January 2020 Minutes
MINUTES of the Meeting of DEEPING ST NICHOLAS PARISH COUNCIL held on
Monday 20th January 2020 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, Paul Barrett, Richard Ivatt, Barry Hopkins
Angela Harrison (Clerk)
County Cllr Elizabeth Sneath
District Cllr Bryan Alcock
2 members of the public
1. Apologies
At the time of the meeting, apologies had been received from:
Charles Sly
County & District Cllr Nigel Pepper
District Cllr Jim Astill
2. Declarations of Interest (in accordance with the LGA 2000)
Nicholas Watts - Planning Application
Richard Ivatt - Agenda Item No. 7
3. Public Speakers (Max 3 mins each)
None
4. Minutes of the Parish Meeting held on Monday 18th November 2019
Proposed: R. Ivatt
Seconded: N. Watts
It was resolved to formerly adopt the Minutes and for the Chairman to sign them as a true record.
5. Matters Arising from the Minutes
P. Barrett - Item 11
Whilst distributing the Village News was asked about signs at the top of Campains Lane - one of the signs has been placed on a resident’s property, according to their deeds.
After some discussion it was agreed that the Chairman make contact with the resident in order to resolve the issue.
L. McGuinness - ‘Item 13’ (under item 5) should be removed and ‘Grow and share allotments’ are a community project at Fulney Road
6. Reports from County & District Cllrs
E. Sneath - Review of Polling Stations
• Disappointed that there is no polling station at Tongue End
- A mobile Polling Station was suggested
- Carrington Farm would be happy to site a mobile one or the Playing Field
B. Alcock - District Council Rates will be increased by £4.95
• Boundary Commission have started to look around, which may result in single member wards
• Home Farm application is still live and rumbling on
7. Application for vacancy on Parish Council (Tongue End)
Carol Mackenzie retired from Tongue End Ward
Received 2 applications already
8. Update from Community Trust (AC)
D. Croyle - Business Plan has gone through to a professional before applying for grant funding
- LALC News published an article about a village hall that has been built using grant funding
- Going to start applying for funding, even though Home Farm application is still being reviewed
- Thanks to the people both inside and outside of the Community for their support
- May be a good idea to do another, much shorter, Local Plan to see where peoples’ mindset is now, especially as there is now a Village Shop.
It was agreed that a draft would be put together with the assistance of LM.
9. New Bus Service & Call Connect Update (LM)
• No update on Campains Lane
• Speaking with Anthony Delaine Smith and looking to hold a meeting on 5th or 6th of February. Just awaiting room confirmation
• Timetable has been extended for term time only, with an extra service on that route
10. Report from the Playing Fields & Bus Shelters Committee
• Winter maintenance to be requested from Sneath’s, (cutting overhanging branches, brambles, etc), and clear around the gas cylinders
• Looking into the mole situation
• Brambles along New Road which is making the pathway impassable
• B Hopkins will contact a local man who is looking for landscaping work
• Still require a larger bin on St Nicholas Park as the one on the post is too small
- Resite the smaller bin on Campain’s Lane
11. Churchyard Maintenance
N. Watts has kindly offered to do some cuts
P. Barrett - a gentleman who visits his wife’s grave every day, (and who used to cut the grass in the churchyard), has a lawnmower in the shed and has started taking it out and cutting around the grave stones
Lots of plastic items and solar lights, which shouldn’t be on the graves, get tangled around the mower blades
Suggestion that B Hopkins ask the local gentleman who is looking for landscaping work to give us a quote
L. McGuinness suggested we could ask ex-offenders who would do it for a lower cost
It requires 7 cuts per year, usually by a 2-man team
12. Report from the Finance Committee
i. Setting the Parish Precept
A budget was put forward by the Chairman, with a breakdown of expenditure for the year past and year ahead.
The figures were discussed and a suggestion of 5% put forward, which would give an extra £697
A letter from the Deeping St Nicholas Primary School, was read out by the Chairman which was to thank the Wind Farm Committee for their £3,500 donation towards their After School Club.
D. Branton proposed 5% increase in the Precept
L. McGuinness seconded this
4 votes
B. Hopkins proposed 10% which would give an extra £1,549
D. Croyle seconded this
4 votes
The Chairman cast his vote for a 10% increase, in order to cover the increase in insurance.
13. Report from the Planning Committee
i. H03-0009-20 Replacement Conservatory - No objections
ii. Names for Caulton’s field development (10 name suggestions):
1. Caulton’s Way (Main Road in to the development)
2. Falcon
3. Kestrel
4. Osprey
5. Mallard
6. Teal
7. Snipe
8. Plover
9. Swallow
10. Swift
14. Correspondence
1) To make a nomination of a Past Chairman to attend the Queen’s annual Garden Party on Tuesday 12th May at Buckingham Palace - Deadline Monday 27th January 2020
P Barrett proposed David Branton, as the longest serving Cllr on the Parish Council
R Ivatt seconded
2) To sign the Parish Council Highway Grass Cutting Agreement for 20/21
- The Chairman signed the Agreement
3) Deadline extension for previously exempt abstraction activity licence applications
- Does not affect the Parish Council
4) LALC Community Collaboration Project and Local Council Clustering Conclusion
- Noted
15. To discuss any information which the Chairman may legally bring to the Council’s attention
• A Croyle asked whether there had been any response regarding the letter to Royal Mail regarding speeding through the village.
- No reply, but vans have been noticed adhering to the speed limit
• Signal Box Update
- Appointed someone else to look into it
- D Branton has requested a meeting with Sir John Hayes MP which is scheduled for March
P Barrett announced that the Church has taken bookings for July, September and November which clash with the Parish Council’s meetings.
The Parish Council were unhappy that their bookings had been removed to cater for another group, as most had booked their holidays around the agreed meeting dates
After a discussion, it was proposed that the meeting dates stay the same and that another venue would be found and announced nearer the time
The Church announced that they are hoping to put on a pantomime in November/December - looking for Parish Councillors to play rolls
16. To add Agenda items for the next meeting
DSN in Bloom and Gardening Club - D. Croyle
In Closed Session
Due to the recent resignation of Carol Mackenzie there is a vacancy for a Parish Councillor in Tongue End.
2 applications have been received by the Parish Council
One applicant lives in Hop Pole
The other applicant lives in Tongue End
The vacancy is for the Ward of Tongue End
Advertisements will be put up in the Notice Boards, Facebook Page and the Village News, with a deadline of 15th March 2020, ready to be discussed at the Parish Meeting on the 23rd March.
Meeting ended at 9:15pm
Next meeting 23rd March 2020