2025-01-14 Agreed Mins JN V1

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BRADFORD ON TONE PARISH COUNCIL
Clerk: Joy Norris
Email: hello@bradfordontone-pc.gov.uk
Minutes of a meeting of Bradford On Tone Parish Council held on 14th January 2025,
commencing at 7.30pm in the Chant Room, Bradford on Tone Village Hall, Bradford On Tone.
Present
Chair: Councillor G Robarts
Councillors: Jim Leaney, David Smith (from 7.45pm), Dean Smith and Dennis Venn
In Attendance:
Miss J Norris (Clerk)
3 Members of the public attended the meeting.
1/2025 Chair’s Announcements
The Chair told the meeting that village stalwart Colin Dinsdale had passed away the previous
day.
The dog bin has been installed at the southern end of Back Lane.
2/2025 Apologies for absence
An apology for absence was received from Councillor David Smith.
3/2025 Declarations of Interest/Dispensations
No declarations of interest were made at this stage of the meeting.
4/2025 Minutes
Unfortunately the draft minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 12 November 2024
were not available for consideration.
RESOLVED to defer consideration of the minutes until the next Council meeting.
5/2025 Public Participation
This agenda item allows members of the public present at the meeting to raise matters which
are relevant to Bradford on Tone and / or the work of the Council.
Speaker 1
(i) The speaker asked if there is a possibility of putting signs on A38 that the road into the
village is not suitable for lorries i.e. restricted access?
(ii) The speaker then suggested that the bridge prohibition needs to be extended so that
lorries don’t get so far down the road and then get stuck and are unable to turn around
Speaker 2
(i) The speaker said that they were disappointed that a postponement notice for the
Council meeting wasn’t put on the noticeboard and also requested that in the future
copies of the draft minutes be put on the noticeboard along with a list of
Chair’s initials
any planning applications that had been received.

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(ii)
The footpaths along the main road are in a poor state of repair and very overgrown.
6/2025 Reports from Somerset Council Councillors
Councillor Mansell had sent his apologies so there was no report from Somerset Councillors.
7/2025 Financial Matters
(i)
Bank Reconciliations – a bank statement had not been received sufficiently prior to
the meeting to enable bank reconciliations to be completed.
(ii)
Consideration was given to approving items for payment (that the Clerk has
checked for accuracy).
RESOLVED To approve the payments detailed in the table below
Payee

Items

Invoice
Date

SALC

Councillor training
29.11.24

SALC

Net

VAT

Total

09.12.2025 1470

£25.00

0

£25.00

Councillor training
7.12.24

07.12.24

1414

£25.00

0

£25.00

Slashdotdash

Website updates

02.12.24

INV-0428

£50.70

0

£50.70

slashdotdash

Domain for 2 years

20.12.24

INV-0438

£130.00

0

£130.00

Somerset Council

Install dog bin

10.01.25

30096771

£100

20.00

£120.00

Earth Anchors

Dogbin

10.12.24

EA40651

£229.95

45.99

£275.94

Bradford on Tone
Village Hall

Hall hire 12.11.24

10.12.24

34/2425

£19.00

0

£19.00

St Giles Parochial
Church Council

Poppy Wreath

£20.00

0

£25.00

(iii)

Invoice No

2024/2025 Budget Monitoring
The Clerk advised the meeting that approx £7,330 had been spent to 31 December
which was 75% of the year.

8/2025 Reserves Policy
To review the Reserves Policy and agree any changes
RESOLVED
(i)
To convene an additional Council meeting on 28 January 2025
(ii)
to defer consideration of the reserves policy to the next meeting.
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Chair’s initials

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9/2025 25/26 Budget
To consider and agree the Parish Council’s budget and financial plans for2025/26 and
successive years.
RESOLVED to defer consideration of the 2025/2026 budget to the next meeting.
10/2025

25/26 Precept
To set the Parish Council’s precept for 2025/26
RESOLVED to defer consideration of the 2025/2026 precept to the next meeting.

11/2025

Planning Applications
Consideration was given to the Parish Council’s response to recent planning applications
within the parish or impacting upon it
Discussion on this agenda item included:
• Application 7/24/0012 Stone House, Hele Rd. This is a listed building - nothing we
can add to comments that have already been made
• Coach House – as with Stone House this is a listed building
• Ford Farm – this application has been refused by the planning authority
• Willow Cottage, Oak Rd Single extension – application registered 19.12.24; this
building is located on a flood ; the Parish Council will not be submitting a response
unless there are any neighbour comments
• Illuminated sign at Sheppys – the location of the sign was considered. The parish
Council has no comment on the application

12/2025

Responses to Road Safety Survey
Consideration was given to the responses to the recent road safety survey.
Discussion included
• 109 individuals replied to the survey from at least 66 households. 90 forms were
returned.
• There was 100% support for the Parish Council to research ways of reducing speed
through the village
• 105 responses supported the introduction of a 20mph speed limit.
• Enforcement of any speed limit will be vital to its success in reduce speeding
through the village
RESOLVED that the Parish Clerk should contact the highways authority (Somerset Council)
setting out the concerns regarding road safety including the number of vehicle
movements, the size of vehicles, the speed of vehicles and the lack of
pavements in some places; the purpose of the contact being to start a dialogue
regarding the options for improving road safety in the village in order to
develop an action plan.

13/2025

Review of Standing Orders
The Parish Council’s Standing Orders were reviewed.
RESOLVED that no changes are made to the Parish Council’s Standing
Orders.
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Chair’s initials

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14/2025 Asset Register
The asset register was reviewed and it was noted that the new dog bin located at the
southern end of Back Lane had been added.
RESOLVED that the existing dog bin located at the north end of Back Lane should be added
to the asset list with the same value as the new bin - £250

15/2025 Review of Internal Controls
The internal controls that the Parish Council has put in place were reviewed.
RESOLVED to approve the internal controls that have been implemented as stated in the
report presented to the meeting.
16/2025

Risk Register
To review the Risk Register
RESOLVED to defer consideration of the risk register to the next meeting.

17/2025

Schedule of Meetings
To consider the provisional meeting schedule for the 25/26 civic year.
The Parish Clerk was asked to move the meeting in January 2026 and March 2026 to a
week later than the equivalent meeting date in 2025.
RESOLVED to defer approval of the meeting schedule to the next meeting

18/2025

Police Reports
The reports for November and December 2024 had been circulated previously.

The meeting closed at 21:20hrs

Chair’s Signature & Date

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