January 2024 Minutes
Washingborough Parish Council
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday 17th January 2024 at 6.00pm in the Pavilion Meeting Room, Fen Road Washingborough, Lincoln. LN4 1AB
Present:
• Cllr Mrs L Hannam (facilitator)
• Cllr Mrs M Gibbons
• Cllr R Harrington
• Cllr G Peck
• Cllr Mrs L Simons
• Cllr Mrs W Skelton
In Attendance: Miss K Broddle (Clerk) and Mrs E Salter (Assistant Clerk).
Also Present: Cllr L Cawrey (LCC).
Members of the Public: Two members of the public were present.
a. Public Forum: None.
b. Reports from LCC and NKDC – the reports from both NKDC and LCC were circulated at the meeting and are attached at the end on this document.
81. Localism Act 2011 requirements:
a. Apologies and reasons for absence were received and resolved from: Cllrs Mrs J Aspinall, Mrs B Bland and Mrs R Whipp. Apologies were also received from Cllrs I Carrington and C Goodwin (NKDC)
b. Declarations of interest were received from Cllrs Mrs M Gibbons, R Harrington, G Peck and Mrs L Simons regarding the setting of the Precept for 2024/25.
c. Applications for dispensation were granted to Cllrs Mrs M Gibbons, R Harrington, G Peck and Mrs L Simons in respect of the approval of the Precept for 2024/25.
82. Draft notes of the Parish Council meeting held on 13th December 2023 were proposed, seconded and resolved for signing as the minutes.
83. Matters raised at Public Forum: None.
84. Clerks Report (for information only).
a. The cancellation of the B1190 road closure by Anglian Water for the pipeline project scheduled for January was noted.
b. The closure of the B1190 between Church Hill and High Street from 12th to 14th February by Anglian Water was noted.
c. The removal of the culvert, due to collapsed banks, at the bottom of the playing fields, by the Internal Drainage Board was noted.
d. The public notice advertising the speed limit change to 40mph on parts of the B1190 was noted.
e. The planning comments period for work to the Maple tree on the Village Green was noted.
85. The notes from the Finance & General Purposes Committee Meeting of 8th January 2024 were received and the following items were proposed, seconded and resolved:
a. The purchase of grass cutting equipment for the tractor, with the money coming from the Forward Plan earmarked reserves.
b. To clean and re-line the two MUGA courts, with the money coming from the Playing Fields & Pavilion earmarked reserves.
c. The budget cap for the Council’s grant scheme is £1750, this money being the payment received for the siting of the telecom mast in the playing field.
d. The Precept for 2024/25 will be £205,000.
86. To discuss and resolve the following:
a. The request from Cllr L Cawrey (LCC) for inappropriate parking on Oak Hill to be looked into by LCC Highways – it was proposed, seconded and resolved to agree to the request and also for Policeman’s Lane to be included in this matter.
b. To hold the Scarecrow festival again during summer – this request was proposed seconded and resolved.
c. The flooding working party reported that answers to the questions, sent to the IDB regarding recent and previous flooding issues had been returned. But some of those answers had raised a need for further information from the IDB. An invite to a meeting with the Council will be requested.
87. Planning Matters.
a. To resolve any comments on the following applications received. None.
b. To ratify the following comments returned under Clerks delegated powers
i. 23/1205/TCA: The Rectory, Church Hill – no comment returned
c. To note the following decisions from NKDC
i. 23/1128/HOUS: 7 School Lane – approved.
88. Financial Matters.
a. The payment schedule for January 2024 was proposed, seconded and resolved and the salaries payments were noted.
b. The accounts and budgets for December 2023 were noted.
c. The Unity Trust bank statement for December 2023 was noted and signed.
d. The bank mandate signatory list was updated and the following additional Councillors were added:
Cllr Mrs M Gibbons, Cllr Mrs W Skelton, Cllr Mrs L Hannam and Cllr R Harrington.
The current signatories are Cllr Mrs L Simons, Cllr Mrs B Bland, Cllr Mrs J Aspinall, Cllr Mrs R Whipp and Cllr G Peck
89. It was proposed, seconded and resolved that Cllr G Peck facilitates the February Full Parish Council meeting.
90. Under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 it was proposed, seconded and resolved to move into closed session for the following items: no items
There being no further business, the meeting closed at 6.55pm
December – January North Kesteven District Council Report
Reece, Carola, Ian
Greater Lincolnshire Devolution funding and decision-making powers welcomed
North Kesteven District Council has backed the devolution deal for Greater Lincolnshire, welcoming the opportunities it represents for skills, jobs and investment both for the district and the wider area.
