September 2023 Minutes
STICKFORD PARISH COUNCIL
PARISH COUNCIL STATUTORY MEETING at STICKFORD Community Centre
Tuesday 12th September 2023 @ 7.30pm
THE MINUTES
No. of Residents present 1 Official attendees read Y for attending, N for non-attendance
Chairman Councillor Mrs Lesley Reeson Y ELDC Councillor Mr Terry Taylor Y
Vice Chairman Councillor Mr John Howlett Y Lincs C C Councillor Mrs W Bowkett Y
Councillor Mr Clive Kingswood N Parish Clerk Mrs Nicki George Y
Councillor Mrs Pam Bryant Y
Councillor vacancy
Councillor vacancy
Councillor vacancy
1. The Chairman opened the meeting and welcomed all present.
2. Apologies for absence – Apologies received from Councillor Clive Kingswood and accepted by all councillors.
3. There were no declaration of interest
4. Residents’ issues:
None
5. ELDC Report
1. The litter bin that was situated by the old recycling bins site has been moved as previously requested. It has been re-sited by the bus shelter near Peach Wood Cars.
2. Subject: £1.1M to be invested in local communities - UK Shared Prosperity GRASSroots Grants
Staff and Trustees at Lincolnshire Community Foundation (LCF) in conjunction with South & East Lincolnshire Council’s Partnership are pleased to announce the launch of a flagship grants scheme, GRASSroots Grants which is available to organisations (charities, community groups, social enterprises, Parish & Town Councils etc)
operating for the benefit of people living in East Lindsey, Boston Borough, or South Holland District Council areas.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business and people and skills.
Grants of up to £24,999 are available to enable places to invest in and/or restore their community spaces and create the foundations for growth at neighbourhood level. The intention is to strengthen the social fabric of communities, building pride in place by improving local community facilities, creating opportunities to bring people together and create social connections that will grow and thrive. The fund will support both capital and revenue costs and is keen to level up communities, providing access to activities and opportunities for people living in rurally isolated areas.
The application process is straight forward, and help is available every step for services supporting rural places across all three districts. Their expert team will work with community assets and voluntary groups to identify and develop local responses to the challenges of rural isolation, aiming to create stronger, prouder, and more resilient rural communities. The first closing date for receipt of completed applications and supporting documentation is on 15 September 2023 and, following that, on 1 December 2023, and 1 March & 1 June 2024 with decisions notified within 6-8 weeks of the closing date. Payments are usually made in arrears. However, where an applicant doesn’t have the financial resources to cover the project costs, payments may be made in advance or in staged payments. Examples of the type of investment that will be considered include: capital improvement costs to village halls and community hubs; events (cultural, arts, heritage and community) that bring communities together; community play areas; projects that build local capacity (volunteer recruitment, training and retention); digital connectivity; local transport initiatives; community projects aimed at reducing the cost of living. These are only examples, and we would encourage you to get in touch to have a chat about a prospective bid. Priority will be given to projects that can demonstrate they’ve sourced and secured match funding and we would strongly advise applicants to ensure this is the case before applying.way from LCF staff and Community Development Workers at YMCA, whether it’s when the seed of a project idea forms, up to completing monitoring and evaluation in the event a bid is successful. As part of the programme, we will be working closely with YMCA Lincolnshire who will be providing on the ground Community Engagement
3. ELDC are making enquiries as to whether parishes Polling Stations are fit for purpose. The Community Centre has all the facilities that are required and is definitely fit for purpose.
6. LCC Report
It is ‘Know your Numbers’ week, highlighting the issue of high blood pressure and the importance of getting your blood pressure checked regularly, which lowers the risk of stroke and heart attack. Many local pharmacies offer the service along with your GP in annual health checks, or they can be purchased very cheaply so you can do at home.
Lincolnshire businesses and young people will be further educated on the dangers of flavoured single use vapes. This comes after a new report shows there's still an uptake in the number of young people vaping, despite long term risks not being known. We are awaiting the government’s decision whether this will be announced this week.
Winter Covid preparations are being made, covid 19 continues to be a challenge. The county continues to build vaccine immunity for vulnerable groups and local health bosses are waiting for guidance about autumn boosters programmes including the flu vaccine programme.
