2022 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

Stubton Parish Council

Members 
Martin Davis - Chair 
Rick Crooks - Councillor 
Andrew Smith -Councillor 

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 28th February 2022

Present

Cllr Martin Davis - Chair 
Cllr Andrew Smith  
Cllr Rick Crooks 
Clerk – Jenny Taylor

1. Introduction and announcement from the chair  

The chair welcomed everyone. This is the last meeting until after the refurbishments have finished around May time. The meeting will be recorded for accuracy of minutes. Nine residents attended and the chair asked that any questions during the meeting be addressed through the Chair.

2.   Apologies for Absence. 

District Councillor Alexander Maughan was invited but has not responded.

SKDC Penny Milnes sent her apologies due to a family emergency that had just arisen that evening. 

3.   Declaration of interest.  None 

4.   Open forum  

Cllr Crooks suggested that in support of the solidarity of the Ukrainian people, we purchase and raise a Ukrainian flag.  It was agreed that we should mirror the protocol from when the Ukrainian flag is being raised on government buildings, with the exception of any other days we already have timetabled for flags. 

A resident will send for a 5’x3’ Ukrainian flag costing £6.89. This resident was thanked for her offer and the order will be invoiced for payment by the PC. The flag will be flown until another flag needs to go up. 

A resident suggested that we as a village support the initiative mentioned in SK bulletin of ‘no mowing in May’. The drop in the number of insects and creatures that rely on longer grass has led to this initiative, particularly the open areas, to encourage wild flower growth. The chair suggested that a ‘NO MOWING IN MAY’ sign be put up on each larger grass area, especially if we are being judged for the Best Kept Village Competition (BKVC). If the Council comes to mow the verges the signs would make it clear to follow our effort - the verges up the lanes could be only half or ¾ mowed with the back part near the hedge…or an area… left to grow longer. Householders are encouraged to join in.
 
5. Minutes of meeting held on Wednesday 13th January 2022 to be agreed and approved. 

This was proposed, seconded and carried, as a true and accurate record, and signed by the Chair. 

6.   Councillor vacancies  

The PC advertised the positions for 14 days asking residents if they wished to raise a local election. There were no requests the two positions were advertised as co-options. Joe Schaffarczyk (present) and Guy Pollard (unable to attend due to work) applied and their applications have been checked against the competency rules.

Councilors declined to ask questions of the candidates due to unfairness to Mr Pollard not being present.  The Chair moved that both candidates be accepted for co-option. Seconded by Cllr Smith and unanimously agreed.

The Chair hereby declared that on completion of the acceptance form held by the Clerk, Mr Schaffarczyk to be co-opted as Cllr Schaffarczyk. Cllr Pollard will be posted his acceptance form to sign and return. Both Councillors will complete a form of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests as detailed in the Localism Act of 2011. All copies of their application forms were then passed to the Clerk to destroy. 

7.   Update by Cllr Penny Milnes for South Kesteven District Council – absent

8.   Update by Cllr Alexander Maughan for Lincolnshire County Council – absent

9.   Financial update  (APPENDIX 1)

9.1 Payment requiring approval - Planting has been agreed as £50. Gift for Children of Afghanistan Charity £50 in recognition of Ann Wise (leaving gift agreed)

9.2 Payments since last meeting LALC subscription for this year £72.93 (sent 24/02/22)

9.3 Current financial situation. (Appendix 1)

April 2021 brought forward £2686.49 + April 2021 SKDC precept £1300 = £4086.02 (inc £99.53 uncashed cheques)
Total expenditure 2021/2 £713.59           Balance  = £3372.43
A spreadsheet has been devised and this will show the projected plan for the finances as ongoing. At the next meeting, all transactions will be updated for the year 2021/2 and a projected forecast for 2022/3 will be available. Precept for 2022/3 will be £1400.

10.   Community matters  

10.1   Council Spend. 

Cllr Crooks asked whether other councilors felt that the LALC subscriptions were worthwhile. 

