2025 Parish Council Meeting Minutes

CAYTHORPE AND FRIESTON PARISH COUNCIL
MEETING NUMBER 1
MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD WEDNESDAY 14th MAY 2025
Present:
Councillors: Sandy, Farr, Crawley, Manderfield, Macpherson, Clayton, Stevenson & Page LCC Cllr Bamford & SKDC Cllr Milnes
There was 1 member of the public
Clerk:  Mrs D Manderfield

Item 1 – Election of Chairman and Vice- Chairman
It was Resolved that Cllr Crawley be elected as Chairman and that Cllr Sandy be elected as Vice-Chair. Both councillors signed the Acceptance of Office

Item 2 – Apologies for absence
Cllrs Stojanovic, Topley & Macer. Councillors Topley & Macer had notified the clerk and the council Resolved to accept the reasons for absence. Cllr Stojanovic had not notified the Clerk

Item 3 – 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
Cllr Macpherson expressed a declaration of interest as a member of the Allotment Association
Cllrs Farr & Stevenson expressed a declaration of interest as a member of the Gala Working Group 

Item 4 - Approval of Minutes of meeting number 6 held on 12th March 2025
Copies of the minutes were circulated prior to the meeting. It was Resolved to accept the minutes as  a true record of events. They were signed by the chairman, Cllr Crawley 

Item 5 – Parish Clerk’s Update on Matters Arising Since Last Meeting  

Payroll year end has been completed, and P60s have been distributed to employees
All planning submissions have been forwarded to councillors, and decisions have been submitted accordingly.
The gravedigger has been contacted and has assured that the work will be completed before the end of May.
Communications
2x LALC NEWS updates, including training available, sent to all councillors
Letter from Lincolnshire Rural Housing forwarded to Cllr Sandy
Email concerning Martyn's Law forwarded to Cllr Crawley
Email concerning funding for trees forwarded to Cllr Crawley
Terms of Reference for News & Views have been signed by The Editor and Cllr Crawley
Banking amendments are still ongoing; all documents have been received by the bank. 
I would like to bring to your attention the fact that CFPC are in dire need of a further name on the banking mandate. If either Cllr Crawley or Sandy are unavailable then bills and salaries cannot be authorised and will go unpaid. 
The year-end and AGAR has been completed and audited by our Internal Auditor.
Bugler for VE Day: service starts at 6pm, beacon lighting and tribute at 9:30pm
An interment and a monument have been agreed upon by the clerk.
I have restated the figures on the AGAR following a training session with LALC. This now includes all assets and now tones with the asset register which has also been revised
The Standing Orders have been revised slightly with regard to Planning application submissions to read . ‘The Chairman of the Planning Committee will collate responses from members and notify the Clerk as to the decision. This response will be submitted by the Clerk to the District Council using Clerks delegated Powers’
Cllrs Page & Stevenson agreed to become signatures on the bank accounts, this will allow them both to authorise payments in the absence of either Cllr Crawley or Cllr Sandy. The Clerk discussed with Cllr Sandy the next steps in liaison with the bank in order to allow access for the News & Views Editors which had still not been completed 
   
Item 6 – Election of Members of the Planning Committee for 2025/26
It was Resolved that Cllr Page be elected  as  Chair of the Planning Committee and the members of the committee be as follows:
Cllrs Crawley, Stevenson, Manderfield & Sandy. It would be ideal to have a sixth member. The Clerk will approach Cllrs Topley & Macer
Cllr Topley agreed to become the final member of the planning committee 

Item 7 – Election of Members of the Finance Committee for 2025/6
It was Resolved that Cllr Page be elected  as  Chair of the Finance Committee and the members of the committee be as follows:
Cllrs Crawley, Sandy, Manderfield, Macpherson & Stevenson

Item 8 – Appointment of Portfolio Holders
There was some discussion surrounding this, a full listing of the new portfolio positions, as they stand is published as Appendix A below

Item 9 - Financial Matters
9.1 Approval of the Parish Council Annual  Internal Audit Report
It was confirmed that a satisfactory internal audit had been concluded on 1st May 2025 by Bruce Nelson (FCA).  This section of the Annual Return AGAR page 3 had been completed, dated, and signed on this date by the auditor and would be submitted to PKF Littlejohn for external auditing.
A copy of the AGAR had been circulated for review to all members in advance of the meeting.
It was Resolved that this section of the AGAR be approved and sent to the external auditor PKF Littlejohn
Action: Clerk

9.2 Approval of Annual Governance Statement (section 1) for 2024/25
It was Resolved that this section of the AGAR be approved and recorded on page 4 of the AGAR as minute 9.2. 
The document was signed by the Parish Clerk and the Chairman (of this meeting) and the completed AGAR document would be sent to the external auditor PKF Littlejohn. 
Action: Clerk

