September 2020 Minutes
2020-09-08 Minutes
Parish Council Meeting held (via Zoom) on Tuesday 8th September 2020
THE MEETING WAS HELD REMOTELY
In Attendance: Parish Councillors Joan Brocklebank, Geoff Mayling, Justin Mackenzie, John Olver, Ken Otter, Philip Sagar and John Smith, District Cllrs K Cooke and R Trollope-Bellew. Parish Clerk Wendy Gray. There were no Members of the public in attendance.
Agenda Items
20-09 / 1. Public Forum: None.
20-09 / 2. Opening of Meeting: Cllr Mayling welcomed everyone to the meeting.
20-09 / 3. To receive any apologies for absence: None.
20-09 / 4. Declaration of Interest: (Councillors are reminded of their obligation under the Codes of Conduct to declare pecuniary interests): None.
20-09 / 5. To agree Minutes of 14th July 2020:
Item 17 (Tree on Millennium Green) wording to be changed as follows -
“Cllr Smith has received 3 quotes for removing the tree. The removal, however, will be deferred for the time being until such time as
the tree is deemed dead.” Cllr Otter proposed, Cllr Smith seconded once change made reflected accurate record of meeting.
20-09 / 6. Matters Arising from Minutes:
Bank Signatories – Forms with Chairman who will pass to Cllrs Brocklebank and Sagar for completion and for them to take to bank.
Action: Cllrs Brocklebank and Sagar
Level Crossing Survey by Birmingham University – No further information available.
Gigaclear – Cllr Otter reported issues on repair works still outstanding have been forwarded on. Pending.
Action: Cllr Otter
20-09 / 7. Finance:
Payments approved since last meeting in July:
VH Minor Works 46.40
Paint Sprayer 25.00
Stationery/Postage re Village Hall 11.00
United Roofing Solutions 900.00 VH
Finding Fitness 3,600.00 VH
Manor Roofing 13,776.00 VH
Meeting 8th September 2020:
W Gray Salary/Expenses 476.16
A Flatters Community Cleaner 191.84
P Taylor Internal Audit 150.00
K Otter (works on Lock) 130.50
P Sagar (Dishwasher VH) 1,540.80
All above approved for payment.
Income Received: Tallington Village Hall 7,543.19
20-09 / 8. Planning: No new planning applications received.
Report from Bypass Committee:
We had response from District Cllr Trollope Bellew re information sent to Cllr M Hill and response received. Last paragraph accepted need to sort out issue of Tallington, things could well change, need to resolve. Need a solution to suit everyone in the area. Currently no funding NR for the bridge and approach roads to form the bypass. Informal talks needed, get together to discuss in more detail!! Cllr Sagar will continue to raise issues with NR. District Cllr Trollope Bellew arranged for our MP Gareth Davies to visit Tallington last week and walked up by the bridge which gave him idea of what is involved – saw amount of traffic queuing up through the village.
Cllr Otter (Stamford Northern Bypass) – attended Rutland County Council virtual meeting, no comments, nothing discussed in public.
Edith Weston PC invited Cllr Otter to explain the bypass concept. Received a response from John Hayes via West Deeping. Thanks to District Cllr Trollope Bellew for letter to LCC, did a good job in getting a response.
Problem – until NR come forward with plans re access and bridge (2 separate parts Bypass/Bridge).
20-09 / 9. Highways:
District Cllr Trollope Bellew has again raised the speed limit in Mill Lane with LCC.
Missing road signs SKDC, Cllr Otter to provide a survey.
Footpath St Lawrence Way opposite Red House Paddock
Surface water re item 11.
Action: Cllr Otter
20-09 / 10. Signs on Bins in Main Road: Baston PC have obtained signs – Parish Clerk to pass on details as where purchased.
20-09 / 11. Drains in Main Road: Further chase up with AW and LCC. Who is doing what!
20-09 / 12. Correspondence: LCC new website for Tallington – Cllr Otter offered to help.
20-09 / 13. To receive a report on the Village Hall:
Boiler still needs sorting. Purchased a commercial dishwasher, need plumber to install.
Now only 3 Trustees. Need more helpers etc for Bookings/Minutes/Chair Person/200 Club Organiser/Towers and Spires. Hall well used – now in good shape. G Sutcliffe/G Mayling looking at heating – going to need 1 or 2 quotes. Thanks to Pauline Horrocks for chairing Village Hall for last couple of years.
20-09 / 14. New Playground Equipment for the Playing Field and Funding:
ROSPA report received– maintenance required.
Maintenance man employed part time to do work around park and car park.
Debate whether to buy any further play equipment and repair Zipwire.
20-09 / 15. Children’s Fitness Classes in August and Funding: Summer School well received.
20-09 / 16. Field in Trust Dedication (Millennium Green) Ongoing.
