May 2024 Minutes Annual Parish Council Meeting
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 Annual Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday 22nd May 2024 at Belmont school. Meeting started at 7.15pm after the Annual Parish Meeting
Councillors present: Paul Bakker, Alan Bowling, Geoff Parnham, Carol Markwell, Paul Bavin, R Keeler, Elvis Stooke and D Thorpe 8 members were present. Chair; Cllr C Markwell in the Chair.
24/1 Apologies: Avril Gregory (I), Paul Nesbitt, (h), LCC Cllr L Wootten & SKDC Cllr P Gadd
Pete Armstrong the Clerk took the notes.
24/2 Declarations of Interest; None declared.
24/3 Election of Officers: ChairC Markwell was proposed by R Keeler Sec by P Bakker Unan. Vice-Chair A Bowling was proposed by C Markwell Sec by E Stooke Unan.
24/4 Signing of Acceptance of the office of Chair by C Markwell.
24/5 Notes of the 13th March Meeting; these were agreed and signed as a true record, proposed by G Parnham Sec A Bowling Unan.
24/6 Clerks Progress report: all covered elsewhere in the agenda except awaiting the “Sunnifest” invoice for the toilets from the organisers.
24/7 Casual Vacancies: Two vacancies remain and are advertised on the Website.
24/8 Co-opted to sign declaration: None.
24/9 Financial Statement: 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.
Final items from 23-24. Vale Bridge End equip £3153.60 VAT £525.60 Tree £7.99, Ties £5.16 Vat.86pBank Charges £2.80. VAT £526.46.
Financial Report 1: Salaries Inc 3months NI/TAX £2491.95, Firths £474.60 VAT £79.10, Scribe £414.72 VAT £69.12, LALC £863.76, Paint Etc Belfry £193.04 VAT£32.16. Cleaner/Repairs £81.32 VAT £13.56, Bank Charges £2.45, Plastic Wood for Millennium £600.36 VAT £100.06.
Total outlay: £5172.19 VAT £296.83. Income: Half-Precept £16500. Donations £200. Interest£48.46. £16748.46. Major Items Due for Payment: Insurance, Salaries, Grass Cutting, Bridge End Works, Londonthorpe Works. ICO membership.
Agreement to accept the Financial Statement No 6 for 2024/25 plus the normal expected payments for up to the May meeting was proposed by G Parnham seconded by E Stooke and E Stooke and P Bavin signed off the statements for this period. Agreed Unan.
24/9a Annual Governance Report. This had been discussed and all agreed that all matters were covered. A Bowling Proposed and R Keeler Sec, the chair duly signed the papers.
24/9b Audit Report in Full: councillors had all received the full report before the meeting for perusal. Matters that are arising is the more than 15% difference on income and spending over the last year this is down to the UKSPF grant both as income and expenditure. The Clerk explained he would need to explain this to the auditors, but this would not be a problem. The figures were agreed and accepted on a Prop by E Stokes Sec P Bavin. All agreed.
24/10 Leisure & Outdoor Committee: minutes of the last meeting (15th May) had been sent to all.
a. ROSPA, no major issues outstanding.
b. Belfry: Painting work all complete. Thanks to P Bakker for his taking the lead on this while the Clerk was on leave, our cost came out at just under £200. They underestimated the materials by approx. 100%. Signs, still to be replaced along with a new No Dogs sign.
c. Londonthorpe: Londonthorpe: Swings now in our possession awaiting a fitting date in conjunction with Bridge End. Chipping to be arranged shortly to clear the brash. P Bavin will advise and volunteers to be sought to move the materials to the chipper.
It was agreed to purchase sufficient fencing for the one side of the site. This would be green Contour fencing of 5mm strength.
The preferred option is in green, from Jacksons either fitted @ £4292 or materials only £1792 and having WACS do the fitting. The Clerk to get a quote for fitting from WACS. Prop P Bakker, Sec R Keeler unan.
Planters to be done again by the volunteers, Clerk will be distributing the plants etc this week. Cllr D Thorpe arrived during this item at 7.45pm
d. Bridge End Grove: the equipment has now arrived, and it has still been too wet underfoot to complete the work. UKSPF are aware of the problems. Equipment in storage ready for fitting when contactor available. An Opening/Dedication will be ceremony required for the UKSPF fund people. I will have to supply a report, it will also have to go in the Journal. Cllrs. Bakker, Bavin, Bowling will assist in the organising of this. We have paid around half of the costs here.
One of the Springers and the Balance Equipment offered by Vale will be fitted at the same time.
e. Withambrook: Backboard on the Basketball Net is broken this and other repair work to be done by WACS. The Possibility of Community Orchard at this site was discussed. We have an offer of some trees to form an orchard under a SKDC scheme, up to £1500 could be available. Cllr E Stooke has agreed be our sponsors with SKDC. Parish Tours to look at the best site. They will also decide number of trees that could be accommodated. Proposed A Bowling Sec G Parnham, Unan. Further information has been sent out earlier. Youths have been blocking the stream by the Third Ave green, a resident removed it for us.
f. Hills & Hollows: Cllr Bakker & the Clerk have been up and burnt the one sofa they could find, but we are informed there is still another hidden in the dense undergrowth. Some failed trees were replaced, the replacements are doing well. Tony Parker has continued his clean-up of the brash from the hedge trimming, and as had a part burn of this. The Clerk thanked all who continue to assist on this valuable parish asset. It has been noticed that some of the cherry trees are overwhelming the oaks etc and will need felling. Parish Tours to inspect.
g. Blessed Hugh More & Jubilee Mount: putting cross drains in our path down from the Hall. These seem to have worked quite well but requires more.
