2025 Minutes

Draft minutes subject to approval at the next meeting.

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Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held at 19:30 hrs, Monday, 28 July 2025, at West Pinchbeck Village Hall, Six House Bank, West Pinchbeck, Spalding, PE11 3QG.

Present: Cllr Ann Savage (Chair), Cllr James Avery (Vice-chair), Cllr Emma Beavis, Cllr Geoff Garner, Cllr Samantha Jeffery, Cllr Terry Moore, Cllr Peter Ruysen, Cllr John Smith, Cllr Phil Tweddell, Mr Robert Smith (Clerk), Nicola Jowett (Administration Assistant), County Cllr Ingrid  Sheard.

Absent: Cllr Andy Chamberlain, Cllr Audrey Gregory, Cllr Oliver Wood.

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

25.114.Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Chamberlain, Cllr Wood, District Cllr Sneath, and District Cllr Slade.

25.115.No declarations of disclosable interests or requests for dispensation were received.

25.116.No members of the public were present.

25.117.It was resolved to approve the minutes of the Annual Parish Council meeting held 30 June 2025.

25.118.Chair’s report: No matters were reported.

25.119.Clerk’s report / matters arising.

01.Planning comments had been submitted to the District Council (SHDC), as resolved.

02.Work on the Emergency Community Plan remained to be arranged.

03.Barclays account signatory changes were still in progress.

04.An application for a Unity Trust payment card for the Administration Assistant is still in progress.

05.A new baby changing unit had yet to be installed in the men’s/disabled toilets at the Hub.

06.A review of the Parish Council’s insurance policy had commenced with renewal due 21 September 2025.

07.Elector’s Rights and the AGAR 2024/25 had been published on the website and noticeboards.

08.Three councillor vacancies remained unfilled.

09.The defibrillator at St Mary’s Church Hall had been activated around 11 July. The pads and battery were replaced at a cost of £118.95 + VAT. The unit was now operational.

10.Rev Sweeting’s funeral was scheduled for 29 July 2025 at 11.30 hrs at St Bartholomew’s Church.

11.Tree works in St Mary’s Churchyard were expected August/September 2025, subject to contractor confirmation.

12.Cemetery plot photography at Cherry Holt Lane cemetery was now complete.

25.120.Financial matters.

01.It was resolved to approve June 2025 bank reconciliation & transactions (Appendix 1).

02.It was resolved to approve payments to 28 July 2025 (Appendix 2).

03.It was resolved to approve the 1st quarter budget vs expenditure review (Appendix 3).

04.It was resolved to delegate approval of August 2025 payments to the Clerk, Chair, and one other authorised signatory.

25.121.Correspondence.

01.Comments regarding traffic on Knight Street were noted. The Clerk would respond.

02.Correspondence on the National Grid upgrade would be addressed under item 25.109.

03.LCC’s ‘How to Report a Flood’ poster was noted and had been published on the website.

25.122.Planning applications

01.H14-0688-25: 15 Starlode Drove West. It was resolved to make no comment.

02.H14-0671-25: Middledene House. Replacement Stables. It was resolved to support.

03.H14-0630-25: Middledene House. Pilates & Wellness Studio. It was resolved to support.

04.H14-0613-25: Discount Leisure Products Ltd. Aggregate storage warehouse. It was resolved to support.

25.123.The Council noted the following South Holland planning decisions.

01.H14-0540-25: Cecil Francis Ltd. Archaeological report (Condition 7). Approved.

02.H14-0509-25: Pinchbeck Industrial Estate. Drainage conditions. Approved.

25.124.Highways matters.

01.Traffic Strategy 2025-2030 final approval was deferred to the next meeting.

02.Pennytoft Lane footway was in a poor state of repair and had been reported by Cllr Tweddell via FixMyStreet but no action had been taken. Many of the footways in the Parish were similarly affected.

03.On invitation by the Chair, County Cllr Sheard reported:

• Under the Spalding to Pinchbeck Sustainable Travel project (£1.8m), footway upgrades in Spalding would proceed first, followed by Pinchbeck.

• Councillors were encouraged to email further concerns to Cllr Sheard for her meeting with LCC Highways.

04.Cllr Avery would provide Cllr Sheard with a list of previous Highways action points.

25.125.National Grid upgrade proposals, Weston Marsh to East Leicestershire.

01.The Council generally agreed that the final decision rested with central government and was beyond its jurisdiction.

02.On invitation by the Chair, Cllr Sheard advised that National Grid had submitted multiple projects for government approval; reductions were likely. Progress depended on substation approvals, which were outside the parish boundary.

03.The Working Party would submit a formal response by the 6 August 2025 consultation deadline.

25.126.Committee Reports and Recommendations.

01.Draft Personnel Committee minutes were noted.

02.It was resolved to adopt revised Terms of Reference for the Personnel Committee.

03.It was resolved to adopt the following policies:

i.Staff Training & Development Policy        

ii.Staff Disciplinary, Dismissal & Grievance Policy.

iii.Hybrid Working Policy.

25.127.Regarding Community Hub & Library matters, it was resolved to:

01.Waive room charges for a volunteer’s birthday party.

02.Authorise Cllr Smith to finalise arrangements for Hub redecoration by volunteers.

03.Approve a car boot sale on Rotten Row Playing Field on 13 September 2025.

25.128.It was resolved to enter closed session under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 s.1(2).

Cllr Sheard left the meeting at 20:35 hrs.

25.129.It was resolved to approve the following works.

01.Leaveslake play area surfacing repairs @ £4,791.50 + VAT.

02.Glebe play area surfacing repairs @ £3,275.50 + VAT.

03.Signage for Rotten Row playing field @ £867.00 + VAT.

04.A local builder would be contacted to assess the Church Street bus shelter.

05.A further quote for bus shelter cleaning & cleaning of the hub was to be sought. It was resolved to delegate the decision on awarding the work to the Clerk and Chair.

06.It was resolved to approve a 3-year extended Speed Indicator (SID) warranty @ £199.00 + VAT.

07.It was noted that FreshLinc had kindly offered to supply the school Christmas tree.

25.130.Parish Council land.

01.Blue Gowt Lane Cemetery was nearing practical completion, pending snagging.

02.The Glebe Field and Pinchbeck United Football Club (PUFC) Lease/Licence

i.Recent correspondence was noted.

ii.It was resolved to delegate discussions regarding club facilities (excluding rent and lease agreements) to The Glebe Field Working Party.

03.Leaveslake Drove Lease: Roythornes had chased Calthrops (acting for SUFC) on 23 June 2025; no response had been received.

04.Matters relating to the Council’s farmland were resolved appropriately.

05.It was resolved to increase the available Highfields Lane Garden Allotment land from 0.66 to 1.0 acre, with plots to be 1/16 acre.

06.Cllr Smith reported that a date for the PlayZone project kick-off meeting would be circulated.

25.131.Staffing and Administration

01.Matters relating to contract arrangements for the Council’s Maintenance Workers were noted and resolved as appropriate.

02.Matters relating to the Council’s office staff expenses were noted and resolved as appropriate.

03.It was resolved to implement the 2025 Local Government Services Pay Award of 3.2%, applicable from 1 April 2025.

The meeting closed at 21:20 hrs.