2023 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

CAYTHORPE AND FRIESTON PARISH COUNCIL

MEETING NUMBER 4

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD WEDNESDAY 8th November 2023

Present:

Councillors: Crawley (Chairman), Dudfield, Fells, Roberts, Sandy, Manderfield, Macer & Farr

There were 5 members of the public

Clerk:  Mrs D Manderfield

Item 1 – Apologies for absence

Councillors: Macpherson, Topley & Milnes. All councillors had notified the clerk and the council Resolved to accept the reasons for absence.

Item 2 – Declaration of Interests under the Local Government Act

Cllr Crawley expressed a declaration of interest as a committee member of the Playing Field Committee  

Cllr Manderfield expressed a declaration of interest as a committee member of the Village Hall Committee

Item 3 –  Approval of Minutes of meeting number 3 held on 21st September  2023

It was Resolved to accept the minutes as  a true record of events. They were signed by the chairman, Cllr Crawley

Item 4 – Parish Clerk’s Update on Matters Arising Since Last Meeting  

• Bugler has been booked and 2 wreaths ordered for Remembrance Day

• Posted details of proposed footpath (Caythorpe to Fulbeck) on website and noticeboards, Cllr Macpherson has been asked to add it to the Facebook page

• Age UK poster been added to the website and noticeboards

• A letter has been sent to local resident re charging cables across public footpath

• We have had 1 ashes interment, 3 burials and 4 Exclusive Rights of Burials

• I attended a Parish Online ‘Banter Session’. Cllr Crawley asked about the Ward Canopy – our area has not yet been assessed

• I attended training on VAT 126: the council would only be liable for VAT registration if it were to make taxable supplies and the VAT element would exceed £1000 pa

• There has been a resignation from the council, a vacancy notice has been posted with an expiry date of 31/10. Co-option may then be announced after this date

• A grant for a new defibrillator has been applied for through the London Hearts, a Department of Health & Social Security initiative. the deadline was 20/10/23. The first 100 get full grant and the remaining 1900 will get £750 to be match funded

• The Accounts spreadsheet has been updated, and hopefully it is now more transparent. The idea being that most of the ‘tabs’ be self-filling direct from the ‘payments tab

• Liaising with the Church and British Legion representatives with regard to Remembrance Day

• I have forwarded various emails to Cllr Topley re Emergency Plan and Cllr Sandy re Housing portfolio

• I have posted a link to the website with updates on how LCC are helping parishioners after storm babet

• I attended a Precept & Budget Training session

• A thank you gift has been delivered to the internal auditor

The clerk added that the APM had historically been planned at the beginning of May, however as the Annual Parish Council Meeting is planned for the 8th May it might be an idea to have the APM in a month when the PC doesn’t sit. After discussions it was decided to have the APM on 17th April and to encourage other village committees to attend

Item 5 - Financial Matters

5.1 Authorisation of BACS/Cheque payments. 

Councillors considered the list, previously circulated, and Resolved to accept the payments

Please see Appendix A below

5.2 Review and Approval of CFPC accounts 

Councillors considered the bank reconciliations and the management accounts, previously circulated, and Resolved to approve both reports

Please see Appendix B below for management accounts 

5.3 Update from Cllr Farr – Finance Committee Chair

Cllr Farr had previously met with the clerk to scrutinise the accounts and  begin the budget procedure.

He explained that although the accounts are looking exceedingly healthy at the moment there were some hefty bills expected within the next couple of months, especially the Village Hall roof and the church clock projects which are nearing conclusion. He also explained that any unspent grant monies will need to be refunded. Cllr Farr summarised that he intends to report fully on the budget and the possibility of raising the precept, and will call a Financial Committee Meeting prior to the full council meeting in January

5.4 Investment Account

Cllr Crawley raised the issue of opening an investment account where the Parish Council funds might benefit from higher interest rates. He explained that the current account accrued no interest. After discussions it was Resolved that Cllr Farr and the Clerk would investigate and open an Instant Access Account with higher interest rates.

