2026 Minutes

Councillors present:  Paul Bakker, Alan Bowling, Carol Markwell, Richard Keeler, Paul Bavin, Linda Page, Geoff Parnham, Laura Harrison, Avril Gregory and Yolanda Martin. Cllr A Bowling took the Chair until the Election of officers. 11 members attended. Our LCC Councillor Cain Parkinson was in attendance.

26/1

Apologies: SKDC Cllr E Stooke & SKDC Cllr Richard Litchfield both sent their apologies, these were accepted.

26/2

Declarations of Interest; None

26/3

Casual Vacancies: We again have two vacancies as Roland Wright has moved away for family reasons. Both the Chair and the Clerk visited him to thank him for the work that he has done around the Bloor’s development for the council and the local residents.

PA

26/4

New Councillor to Sign Papers:

26/5

Notes of the 11h of March 2026 Meeting: These were agreed and signed as a true record, proposed by P Bakker sec G Parnham Unan.

26/6

Clerks Progress Report: Everything was covered under items in this agenda.

26/7

Finance Report No 1 2026-27: 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. Late items from 2025-26 included in the Audit Papers to 31st March 2026. Lebara Phone £4:50 Bank Charges £3.15 & Bank Interest £26:90.

2026/27 No1. Employees £1948.60 HMRC £1040.67.  Grass Cutting £550.60 VAT £91.77

LALC Membership £919.30, Sunnifest Toilets £297.60 VAT £49.60. Audit costs £30.

Income: Interest £24.34. Precept:  £17000.00. Awaiting C/C Grant!!

Due for Payment Grass-cutting, Insurance, Scribe Accounts, Parish-online, repairs, salaries ETC.

Proposal to accept by L Page sec R Keeler, Cllrs S McGrane & R Keeler signed off the accounts.

PA

GP

PBk

CM

26/8

Annual Governance Report Acceptance: This had been circulated to all councillors prior to the meeting and 66% had replied! Those not replying had been reminded that it was a necessary procedure, and all are required to reply. It was proposed that the statement should be accepted with 100% yes, by C Markwell Sec P Bakker, all agreed.

26/9

Audit 2025-26: All councillors had seen the report prior to the meeting, but the Clerk went through it in detail: items of interest were that our income was increased by C £7k due to Grants and donations received. Our expenditure was C £11k less as we had not done any major play equipment replacements during the year. It was noted that staff costs rose by over £1k due to the increase in NI and minimum wages increases. Our Carry forward increased by C £800. Accounts match to the bank balance to the penny. Proposed by A Gregory Sec C Markwell that the accounts be signed of by the Chair and Clerk. UNAN.

26/10

Leisure & Outdoor:

a. ROSPA Inspection, unfortunately still not done should be done next week.

b. Londonthorpe: The planters were once again replanted by our village volunteers; the bulbs planted a couple of years ago gave an amazing display. There is a small amount of brash left around the hedge which we can just put in the hedge bottom to die down naturally. Once again, we thank the anonymous person who did the trimming. Agreed cost of plants for planting up in May. (£50-£75)

c. Bridge End Grove: After discussion with our contractor the new fencing for the roadside has been put on hold. The cost would be circa £4000 to replace, and until we find out what the developers of the Saltersford Garden Village decide to do, it has been put on hold. The signs discussed previously were erected by Cllr Bakker & the Clerk. (Permission was asked of the houseowner before the work started!) Acknowledgement sign for the Grant to be put in place by PA & PBk.

d. Withambrook: Two goal posts have been erected on the open land for use by those playing football. Costs were only for the erection as we already had the posts.

The Community Orchard is now all fenced in with a hand gate to enable ease of entry. We have to arrange putting in situ the sign giving some details of how and what was planted. All grants were received as promised. Work still required to get rid of the brambles, an ongoing programme of spraying is being undertaken by the Clerk and Cllr P Bakker. A few trees/self-seeds around the back of the Orchard have been trimmed back or removed. The large growth of Bramble to the South has been Strimmed to the ground and a burn is to take place along with spraying to tidy the area.

On the last inspection of the trees themselves all but one were already well in bud or even flowering.

e. Hills & Hollows: A midweek working party of eight volunteers worked one morning in March to clear all this year’s brash. Burning it, along with all the cuttings from the mornings work, leaving the area much tidier. Cllr P Bakker used his Chainsaw to lower the stumps of the Cherries left from the previous October working Party. Plastic guards were removed from the hedge and burned. The Gate and fence reported damaged at the last meeting has been repaired.