LCC have confirmed that no local authority school in Lincolnshire are affected by faulty concrete.
Following the Morocco devastating news of the earthquake at the weekend, we have sent a team from our fire and rescue to help with the rescue operation.
1. Three parish councillors and the clerk met with Councillor Bowkett and 2 representatives from Highways on 3rd August 2023. Hagnaby Road was inspected for (1) uneven pavements, and (2) manhole covers, with a view to possibly implementing (3) double yellow lines for the bend in Hagnaby Road in the area of the junction with Hagnaby Lane. The clerk reported items 1 & 2 on Fix My Street and these have since been repaired. Highways will look at item 3 and report back in due course.
2. No Litter Picking kits were available from LCC, Waste Services when the Clerk made contact. They had all been distributed.
7. Lincolnshire Police Report
No 6 monthly meeting as yet has been arranged. All contact details of the local PSCO etc. can be found on the Lincolnshire Police website.
8. Approval of Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 11th July 2023
Proposed: Cllr Bryant
Seconded: Cllr Howlett
9. Matters Arising from previous meetings
None, other than items already being discussed on the agenda
10. Finance Report
1) £875.00 - Clerks salary – July to September 2023
2 £28.80 - Cllr Bryant – Tongs, replacement Honda strimmer head
3) £17.07 –Cllr Reeson - Mower /strimmer petrol costs (£8.90, £8.17)
4) £14.49 – Clerk admin: stationery. (£5.50 copy paper, £8.99 mouse)
5) £48.50 - ELDC Elections (paid in July just after last PC meeting. All agreed to pay by email)
6) tba - LALC Clerks training course 13 & 20 September – invoice not yet received but approved by all councillors to be paid when it is received. £65 + vat x 2
7) £378.00 - PKF Littlejohn LLP – invoice for completion of AGAR Form 3.
All payments agreed and approved by all Councillors.
b) Bank balances.
Current account £8922.84, Savings account £8,129.48.
Ring fenced in the current account is the outstanding balance for the new bus shelters and noticeboard of £2520.42 to be paid on completion of installation, due October/November 2023.
The Clerk is pursuing a refund of the £378.00 fee to PKF Littlejohn for the External Audit work that had to be carried out only because of the error in issuing Precept monies in April 2022 by PSPSL. Email has been sent and receipt acknowledged, await further contact.
Form received from Barclays Bank requesting information about usual expected activities on our bank accounts, to enable unexpected, possibly fraudulent activity to be highlighted and investigated. The Clerk has completed the form and she along with the Chairman and Cllr Howlett signed the form.
11. Clerks Report
1. Fixed Assets has a separate folder on the website now.
2. The clerk has booked herself onto the LALC training course for new clerks, due to be held on 13th & 20th September.
3. Printer: The Clerk is still researching different types of printers and costs. She is currently using on old printer that is enabling her to print from her laptop. Review at next meeting.
4. The bench for the War Memorial Garden is still awaiting to be sited. We have been advised that it cannot be fixed into tarmac as originally planned so Cllr Howlett will meet with Cllr Bowkett at the site to discuss other options.
5. PKF Littlejohn have completed the External Audit and the report has been published on the Noticeboard and the website with a period from 24th August to 11th September being advertised for inspection of the report by any member of the public.
6. Allotment letters have been hand delivered requesting payment of rent due 1st October 2023.
7. Grant letters & Application forms have been prepared to be issued on 1st October 2023 , for requests to be submitted by 31st October , ahead of the Precept meeting due on 21st November 2023.
12. Update on Replacement of assets ie. Noticeboard and 4 bus shelters
Installation date is due to be October/November 2023. Balance of £2520.42 to be paid upon installation and completion of the job.
13. Update on War Memorial Clock repairs
Councillor Howlett gave an update: the clock has stopped 3 times since re-installation
1) counter balance
2) out of beat
3) stopping at roughly the same time each time – counter balance? 5-6 weeks ago. Emails and phone calls have been exchanged with Time Assured Ltd who have been on their summer break but have offered to come to fix the issue by the end of September. After discussion it was agreed for Councillor Howlett to make contact with Time Assured Ltd following this meeting to ask if it could be looked at any sooner as it is felt we have gone long enough without a working clock.
