2026 Minutes

 

Parish and Town Councils, Residents Associations, Registered Charities, Community and Voluntary Groups, Community Interest Companies and Social Enterprises, Faith Groups (for non-religious-related activities), Sports Clubs, Cultural Organisations, Schools and Academies (if used for wider community benefit). 

  

What can be funded?  

 

Community events and activities, including start-up or running costs, equipment for community use (purchase or hire), improvements or repairs to community facilities, neighbourhood improvements, such as benches, planters and noticeboards, and community emergency resilience projects, be that for equipment or for training. 

 

 

4. Lincolnshire Police Report 

 

Nothing to report – no zoom meeting booked as yet for 2026.

 

Meeting started at 7.55pm        

 

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

 

6. Apologies for absence – apologies received from Councillor Kingswood and accepted.

 

7. There were no declaration of interest

 

8. Approval of Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 19/05/2026

 

Proposed: Cllr John Howlett           Seconded: Cllr Pam Bryant      signed by the Chairman

 

 

9. Matters Arising from previous meeting

 

 

a) A resident reported that the signpost by the sand bins at the end of Church Road is broken. Clerk did report on Fix My Street and job completed. 

 

b) A resident reported that the potholes are bad along Fen Road between the bridge and the junction to the Cul De Sac. Clerk did report on Fix My Street and patch repairs have been completed. 

 

c) A resident reported that a tree is overgrown on the water side of Catchwater Bank by the road bridge. The Environment Agency acknowledge that work is needed and plan to carry it out in the winter months. 

 

d) A resident reported that the hedges along Catchwater Bank need cutting back. The Environment Agency acknowledge that work is needed and plan to carry it out in the winter months.

 

e) A resident reported that there is a fallen tree in the water by the foot bridge at the end of the Cul de Sac. The Environment Agency acknowledge that work is needed and plan to carry it out in the winter months.

 

f) A resident commented on the bad driving by lorries coming through the village. Clerk has sent a letter to both of the local companies that may have lorries that come through the village, asking them politely to adhere to the highway code and be mindful of residents whilst driving through the village. Both companies responded asking for more details of incidents as they occur and that matters will be dealt with.

 

g) A resident requested that the right of way for vehicles on the junction of Fen Road and the Cul de Sac be reversed (put back to how it used to be). i.e. Fen Road be a continuous road and the vehicles coming out of the Cul de Sac have to give way.  Or can a Stop sign be placed at the junction for vehicles coming into the village along Fen Road rather than just a Give Way to make the junction safer. Clerk is in the process of contacting LCC Highways. Cllr Hume offered to help and the clerk will liaise with Cllr Hume. 

 

h) A resident reported their concern that the old coal yard is being used to store waste from other venues and asked for advice on what permissions would be required to comply with regulations.  ELDC replied: as they are conducting this on their own private land there is nothing the council can do to get involved. Clerk is to contact the Environment Agency for advice. 

 

Councillor Hume left the meeting at 8.15pm

 

10. Finance Report 

 

a) Authority for Payment:

 

1) £1075.00      Clerks salary – 3 months covering April to June 2026

2) £    60.00      Hire of Community Centre 2/6/26 and 14/7/26 (after increase to £30 per evening)

 

 

All payments approved by all Councillors.

     

b) Bank Balances as at end June 2026

 

Current account:  £12,002.15 

Savings account:  £ 8,457.29   

 

11. Clerks Report 

 

a) Pensions Regulator has been updated for a further 3 years. 

 

b) Notification of exempt status has been received from the External Auditor.

 

c) A resident queried an item on the submitted AGAR paperwork. The clerk checked with the auditor and the response was forwarded to the resident. This has settled the query.

 

d) The Internal Auditor has issued a Letter of Engagement and requested that a 3-year Agreement be set up and signed for her services. There is an increase in price to £80 for the mid-year IA (was £70) and £60 for the End of year IA (was £50) plus postage of £3.50 to send the signed copy of the report and signed AGAR paperwork to the clerk. All councillors agreed that this is to be completed and signed.

 

e) The Remembrance Service needs to begin being planned. The clerk has asked Rev Simons to officiate and she is seeking permission from the church. Cllr Howlett will check that the bugler can attend. This is to be an item on the next Agenda for further discussion and planning. 