Cllr Davis replied saying that it would not be possible to put forward any fees for training for clerks or councilors unless the membership is paid. 

A resident offered some experience of good use of LALC when issues have come up that need clarifying. LALC has been an immensely helpful body in terms of small parish councils and has been used over the years, especially from a Clerk’s point of view
Cllr Davis suggested the PC investigated courses available for new councilors, the clerk and refresher courses for present councilors, to approve the fees and book relevant courses. 

Cllr Crooks then suggested that the PC could now to set the budget for 2022/23. The spreadsheet shows a projected budget for the year and an updated rolling total at any time.

Future spending - Speed Awareness Committee, LALC training courses, renovation of telephone box, village sign. 

BKVC award of £400, gold bin and certificate 

The Campaign for Rural England provided signs before but this time the competition was run by SKDC. The prize is now a certificate, the gold bin and £400. Part of the £400 will be spent on a plaque outside the hall but the BKVC signs will be adapted, reversing 2012 to 2021 as discussed.

Council Spend on village sign – plaque for village hall – a sum around £100 is put aside for this.

•   £149 for painted aluminium one – not guaranteed that it won’t fade in direct sunlight.
•   £128 (A4 size), £110 (smaller size) stainless steel with scalloped border. Enter own text; will not fade
•   £161 (A4 size) £138 (smaller) Stone engraved and painted. 

Planting – plants have increased in price appreciably. Lynn Crooks asked that £50 be increased to £100 (Mrs Crooks is already matching the £50 funding herself as are the residents of Mayglen).  Stubton Hall is supplying snowdrops. Donations are also given by village residents.  Bulbs have already been bought. Planting will enhance the village. The area under the Hawthorn Tree near to Mayglen will be planted up throughout the year.

Cllr Crooks moved to vote on the stainless steel plaque to match the one already there.  Cllr Davis seconded and the vote was unanimously in favour.

Cllr Crooks moved that the PC should award another £50 from the £400 for village planting. This was seconded, voted and agreed so the planting budget has now been increased to £100. 

Lynn Crooks thanked the PC and said that this amount would actually be £200 with matched donations from her and some other residents including donations of plants. 

Donation of £50 to Children of Afghanistan Charity in recognition of the work of Ann Wise who has recently retired as parish councilor of Stubton. We would like to invite Ann Wise to receive a presentation on June 3rd at the Queen’s Jubilee if she is fit to do so. Meanwhile the £50 award will be sent to Ann for her to forward to her charity. 

10.2   Update from Community Speed Sub-committee (APPENDIX 2)

Amanda Smith spoke on behalf of the committee….

The Chair of the Sub Committee, Guy Pollard, has prepared a report that is attached. 

The issue was discussed at length to consider aims and options available and cost involved. 

The PC is a member of the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership and the Sub Committee has taken advice on a number of issues and taken advantage of what they can buy. Research is ongoing.

The committee examined the options open to tackle the speeding issue and have focused on main aims:- awareness, education, enforcement. Options currently being focused on as seen below. A £50 fund for the wheelie bin stickers has already been donated but more are needed. These stickers will be made available for residents to collect if they wish to take part. The chair asked whether the SKDC have been notified. This was not known but Lincolnshire Speed Awareness Group will be able to advise. Work on these options and funding possibilities are ongoing. The total cost of all four options including extra stickers is £3350.

That does not include any extra amount for the DIY streets since that is exactly as it says…DIY.

To be eligible for a grant application to the Community Fund, there are a number of criteria. 

1.   Community Speed Sub Committee needs to redefine itself with the approval of the PC as an autonomous group of volunteers i.e NOT a sub-committee of the PC. The Community Fund will not fund a PC being a Sub Committee would prevent the access to a grant. 

2.   Formulize a constitution which will be an adaptation of the option paper

3.   Open a bank account - the committee is committed to complete transparency. 

As well as speeding there are other issues to be addressed, namely the HGV traffic on Doddington Lane, Safe access to the church (no footpath), warning signs considering horses, fly tipping, criminal activity, not on ANPR route (automatic number plate recognition). 