However, it was deemed important that all monies were easily accessible

5.5 Budget/ Precept

See 5.3 above

Cllr Crawley expressed how important it was for all councillors to study the budget and raise any concerns at the time

Action: All

5.6 Cheque to sign

Cllrs Dudfield & Sandy signed the cheque for the wreaths from the Royal British Legion

5.7 Banking – Cllr Fells

Unity bank refused the previously uploaded proof of identity photographs from Cllr Fells. A new form has been signed and Cllr Fells will forward more photographs to the clerk for uploading to Unity Bank

Item 6 Registers 

6.1 Risk Register – this was distributed previously.

It was Resolved to approve this document

6.2 Maintenance Register – this was distributed previously and reviewed.

It was Resolved to approve this document

Item 7 -  Project Register Update 

7.1 Caythorpe Hall Footpath Re-Route

Please see 12.6.1 below

Cllr Fells will liaise with the landowner 

Action: MF

7.2 1 Gigabit Broadband

There was no update

7.3 Ownership of the Village Hall

There has been no change to the circumstances of this project

7.4 Village Hall Roof

Completion is expected within a few days

7.5 Burial Ground Gates

Willwoods have completed this project to a fantastic standard

7.6 Fireworks

Cllr Crawley summarised the success of the firework display by Galaxy Fireworks. Oncer all the sponsor money is in, the Firework committee are expecting a ‘profit’ of around £1000. At this point Cllr Crawley proposed that the Paris Council underwrite the event again next year. After due discussions it was Resolved that Galaxy Fireworks be booked again for 2.11.2024

Action: Clerk

7.7 Burial Ground Levelling

Please see 12.9 below

After discussions it was decided that it was important and that the slight increase was inconsequential

Action: Cllr Sandy

7.8 Armada Beacon

Please see 12.2.3 below

Cllr Manderfield added that during a burn it might be necessary to cordon the area.

Action: Cllr Manderfield

7.9 Electrification of the Church Clock

Time Assured are expected 30.11.23 – 1.12.23 to fit the new barrels and motors. The automatic winding should all be installed before Christmas

7.10 Grit Bin – Arnhem Drive

Please see 12.7.1 below

7.11 Sand Bags

Please see 12.7.2 below

Action: Cllr Topley

7.12 Remembrance Sunday

Arrangements are all in hand, it was Resolved that 4 more wreaths be sourced from the British Legion in remembrance of the 4 fallen soldiers of WWII from the village. Cllr Crawley asked for volunteers to help with road closures prior to the march. Cllrs Dudfield, Manderfield & Farr volunteered

7.13 New Defibrillator

Please see 12.8 below

Cllr Macer also reported that new pads were required

Action: Cllr Macer

Item 8 - New Proposals. 

8.1 D Day Celebrations/ Lighting of the Beacon

Please see 7.8 above.

Item 9 – The Parish Environment

9.1 Planning Issues – Streeter Bench

A resident has reported that a memorial bench requires attention. The parishioner agreed to donate towards the cost of the new bench. It was Resolved to order a new bench and that Willwoods would be asked to site it.

Action: Clerk

9.2 Report from Cllr Dudfield – Planning Committee Chair

S23/1818

Mrs. Juliana Da Souza

Orchard Drive

Work on trees

Including myself six councillors supported the application.

S23/1823

Mr & Mrs McNulty

Waterloo Road 

Application to build a new bungalow

Including myself five councillors supported this application there were no objections.

Therefore the response to SKDC was as follows :-

CFPC support this application in principle, however in order to comply with our parish plan the property should be carbon neutral and fitted with an EV charger, we also have concerns that no arrangements for sewage or surface water drainage have been indicated in the application, this must be resolved before permission is granted.

S23/1657

Mr Graham Stafford

The Woodyard

Application for work on trees

Including myself four councillors supported this application there were no objections

S23/1893

Mrs Hilary Green 

Application for work on trees

Including myself five councillors supported this application there were no objections

Item 10 - Neighbourhood Plan

This has now been adopted and will be removed from further agendas

Item 11 -  Community Safety. 

