Councillors Present
- Present
- Robert Wardley (Chair), John Calver, Matt Lunn, Kevin Shelver
- Apologies for absence
- Cllr. Steward (childcare issues), Cllr. Mouncer (holiday), Cllr. Dearing (holiday)
- Absent
- Cllr. Hopewell-Smith
- In attendance
- Lydia Kindred (clerk), 2 members of public
Declarations of Interest
None
Minutes
The Minutes of the meeting held on 7th July 2025 were approved as a true record.
Matters Arising
None
Chair’s Report
The Chair shared an invitation from Dennington Hall Farms to the village BBQ on Friday evening and encouraged Councillors to attend if possible.
The gateway sign on the A1120 has now been reinstalled. The two posts for The Square will shortly be ready for collection and installation.
The Tour of Britain cycle ride on 2nd September was well attended, with several residents watching the event.
The Sports Club registration has been submitted to the Land Registry. A small area near the entrance gateway has not yet been registered, and this anomaly will need to be resolved in due course.
The Chair attended a public meeting with the MP to discuss concerns about Framlingham Medical Practice. The MP confirmed he will keep this on his agenda and hold follow-up meetings with both the Practice and the community.
The narrow footpath at Mill Lane has been reported to the Rights of Way Officer, who will look into the matter following her annual leave.
“Dogs on leads / clear up after your dog” signs have been installed at the Sports Club and allotments.
The Chair has completed Community Self-Help training but noted that signage and barriers would need to be purchased for the Parish Council to run work parties compliantly. The Clerk was asked to contact the County Councillor regarding this and to enquire about any pool equipment available for local parishes to share.
The Chair and Clerk both attended SALC’s AGM and East Suffolk Council’s latest Planning Forum. Both reported these were useful and informative events. The Chair thanked the Clerk for circulating her Forum notes.
Clerk’s Report
The clerk provided an update on Martyn’s Law, which is expected to come into effect in late 2025 or early 2026. This legislation will require all organisers of public events to carry out terrorism risk assessments. Events with over 800 attendees will face more stringent obligations, but smaller events will also be subject to certain requirements, including basic training for event leaders and volunteers.
SALC has increased its payroll fees by £7 per annum.
The next SALC Area Forum will focus on the Local Government Reorganisation. The Council does not currently have a SALC representative; Councillors interested in attending on behalf of the Parish Council should contact the clerk. It is not yet clear how the reorganisation will affect East Suffolk Council’s plans to review the Local Plan.
Responsible Financial Officer’s Report
- The following payments were approved:
Amount Payee Details £599.44 Zurich Insurance premium £TBC L. Kindred Pay to 30th September £TBC HMRC PAYE to 5th October £20.00 Dennington Village Hall Hall hire September £7.14 (authorised July) Robert Wardley* Post-mix and sign fitting sundries, Councillors also authorised Cllr. Wardley to purchase two more packs of post-mix when the other posts are received. It was agreed to pay the clerk and HMRC when the figures have been received from SALC.
*It was agreed that the clerk and Cllr. Shelver would set up this payment as Cllr. Wardley cannot pay himself under our Financial Regulations.
- Authorised payments made since the last meeting were noted:
- 25/07/25 Pro timber £480.00 Gateway sign post
- 25/07/25 Atkins Dellow £1,180.80 Professional services for registration of the land at the Sports Club.
- The bank balances, statements and bank reconciliation as at 31.08.2025 were reviewed and signed by the RFO. The Examining Councillor was not here and all other Councillors present were banking mandates so could not second the reconciliation.
- The year-to-date financial statement was considered.
- The level of general and reserved funds was considered. It was agreed that the level of general reserves needs to be increased. The Council needs to be mindful of carrying out projects that have not been budgeted for, such as the Sports Club first registration. In view of this, it was agreed not to allocate £1,000 towards a future tractor mower purchase this year but to retrain those funds in the general reserves.
- It was noted that the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (NJC) has reached an agreement on rates of pay applicable from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2025. As per the contract terms, it was agreed to backdate the clerk’s pay to the revised rate from 1st April.
Highways and Footpaths Issues in the Village
It was agreed to defer the item on Owl’s Green until Cllr. Hopewell-Smith was present to present his findings and discuss his proposals.
Welcome Pack & Neighbourhood Watch Scheme
It was agreed to defer this until Cllr. Mouncer was present.
Assertion 10 and AGAR
The clerk had produced a report on Assertion 10 which will form part of the AGAR. Implications for the Council were considered and this will be a recurring agenda item. The clerk is preparing an IT and Data policy for consideration and it was agreed to ask Suffolk Cloud to carry out a Website Accessibility Review at a cost of £70.
Tractor Mower
As requested at the last meeting, the Chair obtained quotes for leasing and hire purchase of a new tractor mower. Having reviewed the annual running costs of the current mower and its relatively low usage hours, Councillors agreed not to pursue purchase or lease at this time. Instead, services will be carried out as necessary to ensure the mower remains in good condition. These costs should be factored into the annual budget.
Insurance Renewal
The renewal premium and policy details were reviewed. The clerk has looked into prices from some other companies but they are all similar. It was noted that the cost is increasing and will need to be considered during budget setting. The policy was confirmed as still appropriate for the Council’s needs.
Meeting Dates for 2026
Following communication with the Village Hall, it was agreed to set meeting dates for 2026 now to ensure hall availability. The following dates were agreed:
- 11th January
- 16th March
- 11th May (Annual Parish Meeting and Annual General Meeting of the Council)
- 6th July
- 14th September
- 16th November
In addition, it was agreed to hold the village litter pick on 30th March and to advertise this thoroughly to raise awareness in the village. The clerk will circulate these dates and book the Hall.
Correspondence
Communications with the Sports Club Committee regarding the play area benefactors signage were noted.
SCC Dennington S19 Flood- six-monthly review request for Parish updates- Cllr. Wardley has been working on the village Emergency Plan and will be sharing the draft with Cllr. Lunn for his comments and input before the Council consider this.
Barclays- notification of decreasing interest rates.
Public Session
A resident observed that some of the notice boards are in poor condition and are under-used. The Chair will review their condition and bring any recommendations to the Council.
The resident also requested that the Public Forum be placed nearer the start of meetings so members of the public, as well as District and County Councillors, do not have to wait as long to contribute.
The resident asked if the Parish Council could set up an email mailing system for important updates, similar to the Village Hall. They also expressed disappointment that Councillors’ contact details are no longer publicly available. The Chair explained that this was due to data protection regulations and reiterated that all communications should be directed through the Clerk.
Councillor Reports on Actions and Updates
There were no additional reports.
Matters to be Raised at the Next Meeting
- Owl’s Green survey, footpath proposals and consider carrying out a traffic survey to establish if speeding is an issue
- Neighbourhood Watch Scheme and residents’ welcome pack
- Initial budget planning- to include increasing insurance costs and tractor service
- Village emailing list
Next Meeting
The next meeting was confirmed as being on Monday 10th November 2025. There being no further business, the Chair thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting at 8.45pm.
Signed …………………….. …………………………
Chair Date