2026 Minutes

Draft minutes subject to approval at the next meeting.

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Minutes of Pinchbeck Parish Council meeting held at 19:30 on Monday, 30 March 2026, at The Hub, 48 Knight Street, Pinchbeck, PE11 3RU.

Present:  Cllr James Avery (Vice‑Chair, in the Chair), Cllr Emma Beavis, Cllr Andrew Chamberlain, Cllr Geoff Garner, Cllr Terry Moore, Cllr John Smith, Cllr Elizabeth Sneath, Cllr Phil Tweddell, Mr Robert Smith (Clerk), Ms Nicola Jowett (Administration Assistant), County & District Cllr Ingrid Sheard.

Absent: Cllr Toby Hughes, Cllr Samantha Jeffery, Cllr Peter Ruysen, Cllr Ann Savage (Chair), Cllr Oliver Wood. 

Press & Public: Twenty-nine members of the public.

In the absence of Cllr Ann Savage, the Parish Council Chair, Cllr Avery, Parish Council Vice-Chair, chaired the meeting. Unless otherwise stated, administrative actions arising were assigned to the Clerk.

26.049. Apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Toby Hughes, Cllr Samantha Jeffery, Cllr Peter Ruysen, Cllr Ann Savage, Cllr Oliver Wood.

26.050. Disclosable pecuniary or other registrable interests and requests for dispensation.

01. Cllr John Smith declared an interest in agenda item 26.060 in his capacity as Secretary / Director of Pinchbeck Community Land Trust and submitted a written request for dispensation to speak, but not vote, on that item.

02. It was RESOLVED to grant Cllr John Smith a dispensation to speak, but not vote, on agenda item 26.060.

26.051. Statement of Fact – Glebe Field / Pinchbeck United Ltd 

It was RESOLVED to approve publication of the Statement of Fact as presented and to proceed with the associated communication arrangements (Appendix 1).

26.052. Public Forum

In accordance with Standing Orders, the Chair allocated a 15‑minute public forum.

The Chair read the approved Statement of Fact in full. Members of the public then raised questions and made representations, principally concerning:

• The Glebe Field, including community use, football activities, legal arrangements and future management.

• The Council’s approach to regularising land tenure.

• The PlayZone project.

• Highways and road closures.

• Wider issues relating to development and infrastructure within the parish.

Points raised were responded to where appropriate. The Chair reiterated that certain matters could not be debated in detail due to live legal issues and that structured solicitor-to-solicitor engagement remained the appropriate route for resolving this dispute.

Twenty-two members of the public left the meeting at 20.29.

26.053. Minutes of previous meetings

It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Monday, 23 February 2026, and to authorise the Chair to sign them as a true record.

26.054. Clerk’s report / matters arising

01. Planning comments had been submitted to the District Council as previously resolved.

02. Audrey Gregory had resigned effective 21 March 2026 and there were now 2 member vacancies.

03. The annual parish verge grass‑cutting agreement had been confirmed with the County Council, with the work contracted to the District Council.

04. A meeting with the internal auditor had been scheduled for 31 March 2026.

26.055. Financial matters

01. It was RESOLVED to approve the February 2026 bank reconciliation & cash book (Appendix 2).

02. It was RESOLVED to approve payments to 30 March 2026 (Appendix 3).

03. It was RESOLVED to approve the Annual Investment Strategy 2026-27 (Appendix 4).

26.056. Recent correspondence

01. Correspondence from Lincolnshire County Council regarding the groundwater project and the installation and use of telemetry devices was considered.

02. It was noted that further clarification was required as to whether the Parish Council was merely being offered access to data or whether any wider monitoring responsibility was being proposed. The Clerk would revert to Lincolnshire County Council for clarification.

26.057. Planning applications

01. H14-0294-26: Land east of Surfleet Road. Condition compliance. It was RESOLVED to make no comment.

02. H14-0296-26: Non-material amendment to approved development of 37 affordable dwellings, amendment to parking arrangements and frontage of plot 37. It was RESOLVED to make no comment.

03. H14-0224-26: 14 Forge Crescent. Proposed first floor side extension and alterations. It was RESOLVED to support the application.

04. H14-0223-26: Green Gables, Holland Chase, West Pinchbeck. Retrospective erection of close-boarded fence. It was RESOLVED to make no comment.

05. H14-0195-26: 15 Six House Bank. Proposed two-storey extension to include replacement garage and rendering of existing dwelling. It was RESOLVED to support the application.

