September 2023 Minutes
Tallington Parish Council
Minutes of Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 26th September 2023
Present: Chairman Cllr P Sagar, Vice Chairman Cllr J Smith, Cllr J Brocklebank, Cllr A Hassall and Parish Clerk W Gray, District Cllrs R Trollope-Bellew and V Smith. 7 members of the public were also in attendance.
Minutes
1. Public Forum – Speed/engine pollution notice (other side crossing – not village sign) Network Rail - sign is too small cannot see it!
2. Opening of Meeting – The Chairman Cllr Sagar welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Co-option of Councillor – Jacqueline Knox was proposed by the Chairman and seconded by Cllr J Smith. All in favour. Jacqueline is duly co-opted onto Tallington Parish council.
3. Apologies for Absence – None.
4. Declaration of Interest – None.
Deepings & Glinton Patient Participation Group Presentation – (Presentation to be circulated)
5. To agree minutes of Parish Council Meeting held on 11th July 2023 –proposed Cllr Hassall, seconded Cllr Smith all in agreement for minutes to be signed.
6. Matters arising from the above minutes: After last meeting Cllrs Smith and Sagar took LCC Cllr Baxter to see the overgrown dyke running alongside Main Road. The Casewick Lane dyke was cleared some months back by SKDC (now owners of this land), The Parish Council wants the roadside dyke cleared as well but SKDC and Cllr Baxter want to wait to see if work done to Casewick Lane is enough. Issue going forward - cutting grass in these open spaces needs to be regular maintenance item by SKDC and needs another cut before autumn and the footpath treated for weeds. Cllrs R Trollope-Bellew and V Smith to chase with Mel Cummings, Property and Facilities Officer at SKDC.
Another letter to be sent to resident re overgrown hedge (opposite junction of A1175 and Bainton Road (send signed for). Overgrown hedge on West Road is LCC highways.
SKDC street cleaning team need to clear concrete water channels next to Red House paddocks on Main Road pavement.
7. Finance
Authorisation of payments:
Payments Agreed at meeting:
Parish Clerk Salary and expenses £511.18
MG Footpath Spraying – £360.00
Freeman Landscaping MG – £6911.04 (advance deposit)
All above payments approved by Cllrs Present.
Metro Bank Update & proposal to switch current account: Paperwork and signatories put in place on 30th August as agreed at 11th July meeting and Melton Mowbray cheque for £ 28,205.71 deposited. Community Instant access Savings Account paying 1.1%, interest and Community Fixed Term Deposit a/c paying 4.1% paperwork signed to open. Proposal is now is to also open a Community Current account transferring from Lloyds bank. Again with two of 3 signatures to authorise cheques or payments online. Metro Bank will arrange to transfer our account from Lloyds bank. Cllr Sagar proposed, seconded Cllr Smith, all in agreement. Action Cllr Sagar to send copy of signed minutes to Metro bank in Peterborough for them to open the Community current account and arrange transfer.
8. Planning – Bainton Reading Room – Numerous complaints had been received by Parish Councillors ref the location of the new Fence erected by the developers of the Reading room site on Bainton Road. Andy Savage the LCC Countryside officer was informed and visited the site and advised the Fence had as suspected encroached by approx. 400mm onto the customary width of the public footpath. He provided photographs and historical records to show this. Cllrs Sagar and J Smith met with the developers onsite on the 10th August. After much debate mostly reference the incorrect information, they had been provided with by an ex-parish councillor they agreed to relocate the boundary fence back 400mm from the wooden edging installed by others without the approval or guidance of LCC back in 2011. The LCC Countryside officer was also happy with this outcome. This would also allow the path upgrade work planned for late September to run smoothly with all land on the path side of the new fence being LCC property. Agreement was also reached on the line of the front boundary and the reciting of the Queens jubilee tree onto Millennium green in due course. As agreed, the parish council has written to the planning inspectorate in support of the developers plan for a single bedroom dwelling to be built on the site that was refused by SKDC planning department earlier this year. The fence was moved by developers w/c September 18th as agreed.
9. Mallard Pass Solar Farm – Meeting today 26th – no further information but status posters are posted on Village Hall when received.
10. Brown Tourist Sign for St Lawrence of Rome church– Parish Council will support – Cllr Sagar proposed, all in agreement. Clerk to write a letter confirming Parish council support.
