MINUTES OF THE STOKE POGES RECREATION & ENVIRONMENT MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 25 OCTOBER 2021 AT 7.30 P.M.IN THE LIONEL RIGBY ROOM AT THE VILLAGE CENTRE, ROGERS LANE, STOKE POGES, SL2 4LP
Zoom Link: – https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81524813578?pwd=ZncyRmhEQlRaZjF1aTQrOUt1OHhFUT09Meeting ID: 815 2481 3578 Password: 730118
Present: – Cllr Carter (Chair), Cllr Bassi, Cllr Crocker and Cllr Egleton.
In Attendance: – Mrs J Simmonds (Clerk)
Absent: – Cllr Flower
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MINUTES
016/RE/21 Items by Members of Public Present first 15 Minutes.
The meeting is open to the public and press and the first 15 minutes will be reserved, if required, for public comment.
None
017/RE/21 Apologies for absence.
APOLOGIES were received from Cllr Bagge and Cllr Cox.
018/RE/21 Declarations of interest
Members to declare any personal interest in any item of business as defined in the Code of Conduct 2012. If that interest is a prejudicial interest as defined in the Code; the Member should withdraw from the meeting for that item.
None
019/RE/21 Minutes
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the R&E Committee held on 19 July 2021 which were signed by the Chairman.
020/RE/21 Football Bells Hill
Updated that the teams are all back playing, and all is going well.
021/RE/21 Nettleship Wood
Update on Frank Solari field and other paddocks, all going well.
NOTED request from tenant to address some broken fence posts around the perimeter. Cllr Carter proposed that the Council repair the posts as necessary and pay out of the maintenance budget, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
022/RE/21 Bells Hill and Plough Lane Recreation Grounds
NOTED MUGA is being locked and unlocked by volunteer neighbours. We Trialled locking at 7pm and 8pm during summer holidays to be fair to users and to be neighbourly, this worked well. No locking or un-locking during the winter months. To monitor.
NOTED new zip wire for Bells Hill is still or order and will be fitted as soon as in stock., hopefully delivery should be before Christmas 2021.
NOTED AND AGREED that new signage needs to be produced for the Recreations Grounds and is required under Health and Safety. AGREED the wording to include, No Dogs. No litter/drugs/alcohol. Please use provided bins and if full take your litter home. Ages for each area. Use at own risk. No electric scooters/vehicles. Clerk to email whole committee to agree wording and get ordered for both recreation grounds.
Cllr Crocker proposed to agree to place two more bins in Bells Hill Recreation Ground due to excessive use. Cost £450 each including installation by County to be taken from the general fund, this was seconded by Cllr Bassi, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
NOTED and all AGREED that the MUGA, and other pieces of play equipment require cleaning as they have a build-up of Green Algae, to remove graffiti and clean equipment and bins to agree to carry out under maintenance in the Spring. RESOLVED to agree all in favour for clerk to arrange out of maintenance budget.
023/RE/21 Pavilion
DISCUSSED and AGREED a way forward for the legionella water testing annually. RESOLVED to agree all in favour not to go with the full maintenance contract due to the excessive cost and AGREED to carry out the necessary monthly checks and have the system checked once a year instead. To investigate employing a new company to undertake the checks. This was also the advice given by the football teams manager.
024/RE/21 Allotments
Update tabled Cllr Cox on allotments. All NOTED.
025/RE/21 Bells Hill Green
Update on Friends of Bells Hill working party. Party will next meet in the Spring 2022, Cllr Carter will be planting around the statue in time for the 11/11 service.
RESOLVED to agree all in favour to have the trees crown lifted and for the costs to come out of the grant for the green, Clerk can go ahead if quotes are reasonable.
026/PC/21 Santa Sleigh
Update given on the repairing of the Santa Sleigh, update from Cllr Finan circulated. Cllr Finan and Mr Smith have worked for at least three nine-hour days on the sleigh and thanks were given to them both.
