Members of the Council

You are hereby summoned to the Ordinary Meeting of the Parish Council which will be held in the Village Hall on Thursday 26 June 2025 at 7.30pm for the purpose of transacting the business below.

Members of the public

Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting and may address the Council, during the Public Participation Session, Item 5.2 on the agenda.

Reporting on Meetings

Except where members of the public have been excluded due to the confidential nature of the business, any person is normally able to film, photograph, audio record or use social media to report on meetings of the Council, including any public comment and/or questions.

AGENDA

1.. To receive any apologies for absence.

2. To receive, from Members, any declarations of interest in items on the agenda in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct.

3. To approve the minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council held on 22 May 2025.

4. To review progress on all outstanding actions from minutes of previous meetings.

2022/178: Pavilion Balustrade:
A second Contractor’s quotation for a new balustrade has been received but was based on a different specification. Cllr Golding to provide contractor contact details to allow the Clerk to obtain two like for like quotes for the next meeting.
.
2024/066.4: Financial Regulations: The Working Group will make a recommendation to a future Parish Council Meeting on the adoption of digital payments & on-line banking.

2024/101.2.7: Parish Paths: Cllr Baber is still awaiting a costed proposal from SCC, to replace the bridge in Old Hall Lane.

2024/176: Defibrillator Coverage at Cross Green: Following approval for the purchase of a new defibrillator at the Extraordinary Meeting of the Parish Council on 12 May 2025, the Clerk to place a contract with The Heartbeat Trust.
Cllr Morley to identify the location of the telephone box with the village name inserted in one of the panels, to enable the Clerk to obtain quotations for a similar sign for Cross Green.

2025/008.2: Neighbourhood CIL Expenditure: Cllr Morley advised that two quotes had been received and a further quotation being sought for a pedestrian bridge at Jeffreys Green. A recommendation from the CIL Working Group would be made to the June Parish Council Meeting.

2025/046.1.2: Glebe Land: Cllr Morley to instruct A Creasy to strim along the Allotment Access track & Car Park and the 3 No. vacant plots.
Cllrs Levett, Fletcher and Morley to meet and determine the appropriate weed suppression treatment and to instruct a contractor accordingly.

2025/046.1.6: Village Hall Car Park: Cllr Morley to instruct S Bradnam to undertake the 6 monthly hedge trim around the car park.
The Clerk to instruct A Creasy to clear the weeds around the car park.

2025/046.1.9: Bus Shelter: Cllr Morley to instruct A Creasy to strim around the Bus Shelter.

5. Public Participation Session: (15 minutes).

5.1 Suffolk County Councillor and Babergh District Councillor Reports.

5.2 Public comment.

6. Planning:

6.1 To consider any applications received which have been referred to the Parish Council:

DC/25/02168: Householder application – Erection of single storey side extension: 3 Crowbrook Cottages, Cockfield, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP30 0HX (Consultation Response Deadline: 2nd July 2025)

6.2 To note any Babergh District Council planning permissions/refusals received:

DC/25/02432: Discharge of Conditions Application for DC/25/01022 – Condition 3 (Archaeology): Church Cottage, Church Lane, Cockfield, Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP30 0LA (Decision: Conditions Approved)

DC/25/01838: Discharge of Conditions Application for DC/24/05289 – Conditions 4 (Electric Vehicle Charging), 7 (Fenestration), 8 (Boundary Treatments) and 11 (Biodiversity Enhancement Layout): Plough And Fleece Inn, Great Green, Cockfield, Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP30 0HJ (Decision: Conditions Approved)

7. Finance:

7.1 To receive a financial reconciliation report.
7.2 To authorise Payments as presented and to note Income received.
7.3 To consider a proposal from the Allotment Working Group to accept quotations from Mark Calver to:
7.3.1: apply a second treatment of glyphosate to the 3 No. allotments, entrance, access track and car park for £170, and
7.3.2: rotovate the 3 No. allotments with industrial rotovator to a depth of 8” for £385.
7.4 To consider a proposal from the Clerk for Cllrs to transfer monies from the PC Barclays account into the Cambridge Building Society Account.

8. Financial Governance – AGAR:
8.1 To review the systems of internal control & take action as appropriate and in compliance with the Accounts & Audit Regulations 2015, to approve the completion of Section 1 of the Annual Return – “Annual Governance Statement 2024/25” for Cockfield Parish Council.
8.2 To approve Section 2 of the Annual Return – “Accounting Statements 2024/25” for Cockfield Parish Council.

9 Adoption of Governance Documents: To adopt the Risk Register (Circulated to Cllrs in advance of the meeting)

10. Village Shop:
Cllr Morley to provide feedback from attendance at the Volunteers’ Meeting and Open Public Meeting on the future of the Village Shop.

11. Maintenance Schedule and Asset Management:

11.1 Maintenance Matters by exception:
11.1.1 Greens Management (including Bandstand)
11.1.2 Glebe Land (including Allotments)
11.1.3 Earls Meadow/Bruffs Line/Jeffreys Green
11.1.4 Cemetery
11.1.5 Playground
11.1.6 Village Hall Car Park
11.1.7 Parish Paths
11.1.8 Pavilion (including Storage Shed)
11.1.9 Bus Shelter
11.1.10 Notice Boards & Benches.
11.1.11 Village Sign
11.1.12 Speed Indicator Devices
11.1.13 Other Assets

11.2 Maintenance Calendar (Full review, February, June, October only)
To undertake full review of 2024/25 Maintenance Requirements for budget preparation purposes.

12. Third Party Liaison: By Exception, to receive any reports from lead members on matters which need to be brought to the attention of the Council and to take actions appropriate:
12.1 Suffolk Association of Local Councils (SALC) – Cllr Nic Knight.
12.2 Highways and Emergencies -Cllr Cutting-Keyton/Cllr Levett.
12.3 Police/Fire – Cllr Levett.
12.4 BMSDC – Cllr Levett:

13. Jeffreys Green:
13.1 The Clerk to provide a progress update on the transfer of land below Jeffreys Green from SCC to Cockfield Parish Council.
13.2 Cllr Morley to submit a proposal for a new pedestrian footbridge over the river in Jeffreys Green.

14. Local Needs Housing: To consider any matters – Cllr Morley

15. Correspondence:
To consider a request from Bradfield St Clare Parish Council to submit written support for their request to an extension to one of the bus routes (either Chambers 375 or Mulleys 377) circulated to Cllrs in advance of the meeting.

16. Matters to be brought to the attention of the Council either for information or for inclusion on the agenda of a future Ordinary Meeting.

17. Next Meetings:
The next Ordinary Meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Thursday 31 July 2025 at 7.30pm, in the Village Hall.

Parish Clerk: Steve Ball, Proper Officer of the Council
Address: Green Ridge, Howe Lane, Cockfield, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP30 0HA
Tel: 01284 828987
E-mail: parish.council@cockfield.org.uk

Published: 20th June 2025