There were 3 incidents reported to the police during August, no figures were available for September or October

Item 12 – Community Activities by Portfolio Councillor – the following are reports written by the individual councillors.

12.1 Report by Councillor Crawley

12.1.1 Litter Picking and the Big Clean

The litter picker employed by the Council continues to assist in keeping the villages clean.

The Big Clean team schedule does not appear to be published at present. If there are any areas of concern then please let me know and I will try and get the team to address these when they next visit the villages.

12.1.2 Environmental Sustainability

Sites for new tree planting are sought as I have a number of trees that have been raised by myself and volunteers that currently have no destination.

A number of trees are under cultivation to replace trees previously planted that have died back. These will be planted by myself and volunteers during the autumn/winter.

Complaints have been received about the removal of the cherry tree from the footpath between Back Lane and Millfield Crescent. I have visited the owner of the bungalow who was abusive and thought she had every right to fell the tree as it does not belong to any one. I have been unable to trace any owner of the land and tree in question.  I cannot progress this any further without tracing the landowner. I have updated the original complainant.

Quotes have been obtained for increasing the insulation levels to the Hammond Pavilion and a grant application has been made to SKDC which should have been decided in October, but has been delayed. The work will be done later in the year

Complaints are still being received about the smell from Mid UK. They have promised to install an odour suppression system although this may take some time. Complaints about noise from the trammel on the site are also being investigated.

12.1.3 Playing Fields

Quotes are being obtained for replacing the bark on the play area with a more suitable rubberised material that will not be scattered under the play equipment and require less maintenance. A grant will be applied for, to contribute to the cost of this work. One quote has been received which gives a cost which is prohibitive. Further quotes are being sought and consideration is being given to topping up the bark used at present.

An extension to the patio area outside the Sports and Social club is wanted and contractors have been approached, and several quotes have been obtained. It appears that Lincolnshire Cricket are unable to help with funding this work. Alternative sources of funding are being explored.

Neil Macer has purchased and fixed a new defibrillator sign. The siting of this is to be discussed. 

A quote has been obtained for renewing the fascia and gutter to the pavilion in plastic as the existing timber boards are in need of maintenance. A grant has been applied for from SKDC and this should have been decided in October but has been delayed. Work will be ordered as the guttering is leaking and it is hoped that the grant application will be decided before this takes place.

The grant application for replacing the windows and doors at the Hammond Pavilion through the FCC Communities Fund will not be decided  until 13th December and if the application is successful then work will commence in the New Year.

The last DASH was well supported and money has been paid to the Playing Field and the Parish Council for the tree donations.

The Gala was a great success this year, raising over £5700. However, there have been a number of issues between the Gala Team and the Playing Field Committee and as a result it was decided at the last meeting of the PFC that the Gala Team would run future galas independently of the PFC although the profits will still be donated to the PF.

Arrangements are in hand for the first Firework Night on the playing Field to be run by CFPC on Saturday 4th November. A number of local businesses have donated towards the cost.

12.2  Report by Cllr Manderfield

12.2.1Highways

I have continued to report potholes via Fix My Street including Arnhem Drive, Church Lane, Frieston Heath Lane, Gorse Hill Lane & High Street, most of which have been marked for repair or have been filled.

I also reported a road sign on the A607 which had fallen or been knocked over, work has now been scheduled to replace/repair.

Now the dark nights have arrived I have also noticed some streetlights which are not working and will report them via Fix My Street.

I have contacted the Highways Officer for an update on the assessment of the High Street for resurfacing and was informed that it is definitely in the programme to be resurfaced. A date for the work to commence has not been agreed but it is likely to be between April 2024 and March 2025. I have been advised to make contact again in the New Year when a specific date may be available and will update the council accordingly. 

12.2.2 Village Hall

I attended the village hall meeting on 24th October.

The repair of the flat roof has commenced and was well under way when storm Babet arrived, water found its way into parts of the hall where the roof was being worked on, but members of the committee worked hard during the day to mop and tidy to keep the damage to a minimum. 

Numerous events are planned to include the regular breakfast, film night on Friday 10th November & Panto on the 17th December. 

