenses
£ 8,394.87 £ 18,104.62

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 Bank Reconciliation
06.09.2023
Current Account balance as statement £ 8,394.87
add
Payments not yet cleared: £ - £ -

deduct
Cheques not yet presented for payment £ - £ -

Reconciled balance - Current Account £ 8,394.87

add -Premium Account balance £ 9,709.75
£ 18,104.62

The net balances reconcile to the Cash Book (receipts and payments account) for the year, as follows:

Opening Balance 1 April 2023 £ 14,930.42

Add Receipts in the Year £ 4,982.98
Less Payments in the Year -£ 1,808.78

Closing balance per cash ledger [receipts and payments £ 18,104.62

book]
(must equal net balances above)

b) List of Payments to be Noted/Authorised

Invoice Date Description £ Authority
17/07/2023 P G Window Cleaning Services 10.00 Local Government Act 1972 s112(2)
11/08/2023 Clerk’s wages - August 144.72 Local Government Act 1972, s112(2)
Highways Act 1980, s96 and Open Spaces Act 1906,
*01/08/2023 CE&CM Walker - grasscutting 276.00 s10(b
11/09/2023 Clerk's Wages - Sept 144.72 Local Government Act 1972, s112(2)
04/09/2023 CE&CM Walker - grasscutting 276.00 Highways Act 1980, s96 and Open Spaces Act 1906, s10(b
Information Commissioner’s
Local Government Act 1972 s112(2)
*08/09/2023 Office (ICO) – Direct Debit 35.00
*denotes items authorised by RFO for payment prior to meeting to meet contractual payment
date.

c) Budget – to be circulated to councillors separately

d) Banking update to be provided (addition of Clerk to online banking for viewing
with permissions for fund transfers between council’s bank accounts).
e) -
f) Purchase of laptop- Funds are held in a specific reserve for replacement of laptop and
scanner to a maximum amount of £620 as at 31/03/2023. Replacement was planned for first
¼ of new financial year. Having previously confirmed that a suitable laptop with the required
specification should be available within this budget it was further agreed that plans for a new
laptop should be deferred until such time as a new clerk has been appointed. Refer 2306.13

9 Improvements to Play Area

c) quotation for Option 1 has been circulated for consideration. Option 1 is Play-Scheme
Ltd based in York and includes the supply, delivery and installation of new balance
beams, stepping stones and springer. Their quotation was the best value for money and
provides the best and most suitable specification. They have also been exceptionally
helpful in providing advice and accommodating changes to specification to manage costs
within budget. It is agreed that to proceed, council will need to arrange for removal of the
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 existing items. Other manufacturers were considered and discounted because of
unreasonable delivery and/or installation costs which made the overall cost prohibitive or
because of the product specification, for example rounded balance beam rather than flat
top which is preferred for the age group which we want to attract. An important
consideration when choosing the most appropriate quotation was the cost of installation.
Play Scheme Ltd quotation includes 2 balance beams, 5 stepping stones and 1 springer
(including site management, delivery and installation at £371) at a total cost of £2496 plus
VAT of £499.20. Grant of £1000 plus CIL contribution of £1336 will leave a shortfall of
£160 to cover from existing reserve or take option to reduce number of steps to 3 and
cost will then be within the available funds without using reserve. For comparison, Option
2 is a company based in Cumbria whose cost of goods is approx. £2061 plus VAT plus
fitting of £1936. Option 3 – double timber beam at similar price plus delivery of £200 and
fitting up to £945 including repositioning of existing matting.

12 Planning
An application has been submitted numbered ZB23/01716/FUL and full details are available on
Hambleton/North Yorks Planning website (dog training and leisure at Low Pastures, East Cowton)
and for which Council are asked for comments/observations. The applicant has requested a change
to the original approval to allow for the resiting of the reception building to allow for the erection of a
new dog training barn.