Ravenfield Parish Council

The Minutes of Ravenfield Parish Council Minutes of the Ravenfield Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 14 April 2022 at 6.30pm in Ravenfield Parish Hall, chaired by Councillor D Rowley.

Present: Councillors K Jay, R Jupp, T Leach, R O’Nion, N Pearson, D Rowley and Clerk G O’Carroll.

Three members of the public were present.

73/22 APOLOGIES – Apologies received and accepted from Councillor Jupp. Councillor Callear was not present.

74/22 DECLARATION OF DISCLOSABLE PECULINARY AND OTHER INTERSTS – none declared.

75/22 ITEMS TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PUBLIC AND PRESS

76/22 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – see attached report.

77/22 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES - The Council RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 31 March 2022 be a true and accurate record of the proceedings.

78/22 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES. Reference minute 56/22 (c). The replacement basket swing for Hollings Lane play area has arrived, but the fixings are incompatible. Rotherham MBC are awaiting further direction from Kompan before able to install. Reference Minute 57/22
(a) – The Clerk asked where the Council would like the defibrillator cabinet to be positioned at the Parish Hall. The Council RESOLVED that the cabinet should be fixed in the porch area. Under the public participation of the meeting held 31 March 2022, concerns of recent activity to the side/rear of the MOT Centre on Hollings Lane were reported. The Clerk confirmed that Rotherham MBC Enforcement Officers are investigating.

79/22 CORRESPONDENCE

80/22 MATTERS RELATING TO THE RECREATION GROUNDS
(a) Jubilee field, drainage update. No further information received. The Clerk has notified Harrison Lamb, Senior Technician, Drainage Network, Rotherham MBC of the fete on 18 June 2022 and asked for details of when the drainage work is scheduled to be carried out.

81/22 MATTERS RELATING TO THE PARISH
(a) Queens Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, Saturday 4 June 2022. The Council cannot obtain any straw bales for use at a community picnic. The event is to be advertised as bring your own deckchair. There was concern that the event has no structure or planned activities. Councillor Jay has obtained an information pack, containing street games ideas, and asked if the Council would cover the cost of these? Action: Councillor Jay to provide more information/costs of street games etc. Councillor Leach to look at arranging an ice cream van attend. Clerk to contact the Events groups to loan their buntings. The Council will finalise the event details at the next meeting.
(b) Bramley Brass Band cannot confirm if they can play at the Christmas light switch on (1 December 2022, 6:00pm) until they next meet on 24 April 2022. The Clerk is returning the Christmas light fob to ChristmasPlus, so that this can be re-programmed with the additional lights. Councillors asked about the old fairy lights taken down from the conifer outside The Cavalier. Christmas-Plus left under the conifer tree. Action: Ravenfield Parish Council –14 April 2022 Page 2 of 5 Councillor Rowley to speak with The Cavalier landlord to locate these.
(c) Notice Board on Braithwell Road, opposite the shops. The Clerk apologised that has not yet obtained details of a suitable replacement/quotations. Action: To revisit at the next meeting.

82/22 MATTERS RELATING TO THE PARISH HALL The Clerk reported that the toddler group had accidently switched on the oven hob, causing a plastic box left on top of the oven, to melt. This set the smoke alarm off. A risk assessment identified that the isolator switch was situated behind the fridge and not accessible. The cost to relocate the oven hob isolator switch to the side of the oven would be £65.00 exc VAT. The Council RESOLVED that the isolator switch be relocated as soon as possible, and asked that the Toddler group confirm they have public liability insurance in place.

83/22 MATTERS RELATING TO THE PARISH COUNCIL
(a) Unity bank update: The Clerk reported still chasing for a Post Office, paying in card.
(b) Staff Pension Policy. The Clerk is in receipt of a welcome letter and log in details, and is awaiting a date for an online tutorial.
(c) Ravenfield Emergency Community Plan. The Clerk is in the process of updating this document but requires help with the flooding section. Rotherham MBC advised this section was not applicable for Ravenfield and could be removed. The Council agreed that flooding should be included in the document, given a number of properties have been flooded in recent years. Action: Councillor O’Nion offered to assist with this.
(d) Community Plan Questionnaire. The Council made amendments to the draft. Action: Clerk to circulate the revised questionnaire for review at the next Council meeting.

84/22 REPORTS FROM RAVENFIELD COMMUNITY GROUP PLAN (RCGP) £396.00 was raised from the pop-up café held in the Parish Hall on Sunday 20 March 2022. The money raised has been donated to the Ukraine appeal.

