Minutes October 2019

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF GRIMOLDBY AND MANBY PARISH COUNCIL

HELD IN THE VILLAGE HALL, GRIMOLDBY

ON WEDNESDAY 16th OCTOBER 2019

 

Present                                          Councillor T. Knowles (TK) (in the chair)

 

Councillors: M. Bruce (MB), Mrs. D. Copeland (DC), C. Fairburn (CF), Mrs. L. Knowles (LK), P. Oughton (PO), A. Solari (AS), M. Starsmore (MS), T. Vamplew (TV)

 

Councillors not present: Mrs. E. Billings (EB) and Mrs. N. Turney (NT)

The Clerk, Mrs. L.M. Phillips and four members of the public were also present.

Members of the public spoke in the public forum as follows:

  • A gentleman:
    • Asked the Council to be aware with regard to agenda item 7 that the Village Hall was down £2,000 last year on bookings and if it wasn't for the £3,000 fundraising done and donations from the Village News and the Grimoldby and Manby Fundraiser Group the Village Hall would not have survived.  The gentleman asked that the Council please bear this in mind when considering not only withdrawing the Council’s business from the Parish’s Village Hall but also setting up as a competitor to potentially take away even more business.  The gentleman said that he could not guarantee the level of fundraising as it got more difficult each year.  Also, he reported that he had been told by the Monitoring Officer at ELDC that the small committee room at The Pavilion was not big enough and that all meetings should be held in the main hall, so he opined that the Pavilion would not meet ELDC's Parish Council's requirements.  
    • Asked what was happening with the Jet Provost village sign.  He was of the opinion that the water board should be replacing it with their insurance, yet his friend had informed him that he was repairing the sign for free.  The Chairman reported that ELDC had tried very hard to get the water board to accept responsibility for the repairs but to no avail.  He also informed the member of the public that the Parish Council had considered making a claim on their insurance but the gentleman who had originally made the sign had offered to repair it free of charge.  This offer had therefore been accepted.
    • The gentleman enquired after the Village News Grant application.  The Clerk reported that she was waiting for further financial information to go with the application and alluded to reports of an Access Database that she had been informed of which apparently accounted for all of the advertising income of the Village Hall.   The gentleman was of the opinion that the Council was in possession of everything that could be supplied.  The Clerk confirmed that if that was so she would place the application and supporting papers before the Council at the next opportunity.
  • A gentleman questioned the Council’s spending on maintenance in the village and requested that somehow each future such spend should be itemised for the village to see.  The Clerk confirmed that this could be done, if required.
     
  1. Apologies for Absence
    Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs. Mrs. EB and NT.
     
  2. Chairman’s Remarks
    The Chairman informed the Council that ELDC had applied pressure to the owners of Beech Grove by threatening to compulsorily purchase it.  Cllr. MB asked what the timeframe was that ELDC were working to.  Cllr. TK confirmed that he did not know.  Further, Cllr. TK reported that he had had talks with ELDC over what would happen to the play park, the tennis courts and the gym if they moved to Horncastle and he was hopeful that the Parish Council or other organisations would be able to take them on.  Cllr. MS asked what was happening regarding the listed status of Beech Grove.  Cllr. TK reported that the building was still listed but that was all he knew.  Councillors wondered, if ELDC bought it but then moved, what would happen then.  Cllr. TK confirmed that ELDC had decided to pursue a move to Horncastle.
     
  3. Declarations of Interest

There were no declarations of interest.

 

  1. Council Minutes
    Following a vote of the Council it was resolved to approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 18th September 2019.
     
  2. Finance
    It was RESOLVED to receive and duly authorise:
    1. The Financial Report for October, showing a closing balance on 9th September 2019 of £37,692.15 which agreed to the closing balance on bank statement 23.
    2. Cheques for payment, listed on the Cheque Schedule 101619 totalling £1,095.14. 
    3. The Council also agreed to hold a Finance Committee Meeting on Wednesday 6th November at 6.30pm.
    4. Cashbook Statement of Receipts and Payments for Months 4 to 6.
    5. Budget Variance Report to September 2019. 
       
  3. Planning
    1. Applications received by the Local Planning Authority
      The Council considered the applications including those listed in the schedule (Plans_10_16_19) and RESOLVED:
      1. (11/19) – N/113/01748/19 – to support.
      2. (12/19) – N/113/01791/19 – to support this application with the following reservations:
        It wishes to have the "application site" edged red on the site plan, with the applicant's dwelling (17) edged blue to avoid confusion later.

        It would recommend that ALL construction plant and materials deliveries, take place within the amended site edged red, to avoid blocking access to the dwellings further down Chapel Lane.