11. Footpath No. 4 route & Millennium Green Footpath Works. Work commenced on Monday 25th September (a week late due to steel edging supplier delays). All costs to be met by grant from SK UK Shared Prosperity Fund to rebuild lower canal basin footpath and additional top surface improvements and new steel edging to all paths on Millennium Green to Mill Lane, Bainton Road and Main Road. French drains also being installed both sides along 50 yds of footpath no 4. Should be finished within next 2-3 weeks. Self-set elders to be removed on path to Main Road from green. Thanks again to SK UK Shared Prosperity Fund and District Cllrs R Trollope-Bellew and former Cllr Kelham Cooke.
Resident request for a formal 'public footpath' sign at the junction between the Main Road and the footpath that runs alongside the Red House Paddock (RHP) private road. Not a designated public footpath route so not possible. Owner of no 5 has had an informal sign advising private road for 17 years since buying property – still abused though. After discussion though it was proposed that TPC erect sign saying private road, advising pedestrians to use path into MG. Consideration also to be given to an additional dog poop bin to be placed alongside this path on a post as dog walkers are allowing their dogs to foul residents gardens!
12. Trees: Looking to set trees on the MG as follows: A. Relocation of Jubilee tree to MG ref Reading Room development (awaiting feedback from Developers on when they can do it – likely in January ’24). B. 5 X Copper Beach (possibly February ’24) C. 5 x Hornbeam, 20 x Lime, 3 x White wild cherry, 4 x Pink Cherry (all likely in January 25)
ALSO: Wild flowers - wanted to do in October ‘23 – could not get ground prepared for sowing. Will now have to look at getting sown in April ‘24. Funds to be sought in the village for tree and wild flower projects. Signs to eventually be erected in memory of Wally Knox/Alan Thurlby.
13. Environment Agency (EA): Current issues remaining are: malfunctioning flap valves . both sides of river, just upstream of road bridge; continued proliferation of rabbits and badgers; need to replace rotted fence posts along boundary of river bank and local resident property; need to remove willow tree at waters edge 150m downstream of road bridge. EA have indicated that their work to address these issues will start before Christmas ’24. JS has reported comments to EA from local fishermen of apparent poor fishing possibly caused by increase in cormorants and an otter (picture recently taken near road bridge).
14. Reports from Councillors –
List of areas of village concern to be sent to Cllrs Trollope-Bellew/Smith for their walk around with Cllr Cleaver on Friday 29th September.
Mobility scooter Access issues over curb into lawned area from St Lawrence way cull de sac. Lack of pedestrian barrier /gate from same lawned area onto Main Road.
? Safety of tree leaning over main road. Overgrown hedges onto footpaths along Main Road especially near West Road.
Overhanging trees / hedges along A1175 when approaching Tallington from Uffington. Cllr Smith will report through FixMySreet. Need for more speed control and zebra crossing in front of Care Home.
More Speed signs. The dyke that was not cleared alongside Main Road from entrance to Casewick Lane to St Lawrence way junction.
The main road drains not working well and flooding continues near Ann Knox and Bainton Lane junction in heavy rain.
15. Village Hall and Playing Field reports – Old wooden play equipment has been removed from playpark and replaced with new play equipment funded by Grant from SK UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Replaced rubber covering seat chain on Zip wire – 2 specific items installed for toddlers. Look at something going forward for disabled people/children? Wall Repairs – request for grant from SK UK Shared Prosperity Fund – 3 quotes received. Village Hall being used more and more i.e., Table Tennis Club, Pilates.
16. Website – Parish Clerk has been unable to update for some months due to technical issues out of our control – now hopefully resolved and Parish Clerk is currently updating.
17. Public Forum – Open Gardens 2024 – resident of No 5 Red House paddock entered and accepted into Regional Garden Scheme – will open every Sunday from 2nd June to 28th July (9 Sundays) between the hours of 11 am to 4 pm – all approved waiting to go to publishing. Issue with parking – cannot not use Red House Paddock other than on foot, no parking on Main Road. Have indicated West Road, Mill Lane, and Bainton Road. Request to possibly use Village Hall Car Park. Light refreshments tea/coffee – would Village Hall loan out crockery or possibly run Pop up Café - possible fund raising for village. Money will go to NGS if make plant sales.
Road safety idea as in Bainton – Yellow box measurement of speeding cars
SKDC Community Engagement awards, Village in Bloom – advised Village Hall up for potential award – entered wheelbarrows flower competition for Coronation in Village in Bloom. Final will take place 27th October 2023.
18. Date of Next TPC Meeting: Tuesday 28th November 2023.
Meeting closed at 9.40 p.m.