September 2024 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 11th September 2024 at Belmont school. The Meeting started at 7.15pm after a parishioner gave detailed information about his plans to stop parking on Newgate Lane by Wendella Wood. Reports have been made about unsavoury goings on and drugs being seen. The Chair & the Clerk have been in attendance at some site meetings around this subject including one with LCC Highways. (See Highways item 41)
Pete Armstrong the Clerk took the notes.
Councillors present: Paul Bakker, Alan Bowling, Carol Markwell, Paul Bavin, R Keeler and D Thorpe. Cllr C Markwell took the Chair. 6 members were present. SKDC Cllr P Gadd were also in attendance.
24/32 Apologies: Avril Gregory (I). Geoff Parnham (H) P Nesbitt (H)
24/33 Declarations of Interest; None declared.
24/34 Notes of the 3rd July Meeting; these were agreed and signed as a true record, proposed by A Bowling Sec P Bakker Unan.
24/35 Clerks Progress report: All covered elsewhere in the agenda.
24/36 Casual Vacancies: the two vacancies remain and are advertised on the Website. They are to be a feature at the Belton Community Event on the 14th & 15th September.
24/37 Co-opted to sign declaration: N/A.
24/38 Financial Statement No 3: 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.
Salaries £1861.08, Grass Cutting £1025.26 VAT £170.88, WACS Erecting Fence Londonthorpe £845, Litterbin 359.99 VAT £60, Bank Charges £10.85: Misc Gardens £46.95. Newsletter £750, +Stamps 73.89, Community Festival £87.48, Office Misc audit £252.00 VAT £42.00. Total Expenditure £5850.13 VAT £380.73.
Income: Donation £100, Bank Interest £92.92 Total £192.92.
Payments prior to next meeting: Fitting of play equipment at Londonthorpe & Bridge End Grove, Salaries, HMRC, Community Festival Belton. SID Harrowby Lane, Repairs, Office etc. TCA S137s. Open Evening Any payments re Defibrillator.
Agreement to accept the Financial Statement No 3 for 2024/25 plus the normal expected payments for up to the September meeting was proposed by R Keeler seconded by and D Thorpe and they signed off the statements for this period. Agreed Unan.
24/39 Leisure & Outdoor: Play Safety: Broken Back Boards Withambrook further vandalism as panel broken out of the perimeter fence, sources for repair and costs from original suppliers came out at over£1300. Decision made to purchase the parts and have it refitted by our contractor at around £300. The panel is at the clerk’s home for safe keeping.
Belfry all clear.
Londonthorpe Amenity; Fencing completed; Litterbin ordered to be fitted in Oct. Still trying to source swing fittings they may have to come from Denmark. We have the Seat & Chains in stock given to us some time ago by Vale. New Swings, no date yet set for fitting? A date to be set to burn the brash. Date? Litterbin to be fitted October. Prop A Bowling Sec R Keeler that the Defibrillator to be ordered as it has confirmed it will be accessible at all times.
Church Lane: to remove the tree stump ready for replanting. £150 +VAT agreed and will be done ASAP
Bridge End Grove: still waiting for the delivery.
Withambrook: Vandalism see above in Play Safety! The Warning Sign off the fence is missing also. Agreed to check all signs and order as required. Community Orchard paperwork completed and sent off. Stating our costs Clearing £300+VAT Trees £400, Claiming £500 as Grant.
Hills & Hollows: We have also had vandalism here one of the Information Boards has been taken, a quick search of the area was made but not found. Costs of replacing with the necessary amendments agreed.
Hedges: Tony Parker though has started to cut one. It was agreed that we need to get someone in to cut them, they are getting far too big now to expect Tony to do. We need someone who could do here and at Londonthorpe really. Being investigated. Working Party: Date to be fixed for the available volunteers. Certain Cherry trees are to be removed
Jubilee Mount: weeds sprayed around the bench and the path, will need redoing. Still waiting for the quote for path works. Blessed HM. one tree needing replacement. Still looking to work with SKDC to maybe put in some equipment? Possibility of grants?