14. Update on Remembrance Sunday and War Memorial Clock Centenary event.
Sunday 12th November, Remembrance Sunday – service at the War Memorial Clock, followed by a celebration buffet at the Community Centre, with an exhibition from the History Club. Approx 50 pax for buffet.
Cllr Reeson has made enquiries from 3 companies and has obtained a price list from London Road Bakery for a buffet – working out at approx. £10 per head.
Cllr Howlett has spoken to Grandma’s Pudding at Friskney to see if they can offer this service. They can, and he was asked to obtain a quote. He will email the details to all councillors when received to get their opinions and seek approval.
A budget of £500 has been agreed on by all councillors.
Cllr Howlett will discuss with Councillor Bowkett when meeting on site tomorrow re bench if full request is needed for a road closure of Fen Road and Cole Lane to stop traffic moving past the area whilst the service is being carried out.
15. Update Standing Orders
Following the Internal Audit Report, the Standing Orders need updating with some information that is in the Financial Regulations but also needs to be in the Standing Orders. At the last meeting Cllr Bryant requested more time to have a further look at the Standing Orders to check the wording in some other areas and she is now happy for them to be signed. All agreed that they can now be signed which the Chairman duly did.
16. Review of Fixed Assets
More research needs to be done into the Constitution of the Community Centre and the responsibilities given to the charitable Trust before it is included as a Fixed Asset.
The 4 new Bus Shelters and Noticeboard will be added when installed.
17. Bonfires
Councillor Bryant is concerned that plastics and other toxic materials are being burnt within the village on bonfires. It is illegal to burn such materials – “Environmental Protection”. She will place an article in the next Newsletter to highlight this issue.
18. Planning – discuss planning applications.
1. Cllr Howlett thanked ELDC Councillor Taylor for his input with regards to the planning applications submitted for ‘Shenzi’ . Cllr Bryant and Cllr Howlett attended a Planning Meeting on 8th September but were unable to stop the latest plans. Unanimous approval of the application in full to include the granary and the connecting structure. However, they were successful in getting a condition imposed restricting the development to 08.00 - 18.00 Monday to Friday because of the issues with parking and noise levels from the building plot.
2. Update :
APPLICANT: Mr. A. Atkinson;
PROPOSAL: Planning Permission - To site 2 no. static caravans to be let out for holiday lets.
LOCATION: THE CROFT, BACK LANE, STICKFORD, BOSTON, PE22 8EW
Grid Ref.: 535052.19 360631.38 Expected Decision Level: Delegated
REFUSED
3. APPLICANT: Mr. D. Bogg,
PROPOSAL: Planning Permission - Extension to existing dwelling to provide additional living accommodation.
LOCATION: MEADOW VIEW, CUL DE SAC, STICKFORD, BOSTON, PE22 8EY
Grid Ref.: 535674 359663 Expected Decision Level: Delegated
NO COMMENTS
19. Correspondence received for this meeting – not covered on the agenda
1. Letter received from the Secretary of the Stickford Community Committee requesting a grant towards the replacement of the suspended ceiling in the 2 halls in the Community Centre. They are in a dangerous state with the imminent possibility of collapse of individual tiles onto people below. In addition, they need to be replaced to improve thermal insulation properties in the drive to reduce the use of heating oil towards ameliorating the effects of climate change. As part of this work LED lighting is being installed which will help reduce the environmental footprint. A Grant application form will be handed out for completion, for consideration at the Precept meeting due to be held in November.
2. A representative of the Committee that are fund raising for 2 defibrillators to be fitted within the village has requested that the Parish Council consider one being sited next to our new notice board when it's fitted. All councillors agreed that it can be sited next to the new noticeboard when installed by Peachwood Cars but again they express their observations that an electric supply will be needed which they do not believe currently exists.
20. Other Business – matters for next Agenda
1. Community Centre – Constitution
2. Community Centre – grant & matched funding
3. Noticeboard & Bus Shelters update
20. Date and time of next meeting: 10th December 2023 at 7.30pm
(Closed Precept Planning meeting to be held on 21st November 2023)
Meeting closed at 9.56pm
A Closed Meeting was held by the Councillors to discuss a new trustee for Stickford Charities. It was agreed that one named person will be invited to take the role, and if they do not want to take on the role, then another named person will be invited.