2024 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

Present

Present

Clare Cowan (CC)     Chair

6 Parishioners

Ben Lilley (BL)

Apologies Received:

Cllr. Wilkes

David Busby              Vice Chair

Cllr. Greene

Will Stephenson (WS)

Will Jenkins (WJ)

District Councillor

Parish Clerk

Public Session (PS)

1. Woodhall Spa Rotary Club attended and very kindly donated 2000plus crocus bulbs for planting in the Parish

2. Speeding : request for response from Highways and County Councillor

The chair read out the responses from Highways and CC Rob Kendrick

Concerns again included the condition of the road,public safety, speed and the effect on properties, including vibration, caused by heavy vehicles at speed from the early hours in the day. There was a strong feeling that enforcement may be a way forward.

It is hoped that Community Speed watch can be re-established

Agreed: WS to establish a focus group to take this forward.

Carried Forward from Previous meeting

Emergency Plan

WS

Restoration of memorials

CC

Microsoft Teams

WS

Timtin Light

Clerk

Clock

WJ

Asset List 

WS Clerk

Minute

Ref

Actions from this meeting

Action by

PS 1

WJ and CC agreed to coordinate the planting of crocus bulbs across the Parish

WJ CC

S 2

WS to coordinate a representative focus group to consider the next steps to include as many groups as possible.

WS

8.1.1

Outdoor Gym to be fitted early December with oversight by Councillors

Clerk to make final payment when completed

CC

AW

Clerk

8.1.2

ROSPA report to be sent to the full Council

Clerk

8.2.1

WJ to speak with DH re: work for 2025.

WJ

8.2.2

Clerk to speak to AW re: fly tipping

Clerk

8..4

Cllr. to approach VHC member to confirm arrangements for the Christmas Fair and selling calendars.

BL

8.7

NKDC to be contacted again re: TImtin street lights

Clerk

8.9

Cllr. to get quotes for replacing Perspex in the bus shelters

WJ

9.1

VAT to claimed in January 2025

Clerk

9.2

Clerk to pay all agreed bills

Clerk

9.4

Completion of .gov email account set up.

Clerk

9.5.2

Clerk to chase NKDC re: emptying additional bin

Clerk

9.5.3

All councillors to review LALC training

All

9.6.1

Clerk to confirm date, time and venue for the finance discussion.

Clerk

Minute Ref

Minute Commentary

Action By

1

Welcome and Public Session

Chair

Co-option - None

2

Apologies: Cllrs. Wilkes and Greene

3

Declaration of Interests

None

4

Previous Minutes 12th November 2024

These were accepted as a true Record

Proposed:    BL        Second:       CC

All Agreed

5

County and District Councillors

NKDC has a new Chief Executive Kat Marriott and a new Deputy Russel Stone.

6

Planning

None

7

Highways

Speeding – already discussed.

All Highways concerns can be reported by parishioners and Councillors directly on:

https://www.fixmystreet.lincolnshire.gov.uk

8

Parish Items

8.1 Playpark

8.1.1    Outdoor Gym

4 pieces to be fitted early December with a user notice supplied by the installer.

The location was discussed and the offer made for other Councillors to view the location before fitting. It was finally accepted as the location agreed with the supplier.

The supplier said it was not necessary to have a fence around the equipment but it was necessary to have a sign.

Proposed:   CC   Second:     BL

1 abstention

4 agreed

AW and CC to coordinate fitting in early December

8.1.2   ROSPA/Inspections

AW continues to inspect the park.

WS requested copy of latest document as the link had expired.

Agreed: Clerk to forward a copy to everyone for their records.

AW   CC

Clerk

8.2 Grounds Maintenance

8.2.1     Agreed supplier is doing a good job and the village is looking good.

A general discussion took place which included acknowledgement of the value for money and the good standard of work undertaken by DH.

WJ clarified that there is an amount in the woodland account to be spent purely on grounds maintenance for the area.

Agreed: PC to honour the offer of two-year contract and an approach made to DH to reduce the quoted increase for 2025 by WJ.

Future grounds work on the woodland to be agreed via the Council as it arises.

