2024 Meeting Minutes

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Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held 19:30hrs, Tuesday, 05 March 2024, at Pinchbeck Community Hub & Library.

Present:    Cllr Lynne Andrew, Cllr James Avery (chair), Cllr Emma Beavis, Cllr Andy Chamberlain, Cllr Geoff Garner, Cllr Terry Moore, Cllr Dean Roizer, Cllr Ann Savage, Cllr John Smith, Cllr Phil Tweddell, Mr Robert Smith (clerk), District & County Cllr Elizabeth Sneath, five members of the public.

Absent:     Cllr Audrey Gregory, Cllr Sam Jeffery, Cllr Peter Ruysen, Cllr Ben Sear, Cllr Oliver Wood,

Unless otherwise stated actions are to be undertaken by the clerk.

24.023.Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Gregory, Cllr Jeffery, Cllr Ruysen, Cllr Sear, Cllr Wood, & Dist. Cllr Slade.

24.024.There were no declarations of disclosable interests, nor requests for dispensation.

24.025.Members of the public made the following representations.

01.The seriousness and regularity of surface water flooding at the layby on Knight Street in front of the Spar shop was raised. This had been reported by the member of public on https://fixmystreet.lincolnshire.gov.uk/. Cllr Sneath said that she had also photographed and reported the problem to County Highways.

02.Pinchbeck East Primary Academy PTA were seeking to raise £50k for playground improvements. The chairman suggested that applications could be made to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, details could be found on the District Council’s website https://www.sholland.gov.uk/UKSPF.

24.026.The Council resolved to approve the minutes of the 29 January 2024 Parish Council meeting.

24.027.Chairman’s report.

01.The chairman commented on the Pinchbeck WI’s request (agenda item 8) to plant a centenary commemoration tree on Parish Council land at the War Memorial. He noted that this was a more suitable location than the one he had first discussed with them.

02.The chairman was sad to note that a deer had been mauled and left to die behind the water tower. Owners were reminded that dogs should always be kept under control. This was particularly relevant to areas like Pinchbeck Wood. Members of the public aware of large sick or injured wildlife (larger than a pigeon or rabbit), should keep a safe distance and report to the RSPCA: https://www.rspca.org.uk/utilities/contactus/reportcruelty. Dead animals on the highway or on any public land should be reported to the District Council (SHDC) https://forms.sholland.gov.uk/tkflow/Flow.aspx/.

03.A beech tree in memory of Barbara Camps had been planted on green space adjacent to the new Parish Council cemetery at Blue Gowt Lane. A plaque and ceremony would be arranged at an appropriate time.

04.Consultation on the proposed Grimsby to Walpole overhead electricity transmission line was open until 13 March 2024. Whilst the preferred corridor for the overhead line did not come through Pinchbeck, this was a huge project. To have your say visit the National Grid site: https://www.nationalgrid.com/electricity-transmission/network-and-infrastructure/infrastructure-projects/grimsby-to-walpole

24.028.Clerk’s report / matters arising not on the agenda.

01.The Parish Council’s Precept Requirement for 2024-25 had been submitted to South Holland District Council and its receipt acknowledged.

02.Planning comments had been sent to SHDC, as resolved.

03.Information on the Parish Council’s website had been updated. This included the addition of recently adopted policies and procedures.

04.Outstanding VAT reclaims up to 31 December 2023 had been submitted to HMRC. Payments of £15,524.24 had been received for the current financial year. Receipt of £33,978.88 relating to the year to 31 March 2023 was awaited. Future VAT reclaims would be submitted quarterly.

05.A meeting of the Community Hub & Library Committee was scheduled for 11 March 2024.

06.Grounds maintenance works had been awarded, as resolved.

07.Works for car park surfacing at North Gate had been awarded, as resolved.

08.Clerk’s training

i.A one-day event awareness course was attended 04/03/24 in Lincoln, to help with future planning and risk assessments.

ii.Play area inspector’s course training was scheduled for 13/03/24.

iii.Traffic Management for Community Events was scheduled for 16/03/24.