85/22 REPORTS FROM RAVENFIELD ALLOTMENT COMMITEE
(a) The tenancy agreement has been sent to YLCA for checking of the wording.

86/22 MATTERS RELATING TO REDROW DEVELOPMENT An email was received on 13 April 2022, Robert Morrell, Principal Planner at Rotherham MBC confirming that there are no updates on this application and that it is unlikely to go to the planning board at this time, as there is still information outstanding from the developers, that needs considering and a further round of public consultation is likely.

87/22 MATTERS RELATING TO GREEN ITEMS Councillor Jay noted that Wales and Kiveton Parish Council have a green display, and maybe worthwhile speaking with them for ideas.

88/22 PLANNING RB2022/0530 – 21 Hollings Lane. Demolition of existing garage and side extension and erection of a single storey front, side and rear extension. Noted. No objections raised.

89/22 EXTERNAL MEETINGS Councillor Leach attended the Roles and Responsibilities of a Councillor webinar hosted by YLCA on 5 April 2022. Ravenfield Parish Council –14 April 2022 Page 3 of 5 Councillor Leach asked when the Standing Orders were last reviewed, as this should be every year. The Clerk confirmed these were reviewed 2021. Action: Clerk to circulate for review. Councillor Leach asked if the Ravenfield Community Plan Group had been issued with a term of reference? The Clerk confirmed not. Councillors explained that the group was a constitution set up to support the Parish Council by being able to apply for grants and funding not available to a Parish Council. Action: Clerk to draft terms of reference.

90/22 YORKSHIRE LOCAL COUNCILS ASSOCIATIONS

91/22 MINOR ITEMS AND ITEMS FOR THE NEXT AGENDA
(a) Election of Chair and Vice-Chair. The Council RESOLVED to continue to rotate the Chair and Vice-Chair every 12 months as a matter of good practice.

92/22 FINANCIAL MATTERS
(a) Update on Council’s finances. The information was noted and approved.
(b) Payments to be made were approved.
(c) Year End Accounts. The Internal Auditor will collect the accounts once the March HSBC bank statement has arrived. This is expected 24 April 2022 onwards.
(d) CIL Annual Report 2021/2022. Circulated and noted.
(e) The Council RESOLVED to renew the gas and electricity contract with E.On to a fixed 12 month contract, reducing the current variable rate standing charges from 78.81p per day for electricity, and 78p a day for gas, to 30p per day for electricity and 48p per day for gas. kWh rates are unchanged.

93/22 DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING
(a) The date and time of the next meeting was confirmed as 12 May 2022 at 6.30pm, to be held in the Parish Hall.

94/22 EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC It was moved that under Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12(A) of such Act indicated, as now amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, information relates to finance and business affairs. It was moved that under Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business due to the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.

95/22 DISCUSSION OF ITEMS FOR WHICH THE PRESS AND PUBLIC HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED.

96/22 CLOSURE OF MEETING The meeting was closed at 8:41pm

Ravenfield Parish Council

Public Participation 14 April 2022

Question was raised of a community hut being placed on the allotment site. Councillor Leach explained that there are no plans for a community hut, it was an off the cuff comment. There is a requirement for a shared storage shed to store tools and materials. When the allotment is established, it is expected that each plot will have their own shed.

The Council was asked if Ravenfield Parish Council would agree to becoming a hedgehog friendly village?
No objections raised, the Council would want to protect wildlife.

Question was raised if Redrow Homes will be hedgehog friendly? Redrow did comment at the last meeting that biodiversity is of importance.

Councillor O’Nion raised concern of large amounts of hedgerows being removed in the area (Hilldrecks footpath to Garden Lane). The hedgerows are more than 20 years old and considered ancient. Action: Clerk to contact Mr Woolhouse to ask why the hedgerow is/has been removed.

Resident of Birchwood Drive made the Council aware of concerns that the garden wall to their property is very unsafe. The wall (situated between 14 – 18 Birchwood Drive) has been reported to Rotherham MBC and awaiting a survey be conducted. The resident has seen parents of toddlers using the wall to support car seats and children on. Cars park outside the wall, half on the kerb and half on the road, and believes that the weight of the cars is adding more danger to the wall collapsing. The resident would like a sign that can be placed outside the property to ask people stay clear of the wall and not to park on the pavement. The Council RESOLVED that the Clerk notify the Toddler group of the reported issues and ask that parents pay attention not to park on the pavement or use the wall.