9.3 Approval of Accounting Statements (section 2) 2024/25 
It was Resolved that this section of the AGAR be approved and recorded on page 5 of the AGAR as minute 9.3 
The document was signed by the Parish Clerk and the Chairman (of this meeting) and the completed AGAR document would be sent to the external auditor PKF Littlejohn. 
Action: Clerk

9.4 To obtain acceptance of – CFPC Standing Orders
The document had been issued to all members prior to the meeting and it was confirmed that no anomalies had been identified. Please see item 4 for details of an amendment. As such it was Resolved that this document would be adopted for use by all members for the forthcoming year 2025/26

9.5 To obtain acceptance of – CFPC Financial Regulations
The Clerk had previously requested that all councillors re-familiarise themselves with this document. It was Resolved that this document would be adopted for use by all members for the forthcoming year 2025/26

9.6 To obtain acceptance (signature) of – CFPC Disclosure of Personal Interests
This document was circulated during the meeting and signed by those Cllrs present. Those absent will be asked to sign as soon as possible after the meeting.
Action: Clerk

9.7 Authorisation of BACS/Cheque payments. 
Councillors considered the list, previously circulated, and Resolved to accept the payments
Please see Appendix B below

 9.8 End of Year Accounts and Audit Requirements – Submission of Public Rights
A copy of this document had been circulated for review to all members in advance of the meeting. 
The document was complete and a copy would be sent to PKF Littlejohn the External Auditor, in due course.  The Notice of Public Rights and the publication of unaudited AGAR will be published on the Parish Website and on the main village notice board for the period 3rd June – 14th July (30-day period) having announced this fact on the 2nd June 2025.
In addition to this document a copy of the accounts for the year end will be published on the Parish Website
Action: Clerk

9.9 Review of CFPC Accounts. Bank rec & Management Accounts. 
Bank reconciliations and management accounts as at 30.4.25 were circulated to all prior to the meeting.
Please see Appendix C below

9.10 Update from Finance Committee Chair
There was no report at this time, Cllr Crawley explained that the accounts were in good order for the new financial year

Item 10 Registers 
10.1 Risk Register – this was distributed previously.
It was Resolved to approve this document, 

10.2 Maintenance Register – this was distributed previously and reviewed.
It was Resolved to approve this document
The Clerk informed the councillors about the items listed on the register that are scheduled for replacement or renewal in 2025. Councillor Crawley will evaluate the condition of the Lincolnshire Flag. The Clerk will consult with the insurance company to determine if they recommend a reinstatement cost assessment for the council-owned buildings and to ascertain the associated costs. Additionally, Councillor Manderfield inquired about the Parish Council's position in the event of a discrepancy between the insured rebuild cost and the actual rebuild cost. The Clerk will garner quotes for cleaning and staining the 2 gates at the Burial Ground and instruct the subcontractor to clean the bus stop on the A607 and the village entry gates.
Action: Clerk
Item 11 -  Project Register Update 
11.1 Emergency Plan 
No update on this project

11.2 2x Historical Books for website
It is unlikely that this will be possible and so this project has been suspended

11.3 Allotment Lease
This project is complete

11.4 VE Day 80 
This project is complete

11.5 Burial Ground Plot Marking
Gravedigger has been delayed but has confirmed that he is starting the work soon

11.6 Love Lane Memorial
This project has been suspended whilst new enquiries are made. Sub-contractor has been instructed to maintain the area

11.7 New Dog Bin/s
Cllr Milnes will verify the availability of any signage from SKDC. Councillor Farr is continuing to search for a suitable location.

11.8 Hospital Car Scheme
A survey conducted by a local resident indicates that assistance is needed in the evenings, as residents can utilise public transport during the day.

Item 12 - New Proposals. 
12.1 Amendments to Budget
The Clerk explained that the budget should not contain certain elements and that Earmarked Reserves should also not be included. At the same time it was suggested that other elements be  increased. It was Resolved that the Allotment revenue budget be increased to £300 and Expenditure to £1520 to cover rent and solicitors fees. Due to the increase in the insurance premium it was also Resolved to increase this element to £5000. The Earmarked Accounts were split from the budget and the VAT reclaim removed
Action: Clerk
12.2 Insurance Increase
Cllr Crawley re-iterated that due to the increase in the insurance premiums, including the grants the totals paid, to the Village Hall for 2025/26 was in the order of £3745.71, and the Playing Field was £4349.86 for the same period. 

12.3 Gift for Internal Auditor
After discussion it was Resolved that £20 be approved for a ‘thank you’ gift under clerks delegated powers

Item 13 – The Parish Environment

13.1 Planning
There have been a number of  applications submitted in the period 
S25/0478 please note that Councillors Crawley and Stephenson declared a conflict of interest and did not comment. We had no objections to the proposal.