09.An application had been submitted for a free framed photograph of HM King Charles III.

10.Highways verge grass cutting works had been awarded, as resolved.

11.PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) for the hub & library had been completed.

12.Internal auditing work continued. A remote meeting with the auditor was scheduled for 11/03/23.

13.A letter to County Councillor Sneath requesting LCC install a crossing point on Dozen’s Bank was pending.

14.Letters to residents about incursions onto Parish Council property were pending. Regarding unauthorised gateway access onto the Parish Council’s parks, the clerk was to look at offering residents the option of an annual access agreement with an appropriate charge.

15.A business case has been raised by Lincolnshire County Council to fix guttering and damp issues at the hub and library. It was hoped that these works would be given approval by LCC soon.

16.Email addresses would shortly be made available to all councillors. Any councillors with problems using existing parish email addresses to contact the clerk.

17.A letter was to be sent to a resident neighbour the Cherry Holt Lane cemetery requesting that the state of bordering hedges be addressed and deposited hedge cuttings removed.

24.029.Financial matters.

01.It was resolved to approve the January 2024 bank reconciliation and bank transactions (see appendix 1).

02.It was resolved to approve payments to 05 March 2024 (see appendix 2).

03.Barclays Community Account ending 7251 had been reallocated to hold funds relating to second-hand book sales and donations for the ‘All Kinds of Everything Fund’. The fund’s bank balance stood at £1,770.00. A modest cash float was also held. It was resolved to set up a reserve account for the fund for which separate accounts would be maintained.

04.It was resolved to transfer into General Reserves, earmarked reserves of £8,097.66, incorrectly allocated to Carnival.

24.030.Correspondence.

01.It was resolved to publish on the Council’s website a poster detailing Citizens Advice support for older people.

02.Receipt of information from South & East Lincolnshire Climate Action Network (SELCAN), offering free seminars to businesses to help them operate in a climate friendly way was noted.

03.A request from Lincolnshire County Council to identify locations for new electric vehicle charging points was noted.

04.Information about funding available for Parish, Community & Village Hall Projects in South Holland District was noted.

05.LALC e-news update was noted.

06.A discussion took place about a proposed Solar Farm south of Spalding see www.meridiansolar.co.uk. Councillors were of the general view that good quality farmland should be retained for food production. When a planning application was submitted it would be decided upon by the Secretary of State, in line with energy national policy statements.

07.Information on the Great British Spring Clean 2024 to be held 15 to 31 March 2024 was noted.

08.Feedback and presentation from Police & Crime Commissioner’s Parish Council Engagement Session held 20th February 2024 was noted.

09.Information on Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind Community Liaison Group was noted.

10.Following a request from the Carnival Committee it was resolved to accept its kind offer to increase the number of lights for the Christmas tree, the electricity for which would be supplied through the Parish Council. Quotes were to be sought to install the defibrillator near to the entrance to the hub and library, and to accept an offer by a LIVES member to undertake regular checks of the machine.

11.Correspondence relating to the lease of the Glebe Field was to be moved to closed session because the matter was of a sensitive nature.

12.It was resolved that a poster about Easter opening and operating times for the CallConnect Bus service should be published on the PC’s website.

13.It was resolved to approve the planting of a tree by the WI on land at the War Memorial. Cllr Moore would liaise with the WI chair.

24.031.Planning applications.

01.H14-0178-24: 12 Church Street, PE11 3UA. Works to trees in conservation Area. It was resolved to support the application as necessary works.

02.H14-0176-24: 82 Surfleet Road, PE11 3XY. Concrete hardstanding for vehicle parking and vehicular access. Concerns about increasing areas of impermeable surfaces in the Parish were expressed. It was resolved to delegate to the chairman the submission to planners of an appropriate comment.

03.H14-0162-24: Nunnerley House, Leaveslake Drove, PE11 3QJ. Replacement of UPVC windows, demolition of rear extension & external alterations to listed building. It was resolved to support the application because it was in keeping with the area.

