September 2019 Minutes
MINUTES of the Meeting of DEEPING ST NICHOLAS PARISH COUNCIL held on Monday 30th September 2019 at 7:00pm, at Deeping St Nicholas Church
(Recorded by the Clerk)
Present: William Rodwell (Chairman) David Branton (Vice Chairman), Andy Croyle, Deborah Croyle, Nicholas Watts, Louise McGuiness, Charles Sly, Paul Barrett, Richard Ivatt, Carol Mackenzie
Angela Harrison (Clerk)
County & District Cllr Nigel Pepper
District Cllr Jim Astill
Winston Brown (Press Officer)
3 members of the public
1. Apologies
At the time of the meeting, apologies had been received from:
Barry Hopkins
County Cllr Elizabeth Sneath
District Cllr Bryan Alcock
2. Declarations of Interest (in accordance with the LGA 2000)
None
3. Public Speakers (Max 3 mins each)
1. Rev’d Erica Crust, regarding the Churchyard
2. Robert Ward, regarding the planting of Wild Flowers
4. Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on Monday 29th July 2019
Proposed: A Croyle
Seconded: D Croyle
It was resolved to formerly adopt the Minutes of the Annual meeting and for the Chairman to sign them as a true record.
5. Matters Arising from the Minutes
- Item 5 in connection with the signal box; ‘may’ be interested, finding a home for it
- 12 (any information) - The new notice board has been installed in the lychgate and already has notices in it.
o Keys distributed to P Barrett, W Rodwell, A Croyle & Rev’d E Crust
o Letters posted through residents’ dwellings regarding overgrown hedges have been successful
Item 8 - Gardening Club (South Holland In Bloom) - will try advertising through FB and the Notice Boards
6. Local Views
a. Rev’d Erica Crust (Church Yard)
• There have been a couple of complaints regarding the grass.
• Costs £4,000 per year to keep it trimmed (£750 per cut)
• No volunteers to help with the upkeep
• It is the responsibility of the grave owner to look after the plot
• Issue with various debris, (vases, solar lights, plastic flowers, toys, etc.)
• Copies of the Churchyard Regulations 2008, (Diocese of Lincoln) were distributed to the Cllrs present
• Looking for ideas on how to move forward
After a discussion around the table, it was agreed that it would be added as an Agenda Item for the next meeting in order that it can be discussed fully
b. Robert Ward (Wild Flowers)
• National loss of meadow land throughout the UK leading to a lack of meadow flowers
• Highway grass verges with 2 cuts per year, could be used for planting wild flowers to attract bees, butterflies, etc.
• It was discussed briefly and advised that safer areas, away from the Main Road would be better
It was agreed to add this to the next Parish Council Agenda
c. Michael White (Defibrillators)
• 2 defibrillators up and running - one at the Local Shop and one at St Nicholas House.
• Both connected to the mains electric, with donation boxes
• Registered with EMAS so that the air ambulance can access them
• All maintenance will be carried out by the local people
• Received 2 large, anonymous donations totaling £1,300
• Considering a third one at Vine House Farm Shop
• A discussion was had and it was suggested that if there were a third one, maybe it should go to Tongue End
It was agreed to add this to the next Agenda
7. Reports from County & District Cllrs
Cllr Pepper
The bridge on New Road will be closed from Monday 7th October for 3 days
Cllr Astill
Consultation around polling stations - awaiting confirmation
8. Wind Farm Committee Update (Chairman)
• Offered £6,000 towards play equipment in Hop Pole
• Looking for £1,500 from each of the District Cllrs to match fund
• Money for a path at the school - school looking to invite members of the WF and Cllrs
• Donation towards the cost of the Village News
• The school requested funding for Breakfast and After School clubs
• The Parish Council donated towards one of the Defibrillators
9. Update from Community Trust (AC)
• Planning due to go to committee in September but put back to the end of October
• Fete on 7th September, well attended and considered a success
• Raised in excess of £800 which will help to fund the next event and becoming a registered Charity
• Suggestion of a car boot sale - permission granted to use the land
10. New Bus Service & Call Connect Update (LM)
• LCC have agreed to fund the whole project, including the cost of Bissell Poles
• Landowners have been notified regarding overgrown vegetation
11. Signal Box Update (DB)
• Still awaiting a response from Network Rail
• Attended a meeting with Sir John Hayes MP who will attempt to get an answer from them
• Trees overhanging the signal box with branches on the roof, causing the condition to deteriorate rapidly
12. Dog Poo Bins (CM)
• Clerk to send an email to Cllr Pepper regarding a new bin for the bus shelter and a larger bin for St Nicholas Park
• New bin for Campains Lane playing field
• Suggestion of providing Poo Bag Dispensers@ £30 for 100 bags
- This was discussed briefly but not considered a good idea as dog owners should have their own bags and would ultimately lead to the Council being blamed for dog fouling when the bags run out
13. Report from the Playing Fields & Bus Shelters Committee
• All bus shelters have been cleaned
• Hop Pole bus shelter looks like it has suffered flooding - CS will take a look
• LM to chase up Post Box from end of
• Childs bicycle has been left at Campains Lane play area for over 2 months now, PB will remove it and take it to his home
Results following the residents’ survey regarding the suggestion of turning the field into allotments
There had been 87 letters sent out and only 22 responses.
• 12 thought it a good idea
• 5 of which would be interested in having one
• 10 thought it wasn’t a good idea
Other comments were:
- Ludicrous
- Own garden too big
- Only takes one poorly maintained allotment to ruin others
Alternative suggestions were:
• Return the field to a useable condition
• Turn it into an orchard
• Like to see a park for children to play in
• 2 X Would not like to lose canopy of trees, (roots all around the outside), along with owls, woodpeckers, etc.
• 2 X Use the land to graze sheep
• Offer to buy/rent the land to grow crops for charity work
A discussion was had around the table regarding the results
RI stated that he thought there was a covenant on the original deeds
Chairman to check the original deeds to look for the covenant before any other suggestions are considered
14. Report from the Finance Committee
The Clerk was pleased to announce that the Council’s accounts for 2018/19 have been signed off by the external Auditors with no issues
15. Report from the Planning Committee
The PC has no objections to any of the current planning applications
16. Correspondence
1. Email from the Internal Auditor thanking the PC for their payment and offering her assistance for next year- read out
2. Email from East Midlands Airport regarding their future airspace programme, with a link to their survey- forwarded to all
3. Emailed Invitation to Stop Loan Sharks! Event in Holbeach 29th October - forwarded to all
17. To discuss any information which the Chairman may legally bring to the Council’s attention
PB raised an issue regarding The Avenue, (off Campains Lane), between nos 6 & 7 there is a plot of land covered in brambles - clerk to write and ask for it to be tidied up - Pride in South Holland team
18. To add Agenda items for the next meeting
• Churchyard
• Wild Flowers
• Defibrillators
• Signal Box
• Tongue End Playing Field (deeds)
• Grow & Share Allotments - 14th October Jam Cookery Class
Meeting ended at 8:38pm