2025 Meetings

NORTH SCARLE PARISH COUNCIL

DRAFT Minutes of a meeting held on 15 January 2025 at 7.30pm in North Scarle Village Hall

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting at 7.30pm.

PRESENT

Cllr D Jennings                                                 Cllr W Tucker

Cllr A Walsh                                                      Cllr S Walsh

Cllr K Ward

Mrs H Broderick (Clerk)

1 parishioner attended.

785        APOLOGIES

Cllr K Coram

Cllr R Pullen (NB apologies were sent, unavoidably, late)

786        TO RECEIVE ANY DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

None.

787        MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 13 NOVEMBER 2024

It was resolved to adopt the Minutes as a true record and they were signed by the Chairman.

788        PLANNING

Applications - comments submitted to NKDC after collation of email responses due to timescale and in accordance with Standing Orders

24/0956/FUL – amended plans - Cranswick Pet Products, Lodge Farm, Wigsley Road. Objected (6:1). 

there is conflicting information regarding effluent and surface water disposal.

despite parking spaces already existing, the application states “no” in answer to “does the site have any existing vehicle/cycle parking spaces or will the proposed development add/remove any parking spaces?”

More information and clarification is needed on both of these issues.

Applications – resolutions required

24/1401/FUL – Cranswick Pet Products, Lodge Farm, Wigsley Road.  Proposed boiler room extension.  Some confusion regarding the scale of the plans, but after discussion it was proposed by the Chairman to accept the application and it was resolved that there were no objections.

24/1413/VARCON – 3 Eagle Road.  Variation of conditions attached to 23/1446/FUL.  After consideration it was proposed by the Chairman to accept the application and it was resolved that there were no objections.

789 MILL DAM DYKE AND WATER COURSE

Joanne Cobb from FANS was present and read out their report - see end of Minutes.

During the recent rain Jo felt that, along with the Emergency Plan team, things were put into place successfully and the action taken so far, proved we are in a better place than we were 12 months ago. Cllr Tucker said a lot of the surface water was caused by blocked drains.  Jo said they have asked LCC to clear the drains.

Chairman asked if dyke on Hives Lane has been cleared.  Cllr A Walsh thought it had been cleared, but not the culvert. Chairman said LCC won’t take responsibility for a culvert that wasn’t registered before 1956.  Chairman asked Jo to provide future reports a bit earlier in future so that it can be circulated ahead of the meeting – Jo agreed.  Cllr S Walsh mentioned EA letter of 15 November 2024 mentioned an Optioneering Assessment Exercise and Report commissioned in 2023. This letter also says dyke wouldn’t be dredged.  FANS have met EA since then and challenged this.  MP was present at the meeting, she didn’t agree with their reasoning.  EA told FANS they have done a test to show how much silt there is and FANS have requested sight of the results. Cllr S Walsh also asked if FANS were looking at the EA’s suggestion of an attenuation pit upstream. Jo confirmed FANS are following up on this.  Cllr S Walsh also commented that she believes the EA have to do a risk assessment on their assets and grade them 1 – 5 and would like to ask the EA if this has been done. FANS want proof that the bank is unstable. Cllr A Walsh commented that machines were used on the bank years ago and it has been pile driven since then so should be more stable and it goes from the corner at Chapel/School Lane all the way to the B1133. Cllr S Walsh thinks she has piling dates in an email (done approx. early 2000s).  Cllr A Walsh reported that a tree had fallen and taken a bit out of the bank on the riparian side on School Lane.  Jo thinks that will be picked up as part of the routine maintenance.

A letter had been received from the EA via the MP. Cllr S Walsh proposed that there was no need to reply but we should request the 2023 report and risk assessment asset grading by FOI and this was resolved. FANS had a meeting with the MP since that letter. Cllr S Walsh asked if we could see minutes of that meeting.  FANS will try to keep us better informed about their progress between PC meetings.

We have had correspondence from Swinderby Parish Council regarding water/sewerage problems in Swinderby.  Chairman suggested a meeting with Swinderby PC, FANS, LCC, Severn Trent to try to get a positive outcome. Cllr S Walsh needs to organise a Sewerage WP meeting in February. After that a further meeting with Swinderby and others could be arranged. Cllrs thanked FANS for their work.

Jo left the meeting.

790        FINANCES

A schedule of payments made between 1 November 2024 and 31 December 2024 was circulated to the Parish Councillors ahead of the meeting. There were no queries and invoices paid were signed and countersigned. Individual payments made in the period which exceeded £100:

791        VILLAGE HALL AND PLAYING FIELD

Cllrs had considered the information provided to them from Bruce Coram and information provided by the Clerk regarding potential costs of grass cutting at the playing field. PC had been informed that the expected figure for the year to cover grass cutting was £1,920 under the current arrangement which was considerably less than hiring a contractor.  The Chairman proposed that a grant of £2,000 be offered to the committee to cover this cost, paying in two instalments of £1,000 in April and July and after discussion this was resolved.  Cllrs are concerned that the committee don’t collect any income from the cricket club.

792        POLICIES

The following policies were considered:

• Grants
• Sexual Harassment
• Anonymous communication
• Communications

After discussion, The Chairman proposed that the drafts be adopted, and this was resolved.