        It feels that when a drainage scheme is submitted that is connected into cells or other approved storm drainage facility, with an "attenuated" outlet into a suitable ditch, the question is "does a suitable ditch exist"?
      3. N/067/01399/19 – to enquire of ELDC as to why the Parish Council had not been consulted on a pre-application to demolish the old school room and hairdressers in Tinkle Street as they were the owners of the piece of ground to the north of the site and given the historical importance of the building to the village, it being an 1855 primitive Methodist school room and stating that the Council felt it imperative that a pictorial record be made of the building for historical purposes.
    2. Planning Decisions to Note – none.
    3. Appeals – The Council noted that the results of the appeal re. Anyalla Chicks, Church Lane had still not been received.
       
  4. Pavilion
    Cllrs. TV and Mrs. LK declared an interest as Trustees of The Village Hall and it was RESOLVED that a dispensation should be granted to them to remain in the room and take part in the discussion, if they wished.
    1. Use by Council – The Council RESOLVED that full Council meetings should not be held in the Pavilion but that Committee meetings and working group/informal meetings could be.
    2. Use by general public – The Council considered issues such as rental charge and advertising and RESOLVED that if rental to the general public were to take place then a charge of £5 per hour should be levied, that a framework for rental be produced and adopted and that other issues should be discussed by the Finance Committee on 6th November and brought back to Council for resolution.
       
  5. Vandalised Roundabout at Playpark on Carlton Road
    The Council received an estimate for repair and confirmation from their insurers that should they wish to claim for the damage an excess of £250 would be payable and this would have no effect on their future premiums.  It was RESOLVED that the Council should claim on their insurance.
     
  6. Antisocial Behaviour
    1. Cllr. TK reported that a local resident had submitted a business plan to ELDC to use their gatehouse as a Youth Centre/café and this had been well received.  It was also mooted that the Youth Centre would use the basketball court and that the Police had agreed to send PCSO’s to patrol the area twice per night.  It was hoped that the venture would be up and running by November.  Cllr. MB asked Cllr. TK to find out what had happened to The Funk Bus.  Cllr. TK agreed. 
    2. Further to circulation of details by email on 1st October Council considered a proposal from The Farmers Union who wanted to help reduce disorder in the village setting.  It was agreed that the Clerk should arrange for the proposers to attend the next meeting in order to answer questions.
       
  7. Financial Regulations
    Further to circulation on 7th October by email of the new NALC Model Standing Orders, amended to suit G&M PC, it was RESOLVED to adopt these.
     
  8. Football Goals
    The Council considered quotes for new football goals and it was RESOLVED that these should be ordered from Cojo’s at a cost of £175 each but that they should not be set up until the Spring.
     
  9. Community Pub
    The Chairman reported that the Steering Group had joined the Plunkett Foundation, a business plan and the prospectus for shares had been compiled and there was to be a meeting of the Steering Group with the Plunkett Foundation on 4th November.  He confirmed that discussions had been held with Mr. Chapman and the group were in the final stages of getting to a launch point.  He informed that Mr. Howes and Mr. Fairburn had done a lot of work and the group had decided not to open the pub in its present arrangement but would look to add a 50 seater restaurant extension.

 

  1. ELDC Corporate Strategy Consultation
    The Council went through the ELDC Corporate Strategy Consultation which was an online survey, question by question and decided upon its corporate response.

 

  1. Parking at The Square, Grimoldby
    Cllr. MB declared an interest in this item as an employee of a local housing association.  It was RESOLVED that the Council should write to the relevant housing association (owners of this site) and request that they look into turning the grassed area into a car park.  It was also agreed that LCC Highways should be asked if there was any way of extending the nearby layby to alleviate parking problems. 
     
  2. Closed Session Item
    The Council RESOLVED to move into closed session in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 due to the business to be discussed in the following item, information being of a confidential and sensitive nature in relation to Personnel:
    1. Annual Salary Review – The Council noted that the Clerk’s Annual Appraisal had been undertaken and RESOLVED that as per the Clerk’s contract it should approve a salary increase of one scale point effective henceforth. 

 

It was RESOLVED to move back into open session.
 

  1. Any Other Business
    Cllr. MS reported that a member of the public had asked him to find out about the Anyalla Chicks appeal.  The Chairman, confirmed that Cllr. MS should approach ELDC as an individual. 
     
  2. Next Meeting
    Council noted that the date of the next scheduled meeting was Wednesday 20th November 2019.

The meeting closed at 9.08pm

Signed_______________________ (Chairman)         Dated_________________________