The Village Hall Committee asked if they would be receiving a grant from the PC this year as in previous years? 

Current bank balance 

Savings ac - £42,799.37

Current ac - £4,517.82

Date of next meeting is 28th November. 

12.2.3 Beacon 

Councillor MacPherson and I visited the beacon to assess its condition and formulate a plan.  

I spoke with Mel at SKDC who is going to ask the blacksmith to visit to inspect the beacon to see if it’s safe to use. Mel will also instruct the blacksmith to remove the horizontal shield support, which hopefully will prevent children from being able to climb into the basket.   

12.3  Report by Cllr Macpherson

Nothing from me. No portfolio updates other than that I now receive emails from the allotment committee 

12.4 Report by Cllr Farr

Nothing to report further

12.5  Report by Cllr Dudfield

Nothing to report further

12.6  Report by Cllr Fells

12.6.1Footpaths

Met with Peter Sowerby to walk the new proposed route and check on his plans.  The route was very badly flooded in places and since the meeting a large section of wall has collapsed due to the weather. Mr Sowerby has plans to lay hard standing paths along the route, but the flooding solution is less well defined.  As it currently stands I think the route has some challenges and perhaps some safety issues (wall stability and flooding).  I’d suggest we ask Mr Sowerby for mitigation plans and perhaps suggests he puts back implementing the route until they are resolved.

12.6.2 Public Transport

No further update on the bus routes and trial.  The lower cost fares seem to have been extended and I’ll push for a meeting to discuss.

12.6.3 News and Views

I still need to set up a meeting with Pete and Laura.

12.7  Report by Cllr Topley

12.7.1Grit Bins

I have done a survey of the grit bins around the village and reported on Fix My Street that 3 of them need replenishing with grit before the bad weather sets in.

I have contacted Penny Milne with regards to the missing Grit Bin on Arnhem drive and asked for some guidance as to how we can get this resolved with SKDC as we believe they own the site. I am waiting for her response on this ( 03/11/23). Once I have explored this avenue, if we have no joy, I will look into costs of getting a new one and propose this to the Parish council.

12.7.2 Sand Bags

I have contacted Steve Eason- Harris on how we can obtain sand bags and wait for his guidance on this. (03/11/23)

12.8 Report by Cllr Macer

Not too much from me. Just as an update I have taken over fully checking the defibrillators and updating the app accordingly. As you know the one in Frieston is still not working and waiting on the grant info to come back

12.9  Report by Cllr Sandy 

This month I have been trying to progress levelling of the Burial Ground with Lee Ballam. We finally did meet and I found that West side isn’t too bad, there is some sinkage but it does need attention. The East  side is very bad, probably about half the graves need attention, some are 9- 12 inches low. I did ask if he felt that he was able to do the work. It needs a lot of topsoil, rolling, and then reseeding, I’m hoping that the soil we store from grave digging will be useable. He originally gave a price of £300.00 to do the job and supply grass seed and some topsoil but I’ve asked for a lot more work than he had thought. I think he probably needs another £100.00. so he feels able to do it properly. I've said that it will be inspected before he gets paid.

12.10 Report by Cllr Roberts

Nothing to Report

Item 13 -  Items of Urgent Business

Cllr Crawley advised that it had been decided at the recent Playing Field meeting that the Gala Team were going to run independently and asked for a councillor to take on the portfolio. Cllr Farr agreed to this. The Gala organisers have asked that the Parish Council be authorisers on a bank account on their behalf, for transparency.

Item 14 - Arrangements for Next Meeting 

The next Parish Council Meeting Number 5 of 2023 will be on Wednesday 10th January 2024 

Open Forum

There were 5 members of the public present.

2 expressed their thanks and congratulations to the Firework Committee on the success of the Firework event.

They did have some suggestions that were all taken on board by the Parish Council, namely that one session of fireworks might have been better than two, soup would be a good addition to the food options, the sound system may need adjusting, and that ‘entry by donation’ might be an improvement on ‘free entry’

Appendix A

Appendix B

Caythorpe & Frieston Management Accounts as at 31.10.23

Electronically signed

D Manderfield

Clerk