We now have had a much bigger problem in the same area where a quadbike has driven through and broken down an approx. 16’ length of fence. Plus, the Kissing Gate etc at the Harrowby end. This was repaired on the morning of this meeting by WACS and is expected to cost of c£400.  We have reported this to our local beat officer but have not heard back! There was much conversation around the problems of reporting anything into the police by any of their different forums. But it was stressed that everyone should do it!

f. Jubilee Mount/Blessed Hugh More Site: BHMS Rewilding;  We have had an onsite meeting with SKDC Councillors (Inc Stooke & Noon along with Cllr Baker the portfolio holder for this work.) LCC Cllr C Parkinson also attended. We were able to put forward our concerns and after our last full council meeting our amended plan, taking into account all our own Cllr comments was forwarded to SKDC. Another Consultation meeting to replace the one cancelled will be held expected in June. The planting is being planned for this autumn, that will be all arranged by SKDC/Woodland Trust who have been advising and I believe are suppling the trees/saplings.

We have suggested different planting areas to the plan taking in the known wetter areas of the site. We have also suggested the inclusion of another Community Orchard.

It also appears that  we would not be able to put in fitness equipment or anything of that nature due to the covenant that’s in place. We are now waiting for a response from SKDC on the new plan!

Jubilee Mount Works: This is all complete and we have received the full £5000 Grant from SKDC towards it. It appears to have been successful everywhere except stemming the flow of water from the Spring at the bottom near the drain. Thanks to R Keeler for his work clearing the drain. Another remedy will need to be found for this! This will be a site visit on the Parish Tour.

g. Grass Cutting: the cutting restarted in March, £500 was written in to our Budget/Precept, this should cover any increases. No increase in the first invoice for March cuttings!

h. Millennium Garden: Belmont Pupils Gardening Club all primed for the planting up in May. Agreed costs for Plants/Compost C £100. Belmont 50th Anniversary: Cllrs Parnham & Bakker along with the Clerk joined the school parliament members and headmaster in planting the tree. It is a good sturdy 7ft Oak sapling which we hope will grow to be feature of the school grounds in the future. It is now breaking bud and being watered regularly by two of the Gardening Clubs older members.

i. Belfry: Removal of the overgrown shrubs from over the hedge. These were to be cut back but when our contractor went to do the job, he found the bushes were holding up the fence.  Cllr Bakker and the Clerk went and took a look from the other side, and we found at least four posts are rotten.

As, of writing this I have not been able to find out the registered owner of the fence, but Cllrs Stooke & Litchfield were both investigating at SKDC for us. SKDC have now reported that its not theirs and we should approach the properties 50-56 Wentworth Dr. The southern side was replaced by SKDC some years ago when the residents had an extension. We have replaced broken/rotted boards over the years as a matter of curtesy!

We have had this play area on licence from SKDC since it was put in in 1997 we maintain and provide the equipment and pay for the grass cutting etc.

On an inspection of the equipment whilst on the site Cllr Bakker and the Clerk found that the Health Walker equipment has three cracks in the handrail, we are suggesting this be removed and replaced by another piece of fitness gear This was a piece that cost us nothing in the first place as it was donated. It was agreed to replace, like for like, just a matter of choosing the best deal. Clerk to look into this with some total costs C£2000 expected fitted. Agreed to replace with like for like, at a cost of approx. £1700 plus fitting and removal costs. Prop S McGrane Sec. L Page Unan.

j. Future Equipment or other Improvements: so far, We, have received the Belfry one as above and a Memorial seat at the end of Sunningdale, a design by G Parnham was chosen with some slight amendments, Cost C£2000 including fitting. Permission will be required from SKDC for this. It was Proposed by P Bakker Sec L Page to progress. Fence at Fifth Ave Quotes for this have come in at a minimum of £7200 plus fitting possibly another £2000, this will be another Parish Tour target. Another toddler play item there will also be considered. The planting of Daffodil bulbs around the parish where our stocks have dwindled.

k. Fifth Ave Bus Shelter: Our bus shelter on Fifth Ave was taken away by contractors working for LCC. We were given no warning of this happening. It has been replaced with a new one which we will no longer maintain. The original cost us £1500 in 1987. We have maintained this since then with repainting and new glass panel replacements. Talks still ongoing with LCC, who had it on their register as their own but strangely not the one on Kenilworth Road which is theirs!! This has been rectified

It was agreed to let LCC be totally responsible for the maintenance of the new shelter!

l. Parish Tour’s: it was agreed Tuesday 16th A Bowling, Y Martin, P Bakker, L Harrison, L Page and C Markwell & Wednesday 24th June R Keeler, S McGrane, G Parnham, P Bavin will attend 6:30 Start from Ruston Road. All Cllrs are expected to participate in at least one.

