Parish Council Minutes – Tuesday 18 November 2014

Present:

  • Fr Kevin Thornton
  • Stephen Spooner (Chair)
  • John Green (Secretary)
  • Eva Kaltenthaler
  • Jim Conway
  • Jacinta Campbell
  • Anne Shepherd
  • Gill Foster

Apologies:

  • Belinda Barber
  • Jayne Middlemas
  • Stephen Parker
  • Greg Ryan

1. Matters Arising – None

 

2. Minutes were approved.

 

3. Questionnaire responses

A total of 47 questionnaires were returned, the following positive responses were obtained.

  1. Taizé Services – 37
  2. Bible study group – 10
  3. Day on music and spirituality – 18
  4. Day on spirituality of ageing – 10
  5. Film club – 16
  6. Event on Islam – 12
  7. Fundraising for Syria,Gaza,Iraq – 15
  8. Fundraising for St.Wilfrid’s Centre – 18
  9. Lunch Club – 6
  10. Social events – 22

The Parish Council agreed to look at those which had 12 or more supporters.

Any other ideas / comments ?

  • Morality in popular media
  • Walking group ( two supporters )
  • More joint masses
  • Exploring Evangeli Gaudium (copies to parishioners)
  • Youth club
  • Put parish at service of local community
  • Put hymn numbers in chapel
  • Doctor Who evening
  • Events for children at weekend

4. Maintenance

Notes of meeting held 15th October 2014

1. Roof: Pete Shaw will be asked to check the roof, with particular attention to the rooflights which leak during wind-driven rain. (This work had already been commissioned and has now been completed)

2. Floor in hall: TG to advise on suitable contractors to visit to advise on refurbishment.

  1. Roger Hyde Limited: The national experts in this field. 01787 463348. www.rogerhyde.co.uk
  2. A more local firm is 4D Contract Flooring in Leeds www.4dcontractflooring.com 0113 345 0406
  3. Fleetway – this name was mentioned on site by Fr Kevin, but I am unable to find any details of them. If there are records in the parish office, this would be helpful. (John to get)
  4. Electric blinds for roof lights to protect the floor.

3. Kitchen: There are different options for refurbishment:

  1. Full strip out of kitchen cupboards, worktops, sink, tiling and flooring. This could be undertaken by a suitable general building contractors. Recommended firms include:
    1. B4G Sheffield
    2. Russco & Son Builders
    3. Neway Building Services
  2. Replacement of the kitchen doors, drawer fronts, and possibly worktops. Suitable suppliers include:
    1. JA Horne Starlight, Sheffield
    2. Chesterfield Kitchens
  3. Replacement of the existing ‘safety’ sheet vinyl flooring. This flooring is grubby due to incorrect maintenance. It could be cleaned using a suitable cleaning machine, but due to its age and some heat damage, the better option would be to replace in a new ‘safety’ sheet vinyl. The flooring must be ‘slip-resistant’ to reduce potential risk. A suitable material is Polyflor Polysafe Standard. Suitable contractors to supply and fit are:
    1. Pyramid Linoleum and Carpets Sheffield
    2. Aizlewood & Casson Flooring Ltd Sheffield
  4. Food safety: Guidance on basic food hygiene is available on the Safety Toolbox website’s Information Centre as well the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website and the HSE website.
    1. Registering premises: The advice from Safety Toolbox is: “If food is prepared regularly on your premises (usually on five days or more in any period of five consecutive weeks) then you must register your premises with your local authority environmental health department. This enables the local authority to keep a record of all food businesses in their area and to carry out periodic inspections of registered premises to ensure they operate in a safe and hygienic manner. Most parish premises do not need to register their premises but if you are in any doubt you should contact your local authority environmental health department”. On the basis of the information provided on the current nature and frequency of food preparation, the premises at St Francis of Assisi do not need to be registered.
    2. Provision of a dishwasher. Provision of a good quality domestic dishwasher that dries crockery, cutlery etc at a high temperature may be worth considering for convenience, although the long wash/dry cycle time may cause inconvenience at times. Use of such a dishwasher would reduce the use of drying cloths e.g. ‘tea towels’, which can cause spread of bacteria.