06. H14-0181-26: Netherlea, Dozens Bank. Retention of dwelling without complying with agricultural habitation clause. It was RESOLVED to make no comment.

07. H14-0144-26: The Gallops, Dozens Bank. Retrospective erection of stables for use with riding school. It was RESOLVED to support the application.

08. During consideration of planning matters, members discussed the possible establishment of a planning committee, or other revised arrangement, with a view to improving the efficiency of future planning consultations. The Clerk was invited to submit a proposal for consideration at a future meeting.

26.058. District Council planning decisions.

District Council planning decisions, as circulated with the agenda papers, were noted.

26.059. Highways matters.

01. Highways matters were considered. It was noted that road closures within and around the parish had caused disruption. Specific concerns were raised by members regarding the condition of Mill Green in the vicinity of building works, potholes and related defects.

02. The clerk reported that dining chairs had been put in bus shelter by the Church. These were to be collected and kept at the Parish Office prior to disposal at a later date.

03. County and District Cllr Sheard agreed to pursue the highways concerns raised if provided with supporting photographs and details. It was noted that defects should continue to be reported through the appropriate channels, specifically FixMyStreet.

04. It was noted that the Parish Council’s speed indicator device at Six House Bank was not working again and that a replacement should be considered in future budget planning.

26.060. Flaxmill Lane land – community housing needs.

01. In accordance with the dispensation granted under minute 26.050, Cllr John Smith spoke to this item but did not vote.

02. The Parish Council considered, in principle, whether part of its land near Flaxmill Lane might have potential to assist in meeting identified community housing needs. Members also discussed the need to protect the Parish Council’s land assets, the importance of ensuring proper value, and the desirability of considering the long-term benefit to the parish.

03. It was RESOLVED to place the matter on a future agenda when Cllr John Smith had formulated a more detailed proposal.

26.061. Quotes for works.

01. The Parish Council considered progress on obtaining additional quotes for cemetery path works.

02. It was RESOLVED to proceed with the existing quotation from Guns and Roses for cemetery footpath works at £19,570.92, being a continuation of an existing contract and within budget.

26.062. Exclusion of press and public 

01. It was RESOLVED that, in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 s.1(2), the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted, namely confidential negotiation positions, legal/complaints matters and/or personal data.

County Cllr Sheard and 7 members of the public left the meeting at 21:24.

Confidential Session

26.063. Formal complaint submitted on behalf of Pinchbeck Utd Ltd

01. The Parish Council considered the formal complaint submitted on behalf of Pinchbeck Utd Ltd under the Parish Council’s Complaints Procedure concerning governance and procedural matters relating to Glebe Field, together with the supplementary correspondence submitted in support of that complaint.

02. In the absence of the complainant, the Clerk read the written complaint to members and presented the Clerk’s response and reasoning as to why the complaint should not be upheld.

03. Members considered the complaint and the Clerk’s submission.

04. The Clerk then left the room whilst members considered whether the grounds of complaint had been made out and determined the Parish Council’s response, in accordance with the Parish Council’s Complaints Procedure.

05. It was RESOLVED not to uphold the complaint, for the reasons accepted by members following consideration of the Clerk’s response and associated submissions.

26.064. Information rights requests

The Clerk provided an update on information rights requests relating to Glebe Field matters. The update was noted.

26.065. Parish Council land

01. Confidential updates were received in respect of:

i. The Glebe Field

ii. The PlayZone

iii. Leaveslake Drove

iv. Starlode Drove

02. In relation to Starlode Drove, the Parish Council considered the email received from the adjoining owner dated 27 March 2026, including the offer made in purported settlement of the matter.

03. It was RESOLVED not to accept the counter-offer and to reaffirm that the Parish Council’s position remained that any sale must be at a purchase price of £5,000 plus the Parish Council’s legal and professional fees and disbursements.

04. It was further RESOLVED that, if those terms were not accepted, the unauthorised construction be removed from the Parish Council’s land and the land restored to its previous condition.

26.066. Cemetery matters

01. The Clerk reported that an ongoing grave investigation had been resolved and that the relevant grave location had been established.

02. Members thanked the Clerk for his work in resolving the matter.

03. It was noted that, as previously agreed by the Parish Council, the Parish Council would meet the cost of the memorial stone and the provision of an adjacent plot for the surviving spouse, in full and final settlement of the matter.

26.067. Staffing and administration matters

No matters were reported.

There being no further business, the Chair closed the meeting at 21:50.