September 2023 DRAFT Minutes
Londonthorpe & Harrowby Without Parish Council
Clerk; Peter A. Armstrong 27 Belton Ave Grantham Lincs NG31 9JE
Tel 07929321426 E-mail londonthorpeharrowby@ntlworld.com
The Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday 13th September 2023 at Belmont school. Meeting started at 7.00pm
Councillors present: Paul Bakker, Alan Bowling, Avril Gregory, Paul Bavin, Carol Markwell, Paul Nesbitt, R Keeler, Elvis Stooke and 8 members were present. SKDC Cllr P Gadd in attendance.
22/35 Apologies: Geoff Parnham (H), & Yolanda Martin (S). apologies received from LCC Councillors L Wootten & A Stokes. Pete Armstrong the Clerk took the notes.
23/36 Declarations of Interest; None declared.
23/37 Casual Vacancies: there was expected to be a prospective councillor present, but he was a no show, and nothing had been heard from him. All papers had been sent to hi prior to this meeting.
23/38 Co-opted to sign declaration: N/A
23/39 Clerks Notes: those of the 17th of May 2023 meeting were accepted as a true record and therefore became the minutes. Proposed by A Bowling seconded P Bakker, all members were fully in agreement.
23/40 Clerks Update on Matters Arising: As usual most matters fall within the very full agenda.
23/41Financial Statement No 3 of 23-24. Councillors as usual had received the reports taken off the Scribe system prior to the meeting. The Clerk went through the report in the detail explaining all the payments.
Payments to Sept 11th Melton Mowbray Acct Closed and transferred to our NatWest Savings Account at a 10 times better rate. First forty days in new account added 75% of the whole interest for 2022-23!
Community Cleaner & Clerk 3 months’ salary as only 1 paid before the June meeting. £2754 HMRC £529.24.
Grass-cutting: £1464.60 Vat £245.10. Blessed Hugh More & Associated Areas: Lecterns £500, Path £2330 postage £3.10
Office: Parish-online £259 VAT £43.20, Elections £155.99, CPRE £36, Bank Charges £17.32
Repairs: Defibrillator batteries: £275.98 VAT £46. Bin-liner £108.70 Vat£46. Paint etc £44.33 VAT £7.39. Recycled Planks £84 Vat £14,
Newsletter: £775 printing, Labels £22.99 VAT £3.83, Rubber bands £3.77 VAT £.69p
Income: £200 from Spring Newsletter Donations, HMRC £890, UKSPF Grant £6000. Interest £43.59?
All payments made on the card by the Clerk were agreed by and signed off accordingly.
Items known due for payment before the next meeting are, Grass Cutting, Repairs, BHMS, remainder of the Jubilee Projects, Memberships: and Salaries, Land Lease fees, Working Parties, HMRC, Tom Childs Award and the Open Evening. Plus, anything else relating to any of the other ongoing projects within the L&O section including ROSPA report. A total possible outlay of up to £13000 before the next meeting. Agreement to accept the Financial Statement No 3 for 2023/24 plus the normal expected payments for up to the June meeting was proposed by A Gregory seconded by P Bakker. A Gregory and R Keeler signed off the statements for this period. Agreed Unan.
S137 Awards; these are to be made to St Johns Church Londonthorpe towards their Grass Cutting, it was also agreed to make a payment of £250 to St Barnabas & Grantham Mental Health Charity, £125 each will be paid to Ark for the Homeless & Grantham Foodbank. These were all agreed unan. up on a proposal by P Nesbitt seconded by P Bakker. All these work within our parish community.
23/42 Leisure & Outdoor Committee:
a. Items from the meeting on 2nd August. Six members attended the site meeting on the 6th July at BHMS and signed off the paths. All members have been sent copies of these minutes.
b. Playground Safety: only remaining items is the roundabout at Withambrook which will be done in October with new grass mats from Vale. Sunningdale Estate: Defibrillator back in operation, but still got paediatric pads on back order. A Gregory & A Boling continue the checks. Paul Bakker has repaired signs.
c. Withambrook: Litterbin back in situ. Other works have been delayed. Drive to be sprayed when we get the opportunity likely to happen this week.
d. Londonthorpe: Working Party still to be arranged this will now be in October when Cllr P Bavin is available with his Chipper. Volunteers required! Still awaiting confirmation of when the Cherry Tree will be removed. Future play improvements required 2024. Gates require cleaning Community Cleaner?.
e. Bridge End Grove: the finalised quote from Vale has been received and comes out £1900 cheaper than other relevant quotes for the same equipment. Work still ongoing with the actual makeup of the extra equipment still in obeyance. Members agreed Unan to go with this quote and start the wheels in motion to get the work done ASAP. Proposed P Bakker sec A Bowling. The Grant is now in our account, and we must keep the Grantees informed of progress. Repair works all completed.