PA

All

CM

PA

PbBk

26/13

 Planning Applications: Solar Farms; Oasby now gone to appeal!

Harrowby Farmyard new build we again objected to this as out of character and overpowering to the development. Stating no new builds be allowed. A letter from the conservation officer recently posted on the SKDC website is also strongly against it as being out of character.

Harrowby Hall Grounds: we objected to this as out of character etc plus no new builds be allowed.

17 Harrowby Lane has gone to appeal. Again, not able to add to our comments.

Bloors: Meeting held with Area Manager on the 8th. (AB, GP, PBk & the Clerk) We were brought up to date with sales and next plans. 7 are occupied, 5 more brought for investment. More in the pipeline for the end of their financial year in June. Tey are not likely to meet their yearend target for sales! Next, phase will be to move further round the site leaving the 4 beds until later in the development. We reminded them about debris blowing from the site. We informed Rob about the planned highway development outside the site; he did not seem to know anything about it.

We Looked at the acoustic Fence from the site and seems large, but when viewed from somewhere like the H&H it is no higher than the factory.

Spittlegate Garden Village, Meeting the notes of this meeting were forwarded to all. Noted that some housing now to be out of our parish as commercial land not now all being taken up!

Just hours prior to this meeting the Planning Application dropped in by email. It was agreed that a meeting be held to look at this in detail before commenting as it is such a large development.

An Enforcement Request was made to SKDC about the A52 High Dyke triangle as many more than the planning approval caravans are on site (13 at the last count). No reply received to be chased up. Clerk stated that he very rarely got any response from Enforcement without chasing up!

All

26/14

Highways Etc. Highway Matters: The SID’S at Londonthorpe & Belton Lane have been erected with positive comments about the reduction in speeding motorists passing by. Motorists can be seen to be reducing their speed as the true speed appears on the screens. This was done with assistance from LCC Highways.

Some temporary repairs have been done to the Potholes outside the school premises. A full repair with the new machine has been promised. Thanks to Our SKDC/LCC councillors for keeping the pressure on to get this fixed.

Concerns have again been raised about the speed limit on Somerby Hill by the new development. This is ongoing and Cllr C Morgan is leading on this!

The usual pothole problems have been evident around the parish, Cllrs Stooke and Parkinson have been pushing for the works to be done especially the stretch outside the Belmont School.

AB

PA

CM

26/15

Emergency Planning Team: nothing new to report.

All

26/16

Community Engagement: Newsletter Belton Festival: The new Gazebo is now stored in the Clerks Garage, a practice run required before the date of the festival! Possibly attend the Sunnifest Event!

Sunnifest: Toilets now paid for and flyers around the area, you are all welcome to attend. 11th July 1:30-9:30.

Council WhatsApp Group: It was discussed whether we should have a councillor WhatsApp Group to pass on urgent messages. This was because not all Councillors are checking their emails regularly. Cllr Martin will give you the details. It was agreed that Cllrs Martin & Harrison would take on the task of setting it up with the Clerk & Chair the designated authors!

New Telephone number now in use, (07345-075486) the public are using it to contact me!

All

26/17

Employment Matters: Nothing new to report from Working Party. The new, minimum wage requires us to raise the Community Cleaners scale by 6p per hour!  Currently £12.65 per Hr will up to £12:71 Ph (£12 per Annum). This could all change again when an agreement has been reached by the Unions and the National Council Employers. This usually happens around September time and we do all back pay at that time!

26/18

Policies: Financial Regs and Standing Orders our main policies along with all the other annual policies were agreed without change. A Risk Assessment Policy has been done for Belton.

PA

All

26/19

Allocated Councillors: A Gregory reported that Windsor Drive and Turnor Rd had not received their food bins! Some work done by SKDC on Trees on Green Lane, Yellow lines at bottom of Green Lane requested.

26/20

Correspondence: All covered within the agenda or forwarded to councillors as received.

Except an email from the Belmont head re the 50th anniversary which be in the Newsletter.

PA All

26/21

Matters for the 1st July 2026 Agenda: None