2025 Parish Council Meeting Minutes

CAYTHORPE AND FRIESTON PARISH COUNCIL

MEETING NUMBER 3

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD WEDNESDAY 10th SEPTEMBER 2025

Present:

Councillors: Crawley, Manderfield, Stevenson, Page, Sandy, Macpherson, & Clayton

SKDC Cllr Milnes

There were 2 members of the public of the public

Clerk:  Mrs D Manderfield

Item 1 – Chairmans Remarks

Cllr Crawley welcomed the councillors and the public. 

Please see below public discussions under Open Forum

Item 2 – Apologies for absence

Cllr  Topley had notified the clerk and the council Resolved to accept the reasons for absence. Cllrs Farr and Macer informed the clerk they would be late to the meeting, as did LCC Cllr Bamford.

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 Stevenson expressed a declaration of interest as a member of the Gala Working Group 

Item 4 - Approval of Minutes of meeting number 2 held on 9th July 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 - To receive written applications for the office of Parish councillor and to Co-opt a candidate to fill the existing vacancy

The Clerk reported that there had been no applications. Cllr Clayton advised that the application details would be posted to the council facebook page

Item 6 – Parish Clerk’s Update on Matters Arising Since Last Meeting  

All planning submissions have been forwarded to councillors, and decisions have been submitted accordingly.

Communications

LALC news: feedback from Govt on Lincs reorganisational proposals and proposal for remote meetings

Two notifications have been received from National Grid regarding necessary tree works in Frieston. All relevant information has been uploaded to the website, and works have been agreed

Email received from Defib world has been forwarded to Cllr Macer

Reinstatement Cost Assessments received from Cardinus have been forwarded to the Village Hall Committee, Playing Field Committee and Social Club

3x LALC news forwarded to all councillors

An email complaint regarding the Caythorpe Village Caythorpe page was forwarded to the Chairman, Cllr Crawley who replied. The PC have not received any further emails

An email from SKDC regarding the ‘proposed council tax support scheme’ has been forwarded to all cllrs

The most recent LALC news informed all councils that there was to be an Emergency Alert on 7th September at 3pm. This has been added to the website

An email from Ron Bailey regarding the Lithium-ion batteries campaign was forwarded to all cllrs

An email from LALC concerning the 2nd reading of the English Devolution and Empowerment Bill was forwarded to all cllrs

An email from the Community Engagement team at SKDC entitled ‘Age Friendly Communities’ was forwarded to the Village Hall Committee.

The Vodafone account has now been completed, at a cost of £10 per month inc VAT for 18 months. This will be taken as a d/d and works out cheaper and is more reliable than a pay as you go PIN. Hopefully this will future proof the PC phone number and accessibility when land lines become obsolete. The new phone number for the clerk is: 07351 690496

A councillor has been disqualified after falling foul of the 6 month rule. Having been through the prescribed procedure a co-option notice has been placed on the village noticeboards and the CFPC website. There has been no interest so far

An error occurred at the Burial Ground in which a plot was utilised for an incorrect casket. Following extensive discussions involving the plot owner, Councillor Sandy, and the ICCM, a resolution was reached whereby CFPC agreed to refund in full the value of the original purchase of the Exclusive Right of Burial (EROB) to the owner. The plot has now been legally transferred back to CFPC

There has been another issue at the Burial Ground whereby a family wish to sell back to CFPC a plot with an EROB owned by a deceased member of the family. The family have all the necessary paperwork and now have to complete a Statutory Declaration before a solicitor before a Transfer of Rights can be completed.  

The AGAR sign off by PKF Littlejohn was initially delayed due to a restatement in box 9 for 31.3.24 and a query regarding staff salaries exceeding the 10% increase threshold. After several discussions with PKF Littlejohn explaining the amendments to the Asset Register and changes in staff, these concerns were resolved. As a result, the AGAR has now been signed off, with no further issues identified and no matters giving cause for concern that relevant legislation or regulatory requirements have not been met. All necessary legal notices have been posted on village noticeboard and website

New LGS Pay scales were published recently and the clerk has also had a SCP point increase back dated to June

There are currently 58 burial plots and 16 ashes plots remaining in the Burial Ground

Caythorpeandfriestonpc.gov.uk has been applied for free of charge via Parish Online. 