f. Hills and Hollows: Richard Keeler has started to cut down the self-set hawthorn but reminds us that a further working party is required here. He was thanked for this. Other works to include some cutting back of brambles, self-set sycamore and grass cutting. Tony Parker continues to volunteer and strims around the benches etc along with also cutting the hedge. Some signs ordered re fires and motorcycles on the site. Some trees that have failed need replacing. New plank for picnic bench ordered. Recent Fire in the Hollow, reported in the Journal.
g. Blessed Hugh More Site: Access works completed, more work required in this area and the Jubilee Mount etc Working Party to be arranged date booked is the 24th of September. Councillors allocated to arrange the details. Still waiting for any contact from SKDC councillors about us collaborating on this. The Two councillors present to take this up with their colleagues. Would like to get UKSPF grant form off to the fund managers but in partnership with them if possible. It was agreed to order some daffodil bulbs for planting around the sites.
Jubilee Mount: P Bakker strimmed the path in July. Spraying now done. Chippings to be laid at the next working party this to be tied in with the BHMS. Lecterns collected but I have not yet got viable photos to add. Possible working group to come up with the wording for each view. Continued fly-tipping taking place this has been mentioned in the Newsletter. Work done on neighbouring property, and they have cleared an Ash tree on our land!
h. Orphan Land: This now complete and Chatterton have confirmed that the lease has gone off to the Land Registry. Invoice now received for the agreed amount.
i. Grass Cutting around the Parish: SKDC lands cut 5 weekly cycles, LCC May and September and ours fortnightly in our Play Areas.
j. Working Parties: as mentioned BHMS 24th Sept, Londonthorpe early Oct, Woodland Trust 8th Oct & 5th Nov, Hills & Hollows TBA and Alan Bowling to sync the Green Lane Litter-Pick. Equipment now available thro LCC.
k. Best Kept Gardens: All winners notified, some very close results in some areas.
l. Millennium Garden: looking good, thanks to the children and staff of the Belmont who were involved, also to Cllrs Bakker and Parnham who were led by the Clerk on this. Gardening Club is to continue at the school during the Autumn Term and will clear and replant when required, using some of the plants they have grown themselves. We will continue to provide necessary extra plants/bulbs etc.
23/43 Planning: Applications dealt with as arising, these are sent to all councillors with at least five of the councillors expected to comment/reply including those on the Planning Group. The Clerk reiterated the need to reply if you are one of the five nominated. Several smaller applications mainly with no comments received. The Belton Park/House application for the carpark revamp etc was passed and the materials confirmed this week.
S23/1485 An application for an extension at 1 Hall Lane, S23/1578 255 Harrowby Lane amended work hours, S231240 14 Portmarnock Close no objections received. S231561 4 Scotney Dr, retrospective application for a Shed this was felt by some to be too large. S231347 31 High Dyke some queries about size etc. S23/1240 Bridge End/Somerby Hill full comments and objections forwarded to SKDC. S23/1513 The Arches
Points raised were lack of drainage detail, colour of brick preference would be stone to fit in that part of the village. There is no mention of Archaeology which is felt should be undertaken in this ancient village position.
23/44 Highway Matters: CSW held four events in July three in Londonthorpe and one on Belton Lane 15 drivers reported, another was held this week with 8 more reported. This one was held in atrocious conditions with drivers even speeding up after passing the team.
Around 23 drivers in total reported for speeds in excess of 35 mph. A complaint from a resident of Harrowby lane received with an add on that they would be prepared to join the team. CSW Admin asked for possible dates for training, a request for volunteers also in the Newsletter and at the Open Evening. Parking by parents outside of Belmont still causing a problem with some ignoring the newly painted yellow lines. These points to be taken up with the police at our meeting on the 15th.
The SID will be placed on Harrowby Lane when moved from Sunningdale.
Request for 30 mph sign to be moved to past Hall Lane.
Comments made about the number of weeds growing in our gutters. Efforts to try and resolve the problem with the narrow footpath just after the school.
New part of the relief road, now open being used by vehicles trying to access the A1!!
23/45 Newsletter: This was delivered by the end of August and some very nice comments about information included. The clerk thanked all those who assisted.
23/46 Tom Childs Award: one nomination received and agreed. The lady concerned has confirmed her attendance at the Open Evening. Mrs Childs has also confirmed she will be attending the presentation.
23/47 Open Evening: the usual events/information with a major play on the CSW team. A Bowling to push this. Apologies received from C Markwell & P Bavin.
23/48 Policies: Standing Orders. Risk Assessment Policy & Emergency Events to be looked at before the November meeting.
23/49 Councillor Area of Responsibilities: All Councillors were reminded of the need to undertake the tasks as on the sheet provided. This is especially important where things are to be inspected.
23/50 Correspondence: As usual all relevant correspondence has been passed on as it arrived or in this case brought up in the actual agenda heading.
23/51 Matters for the 8th November Agenda. etc.
Meeting closed 8.50pm
Next meeting: @ Belmont School Wednesday November 8th, 2023, at 7.00pm.