2022 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

STICKFORD PARISH COUNCIL

PARISH COUNCIL STATUTORY MEETING at STICKFORD Community Centre Tuesday 13th December 2022 @ 7.30pm

The Minutes

No. of Residents present 4

Official attendees read Y for attending, N for non-attendance 

Chairman Councillor Mrs Lesley Reeson - Y

Vice Chairman Councillor Mr John Howlett - Y

Councillor Mr Clive Kingswood - Y

Councillor Mrs Pam Bryant - Y

Councillor vacancy            

Councillor vacancy            

Councillor vacancy                                    

Parish Clerk Mrs Nicki George - Y                                                

Lincs C C Councillor Mrs W Bowkett - N

ELDC Councillor Mr Terry Taylor - N
                     

1.   The Chairman opened the meeting and welcomed all present. 

2.   Apologies for absence –  received and accepted by all councillors from Lincs CC Councillor Mrs Wendy Bowkett and ELDC Councillor Mr Terry Taylor.   

3.   There were no declaration of interest

4.   Residents’ issues: 

1) Bus Shelters – following the Chairmans article in the November Newsletter, several residents have expressed their concern and interest in the need for 4 bus shelters to remain in use on the A16.  The Chairman explained that the Council are still in the consultation period and welcome residents’ views and comments. 

2) Request received for an Income and Expenditure report to be produced by the Clerk for the Jubilee. This has been produced and handed out to all present at the meeting. Appendix 1. 

3) Request received for better signage at the junction of Fen Road and the Cul De Sac following several near misses being witnessed over the last few months. Clerk will email LCC Councillor Bowkett. 

4) Concern has been raised that the bank of the small drain/dyke at the rear of the houses along the Cul de Sac has slipped which is causing water to back up when it has rained. Clerk to contact Witham Fourth. 

5) Concern has been raised that a residence within the village is being occupied as a full time residence rather than the holiday let/seasonal permission that was previously granted. The Chairman reassured the residents present that this matter was being monitored. 

5.   ELDC report:  email report from Councillor Taylor read out by the Clerk : 

The South and East Lincolnshire partnership have created official warm spaces in each district. ELDC have a directory for these which appear on their website. Here is the link https://www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/warmspaces they are free and people who visit them will be welcomed and can socialise with a free warm drink, anyone using them will be treated with dignity and respect. The South and East Lincolnshire District Partnership have approved and adopted a new joint
Community Safety Strategy. They will work collaboratively with the County Safer Lincolnshire Partnership to seek to crime and disorder at a local, sub-regional and county level. The partnership will comprise of representative from the police, fire and rescue and healthy and probation services. The five strategic priorities are: anti-social behaviour, hate crime, safer streets and night-time economy, the safety of women and girls and vulnerability and safeguarding. The new joint community safety strategy can be found at https://bit.ly/3VJNHZI

1)   £1000 ELDC grant scheme -application has been submitted and accepted and £150 has been allocated for the annual maintenance of the clock once it has been mended. 

2)   Purple bins – email received from ELDC highlighting the need for the correct items to be placed in the purple bins and asking that we continue to promote the correct usage. If not, some residents that do not comply with not have their bins emptied.   

6.   LCC report : email report from Councillor Bowkett read out by the Clerk :

Hospitals are still under great pressure, especially A and E and our ambulance service. Please remember if it is not life threatening to call 111 and they will give you advice whether you need to go to hospital or a doctor.

County council have procured 60 intermediate beds for 16 weeks to allow residents to be moved out of hospital for reablement, freeing up much needed beds. This is being paid for by health.

Lincolnshire councils alongside groups like the Integrated care board, Health and care providers, faith and community groups and charities and local businesses have come together to help support residents as we enter the winter months.

The partnership has set up a task force to review the potential impacts caused by the cost of living and to harness efforts across all partners to help in supporting where possible.

At the county council we have set up a cost-of-living support page high lighting the rang of support available including the Household support fund, food programmes, help with childcare costs and financial support for carers. There are links to district council webpages with list of local support within the districts. 