An agreement has been proposed which will see the Government pledge an additional level of investment worth £720m over 30 years and hand down various powers to enable local determination on how and where that is spent across a number of themes including climate action, economic opportunity, transport infrastructure skills and adult education – within the area of Greater Lincolnshire, from the Humber to the Wash.
It has already been agreed that £2.2million of an additional £28.4m targeted on projects will be allocated to Sleaford Moor Enterprise Park to accelerate delivery of phase two of the project, which could create and/or safeguard 450-500 jobs.
The Lincolnshire County, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire councils – which are the main partners forming a new Mayoral Combined County Authority operating additionally to all of the existing and ongoing council structures – have already approved the principles of the Greater Lincolnshire Devolution.
Through a majority decision, councillors at North Kesteven District Council have now agreed to ‘continue to engage positively with the implementation of the devolution arrangements, based on delivery of Greater Lincolnshire Vision for 2050 and those benefits that will come to the area through Devolution.’
A consultation is currently underway, with a roadshow of drop-in engagement scheduled throughout January, including January 10 in Sleaford at the Source on Southgate; and Lincoln’s Showroom on Tritton Road on January 25, both 3pm to 7pm. Information and consultation details can be found on the Lincolnshire County Council website.
North Kesteven District Council is delivering eco-friendly and energy-saving improvements to the first 200 Council homes in its plan to upgrade at least 600 such properties by 2030.
The £6 million programme will see green measures such as solar panels, heat pumps and boosted insulation installed in the Council properties with the lowest EPC ratings in partnership with energy and regeneration expert Equans.
A Swinderby bungalow is among the latest to have new state-of-the-art, carbon saving technology installed - making it one of the first to receive energy efficiency updates under the priority project.
Householders John and Kathy Nicholls are feeling the benefits of having solar panels with battery storage, air source heat pumps and new loft insulation installed to their 1972 home where they have lived for the past 18 years.
The project will see 200 Council-owned bungalows in almost 40 North Kesteven villages become warmer and more energy efficient - significantly reducing residents’ energy bills each year and increasing Energy Performance Certificate ratings to at least C
January - Lincolnshire County Council Report
Cllr Lindsey Cawrey
Devolution Public Consultation
The roadshows are now well underway and they have been well attended. As expected, there have been a range of views from members of the public who attended and their responses tend to support responses we have been receiving through the online response forms. If you would like to respond to the consultation or attend a future event, please visit: https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/devolution
Budget
At January's meeting of the Executive, it was agreed to recommend raising council tax by 4.99 per cent. This will mean an annual increase of around £30 for a Band D property. It is considered appropriate to increase council tax for matters such as, but not limited to, supporting extra Highways funding for road repairs and flooding mitigation.
This proposal will now be put to the next full council meeting.
Flooding
There will be an inquiry into the issues leading up to Storm Babet and the response of public bodies in Lincolnshire. It will be a wide-ranging inquiry led by the county council's Flood and Water Management Scrutiny Committee. The date has not yet been set. We invite representations from all those people who were affected or who worked to support those affected.
I also urge all those who have had their homes and businesses flooded during Storm Babet or Storm Henk to consider applying for financial support by visiting: https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/environment-planning/property-flood-resilience-grant
I was pleased to accompany the Minister for Water and Rural Growth, Robbie Moore MP, on his recent visit to see the problems caused by flooding in Washingborough. Along with Cllr Ian Carrington, Cllr Reece Harrington and Dr Caroline Johnson MP, we discussed how rural communities need more support to mitigate flooding and help with the recovery, as well as discussing ideas to spread the costs of funding IDBs which are disproportionately borne by rural communities while the benefits are felt nationwide. We await the outcome of Mr Moore's visit as it was part of a wider investigation into recent flooding across the country
Oak Hill
I have been asked by a resident to investigate the options for mitigating problems caused by careless parking along Oak Hill. I note that this issue has resulted in many comments on social media, with residents giving examples of how the road is often unpassable. The volume of comments on social media suggests that there is widespread support for measures to address the issue. I welcome the discussion by members of Washingborough Parish Council on this matter before I contact Highways on your behalf