793        FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

A FOI request had been received asking for details of interactions with Stream Bioenergy.  Brief research into this company revealed that they install digesters which produce methane for electricity.  Clerk confirmed that no interactions had taken place, and the Chairman proposed that this is communicated to the enquirer, and this was resolved.

794        VE DAY EVENT

There was no update on this, but the Chairman will enquire whether the pub is doing something so that we can coordinate.

795        HERITAGE ROOM ASBESTOS RISK ASSESSMENT

Cllr Tucker confirmed that Management Plan is due for renewal in April 2025, and he is happy to prepare the report when needed and this was resolved.  Clerk thought NKDC were chasing a report that was overdue. He also proposed that the postmistress should undertake an Asbestos Awareness online course, as the person present in the building, and this was resolved.  The cost to the Parish Council will be £10 +VAT.

796        ALLOTMENTS

The recent inspections had highlighted some areas that need addressing, being fires on plots and responsibility for gates and hedges. After considering comments from tenants, it was noted that some of the issues are long standing, dating back to before current tenants were renting. After discussion:

Cllr A Walsh proposed that where gates are in situ, the Parish Council will implement a rolling program to gradually repair the broken gates until they are all serviceable.  After repair, responsibility to be handed over to the tenant.

The Chairman proposed that PC to be responsible for front and top of roadside hedge.  Inside of that hedge and internal hedges/fences/boundaries to be tenant’s responsibility.

The Chairman proposed that fires which comprise of allotment rubbish only, should be allowed in the gardens and consideration should be given to neighbouring properties.

The Chairman proposed that where the trees have been felled between plots 5 and 6, the PC will organise and pay for a post and wire fence to be erected. Clerk to send job sheet to the handyman, Chairman will arrange for the posts and wire.

These proposals were resolved and will be reflected in the tenancy agreement when it is updated in April.

797        BENCH ON CHAPEL LANE

Cllr A Walsh had suggested that the bench be moved since PC had resolved not to maintain the Jubilee Garden. Chairman would like to revisit that resolution.  The Clerk will check dates and put the item back on the agenda at the appropriate meeting.

798        LCC REPORT

Cllr Briggs had sent his apologies.

799        NKDC REPORT

Cllrs Goldson and Johnston had sent their apologies.

800        DATE OF NEXT MEETING.

It was resolved to provisionally agree the date of the next meeting as 12 March 2025 at 7.30pm.

801        CLOSED SESSION

It was resolved to move into closed session.

802        HERITAGE ROOM TENANCY AGREEMENT

NKDC had confirmed that the tenancy agreement will be due for renewal in September.  The percentage split between the HR and Post Office were discussed.  Cllrs feel that the amount spent on the HR is too much based on the space taken up in the building. The PC is not and cannot be responsible for the Post Office. New percentage splits were proposed by the Chairman and after lengthy consideration this was resolved.  Clerk to write to postmistress.

803        OPEN MEETING

It was resolved to move back into open meeting so that the figures agreed in 802 could be reflected in the precept.

804        PRECEPT

Clerk had prepared figures for the precept and a schedule had been seen by Cllrs.  The draft precept figure was £22,581.24 (an increase of £9,450.50 on last year) which Cllrs were concerned was too high.

The Chairman proposed that any potential legal fees for preparing sub-lease agreement between the PC and postmistress should be paid from the reserve account and the grant towards the playing field should be paid from the current account.  He also proposed that the figure recommended by NKDC in the event of a by election be removed and that street light bulbs should not be replaced next year (unless faulty). After discussion all was resolved. Clerk amended the schedule to reflect this and the figures in item 802 which resulted in the Chairman proposing a Precept figure of £13,523.74 and £2,000 from each of the reserve and current accounts.  This was resolved.

The Chairman closed the meeting at 10.02pm.

Item 789 FANS report

We have achieved basic maintenance work carried out in September 2024 which significantly helped towards movement of water in the Dyke and along with remedial works local residents have done prevented any flooding during recent heavy rain.

We initiated a meeting with Caroline Johnson MP and senior Directors from the EA on site, 6th December to confirm what Caroline was being told was factual. We have been assured of regular maintenance work on the Dyke and we are still pushing to get it de-silted and slippage pulled back.

We have agreed & scheduled regular update face to face meetings with the EA.

FANS have also worked with the IDB who have now cleared the smaller dykes on Chapel Lane which are riparian owned and this substantially helped during recent heavy rain.

We have recently had a very positive meeting with Lincolnshire County Council, looking at our strategy moving forward.

We have had discussions with a National Public Body (not National Flood Forum) which will give FANS huge support & recognition moving forward allowing us to have more credibility with a long-term strategy. This is still in early stages and therefore highly confidential at the moment.

We are only just in receipt of Section 19 which was only released yesterday and therefore not had chance to fully read and digest it. We will therefore report on this at the next meeting.

We are also only just in receipt of the survey report which as carried out in 2020 by the EA which the Parish Council requested a copy of under FOI, this again is a lengthy document which needs to be read and digested. Hopefully there will be information in this report that can be used going forward.