A belated invitation to the Arnhem Regimental dinner was received. The clerk booked 5 councillors and their guests

There are current debtors of £1500, although a cheque for £200 has been posted to the bank and has not yet cleared

As a reminder the current Earmarked Reserves are:

Fireworks 2025 £2755.30

Allotments £2000

Village Tree Work £1000

New Tree Planting £11.67

Cost of Democracy £3000

Item 7 - Financial Matters

7.1 Authorisation of BACS/Cheque payments. 

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

Please see Appendix A below

7.2 Review of CFPC Accounts. Bank rec & Management Accounts. 

Bank reconciliations and management accounts as at 30.6.25 were circulated to all prior to the meeting. It was Resolved to accept this report

Please see Appendix B below

7.3 Update from Finance Committee Chair

There was no update at this point

7.4 Budget Items

Cllr Macer asked the Clerk to submit a quote from Community Heartbeat for review. It was agreed at this point to include the full quote for budgeting purposes. Cllr Macer added that main electrodes on all devices were due to expire on 28.11.26 and that Community Heartbeat would recommend replacing all 3 in July 2026

Cllr Manderfield asked the Clerk to include £6000 for speed awareness signage at the school. 

Cllr Crawley asked the Clerk to contact the Village Hall and Playing Field Committees to provide the council with details of income and expenditure so that the council can determine annual grants

Action: Clerk

7.5 To obtain acceptance (signature) of – CFPC Disclosure of Personal Interests (cllrs not present at previous meeting)

Cllr Topley was not present at the meeting 

Item 8 Registers 

8.1 Risk Register – this was distributed previously.

It was Resolved to approve this document, 

8.2 Maintenance Register – this was distributed previously and reviewed.

It was Resolved to approve this document

Item 9 -  Project Register Update 

9.1 Emergency Plan 

Cllrs have agreed that their details can be used in the plan

9.2 Burial Ground Plot Marking

The Clerk stated that while there was an initial agreement to use small slabs to mark each grave plot, the gravedigger has recommended using a 'T' marker placed in the grass. This approach is more cost effective, and individual plots can still be identified using the provided map.

Action: Clerk

9.3 Love Lane Memorial

This project has been completed

At this point Cllr Farr joined the meeting

9.4 New Dog Bin/s

Cllr Stevenson reported the vandalised bin at the allotments. Cllr Farr agreed  to replace the bin. Cllr Farr was informed that, although the contractor empties the bins on a weekly basis, certain areas within the village would benefit from the installation of additional bins, and that duplication in these locations may be an option

9.5 Martyns Law

Cllr Crawley stated that the matter is still under review.

Item 10 - New Proposals. 

10.1 IT Contract

The LALC Contract had already been distributed and after discussion it was Resolved to accept it. Cllr Crawley asked that the Clerk re-circulate the contract and that all cllrs sign it and return it back to the clerk

Action: Clerk/All

Item 11 – The Parish Environment

11.1 Planning Issues

There was a lot of discussion surrounding Brandon Wood Clay. Cllr Milnes explained that it was still ongoing

11.2 Report from Cllr Page – Planning Committee Chairman

We have had very few planning matters albeit there was an application outside of our parish that impacts our residents with noise nuisance. 

Application S25/1427 to carry out to a number if trees on Church Lane - we had no objections.

Application S24/1478 - Brandon clay pigeon shoot. We made following comments 

object. comments are:

Page 33 clause 124 (b) states "Ensure there is no adverse effect on the amenity of neighbouring users in terms of noise" Clearly , as set out, there is substantial adverse effect caused by noise.

The activity of clay pigeon shooting causes significant amounts of pollution. This arises from the ignition and discharge of the charge to propel the shot, the shot itself, and the debris from the clays that are shot. We cannot see any proposals for mitigating this pollution or dealing with its effects

at this point Cllr Macer & Cllr Bamford joined the meeting

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

12.1  Report by Cllr Crawley

12.1.1 Litter Picking

Our part time  litter picker continue to work diligently keeping litter at bay around the villages.