04.H14-0141-24: Keston Nurseries, Mill Green Road. Condition compliance details of boundary treatment. It was resolved to support the application as appropriate to the development.

05.H14-0131-24: Mulberry House, Northgate, PE11 3TB. Rear extension. It was resolved to support the application as in keeping with the location.

06.H14-0107-24: Longrow Farmhouse, 167 Starlode Drove, PE11 3TD. Conversion of recording studio & barns to form a 3-bedroom dwelling. It was resolved to support the application as in keeping with the area.

07.H14-0100-24: 31 Wardentree Lane, PE11 3UF. Removal of brickwork to join two patio doors. It was resolved to support the application because it improved the building’s aspect.

08.H14-0088-24: Marriott Farm, Black Hole Drove, PE11 3QL. Change of use from domestic dwelling to children's residential home. It was resolved to make no comment.

24.032.The Council noted South Holland Planning decisions, as published on the SHDC website, and circulated with the agenda.

24.033.The chairman was awaiting dates from LCC for a meeting to discuss Parish highways’ matters.

24.034.Cllr Moore was to obtain quotes for tree works required on the Glebe Field.

24.035.Cllr Moore, reported on the construction of the Blue Gowt Lane cemetery.

i.The contractor had received confirmation from Network Rail that works could proceed subject to appropriate safety guidelines.

ii.LCC had decided that only a vehicle crossing permission needed to be applied for, further permits were not required. The clerk would issue an appropriate letter of authority.

iii.Permission had been obtained from Welland & Deeping IDB to install a culvert to cross the ditch onto Blue Gowt Lane with the new site access.

iv.As part of the planning conditions, the drainage plan had been submitted to SHDC.

v.Anglian Water had partially completed the inspection and approval of the installation of the new barrier water supply pipework. This would be completed before making the connection.

vi.SHDC had acknowledged that the amenity building was exempt from s.41 building consent.

vii.Strip footings as intended for the amenity building were not viable, due to ground water levels causing the collapse of excavations. Instead, the construction was undertaken by way of a continuous reinforced concrete slab on a compacted hardcore base, with an intervening waterproof membrane. The foundations were complete, brickwork was now underway.

24.036.It was resolved to authorise the chairman and clerk to jointly make payments to the contractor, Gunns & Roses Ltd, in accordance with the circulated contractor’s payments’ schedule.

24.037.It was resolved to ratify the submission of an application made by Cllr Smith to the GRASSroots fund for improvements to the hub and library.

24.038.It was resolved to approve the subscription to Scribe Accounting and Cemetery Software from 1st April 2024 at an annual cost of £1,008.00, plus £479.00 onboarding fees (excl. VAT)

24.039.Having been circulated with the agenda, it was resolved to adopt an updated Complaint’s Procedure.

24.040.Next meetings:

01.Annual Parish Meeting: 7pm Monday 18 March 2024

02.Parish Council Meeting: 7.30pm Monday, 25 March 2024.

24.041.It was resolved to move into closed session on the grounds of confidentiality in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 s.1(2).

20:35hrs Cllr Sneath and five members of the public left the meeting.

24.042.The Council resolved appropriately regarding an email received relating to the lease of the Glebe Field.

24.043.Quotes for Works

01.Additional quotes were to be sought for the renovation of three green metal benches on Knight Street, Church Street, & Surfleet Road, as well as for the benches in Cherry Holt Lane cemetery.

02.It was resolved to approve works for the installation of fire alarm sounder for back room at the discretion of the clerk.

03.It was resolved to approve works for the Hub & Library’s Electrical Installation Conditioning Report.

04.It was resolved to approve quote for the installation of bench outside the hub and library in remembrance of Mrs Barbara Camps. This was subject to final installation approval from Lincolnshire County Council.

24.044.Upcoming holiday dates for the clerk were noted.

The chairman closed the meeting at 21:16hrs.