The page is www.Lincolnshire.gov.uk/cost of living.

Connect to support Lincolnshire is an online information and advice library for adults and has some useful numbers and links and is being updated all the time     Https://Lincolnshire.connectsupport.org

ELDC household support scheme, the 3rd phase has been launched and ELDC have received £5.46 million. Local authorities have been asked to give particular consideration to those groups who have not benefitted from any of the recent cost of living support.

Find out more about this update  https://www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/ 

LCC report continued : 

1) Fix My Street :

a)  Damaged Barrier on Fen Road by entrance to Peachwood Cars and the postbox, along with some potholes along Fen Road have been reported on app by the Clerk. ‘in progress’. 

b) Horsechestnut Tree on corner of Fen Road and A16 was reported in August , still ‘in progress’. Clerk will chase in March / April when tree starts to grow again. 

2) Road works due : 

Temporary traffic restriction: Hagnaby Lock/Stickford

Please note it will be necessary to impose a temporary restriction as detailed below.     

Organisation responsible for restriction: Anglian Water

Reason for restriction: New Supply   

Nature and location of restriction:

Road closure Order - Hagnaby Lock (Between 500m & 800m North of A16)

Period of restriction:

19/12/2022 - 21/12/2022

(Restrictions to be implemented for 3 days as and when required during this period, signage detailing accurate dates and times will be displayed on site in advance)  

Alternative route or access arrangements:  

Diversion routes and vehicular or pedestrian access arrangements will be signposted.   

This information is also available in map form at https://one.network/
        
7.   Lincolnshire Police Report: December NPT newsletter. This is emailed around to each councillor when received and a copy is put on the Noticeboard and the website. 
 
8.   The Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 4th October 2022 were read and approved. 
      Proposed by Councillor John Howlett , Seconded by Councillor Clive Kingswood.  
9.   Matters Arising from the Minutes.

1)   Councillors have requested that the Clerk contact ELDC again re a replacement litter bin near to the bus shelter by Peachwood Cars. The clerk will search for some paperwork or a photo from the past to prove there was a bin there in the past.   

2)  The Clerk has de-registered the Council from paying VAT. Next claim to be submitted in the same way that     this years was done, using VAT126 scheme. 
   
10. Community Centre 

Discussion was held re The Council requesting that an Energy Performance Check be completed for the Community Centre. It is not believed that this is appropriate at this present time for the Community Centre but may be looked at in the future. 

11. Coronation of King Charles III on May 6th 2023

A separate meeting is to be held on Tuesday 17th January 2023, at 7pm, to discuss how the village will celebrate the Coronation in May 2023. 

12. War Memorial Clock – grant application update

The cheque for £5440 from donations has been sent, received and cashed. The contractors are booked to attend on 6/2/23 and 7/2/23 to dismantle the mechanism and remove it for repair at their workshop. The repairs should take 8 weeks so hopefully back in position and working by the end of March. We have until the end of June to claim the grant monies. 

13. Replace assets ie. Noticeboard and possible new siting & bus shelters 

3 Quotes have been obtained for a new noticeboard. Aluminium to fit 18 sheets of A4 paper 1) Noticeboard Company £1539.60 inc Vat 2) The Parish Noticeboard Company £1485 + vat 3) Arien Signs £1332 + vat. 

A quote has been obtained for new bus/waiting shelters from Glasdon at a cost of £8920 each. This is supplied fully assembled complete with open front entry point, clear toughened glass upper panels, GRP blank lower panels in  standard colour with gold or plain decorative moulding, Armortec coated aluminium framework and GRP pitched roof in grey. This is deemed to be expensive so more investigation needs to be done for quotes to be built in metal or brick by local companies. Clerk will make some enquiries locally. 

14. Bench by War Memorial 

To be discussed further at the next Council meeting in January. 

15. Bench along bridleway 

Licence has been obtained from LCC for a bench to be placed along the bridle way. This licence needs to be transferred to the resident who has requested the bench so that he can look at the stipulations that LCC have requested. Resident not present at meeting so Clerk will make contact to hand over the necessary paperwork.  