RESOLVED all in favour not to agree to the request from Cllr Bassi to loan the Sleigh to a commercial business. Reasons: It is a commercial business, it’s not within the Parish of Stoke Poges, insurance implications, work load to the Clerk in arranging it, no formal request from the commercial business, Councils do not lend out Parish assets, the fact that this business is currently being investigated by Planning Enforcement that it would not be wise to be seen to be involved with them.
027/PC/21 Carols on the Green
Cllr Bassi updated the committee on event for this year on Saturday 27 November 2021. NOTED that the event time has been changed to 4pm to 8pm due to the advice of experienced Councillors. The Traffic Road Closure has been accepted by Buckinghamshire Council. The SAG has not yet been approved. The reindeers will be on site for all four hours. The Marshal situation is still being investigated due to conflicting advice on what is
required. First aiders still need to be confirmed to ensure they have the correct paperwork. Stalls are still being arranged.
Cllr Bassi AGREED to finalise the list of volunteers, marshals and helpers to be passed to clerk for insurance purposes, and to send out a report to the whole of the Council ASAP on the event with a timeline so that they are informed, which will outline everyone’s jobs etc. Risk assessment to be updated and to include updated curent Covid regulations.
028/PC/21 Litter Picking Events
RESOLVED to agree all in favour, next litter picking dates to include three Saturday mornings and one Wednesday evening. Saturday 5 March 2022 10am-12noon, Saturday 14 May 2022 10am -12noon, Wednesday 13 July 2022 6pm-8pm and Saturday 10 September 2022 10am- 12noon.
029RE/21 – RESOLVED to agree price increases for the following for the budgets for the financial year 2022/2023.
Football Teams
Cllr Carter proposed to increase the annual rent costs for 2022/23 for budgets for all teams by 0%, this was
seconded by Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
Paddocks
Cllr Crocker proposed to increase the annual rent costs for 2022/23 for budgets for both paddocks by 3.2%, this
was seconded by Cllr Bassi, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
Pavilion
Cllr Carter proposed to increase the annual rent costs for 2022/23 for budgets for all uniformed groups by 0%, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
Allotments
Cllr Crocker proposed to increase the annual rent costs for 2022/23 for budgets for all plots by 3.2%, this was seconded by Cllr Bassi, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
Tennis Club
Cllr Crocker proposed to increase the annual rent costs for 2022/23 for budgets for the club by 3.2%, this was seconded by Cllr Bassi, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
030/RE/21 – REOLVED To agree any payment increases for the following for 2022/2023
Playground Inspections/Litter Picking
Cllr Carter proposed to increase the litter picking by £10 per month and the Inspections by £10 per month for the annual increase for 2022/23 for budgets, this was seconded by Cllr Bassi, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
Pavilion Management
Cllr Carter proposed to increase the payment by £2 per hour for the annual increase for 2022/23 for budgets, this was seconded by Cllr Egleton, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
031/PC/21 – Finance Budgets 22/23
NOTED budgets and additions put together by Clerk for 22/23. (Current rate of inflation August 2021 is 3.2% as a guide).
Cllr Crocker proposed to add a new line for replacement play equipment as the inspection’s reports show that a lot of equipment in Bells Hill is wooden and is rotting and needs replacing like for like in metal, £30k was proposed as a start to build up a fund in reserves for the replacement, this was seconded by Cllr Bassi, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
Cllr Carter proposed to add £8k into the events line to cater for the Platinum Jubilee in 2022, this was seconded by Cllr Bassi, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
Cllr Carter proposed in increase the Carols on the Green line to £1500 as costs have increased, this was seconded by Cllr Bassi, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
AGREED to try to get some Beeches funding for new play equipment under the health and wellbeing, keeping active umbrella. Clerk to progress with Cllr Carter.
Cllr Carter proposed to accept the budgets with the above additions to take forward to Finance for ratification at the next meeting, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
032/RE/21 – NOTED Date of next meeting: –
28 February 2022
Meeting ended at 9.32pm.
Signed/Chairman Dated