12.1.2 Environmental Sustainability

A complaint has been received from a member of the public regarding night time noise from Mid UK. They have been reminded of the planning permission that exists, allowing night time maintenance and I will raise this when I next meet with Mid UK.

The issue of lorries queuing to access the Mid Uk site early in the morning has been raised with the company and I await a response.

12.1.3 Playing Fields

We still await a report from a specialist regarding renewable energy. I have submitted a grant application for a renewable energy installation and await a response.

A section of the fence at the back of the Play area that rotted has been replaced..

Ideas for fund raising are being sought and considered and a further quiz night is planned for the pavilion. All of the money from the 2024 Gala has now been paid over to the playing field with the exception of a small amount held back for a memorial bench which is on order and will be sited near the pavilion.

The organization of the 2025 Gala is proceeding with a new Gala Committee. 

12.1.4 Fireworks Committee

The committee has met four times so far and Galaxy are booked for Saturday 1st November 2025. A deposit has been paid to Galaxy and planning is well underway for many aspects of this event. Sponsorship is being sought and obtained. The need for safe temporary lighting has been identified and suitable lighting will be purchased from the funds held thus far.

12.2 Report from Cllr Manderfield

12.2.1 Highways

I have continued to report potholes via Fix My Street including Frieston Heath Lane, Gorse Hill Lane, the A607 and Caythorpe Heath Lane.

I have reported a number of road signs which have been obscured by overgrown vegetation. I have reported overgrown weeds and vegetation on Frieston Path and the two footpaths between the High Street and Old Lincoln Road.

I have contacted Cllr Bamford with regard to reducing the speed limit on the A607 Caythorpe bypass to 50mph. Cllr Bamford will update the parish Council on this at our meeting on Wednesday.

I have also contacted Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership with regard flashing school warning signs during school opening and closing times on the High Street.

LRSP responded as below.

Such signs come in two forms, battery or solar powered. But the costs are fairly similar – about £3,000 each. The signs are for use in 30 and 40 mph restricted areas.

Some Parishes apply for Grants from the District Council or seek funding from sources associated with development / solar / wind projects – that sort of thing. So, if you have someone on your Parish with links into the District, that would be useful.

I’ll just explain the different types :

Battery units, from a company called Westcotec or Unipart Dorman, are small enough to be fitted to lamp columns. They are easily moveable between sites and so the advantage is that may only need purchase one or two. They do need to be recharged every 4 weeks or so, and so someone needs to take ownership of them. 

Solar units, from a company called Elan City (like Fulbeck) are quite popular with Parishes. Cost wise, they are approx. £3,000 each. They would need to be attached to a dedicated post though due to their size and weight. We would erect the posts at a cost of £200 each. These units are more fixed and quite cumbersome to move and so you’d probably need to purchase enough to cover all of the sites where you have concerns.

So, the first decision is whether to go for battery or solar.

12.2.2 Village Hall

I attended the Village Hall meeting on Tuesday 26th of August.

The Village Committee are continuing their hard work to improve the hall, quotes are being sought for repainting of the main hall and replacement of some of interior lighting.

A replacement sign for the exterior of the hall is also required, and prices have been requested.

The committee have carried a couple of tidying sessions including the shed in the garden and the upstairs storage room. 

The next film night is on the 10th of October, the film is One Life.

The first race night will be held on the 29th of November.

The VH are funds are as follows. Savings - £26,446.76, Current - £4,112.08

12.3 Report from Cllr Macpherson

12.3.1 Allotments

Final copy of lease from the Diocese now signed and returned

12.3.2 Remembrance Day:

Bugler has been booked

Church has confirmed timings

Only one officer and one soldier will attend from 216 Para due the regiment being deployed overseas

2 wreaths and 50 crosses have been purchased for the 2 memorials and the cubs/scouts/brownies

I would like to run through the timings and preparation staged at the meeting to ensure I am clear on what needs to be done, by who, and when

Cllrs Manderfield, Page, Farr, & Clayton offered to help Cllr Macpherson on the day

12.4 Report by Cllr Stevenson

12.4.1 Public Transport 

A public meeting was held on 23rd July as a result of the proposed daytime closures for the full 3 phases of the resurfacing of the A607 which would have resulted in the suspension of the Lincoln to Grantham bus service for approximately 11 weeks. Strong opposition was raised to this proposal and as a result LCC agreed to revert to night-time closures for the second 2 phases of the work. The work on the final phase (Caythorpe) is currently scheduled to start on Wednesday 17th September and is expected to take up to 4 weeks to complete. The night-time closures will allow for Stagecoach to run a daytime service through Caythorpe during this period. 