Woodland Trust Working Parties: 13th Oct will be the first one this season, Clerk has met with the new manager on site and now as a plan of action.
Millennium Garden: to be set up with winter/spring plants as the summer ones die down. Plug plants purchased and planted on the school Gardening Club will then take on the responsibility.
20/40 Planning: Ash Tree Farm, recent email states the route of cable has been taken out of the main application. Still concerns remain. All members received the updated plan. Unfortunately, not all have replied with their comments. We do not expect this to come before the SK Planning Com until Oct.
Church Lane: refused awaiting notice of appeal.
Welby North: ongoing.
Somerby Hill: They have started work on site; it appears they are doing some preliminary groundworks.
Spitalgate Garden Village: nothing new.
The Barracks: News article seen stating that it is no longer up for closing. This still only means until 2028, the new government may change this again.
Manor Farm: Barn conversions passed.
All other items received, passed out as they arrived.
Removal of Oak tree allowed on Sunningdale, this is disappointing. S24/0851as we need to keep the protected trees.
20/41 Highways: Harrowby Lane Drains; at long last this has been sorted.
Harrowby Lane Speed Indicator Device: the post is now in, so the SID will be ordered. Quotes were requested from Elan the LCC recommended suppliers, and they are competitive. Prop P Bakker Sec D Thorpe the Clerk progress this.
Withambrook Park/Londonthorpe Lane: Drain still not sorted.
Londonthorpe: Mobile SID in place with assistance from resident Pete Steer.
Newgate Lane: as was heard from the resident in attendance although the work was done on the layby people are just parking before or after it, this is as we expected. He came along with photographs of the site and the plans. These to include sowing with wildflowers, shrubs etc. these would be to within one metre of the highway. He was asking the PC to formally take this forward to LCC to apply for a Licence. Members raised their concerns over the loss of this area to the public parking to go on walks from here. Future Costs, Liability etc. After some discussion and taking onboard points raised by members present a proposal was put forward A Bowling Sec P Bakker that the villagers own “Village Group” put forward their own application. This was passed five votes to one.
Alma Park Road: resurfacing all completed.
Community Speed Watch: the team will be operating again in September; dates now being confirmed.
It was noted that with all the Roadworks around Grantham causing problems for parishioners trying to get to appointments etc. someone saw sense and cancelled some!
20/42 Newsletter: all delivered, thanks to all who helped especially the parish volunteers.
Belton Community Event: things now mainly in place, info sheets printed along with a “Parish Name Banner” to go on the table front.
Cllr Bowling has the Gazebo, Cllr Bakker, has the easels. Clerk has the info sheets and will have the leaflets etc for going on the stand. He will also bring the table and wheels for taking stuff across to the stand. He will also provide a “toolkit” (scissors, tapes, clips, pins, rope & pegs, notepads/pens, first aid kit etc). Arrange Refreshment arrangements for the event.
All members doing a stint will need to wear PC badges, Clerk will also do something for our volunteers who are assisting. Clerk will also do a notice for car windscreens stating you there on behalf of the PC.
Open Evening: it is expected that all councillors will attend to assist. We will be using the sheets from the Belton Event along with some of the usual ones done by the Clerk.
The Best Kept Gardens and Tom Childs Award will be presented. The judging has been completed and winners selected. The Tom Childs winner has been informed of her success.
24/43 Policies: none at this meeting
24/44 Councillor Area of Responsibilities: Cllr P Gadd confirmed the trees at Bedford Close have been dealt with. He also confirmed that at least one of the offending illegal motorcycles has been crushed.
24/45 Correspondence:
As usual all other relevant correspondence has been passed on as it arrived by email.
24/46 Matters for the 13th of November 2024 Agenda. Planning for Open Evening.
Meeting closed 8.55pm
Next meeting: @ Belmont School Wednesday November 13th, 2024, at 7.00pm.
Signed as a true copy of the meeting held September 11th, 2024, at 7.00pm.