16. Financial Report 

A)  Authority for Payment :

1) £625.00   Clerks salary – October to December 2022

All Councillors agreed to pay

2) £20.00   Flowers for War Memorial – 2nd instalment from annual allowance 

All Councillors agreed to pay

3) £25.00   Royal British Legion – Poppy Wreath

All Councillors agreed to pay

4) £10.00   Royal British Legion – donation 

All Councillors agreed to pay

5) 0       War Memorial Clock restoration – nothing due at present 

6) 0       ongoing running costs of grass cutting equipment for churchyard – put on January agenda

The Mower and Strimmer require servicing. 3 quotes obtained : 1) Crawfords £56 + vat + parts. 2) Matthew Hodgson, Alford £53 + vat. 3) Chris Sellers £82.32 inc vat.  Prices were discussed and all councillors agreed on no 2, Matthew Hodgson. 

B) Bank balances as at 30.11.22 when last statement received: Current a/c £16,914.60 Savings a/c £8097.99.  One o/s cheque previously issued and not yet cashed of £45.

Budget Report update - All councillors were given a report to read.

C) Precept 2023/24

Grant applications have been received from Keals Club and Stickford Ladies Social Circle. Clerk is to issue an application form to the History Group so that they can also be considered for a grant.  

Precept figures were issued and discussed and will be finalised at the next Council meeting on 10th January 2023. 

Notification has been received of the external auditor appointment for the 2022 -23 financial year for the 5 year period until 2026-27 as PKF Littlejohn LLP.  

17. Risk Management Policy – this will be discussed at the next meeting when all councillors have had a chance to read through the policies that have been previously emailed by the clerk.    

18.  Planning: 

1) Winterfell, Fen Road, Stickford, Boston. PE22 8HA
Planning Application No: S/168/02115/22
Proposal: Erection of a detached double garage, on the site of the existing garage which is to be demolished.
Stickford Parish Council have no objections.
 
2) Bar Green Cottage, Main Road, Stickney, Boston, PE22 8EH
Planning Application No: S/169/02381/22
Construction of menage for equestrian use.
Stickford Parish Council have no objections.

19. Correspondence received for this meeting but not covered on the agenda: 

1) email received from a resident with comments on the bus shelters as discussed in item 4, along with his thanks to the Chairman for promptly responding and successfully having the issues on Back Lane sorted following Staples and Cravens lorries leaving excess mud on the road. The lane verge has been badly impacted and threatens damage to the water hydrant. 

2) email received re grant monies available for Community Facilities through the FCC Community Action Fund. This is the fund that has already given us the grant for the War Memorial Clock repairs so we are not in a position to use this fund again – not for a while anyway. 

3) email received from Astco (Alford Storage and Textile Company) who offer a service across East of England helping communities fundraise by recycling clothing. They offer both indoor and outdoor clothing banks. They pay .30p per kilo and there is no minimum amount to reach in order to receive a monthly payment. Details will be forwarded to the Community Centre committee. 

4) email received from the Pensions Regulator advising that the third year anniversary of enrolment is due on 1st May 2023 and the Parish Council have to re-enrol and re-declare by 2nd October 2023. Clerk to complete this on line. 

5) email received via LCCtownandparishnews asking the Council to promote a survey about maths skills and learning opportunities. Two surveys are available. The first is aimed at the public. The second is aimed at employers and business owners. Multiply is a national initiative. It supports people to understand and work with numbers in everyday life. The programme aims to spark better opportunities and brighter futures. 

20.   Other Business – matters for next agenda: 

1) Bench by the War Memorial

2) Replace assets ie. Noticeboard & bus shelters

3) Risk Management policy and other policies

4) Precept 

21.    The Chairman closed the meeting at 9.10pm.  

Date and time of next meeting:  10th January 2023 at 7.30pm.

Appendix 1

STICKFORD PLATINUM JUBILEE COMMITTEE

STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE

PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS 4TH JUNE 2022