Members to look at suggestion of putting in steps possibly of a sleeper type material, with draining off to the sides keeping water from running down the paths, again a Parish Tours task. Cllr L Wootten thinks that there may be a possibility of using the Volunteers again. Working party to deal with the chippings when done at Londonthorpe.
The donated Cherry Tree was planted. We believe a concerted effort to encourage all four Cllrs responsible for the area becoming more involved is required. we have as of yet been unable to get this arranged. Cllr Stooke has been involved in setting up the meetings with the police & PC and we must continue this.
h. Woodland Trust/ National Trust/Reconnecting Grantham: As part of the Reconnecting Grantham Project there is to be a Community Weekend at Belton on 14th & 15th September, where local groups etc will be preforming and showing their wares so to speak. It was agreed we have a stand there to show off what we do as a council. They are expecting up to 6000 visitors if the weather plays ball. Cllrs A Bowling, P Bakker, G Parnham, C Markwell, D Thorpe & R Keeler volunteered to assist we of course would welcome more. We will also ask if any of our Woodland Trust Volunteers would be able to assist to enable the times on the stand to be staggered. Clerk will email Belton to register our interest.
i. Millennium Garden: the team working with Belmont School Gardening Club are continuing again for 2024. the children have stared their preparations for the planting up. Clerk is purchasing further plants as required.
The surround is to be replaced with Recycled Plastic Planks. The cost of this is around £500 plus wires and fitting. This work to commence 4th June. Planting up ASAP after that.
OTHER: Parish Tours; These are planned for the 4th & 5th June starting at 7:00pm all members are encouraged to attend one of these.
Future Playground Plans: None reported to the Clerk since the previous meeting.
Defibrillators: we are working on getting another defibrillator to be sited in Londonthorpe. One resident has offered to investigate it being placed on his home, the Clerk has found out from SKDC that it would most probably have to go on the Gable end wall, but this is inside his grounds. which is in the middle of the village. Clerk is liaising.
24/11 Planning: Most 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. This was also reiterated by the Chair and vice Chair.
Ash Tree Solar Farm: we are still waiting for this to come up before committee or come back as an amended plan. MOD and National Trust objections still outstanding. They have made some changes to the plan by taking some fields out of the usable area, but still maintain they will output the same amount of electric! There are still numerous items on which we could not agree on. Especially the location and the cable route through Londonthorpe.
Welby North Solar Farm, a further meeting has been held with them, again with some changes outlined to the original plans. Generally speaking, it is accepted to be a much better plan.
Church Lane Welby, we met with the developers again. They have also made changes to their layout.
On all of these we and Welby Parish Council have been involved in the meetings. On Ash Tree one we were joined by members of Barkston and Manthorpe & Belton parish councillors.
We are still fighting and will keep fighting for the best possible outcome for all our parishioners. The councillors were asked to bring forward any projects that we could possibly get funded from the community funds that come with these projects.
23/2158 52 Saltersford Road, possible change to Childrens Care Home. Was refused by SKDC and has gone to appeal.
Somerby Hill: 23/1240 some councillors and the clerk attended a further meeting with the developers (Bloor) & landowners. Some changes were made to the last published plans mostly to the good. We were though surprised to learn of the new A52 road layout now set by LCC Highways, this we found most baffling and dangerous. It came before the Planning Committee and Alan Bowling stood in for the Clerk to outline our objections, and this was raised as one of our major concerns along with the possibility of future flooding. After a long debate it was passed.
Iron Oak Farm: apparently a new regulation regarding Motorhomes came into force earlier this year allowing up to five to stay on land for up to 48hrs. An application to put in a farm track has been noted on the Weekly Planning List received. This has been forwarded to all, and noted the application is contradictory.
As usual all applications received have been sent to all councillors naming five people to reply.
24/12 Highway Matters: Turnor Road Restricted Highway-Access, signs in situ. Trying to get some more dates set for the CSW to operate again.
Harrowby Lane Running Water: still waiting for a specialist machine to be brought in to perform the task.
This is still noy apparently on the works rota, but Cllr Wooten has been informed it is to be done.
Londonthorpe Lane road closure to take place to repair major potholes by Five Gates Lane.
SLRR: first section of the bridge is continued to be built on site.
Londonthorpe Road/Withambrook Park the manhole at the junction is lifting with the force of water coming out. This is believed to be Anglian Waters responsibility, but Cllr Wootten is pressing LCC on our behalf to get the job done, as it is quite dangerous. Could be especially dangerous if foul water gets into the Withambrook.
24/13 Policies: Standing Orders. Policies for Environment & the Constitution were updated and signed off by the Chair on agreement by all.
24/14 Councillor Area of Responsibilities: Defibrillator checks completed Clerk will update system. A Bowling stressed the need for people to come up with items for discussion for projects from the Solar Farms community funds.
E Stooke raised the continued problem with motorcycles, a further meeting with the local police to be arranged.
24/15 Correspondence:
A letter from a parliamentary secretary about danger of Lithium batteries used on certain items such as scooters etc. decided not to reply as the general election had just been called so was not likely to go any further.
As usual all other relevant correspondence has been passed on as it arrived by email.
24/16 Matters for the 3rd of July 2024 Agenda. Newsletter, planning for the Community Day.
Meeting closed 9.10pm
Next meeting: @ Belmont School Wednesday July 3rd, 2024, at 7.00pm.