The grounds maintenance work to be reviewed in November  2025 and will include quotes for all grounds maintenance work which could cover the whole parish for an agreed number of years.

8.2.2     Fly tipping reported in the park

Agreed: Clerk to check with AW if it is still there.

WJ

Clerk

8.3 Woodland Update

All going well.   Trees due to be delivered and thought  being given to creating a path.

WJ

8.4 Calendar 2025

BL showed the finished calendar and some have been sold already. A general discussion took place.

Agreed: BL to approach the village hall rep to reach some agreement to enable the PC to sell calendars.

BL

8.5 Emergency Plan

Agreed: Soon to be completed which includes looking at the contents of the emergency box and a response being received from the Village Hall.

WS

8.6 Memorials

CC reported that the Martin Dales memorial has been completed and looks good.

The church memorial to be completed as soon as permission has been given from the Council.

CC

8.7 Street Light

The PC are waiting for a response from NKDC

Agreed: Clerk to follow up

Clerk

8.8 Speeding

Already discussed

8.9 Bus Shelters

This is ongoing and quotes are being sought.

Agreed: Cllrs. to continue to find quotes

WJ CG

8.10 Meeting Venue

A general discussion took place about involving more parishioners from Martin Dales.

Agreed: To include one meeting a year in the Martin Dales Hall in the 2025-2026 meetings – possibly the July 2025 meeting.

Dates to be agreed in March 2025.

Proposed: BL             Second:     WJ             All agreed

ALL

9

Clerks Update

9.1 Bank Balances as of 16th September 2024

Current Account:                               £3547.82

Woodland:                                         £1910.05                       

Business Reserve Account:              £5875.91

Recent bank statement sent to date on PDF to all.

Agreed: VAT claim to be  reclaimed in January 2025

Clerk

9.2 Payments for November 

Grounds Maintenance:    £  280.00

                                        £1200.00   

Clerk Salary:                       375.45                                               

HMRC                                178.22                             

All Agreed

Clerk

9.3 Printer

This has now been purchased as agreed

9.4 Website/Emails

The Clerk informed the Council that the Webmaster has been replaced.

Clerk gave out slips with details on how to log on to emails.

Domain created by Aubergine and .gov emails by Cloudnext.

Agreed; Clerk to inform the full council when emails change over.

Clerk

9.5 Correspondence

9.5.1 Bin

Permission not yet given to fit bin

Agreed: Clerk to chase permission

9.5.2  Resignation

David Fletcher had notified the Clerk of his resignation and the electoral team have been informed. The legal  notice has been displayed.

9.5.3  LALC Training

This has been sent to all Councillors.

9.5.4  Code of Conduct Training

Confirmation has been received that the Monitoring Team will present the training before the next meeting.

6pm on the 7th January 2025.

9.5.5  Cemetery  Soil

Agreed: The clerk to continue to remind gravediggers to remove soil.

`

Clerk

Clerk

9.6 Sub Groups

9.6.1 Finance

9.6.1.1 Precept

To be recommended

Discussion planned for Tuesday 26th November 6.30pm. Venue to be Agreed

Agreed: . Clerk to send out details of the venue.

9.6.2 Woodland

Work on going

9.6.3 Playpark

AW sends regular reports to the full Council

All

Clerk

Clerk

WJ

AW

9.7 Microsoft Office:

This will move forward when new emails are ‘live’.

WS

9.8 Code of Conduct

Training to take place next year.

Agreed:   January 7th at 6.00pm Martin Village Hall.

Monitoring Officer

9.9 Apology Process

A general discussion took place.

Agreed: From this date onwards any Councillor missing more than 3 meetings for any reason will automatically leave the Council. This would not prevent the Councillor re-applying in the future after an agreed period of time - 1 year.

Clerk to add to standing orders.

Proposed:  WJ       Second:        WS          All agreed

 Clerk

10

Agenda Items for the next meeting

Precept Dates of meeting for 2025

Clerk

Date, time and venue for the next meeting

6.00pm – 7.30pm Training Session for Parish Councillors only.

Parish Council Meeting

7th January 2025 7.30pm Martin Village Hall

Please note the doors will not open for parishioners before 7.30 pm

All