March 2024 Minutes
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 20th March 2024
Present: Cllrs. R. Gore (Chair), D. Strollo, S. Farrow, D. Forrest, C. Cuckson, L. Hoggarth, J. Scott
In attendance: Cllr. Bailey (WLDC), G. Payne (Clerk)
Apologies: had been received from Cllr. Butroid (LCC)
9/24 Approval of minutes of meeting held on 10th January 2024 – these had been circulated and were approved as a true record, (proposed CC, seconded LH) and signed off by the Chairman.
10/24 Matters arising;
a) Traffic speed - in the absence of Cllr. Butroid to give an update this was deferred to the next meeting.
b) Email addresses – DS had discussed the requirements with the supplier for a new domain name (kexbylincs.gov.uk) and the suppliers would contact the Clerk to finalise the details and initiate the new system.
c) Parish archives – the Clerk had been to see the archivists at Gainsborough Heritage Centre and left them a sample of the records to inspect. The Centre had limited storage capacity and would only be able to take a small quantity at best. The possibility of having the records digitised was discussed but the originals would still need to be retained for historical purposes. Because they were likely to be referenced very infrequently it was felt that this was not an option worth considering at the present time. The Clerk had spent some time sorting through the records and putting them into a logical order so it was felt the best solution would be to store them in boxes for the time being.
d) Parish Cottage – the Chairman had secured an inspection form and he, along with the Vice Chairman, would make an appointment to complete the landlord’s inspection before the next meeting.
Action RG/DS
The recent flooding of the garden was discussed, because this was due to an unusually high water table there was nothing that could be done to alleviate this. The dwelling itself stood on higher ground so was not thought to be at risk of flooding. It was noted that the willow tree had grown quite considerably since it was last pollarded and this procedure would probably be required again in the autumn.
e) D Day 80 – the 6th of June (marking 80 years since the Normandy landings of 1944) would fall mid-week and, since it would not be a public holiday, it was not felt to be practical to celebrate the event. Arrangements were being made for commemorative celebrations to coincide with the remembrance celebrations in November.
f) Coffee Morning trial – as agreed at the previous meeting the parish council would fund a three month trial, it had proved difficult to find a date which did not clash with other events. This was discussed and it was agreed to start with an event on Sunday 14th April 12:30 – 2:00pm. The council agreed a budget of up to £100 to support this trial and the Clerk was asked to publicise it in the next newsletter.
Action LH/CC/GP
11/24 Financial Report – finances were looking healthy coming towards the end of the financial year. There would be a surplus of income over expenditure for the current financial year largely because of the very limited maintenance expenditure on the parish cottage. Moving the money from the Business Reserve account to secure a better interest had proved particularly difficult. CC, with her experience of Nat West banking, had offered to assist with this. It was agreed that, in addition to this, she should enrol two more signatories for cheques and arrange for the Clerk to gain access for on-line review.
Action CC
PKF Littlejohn had been appointed as external auditors once again, because turnover was below the limit for a full audit the Clerk would apply for a Certificate of Exemption once again. The external auditors would still be provided with full financial information this would also be available for public scrutiny on the Parish Council website.
Action GP
12/24 Annual Parish Meeting Thursday 9th May 7:30pm – it was agreed that the playing field committee would be asked to give a presentation on their plans for the redevelopment of the children’s play area. The village hall committee would also be asked to give a presentation on the upgrading of the kitchen and toilets. Both the local councillors (WLDC and LCC) would be invited so that they could answer questions from parishioners if required. The possibility of inviting the 7000 group to give an update on the solar farms proposals was also discussed but there was some concern that the meeting should not get too prolonged. The Parish Council had secured a portrait of His Majesty King Charles III which would be presented to the village hall at the event. It was agreed that refreshments should be provided and JS agreed to organise this with the WI.
Action GP/JS
Due to poor attendance in recent years it was agreed that fliers would be produced and delivered to every household, RG agreed to produce these and liaise with the Clerk regarding content and distribution.
Action RG/GP
13/24 Correspondence
a) LALC subscription – the annual subscription was due, it was agreed that this was a necessary expense and approved. It was felt that the limited amount of training undertaken did not justify joining the Annal Training Scheme.
b) Playing Field Grant – the committee had requested a maintenance grant as had been paid in previous years, they had supplied a copy of their latest audited accounts which had been circulated. It was agreed to provide a grant of £700 as in previous years.
Action GP
c) LCC Vehicle charging points – LCC were seeking help to identify potential electric vehicle charging points in the area. It was felt that the village hall would be the only suitable location within the village and the Clerk was asked to notify them of this suggestion. It was noted that the Parish Council would not be making any commitment by putting forward this suggestion.
d) National Spring Clean – Cllr. Bailey noted that the national initiative was underway once again, it was agreed that this was a worthy initiative and agreed that a village litter pick would be arranged for Sunday 19th May 9:00am – midday. Cllr. Bailey agreed to arrange for equipment to be provided and rubbish removed by WLDC with the equipment to be delivered to Britannia Mills.
Action EB/RG
e) Dog fouling – WLDC were in the process of appointing more dog wardens and would provide additional signage for the playing field.
Action EB
The question of having a specific dog exercise area was raised once again, the Clerk was asked to re-circulate the response from the playing field committee along with the covering letter which he sent to Ella Gregory who made the original request.
Action GP
f) Councillor surgery (WLDC) – Cllr. Bailey offered to run regular surgeries for parishioners, it was agreed that this could fit in with the coffee mornings. Cllr. Bailey would not be available for the April event but it was something which should be considered for the May event.
14/24 Clerk’s pay and expenses – these had been circulated in advance, they were agreed and signed off by the Chairman.
15/24 Any Other Business
a) Village Hall grant application – JS, on behalf of the village hall committee, had researched and applied for grants to refurbish the kitchen and toilets. She had been successful in securing grant funding from FCC, with match funding from WLDC, to cover 100% of the costs. It would take 6 – 8 weeks to complete all of the paperwork after which, with a clear run, the builders would hope to complete the work in about two months. A condition of the grant aid was that the work must be completed within 12 months.
b) Village Hall Internet – the Clerk had received communication from Quickline indicating that they may no longer be in a position to provide free installation and supply to the village hall. He was asked to check correspondence to see whether a written offer had ever been made. LH agreed to text the treasurer of the village hall committee to ascertain this. Scott Dunderdale responded to say that he had the matter in hand and that there was no need for the Parish Council to get involved.
c) Telephone Box – complaints had been made about books getting damp and there being a shortage of storage space for the books. The Clerk was asked to contact Chris Petty (who renovated the box) regarding its structural soundness. LH agreed to organising cleaning of the external surfaces, particularly the roof. It was felt that a small, solar powered light would be helpful and this would be investigated. Members were invited to inspect the box prior to the next meeting to see if improved shelving would be practical.
Action all
Date of next meeting – Thursday 9th May 6:30pm to be followed by the Annual Parish Meeting at 7:30pm
There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8:45pm