S25/0498 This work is required on a listed building to maintain the structural integrity of the property. We had no objections

S25/0546 This application is for the demolition of an existing stone barn with a pan tiled roof to allow for the re-siting of new dwellings (for which planning approval has already been granted). Whilst the barn has some architectural merit, the proposal to build the new houses using materials salvaged from the demolition will compensate for this. The scale of the new dwellings is similar to the existing barn and the location is fairly remote. We have no objections.

S25/0627 we had no objections as the work is required for the safety of adjacent property 

S25/1270 It is noted there was a previous application  S23/1451 and we believe our comments on that application are still relevant.

In addition to these, we are very concerned that there will be a substantial area of hard surfaces driveway that will lead to surface water adding to that which cascades down Gorse Hill in times of rainfall and freezes when the weather is cold leading to icy, unsafe driving conditions on Gorse Hill.

We request that there should be provision to prevent surface water discharge to the highway, the house should have an agricultural tie and should be carbon neutral with solar panels, air source heat pump and EV charge point.

13.2 Other Planning Issues
There were no other issues

Item 14 – Community Activities by Portfolio Councillor – the following are reports written by the individual councillors. 

14.1  Report by Cllr Crawley
14.1.1 Litter Picking 
Our part time  litter picker continue to work diligently keeping litter at bay around the villages
 14.1.2 Environmental Sustainability
Hedging planted previously on the Playing Field will be trimmed shortly.
I have notified SKDC of the abandoned vehicle on Gorse Hill Lane which should be cleared shortly
14.1.3 Playing Fields
Costs are being carefully monitored and rents and hire fees have been reviewed and increased where appropriate. We still await a report from a specialist regarding renewable energy.. 
The wicket mower has been replaced with a reconditioned machine. 
An order has been placed for painting the external joinery and this will be carried out when the weather improves.
A section of the fence at the back of the Play area has rotted and collapsed. Quotes have been obtained and an order placed for repair and replacement.
It is believed that the DASH running fund raiser will not take place this spring, which will leave a gap in funding.
Ideas for fund raising are being sought and considered and a quiz night is planned for the pavilion. A grant from the Parish Council has been paid. Some of the money from the 2024 Gala has now been paid over to the playing field.
The organization of the 2025 Gala is proceeding with a new Gala Committee

14.2 Report from Cllr David Manderfield
14.2.1 Highways

I have continued to report potholes via Fix My Street including Frieston Heath Lane, Waterloo Rd and Gorse Hill Lane.
I have reported the overhanging vegetation on the A607 between the High Street & Woodwards Garage.
I have also reported the weight limit diversion which is causing some HGV’s to use Frieston Heath Lane. 

14.2.2 Village Hall
I was unable to attended Village Hall meeting on Tuesday 22nd of April.
The Village Committee are continuing their hard work to improve the hall, painting of the kitchens and committee room is now complete.
The exterior wall is in need of repointing and quotes are currently being sought.
A cream tea is being held on the Sunday 11th May.
A screen and projector have been purchased to allow the committee to hold film and race nights, dates to be confirmed.
The VH are funds are as follows. Savings - £26,294.26, Current - £3,961.00.

14.2.3 VE Day Beacon
On 8th May at 9.30pm the beacon on the playing field was lit to commemorate VE Day. Cllr Mcpherson delivered the address and Cllr Page lit the beacon.
I would like to thank GR Ward Ltd for the timber to burn and Cllrs Macer, Macpherson and Topley for their help in the organisation

Item 15 -  Items of Urgent Business

There were 2 matters of urgent business for consideration
Cllr Clayton raised the topic of re-routing the public bus from the High Street. After extensive discussion, it was decided that Cllr Stevenson would reach out to the local bus company and Lincs Road Partnership to gather their opinions, and Cllr Manderfield would contact the highways department to determine if this proposal is feasible.

Cllr Crawley discussed Martyn's Law (The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025), noting its potential impact on the gala and firework display. He mentioned that he had started updating risk assessments to comply with the law. The Clerk had previously emailed details to all councillors.

Item 16 - Arrangements for Next Meeting 
The next Parish Council Meeting Number 2 of 2025 will be held on Wednesday 9th July 2025 commencing at 7.30 p.m. in the village hall.  (7.15 for open forum)

Cllr Crawley thanked everyone for coming and closed the meeting

Open Forum

A resident expressed concerns about speeding on the A607 between Frieston and Station Road, requesting the council's support to reduce the speed limit to 40 mph. Cllr Crawley noted that the Parish Council could not initiate this change and it would be discussed at the next meeting in July.
The same resident also raised issues about increased activity and a continuous high-pitched noise from the recycling plant. Cllr Crawley agreed to liaise with Mid UK and report back. Cllr Milnes mentioned that the LCC enforcement officer would visit the site soon, and Cllr Bamford agreed to accompany Cllr Crawley on his visit to the site

Cllr Bamford introduced himself as the newly elected LCC councillor

{Electronically signed}
D Manderfield 
Parish Clerk

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C