12.4.2 Gala Committee 

The Caythorpe Gala held on 6th September was a resounding success with yet another excellent turn out for this key event in the village calendar. This was the first year for a new team of gala event organisers whose hard work and commitment to delivering a memorable community event paid off. The wider Arnhem weekend activities were well supported, and the military procession to St Vincents for a service of remembrance was a fitting conclusion to a weekend celebrating the unique shared history between the village and 216 (Paras) Signals Regiment. 

Cllr Crawley expressed his thanks to the whole Gala Committee and agreed that the new team had done a fantastic job of continuing the growth of the annual event. Cllr Farr proposed that the Parish Council Chairman give a small token of appreciation. It was resolved that up to £40 be spent on two individuals

12.4.3 Shops, Businesses and Employment 

No issues arising. 

12.4.4 Footpaths 

No issues arising. 

12.5 Report by Cllr Topley

12.5.1 Grit Bins and salt

I will be checking all the Grit bins for replenishment over the next couple of weeks.

12.5.2 Emergency Plan

I have started with updating the contacts list and will have this ready soon. Thanks to all who have given permission to be added to the list.

12.6 Report by Cllr Sandy

 nothing dramatic happening just general admin with the clerk on burial ground and I can now report that the waste soil heap is now due to be moved shortly at no charge to the parish council  

Item 13 -  Items of Urgent Business

There were no matters of urgent business

Item 14 - Arrangements for Next Meeting 

The next Parish Council Meeting Number 4 of 2025 will be held on Wednesday 12th November 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

Two members of the public, both representing the allotment committee, attended and reminded the council that Savills had not yet resolved the issue with the damaged Rowan tree, which is becoming increasingly hazardous. Councillors Crawley and Macpherson expressed their apologies for the delay and assured the parties that the matter would be addressed as a priority.

The clerk has since contacted Savills, who confirmed that the contractor is scheduled to attend before the end of the week and will also conduct a survey of the remaining trees. All relevant parties have been notified accordingly.

Report from Cllr Ken Bamford – LCC Councillor

Going forward I want to try and encourage community self-help to ensure concerns are addressed as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

I am committed to supporting community projects, so if there is anything going on, litter picks, clean ups, repairs, DIY projects or anything that benefits the community please let me know and I will see if I can help. 

The most effective way to raise and escalate issues is by reporting them directly through the council’s online services. These reports and complaints go straight to the operational teams who are responsible for investigating and resolving issues, and they are able to track and prioritise them appropriately.

There are a number of ways to do this, depending on the nature of the concern and escalation routes using the links below.

https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/faults-maintenance

FixMyStreet

https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/comments-feedback/make-complaint/2

If a more immediate response is needed, you / they can contact LCC by telephone on: 01522 552222

In many cases, you as Parish Councils are also well placed to help with local concerns and can often resolve matters quickly at a community level. If you can encourage friends and neighbours to raise issues with you in the first instance, alongside using the online reporting tools above that would be very much appreciated.

https://moderngov.southkesteven.gov.uk/mgParishCouncilDetails.aspx?bcr=1

Of course, I will continue to monitor all issues impacting our area, and if you feel that a resident or community matter is not being properly addressed after using the above reporting systems, and you have exhausted Parish level tools, please do let me know so I can follow it up. 

Local Updates

A607 roadworks are progressing well and do not appear to be causing much disruption.

Speed limit change on A607 declined as it does not meet the current policy criteria. I am following this up with LCC Highways (see below). We should not in my view have to wait for an incident to occur before we take action. We are pushing for a more proactive, rather than reactive approach across the council generally.

All new issues that are proposed for LCC intervention should be logged in the PC meeting minutes and shared with Cllr Bamford. They will then be updated on in this report at the next meeting.

