May 2025 DRAFT Minutes - Annual Meeting
TALLINGTON PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Annual Parish Council Meeting
held in the Village Hall on Wednesday 28th May 2025
immediately after the Annual Parish Meeting.
Present: Chair Cllr P Sagar, Vice Chair Cllr J Smith, Cllr J Knox, Cllr R Sorrel, Clerk N Smith and 2 members of public.
Minutes
001/25. To elect the Chair of the Council for the coming year: Cllr J Smith proposed Cllr Sagar for the role of Chair, seconded by Cllr J Knox. Cllr Sagar confirmed his acceptance of the position.
002/25. To receive the Acceptance of Office form from the Chair and to hand over the sealed envelope containing passwords relating to the administration of the Parish Council: The Acceptance of Office form was signed by Cllr Sagar and counter-signed by the Clerk.
Hand over of sealed envelope carried forward to next meeting.
003/25. To elect the Vice Chair of the Council for the coming year: Cllr Sagar proposed Cllr J Smith for the role of Vice Chair, seconded by Cllr J Knox. Cllr J Smith confirmed his acceptance of the position.
004/25. To receive the Acceptance of Office form from the Vice Chair: The Acceptance of Office form was signed by Cllr J Smith and counter-signed by the Clerk.
005/25. To resolve to adopt updated Code of Conduct: The Clerk had downloaded the latest version Code of Conduct document from the LALC website and sent it to Councillors to read prior to the meeting. It was resolved to adopt the Code of Conduct.
Action: Clerk to update the website.
006/25. To take note of actions arising from the Annual Parish Meeting, consideration of any follow-up on the Parish Plan: It was resolved to present Adele with a retirement gift in recognition of her time running the Post Office in the Village Hall.
Action: Cllr J Knox to determine suitable gift and Parish will present to Adele on her last day.
007/25. To agree and sign Minutes of Annual Parish Council Meeting held on 28th May 2024: The minutes were approved as a true and accurate record and signed by the Chair. It was noted that APCM minutes should be approved at the next ordinary Council meeting not the following year.
Action: Clerk to update the website.
008/25. To review and confirm acceptance of the Internal Auditors report: The Clerk explained that an Internal Auditor had been found through LALC. The audit had high-lighted that the Council did not have all the statutory documents or processes in place. The Clerk would be working on these requirements over the next months and, would prepare and circulate, to Councillors for approval at different meetings.
It was resolved to accept the Internal Auditors report.
009/25. To complete, confirm and sign Section 1 (the Annual Governance Statement) of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2024/2025: The Clerk read out the Assertions on the Statement and then explained the reason for answering with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Recommendations by the Internal Auditor were taken into consideration.
Section 1 was completed as confirmation of acceptance, signed by the Chair and counter-signed by the Clerk.
010/25. To confirm and sign Section 2 (the Accounting Statements) of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2024/2025: Section 2 had been completed and signed by the Clerk/Responsible Financial Officer. The Clerk explained why the 31/3/24 Section 2 figures had been ‘Restated’ i.e. a returned cheque had been included in figures incorrectly, and there was no Fixed Asset Register to show values; therefore, the Clerk had completed a new Register for 2023/24 figure, with 2024/25 purchases included in the 31/3/25 figure.
It was resolved to accept Section 2, which was then counter-signed by the Chair.
Action: Clerk to submit AGAR and required documents to External Auditor, and publish on Council website.
011/25. To review and resolve to adopt the 2025 updated version of Standing Orders and Financial Regulations: This item was carried forward to give the Clerk time to prepare these documents for circulation to Councillors, ready for review and adoption at the July meeting.
012/25. To review and agree the Fixed Asset Register: The Clerk prepared a new register based on information in the Practitioners Guide 2025. Old minutes and documents were used to ascertain when items were received/bought and the value. When no records available best guess value stated. Chair confirmed that the Council do not own the Bus Shelter.
It was resolved to agree the Register.
Action: Clerk to update the website.
013/25. To review the renewal for the insurance policy for all insurable risks and to consider other options, due 12.7.25: Current Insurer is Zurich Municipal. The Renewal Premium is £1,157.07, last year £1,119.47.
Other quotes were £1,488.91 with Ecclesiastical through Clear Councils and £1,057.50 with Hiscox through Gallagher. Hiscox also offers a 3-year Long Term Agreement at this premium.
Action: Clerk to request further information and contact Councillors via email to agree which policy to take out. Renewal is due before next meeting.
014/25. To review the Council’s subscriptions to Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils and Parish Online: LALC provide advice, information and training for Parish Councils, they also look after the Council’s website.
Parish Online provide access to maps and useful data.
It was resolved to continue to be a member of both organisations.
015/25. To review the Council’s bank mandate:
It was resolved that the mandate should be updated to allow the Clerk/Responsible Financial Officer to input payments, and the Chair would then approve the payments. All banking is currently done online with Metro Bank.
016/25. To confirm regular payments from the Council’s bank account: Fixed monthly payments are £10 for Online Banking, £26 by DD for Trade Waste collections. Variable monthly payments are Clerk Salary/Expenses and Millenium Green maintenance. The Community Cleaner is paid quarterly.
It was resolved to continue with these payments.
017/25. To approve the use of Bacs/Internet Banking to make payments from the Council’s bank account (as required by our Financial Regulations):
It was resolved to approve the continued use of Bacs/Internet Banking to make payments from the Council’s account.
018/25. To review and sign Annual Internal Risk Assessment: The Internal Audit had shown that this document does not cover all areas of risk. The Council need to agree a more thorough table of Risk Assessment.
The Clerk will work on this with a view to presenting a new document at a future meeting. Cllr J Knox offered assistance to the Clerk in preparing this document.
019/25. Date of Next Meeting: Due to Half-term break it was agreed to move the next APCM forward to 20th May 2026.
The Chair then closed the Annual Meeting at 19h35 and announced that the ordinary Parish Council meeting would now start.