Minutes of Extraordinary Council Meeting of 21st February 2024

MINUTES OF AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF NEWBY AND SCALBY TOWN COUNCIL

held in the Main Hall, Council Offices, 445b Scalby Road,

on Wednesday 21st February 2024 at 2pm.

                                                                                                                                                                             

PRESENT: Councillors R Thompson (Chairman), J Fennell, R Holliday, B Kendall, B Marley, J Shepherd, J Smith.

ALSO IN ATTENDANCE: Mrs J Marley (Clerk to Council).

ABSENT:       Cllrs. S Barnes, D Bastiman, S Foote, D Pickersgill

 

34/24             NON-ATTENDANCE OF COUNCILLORS

35/24.1            Apologies received & noted from Cllrs. D Bastiman, S Foote, D Pickersgill.

35/24.2            Resolved the reasons for absence given by Cllrs Bastiman (NYUC commitment), Foote (personal) and Pickersgill (health) be accepted..

 

36/24               DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST:  None to receive.

 

37/24               CORRESPONDENCE

37/24.1            Noted one Data Subject Access Request had been received during January.

37/24.2            Noted one Data subject Access Request had been received in early February.

37/24.3            Received request for dispensation [circulated with agenda] from Cllr. Marley so as to allow him to remain in the council chamber when the Schedule of Payments was approved. Cllr. Marley undertook not to take part in any discussion or vote in respect of payments to his spouse. The Council considered the criteria for allowing a dispensation and resolved dispensation be granted for the term of Cllr. Marley’s office.

37/24.4            Whole Council Training by YLCA [circulated with agenda] – possible dates were agreed of 21/5, 4/6, 11/7 and 16/7. Clerk to liaise with YLCA and report to future meeting.

37/24.5            Correspondence received after 8/02/24 which the Chairman of the meeting deemed it necessary to consider as a matter of urgency – letter from parishioner regarding Foulsyke Pond and Clerk’s reply was received & noted.

 

38/24               FINANCE, REGULATORY & GENERAL MATTERS

38/24.1            Resolved the Schedule of Accounts Payable for February 2024 (Sch 11, £23,309-62) [tabled at meeting] be approved.

38/24.2            Changes to bank mandate in light of Council having recently co-opted to several vacancies. Noted Cllr. Marley did not wish to be added to the mandate – resolved  Cllr. Kendall to be cheque only signatory, Cllr. Shepherd to be cheque and online signatory, Cllr. Pickersgill to be added as cheque and online subject to his agreement; Clerk instructed to liaise with Cllr. Pickersgill and complete necessary forms for bank.

38/24.3            Resolved  the Internal Auditor’s report [circulated with agenda] for October to December 2023 be received and noted.

38/24.4            Received Clerk’s report [circulated with agenda] & verbal update on the implications for Council of the recently received Data Subject Access and Freedom of Information requests – resolved specialist data protection processing firm in Leeds be asked to carry out the processing.

38/24.5            Biodiversity Policy – received Clerk’s report with draft policy [circulated with agenda] and resolved policy be adopted.

 

39/24              PLANNING APPLICATIONS & APPEALS NOTIFIED:-

Resolved comments on the following applications be submitted to the planning authority:-

  1. ZF23/01966/FL Alterations and extension to existing outbuilding to form family annexe/holiday cottage, together with alterations to main dwelling, The Manse, Low St, Scalby. No objections.
  2. ZF23/01967/LB Alterations and extension to existing outbuilding to form family annexe/holiday cottage, together with alterations to main dwelling, The Manse, Low St, Scalby. No objections.
  3. ZF23/02071/HAS Vary condition 1 of ZF23/01201/HS to allow larger extension, 4 Castle Mount Avenue, Scalby. No objections.
  4. ZF24/00098/HS Erect single storey side and rear extension, 34 Cross Lane, Newby. No objections.
  5. ZF24/00099/FLA Vary condition 1 of 21/01397/FL to allow alteration to ratio of render to brick, Former site of 79 Cross Lane, Newby. No objections.

 

40/24               PLANNING DECISIONS/WITHDRAWALS – Resolved the following be noted

  1. 22/00010/FL Retrospective change of use from scrapyard (sui generis) to open-air storage yard (B8 storage and distribution), retrospective erection of office/storage building and ablution building with septic tank, proposed erection of 1.8m brick wall and timber gates, Coastal Breakers, Coastal Road, Burniston. Withdrawn.
  2. ZF23/01519/HS Erect single storey rear extension, 15 Station Road, Scalby. Granted with conditions.
  3. ZF23/01663/HS Erect rear extension and front porch, 2 Fieldstead Crescent, Newby. Granted with conditions.
  4. ZF23/01822/HS Erect double storey side and single storey rear extension, 48 Lady Edith’s Avenue, Newby. Granted with conditions.
  5. ZF23/01954/FL Demolish existing building, erect 2no. bungalows and 1no. house, 143-245 Burniston Road, Newby. Refused.

 

41/24               PLANNING MATTERS RECEIVED AFTER 15/2/24  None.

42/24               REPORTS FROM OUTSIDE BODIES – none to receive.

43/24               VAS SIGNS

43/24.1            Additional mountings for VAS signs [Minute 189/23.1 refers].  Noted NYU Councillor Sharma had offered a Locality Grant towards the cost. Resolved 1] the additional mountings to be purchased, 2] Clerk and Chairman be authorised to sign the acceptance form and 3] Clerk to make necessary arrangements with contractors.

44/24               EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

At 3.05pm it was resolved that in accordance with section 1 of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the next item of business on the grounds it related to personnel/staffing, financial or legal matters.

45/24               CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS

45/24.1            A verbal update was given by Cllr. Smith on the redundancy consultation [Minute 33/24.3 refers] and was received & noted. Resolved to hold an Extraordinary Council meeting to consider the representations made and agree a decision on the redundancy proposal.

45/24.2            Following further advice from the Council’s HR adviser, the meeting agreed a revised way forward in an ongoing employment matter.

45/24.3            The Clerk reported on a media enquiry from the Yorkshire Post asking for a statement in respect of the independent investigation into the Clerk (a confidential report which had been prepared by Castle HR). A holding reply had been sent. Council agreed with the Clerk’s actions in making Council’s solicitors aware, a phone call took place in the meeting between the solicitor and councillors and it was resolved Council wished to prevent publication since the confidential report had been released without Council’s knowledge or consent. The solicitor and Clerk in conjunction with Cllr. Smith and the Chairman to work together to that end and prepare press releases as appropriate.

45/24.4            The Clerk reported on a complaint received from a parishioner regarding the lack of a public open forum at the council meeting of 14/2/24.

45/24.5            The Clerk reported that it appeared the ICO had given incorrect advice to one of the people who had submitted a SAR and a complaint had been made to the ICO in this respect.

45/24.6            Clerk confirmed that a report had been submitted to the Monitoring Officer in respect of NYU Cllr. Sharma [Minute 33/24.4 refers].

 

There being no further business, the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 4.44pm.

 

Cllr. Richard Thompson, Chairman

Dated: 20th March 2024