Action: Parish Clerk
20-09 / 17. Reports from Councillors:
Leader of South Kesteven District Council, Cllr Kelham Cooke
Update to parishes September 2020
Dear all, it is nice to see you all again; I hope you have had a good summer. Life continues to be busy at SKDC as we work with our partners to support out local communities in recovering from Covid-19. As we all know from the news, the virus is still very much with us, but here in Lincolnshire, we continue to be in a good position in terms of controlling the spread of coronavirus. That doesn’t mean we have taken our foot off the pedal, there cannot be any room for complacency, but I am pleased that the work we have all done is putting us in good stead. Over the past few weeks, we have consulted on two issues which I know are important to you. Firstly, we consulted on how we deliver customer services. As you know, we did consult at the beginning of the year. However, we then went into lockdown, and how we work and live changed. Therefore, it seemed prudent to revisit the consultation process so that we could take account of the changes to how people have been accessing council customer services during lockdown. The consultation has now closed, the analysis has been done, and a report was presented to Cabinet today. The recommendations, which will now go to full council will modernise how we deliver these services, increasing accessibility and convenience, whilst still supporting our most vulnerable residents.
The other topic of consultation was public space protection orders. We have to consult on these orders every three years. It is a bit of a dry topic but covers issues such as drinking in public spaces and ensuring that dog owners behaviour responsibly, not only clearing up after their pets, but also ensuring they are kept under control. This consultation closes on Friday. Another issue which I know is of interest to you, is our Local Plan. The plan was adopted in January, when we also agreed to an early review to take account of any changes and enable further consideration and debate about sites for gypsies and travellers. Our review is due to start next week, hopefully the 14th September, so please do check our website, watch our social media channels, or look out for notification in our local papers. The Local Plan is our blueprint for South Kesteven for decades to come, so your input is vital and invaluable. We have had a couple of shocking incidents of large-scale fly tipping in our district over the past few weeks. We are quite clear at the council that this is never acceptable, and we will take action to bring those responsible to book. We are proud of the work that we do at SKDC to keep our neighbourhoods clean and tidy. Some of this work had to be paused earlier in the year, but our Street Scene teams have been back out in force over the summer cleaning up reported grot spots and generally ensuring that our towns and villages have the higher street average we are committed to delivering. Ordinarily, we would have been looking forward to our Gravity Fields Festival. Like everyone else, we have had to postpone so much this year. But our commitment to arts and culture remains steadfast. Since lockdown, we have discovered and opened up a whole new world of online activity to keep our audiences engaged and entertained. Our arts and culture work keeps our communities connected and plays a key part in the health and wellbeing of our residents. We do not underestimate the importance of this sector to our economy as well. But we have to balance any phased and gradual reopening with protecting the health of our staff, those who work in the sector, and our residents. So our approach to reopening is measured and cautious and will remain so. The same applies to the reopening of our leisure centres, a programme which has been underway for a couple of weeks. Looking forward, between now and when we next meet, we have two full council meetings. There is much to discuss at these meetings, but the key topics will inevitably be our new Corporate Plan, our amended budget, and our corporate restructure. These three documents, together, will set out our purpose and our promise to you and our communities over the coming years. We have one vision: To make South Kesteven the best district in which to live, work and visit. There are five clear priorities to support our vision covering:
• Housing to meet the needs of all residents
• A clean and sustainable environment
• Healthy and strong communities
• Growth and our local economy
• A high performing council
You will have seen reports in the media that I have been very open about our need and determination to cut our cloth accordingly. That has always been my approach, and it is even more important now, as we look at a forecasted shortfall of about £2million. Our Corporate Plan will ensure we remain focused on key deliverables; our corporate restructure will align our resources to meet our priorities; and our amended budget will ensure that our financial footing remains strong. We went into the coronavirus pandemic in a strong position because of our past track record on efficient management of resources. Our job now is to ensure that as we recover, we do so well and come back stronger than ever. Lastly, I want to touch on the subject of devolution and local government reorganisation. As we know, this subject is firmly back on the Government’s agenda, but we will need to wait for the publication of its White Paper on this issue, which is due sometime in October, to see the detail. However, we are not resting on our laurels while we wait. Work continues to ensure that when the White Paper is published, if necessary, we can present an option to Government that is evidence-based and offers the best solution for the people of South Kesteven, and wider Lincolnshire. You don’t need me to tell you of the importance of that grassroots connection, of being able to truly understand the needs of residents, business and communities. My fellow district council leaders and I are not opposed to change, we are open to how things can be done better. But timing is crucial, and any change must put those we serve at the centre of all that we do. For now, we need to recover and restart from Covid-19, learn what the new normal truly means for us all, and continue to support our communities in the aftermath of what has been the most unprecedented of years. I look forward to continuing to work with all of you to do just that, and, as always, I remain grateful for your support and your friendship. Thank you
20-09 / 18. Public Forum: None.
20-09 / 19. Date of Next Meeting: Tuesday 10th November 2020 commencing at 7.30 p.m. Will be held remotely.
Cllr Mayling advised that he was resigning as Chairman and Parish Cllr and this would be his last meeting as he would be moving away.
The meeting closed at 8.25 pm.
Signed: Geoff Mayling Dated: 8/9/2020