4. Gents lavatories: Issues to consider include:

  1. Control on urinal flushing cistern. The current arrangement of a drip-valve has been prohibited by the Water Byelaws for many years as it wastes water. It is essential to fit a solenoid valve to the water supply to the flushing cistern linked to a Passive Infrared Detector (PIR) equipped controller. This will ensure that the cistern only flushes when someone enters the lavatory and then at regular intervals to ensure cleanliness. Suitable controllers that would require a plumber to fit are:
    1. Cistermiser IRC valve – mains or battery powered.
    2. Marnic Water Watch valve – mains or battery powered.
  2. Damage to ceiling above urinal flushing cistern. This damage has been caused by the splashing/spray from the drip-valve filling the cistern. Its replacement by a suitable control valve on the water supply should stop future problems. The current damage can be dealt with by scraping off the damaged paintwork and fixing a small panel of white plastic sheet to the ceiling above the cistern to mask the damage.
  3. Extraction fan. The extraction fan does not appear to be working. The fan should be checked, cleaned and repaired if necessary. If the fan is only controlled by an manual ‘on/off’ switch, a PIR-controlled switch should be fitted so that the fan only starts when someone enters the lavatory and then turns off again after a preset period. This task will require the services of an electrician.
  4. Provision of new hand drier. High speed hand driers are expensive. Fitting would require an electrician. It is also advisable to fit tiling or a plastic wall cladding to the wall surface below the drier to reduce the staining by water droplets. Examples are:
    1. Dyson Airblade DB: Circa £650 excluding fitting.
    2. Airforce Eco: Circa £260 excluding fitting.
  5. Lighting. To avoid the risk of the lights being left on for an extended period, it would be possible to fit a PIR detector to the lighting circuit so that the lights are switched on and off automatically in response to the lavatory being entered. This could be done at the same time as the extraction fan is checked. New light fittings can be fitted from a wide variety of suitable fittings.
  6. Redecoration. The walls and ceilings can be repainted relatively cheaply. In addition, decorative wall tiles or plastic cladding panels could be fitted to dado level.

5. Ladies lavatories: Issues to consider include:

  1. Extraction fan. The extraction fan does work. The fan should be cleaned to improve its effectiveness. If the fan is only controlled by an manual ‘on/off’ switch, a PIR-controlled switch should be fitted so that the fan only starts when someone enters the lavatory and then turns off again after a preset period. This task will require the services of an electrician.
  2. Heating radiator. The radiator is damaged by rust and requires replacement. The rust has developed due to physical damage to the paint to the radiator exposing the mild steel surface, which has then been subject to water droplets from use of the hand drier located immediately above the radiator. It would be sensible when replacing the radiator to use a smaller double-convector type radiator which would not extend under the hand drier (existing or replacement – see above).
  3. Quarry tile flooring. There are a number of damaged and loose quarry tiles to the floor. These should be replaced and the whole floor regrouted to ensure it is free of trip hazards and can be properly maintained.
  4. Lighting: Possible automatic switching (see above).
  5. Redecoration. The walls and ceilings can be repainted relatively cheaply. In addition, decorative wall tiles or plastic cladding panels could be fitted to dado level.

6. Accessible lavatory: (This lavatory was not viewed during the meeting and the following notes have been provided by John Green subsequently).

  1. Hot tap: This requires some attention.
  2. Hand drier: Possible replacement (see above).
  3. Lighting: Possible automatic switching (see above).

7. Main internal doors to church: The concealed floor spring requires repair or replacement.

  1. Post meeting note: BS Doors to attend to replace floor spring at a cost of £285 + VAT. (Already completed)

Note that the paved area outside the church will be repointed in the Spring of 2015 and the moss will be removed from the north elevation of the church roof.

Tom Garrud
Diocesan Property Manager
24th October 2014

Parish Council members are asked to look at all these areas for improvement and come prepared to discuss them at the next meeting. If you know of contractors please mention them.

Jim Conway to think of notice for Parking For Church Users Only and Access For Disabled Driver and ways of slowing cars as they leave the car park and cross the footpath.

Justice & Peace

Ask Sarah Baker for bank details to support the food bank.

Needy Parishes Fund, Sick and Retired Priests Fund and Emergency Collections will be doubled by the Parish. Childrens’ Liturgy Group will do something for the Middle East during Advent.

Spirituality & Liturgy Group

Advent Reflection on Monday 1st December at 7.30 pm in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

Taizé Reflection 16th December at 8.00pm

18th April 2015 Music & Spirituality Day 10.30-16.00

Pastoral Care & Community

Another two people have joined the group bringing a wheelchair visitor

There is a concert at St Luke’s this weekend.

Julie Hull is stopping the card making for Goodwill Village.

Next meetings:

Tuesday 20th January; Tuesday 17th March