April 2026 Minutes
Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held at 7pm on Monday the 27th of April 2026
in Deeping St Nicholas Primary School, Main Road, Deeping St Nicholas.
Present:
Members of the Parish Council: -
Deborah Croyle (Chairlady), Andy Croyle, Suzanne Chappell, Jim Mitchell, Anna Spencer and Louise McGuinness
Parishioners: -
Carol Bolton, Paul & Annette Tyson, Philip Green, Paul Barrett, Johann Boorman, Simon Ragsdell, Shirley & Stephen Green, Erica Crust and Trevor Jackson
Clerk: Angela Harrison
Deborah Croyle welcomed everyone to the Annual Parish Meeting and introduced Mr David Reed, the Programme Manager at South Holland District Council for Waste & Street Scene.
Mr Reed spoke about the new wheeled refuse service that will be implemented later on this year. He stated that there was a clear steer from the residents’ survey to recycle more.
None of the paper and card currently gets recycled as it becomes contaminated with the other items of recycling.
Food waste collection is being rolled out throughout Lincolnshire and most parts of the UK.
Currently the National percentage for recycling is 44-45% whereas South Holland is only 31%
It will be a difficult transition from sacks to wheeled bins but we need to improve our recycling.
There is a lot of detail on both SHDC’s and LCC’s websites.
Speaking about where our waste currently goes, Mr Reed explained; 95-97% of general waste goes to an Energy from Waste plant, paper goes to a Paper Mill and Plastics go to a specialist recycling centre.
Food waste will go to an Anaerobic Digester Plant which will create energy from the gasses and fertilizer from the slurry.
The floor was opened to questions, and the issues raised were: -
Concern over 4 bins in the kitchen.
Books and food boxes cannot be recycled.
Storage of the new wheeled bins, especially in shared properties, flats and terraces with no rear access.
Cross-contamination via vehicles being used for different waste materials.
If the reason for change is to encourage more recycling, why is Paper and card and Cans and Plastics only going to be collected once every 4 weeks, whereas General Waste collected every other week?
Mr Reed advised the following: -
Issues regarding access and storage are currently being identified by the waste teams as they do their rounds.
Vehicle washing will be undertaken regularly and bags can be used in the food and general waste bins.
Advise is NOT to use compostable bags for the food waste. Appropriate bags will be supplied for the food waste, (not for the general waste).
The other Councils in the partnership operate the same schedule without issues.
The Chairlady thanked David Reed for his time.
Before the open forum, the Chair spoke about the nominations for the Pride of Deeping St Nicholas Awards. She explained that these awards are to recognise those people who selflessly give up their time in so many different ways, to ensure that we all live in a much brighter, safer environment. Their actions often go unnoticed, so this is our way of saying thank you.
The Chair added that all of our Parish Councillors are volunteers and many are involved with community groups and although they cannot be nominated individually, collectively she wanted to put on record, a huge vote of thanks to each and every one of them for all they do working for the community.
Sadly, there were no nominations for the Young Achiever Award, even though there are some great young people in the village. She asked that we all look a bit harder next year, and search out the good among the younger members of the community.
The following awards were presented by the Chair.
COMMUNITY HEROES:
Good Neighbour Scheme Volunteers
For putting on the Village Fete and for giving their time to help local residents who need that extra support.
Gardening Club
Forgiving their time to brighten up the village and lift the spirits of everyone who passes through.
Village News Volunteers
For delivering to every household, in all weathers, to ensure residents are kept up to date with what’s going on in the village.
Paul & Annette Tyson
The community now benefits from a welcoming hub at St Nicholas House, which has been transformed into a pub, fostering community spirit and encouraging social interaction amongst residents.
James Mitchell Engineering
For the donation of 2 sets of Tommy Figures, to the Parish and the Church, at no cost, emphasizing generosity and community support through this act of giving.
Phillip Green (Classic Printers)
For providing unlimited and unpaid assistance and advice with the layout and formatting of the Village News, over and above the printing work he does.
Carol Bolton
For the Book Box which she maintains, collects, sorts and refreshes books, DVDs and games regularly. It is freely available to everyone in the community, encouraging sharing and engagement amongst residents.
RUNNER UP
Trevor Jackson
For his voluntary assistance with not only installing the Interactive Speed Signs at Hop Pole, but especially for his key role in organizing the repairs following a traffic incident, providing safe storage and liaising with the manufacturers.
WINNER
Erica Crust
Her dedication in welcoming everyone to the Parish and her steadfast support during difficult times exemplify her kindness and passion for the community, along with her contagious enthusiasm and unwavering community spirit.
SPECIAL ACHIEVER:
Yvonne Khoter
Her exercise group has fostered a strong community of friendships, encouraging members to become friendly and outgoing, which positively influences their interactions with everyone they meet in the village, strengthening social bonds and community spirit.
CARING NEIGHBOUR:
DSN Primary School
For volunteering space for the Good Neighbour Scheme community storage facility.
All those nominated, received a certificate and the winners each received a certificate, bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates.
Photos were taken and with the recipients’ permission, will be published on the Parish Council’s Facebook Page and in the next issue of the Village News.
The Chairlady thanked everyone for their attendance and closed the meeting.
Meeting ended at 8:35pm