MINUTES OF THE LOWER WINTERBORNE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 3rd SEPTEMBER 2024, COMMENCING 7PM, AT WINTERBORNE KINGSTON VILLAGE HALL
Present: Cllrs R Allcock, K Langdown, Cllr S Hart, Cllr M Meaden and Cllr D Knapp
Chair: Cllr R Jessopp
Clerk: Mrs Alison Clothier
Also present:
Public Participation
No members of the public were present.
1 Declaration of Interest and requests for dispensations
24.158 No interests were declared, and no dispensations had been requested.
2 Apologies
24.159 Cllr L Luxford and H Andrews gave their apologies.
3 To approve a contractor for the grass cutting contract to include the Winterborne Kingston Recreation Ground, Play Area, Cemetery, Churchyard, Riverside, Footpath and Verges.
24.160 The Chair outlined that the current contractor had given one month’s notice over the summer and the contract finished on 22nd August. The extraordinary meeting was called because there was an urgency in appointing a new contractor and this would not wait until the scheduled Parish Council meeting. The previously approved contract was used to tender for six quotes however three declined to quote. The Clerk and Councillors met with three contractors who have all provided a price which is based on the same specification (See Appendix 1). All the parties that quoted were recommended to the Parish Council by other Parish Councils. It was queried whether the contract should be aligned to the financial year, and it was agreed that the contract would run until April 2026 in order to do this. It was also queried whether all the contractors had public liability insurance and it was noted that this forms part of the requirements of the contract that they would need to sign. The quotes are as follows: Quote 1 £13,950, Quote 2 £17,060 (with 2.5% discount for a two year term) and Quote 3 £17,312. The Parish Council felt that all of the contractors could fulfil the work and the recommendation was to approve the lowest quote (Quote 1). If this contractor turned down the contract then Quote 2 would be the next approved contractor. This was proposed by Cllr Allcock and seconded by Cllr Knapp with all in agreement.
The original contractor is prepared to continue the upkeep of the Allotment Field and this will be reviewed in April 2025. The Clerk will explore a tenancy agreement for the tractor shed.
There being no further business, the meeting closed at 19.19