 

f) The clerk has requested the communities help with the Harvest Supper. It is officially the responsibility of the Church PCC but as this is a community event, could more volunteers please assist with the organisation and deliverance. A list of jobs etc will be obtained and put on the noticeboard in the Community Centre.

 

g) The clerk has requested that the Risk Assessments be completed so that they can be displayed on the website. Cllr Reeson will get them done and sent to the clerk. 

 

h) An invitation to a Community Emergency Response Teams Tabletop exercise event has been received for 24th September 2026 at The Hub, Horncastle, 6-8pm. The clerk will attend and extended the invite to all councillors.

 

i) An invitation to a Community Resilience Conference has been received for 7th October 2026 at the Petwood, Woodhall Spa, 9-4pm. The clerk is unable to attend and asked if any of the councillors would like to go. 

 

12. Bus Shelters update 

 

Mr Turner confirms that the job will be completed by the next meeting in September.  The clerk has obtained confirmation that the grant has no expiry date. 

 

13. Places of historical interest to protect for the future - update

 

Cllr Howlett is looking to set up an ELDC Neighbourhood Local Plan and will be asking for help and assistance from residents in the near future.  A separate meeting may be held. 

14. Dog Bin  

 

All councillors have been emailed a copy of the ELDC policy. It has been agreed to go ahead with a request for a new bin along Church Road somewhere between the church and the sand bins, and for a risk assessment to be carried out by the clerk. 

 

 

15. Planning – discuss planning applications.

 

Three updates on applications discussed at the Annual Parish Council meeting on 19th May, all neighbouring parish consultations.

 

Section 73 application to vary conditions imposed in planning permission previously granted, land adjacent to the Wetland Site Hagnaby Lock an enhanced property offering is proposed and was approved on 21st May subject to numerous conditions.

 

A second Section 73 variation application has now been submitted for the land south of the Wetland Site Hagnaby Lock permission previously granted for a holiday park, 22 holiday lodges, new fishing lake and extension to the existing fishing lake. Awaiting decision. The variation request is to relocate one of the approved two-bedroom lodges from the eastern lake to the western lake and substitute eight one-bedroom lodges for two-bedroom lodges around the western lake increasing the two-bedroom lodges to ten.

 

The Paddocks West Fen Lane Stickney outline planning application to build a single four-bedroom dwelling and a self-build/custom build has been refused. The reasons were because it would be a new dwelling in an area of open countryside outside of any settlement in Local Plan Policy SP1. It would also be harmful to the rural character of the area and result in an unsustainable form of development. It was also said to be contrary to policies SP1, SP2, SP10 and SP23 in the East Lindsey Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

New applications since the 19th May meeting, two neighbouring parish consultations and two in the village.

 

We have been asked by East Keal and Keal Cotes Parish Council to support objection comments which we have done so for a proposed poultry farm development on land east of Manor Farm Main Road Keal Cotes comprising six poultry units, construction of vehicular access, internal access road with car parking, excavation of land to provide an attenuation basin and associated infrastructure. Individual and parish council comments have been submitted using a template letter and in support of all of the objections made and as many neighbouring parish councils have done. Currently there are 77 documents for the application 36 comments of which 25 are objections. Decision awaited.

 

Evergreens Miniature Railway, Keal Bank East Keal which essentially is a retrospective application for works previously completed since the railway moved from Stickney and approval for new work. Planning approval was granted in 2017 to Kevin Bennett who purchased the Keal Bank site and which has since been sold by him to the trustees. The new application is for extended opening times and a new café/education centre in place of the current portacabin on site. We have commented and supported; detailed objections have been made by neighbouring owners. Decision awaited.

 

A village application has been made for change of use of an existing static caravan to form a security facility at Tongs Barn, Fen Road. We had no objections. Decision awaited.

 

New village application where outline approval has previously been granted in 2024 for two dwellings, an application has now been made for up to five dwellings with means of access to be considered land west of Homeleigh Fen Road Stickford. Comments are required by 30th July. It was discussed and agreed that a template letter of objection would be drafted, put on social media and the Parish Council website, and delivered around the village encouraging as many village residents as possible to object to the application and Terry Taylor would also be asked to call in the application for it to go before the planning committee.

 

16. Other Business – matters for next Agenda

 

a) Budget Report

b) Remembrance Service

c) Bus Shelters – update 

 

Date and time of next Parish Council meeting: 

 

8th September 2026 starting at 7.30pm.  

 

Meeting closed at 21.08 pm