Repairs Efficiency, Speeding and Parking

I have received several complaints around this, with residents confused as to why some repairs are treated, but not others, when they are in the same village, in some cases on the same street. In respect of speeding and parking, again this is a widespread issue, so I am looking at what we can do to try and improve this.

As you can imagine there are a lot of policies that have been in place for some time, which I am trying to understand and challenge to ensure they work in the best interests of Hough residents and the best use of taxpayer money.

I will continue to investigate as I am not happy with the way road and pathway repairs are currently managed, which is not isolated to any specific village.

In terms of individual cases, all repairs are part of a bigger programme of works that is managed by the LCC Highways department, so the best way to raise concerns or obtain updates is by contacting them directly using the aforementioned methods.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) - Public Events

Events near you | Shaping the future of Greater Lincolnshire | Let's Talk Lincolnshire

LGR - More Information

Your Lincolnshire – Lincolnshire County Council

Thank you for your service and your continued vigilance in the community, we need everyone’s eyes and ears to help ensure our area remains a safe and well cared for place to live.

Report from Penny Milnes – SKDC Councillor

Change in Bin Collection Dates and Times

You will have received information about these changes and thank you for posting the information on your noticeboard.

Every household has received a letter with explicit details of the changes impacting them and a calendar of collections dates. I found the letter easy to understand and hopefully residents will make the change with no problems.

Food Waste caddies and liners will start to be delivered to households from January 2026.

SKDC Soldiers From the Sky and Aviation Heritage

The display at the Gala was excellent and well received by many interested residents.

Planning Applications

The Shoot (S25/1468) remains contentious with impacted residents (in all the parishes) continuing to complain about the noise and residential amenity. A previous application for 150 days was refused by the planning committee but not appealed. An Enforcement Notice was issued and appealed but the Inspector found fault and declared it nullity.

The current application to extend the days from 50 days a year to 106 days using 2 parcels of land and controversially claiming 28 days permitted development rights on each, if recommended for approval, will therefore be challenged and examined at a planning committee.

Pylons 

The plans for the Western Marsh, near Spalding to East Leicestershire National Grid Upgrade are at Stage 1 Consultation. There are pylons planned along the route which goes North of Bourne, between Grimsthorpe Castle and Irnham, Corby Glen and across the A1 between North and South Witham and into Melton. The pylons will be 50 metres high and 350 metres wide. They will be in areas close to ancient woodland and historic buildings and villages. SKDC have requested that putting the 

cables underground should be investigated and that there should be more transparency on the wider future implications of 44 renewable energy connection points with potential for more wind and solar farms.

Houses of Multiple Occupancy

With the closure of hotels for use by the Home Office for housing asylum seekers, there is an increase in the use of HMO’s in local communities with no need to consult with the local council or local residents. A property for 3 – 4 people is permitted development, and some councils are applying Article 4 Directions to remove that right and enable more control. Motions to Full Council next week will propose that SK look at ways to control this use.

SKDC Local Plan

The consultation phase on the allocations for housing development has now closed and the planning moves forward with an end date still next year. Unfortunately, since the Government’s introduction of extra mandatory targets SK, along with most other councils, are now in a ‘tilted balance’ as we no longer can show a 5-year land supply until the Plan is ‘made’. This means that housing development should be approved unless there is an overwhelming reason to refuse.

Local Government Reorganisation

I believe that currently there are 6 options for creating 2 or 3 Unitary Councils for Greater Lincolnshire. These will be submitted to the Government in November, and they will decide which option to use early next year. SKDC’s preferred option is for 3 Unitary Councils with SKDC, NKDC, South Holland and Rutland forming one Council. At the elections in May 2027, it is anticipated that Shadow Unitary Councillors will be elected. For example, within a County Council Division there could be 2 Unitary councillors. The District Councils and councillors will cease to exist.

Love to Ride App

For those who love to cycle, LCC have an app – Love to Ride. 

This app supports direct community engagement and enables the public to map their rides (any distance) and rate their experiences along the routes ridden. By gathering information, it helps to build the case for developing active travel routes.

Appendix A

Appendix B