The chair of the Community Sub Committee proposes, with the permission of the PC, to write to SKDC to highlight and clarify some of these issues. In conclusion the PC is requested to give financial support, joint fund raising and to allow the committee to become an autonomous group to be able to further these options.

Cllr Davis pointed out that since there will now be two Parish Councillors on the Community Speed Awareness Sub Committee, Guy and Joe will need to make a declaration of interest at the beginning of every meeting.

Each option will be assessed for its cost and effectiveness especially where it has been used in other villages. The aim is to involve the residents using community support, input and feedback. 

Cllr Crooks moved the motion that the Community Speed Awareness Sub Committee is allowed to become independent as long as it is appropriately organized according to a relatively structured group with a constitution and clear set of objectives and aims. Also moved that a grant of £110 is given to cover the residual wheelie bin stickers and the community speed watch initiative of passive signs used in the past that are now faded. Ask for regular reports to the parish council. Both motions were seconded by Cllr Davis and unanimously agreed by the PC. A donation of £110 will be arranged. 

The PC, under the rules of criteria that it is bound to observe, will donate but not fund the Speed Awareness Committee.

Cllr Crooks thanked the Community Speed Awareness Committee and praised them for the high quality of comprehensive report they’ve provided today. 

10.3. Update on renovation of telephone box housing the defibrillator

Cllr Davis has been in touch with the contractor who gave the middle quote of £400. No reply yet so waiting to confirm the date to start. He thanked Jackie Warren for contacting the contractor straightaway after the last meeting and Margaret Flint who posted on the village Facebook page for a swift response. 

10.4. Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Update - Cllr Smith on the Hub Jubilee Committee’s plans. 

Reporting back to PC from the meeting on 3rd February. 

Village party over the Jubilee weekend - 5th June 13.00-15.00 - St Martin’s Close will be cordoned off for safety. The day will mirror the Queen’s party which is on the same day…not a money making exercise. Around 90 residents will be catered for. 

£2 ticket entry fee (children free). The toast will be provided free of charge. 

Residents and family staying will be welcome at the event. The supply of alcohol consumed in the street is permissible since this will be a small event and alcohol will be provided but not sold. The Hall will be closed for bar sales but open for toilet facilities and bad weather venue. Music will stop by 23.00. A raffle is permitted providing the prize fund is less than £500. The bar will be open on Saturday with the concert in London on the big screen. Garden games to entertain all, especially children, a quiz and music, a Treasure Hunt on the Saturday in The Garth grounds, the ukulele group, a church service at some time during the weekend and sharing with other villages are all possibilities.

Catering - Chris Hudson wanted to thank the village for the support he has been given and will provide a hog roast freely which he will cook and carve. He has requested that a donation box be circulated during the event for voluntary sums to be donated to the Air Ambulance Charity. 
Volunteers will make cakes etc to supplement the hog roast committee also discussed the Queen’s planting project during 2022, to plant trees throughout the country and the commonwealth. More details will be decided at the Next meeting 14th April 19.00. 

10.5     Village Sign - survey was distributed to all households (APPENDIX 3)   

29 surveys were returned of 70 delivered – (still being returned) 
Preferred position of sign – The Green area
Signs preferred = carved metal – 28%

Cllr Davis suggested this should be an agenda item for the next PC meeting with full costing, design and position. Suggested that there should be a wildflower planted border under the sign.

A final date for submission of the surveys will be posted on the notice board. 

There is an ongoing grant available to fund the village sign. (Not PC money)

10.6   Update to the ‘Stubton Neighbourhood Plan(SNP)’ - from original NP Steering Group -Hugh Wilson (APPENDIX 4 - ADDENDUM)/(APPENDIX 5- JAKE HORTON REPLY)

In August 2021, Mr Wilson supplied an addendum to the SNP because of the new Local Plan especially with regard the proposals to do with housing. Originally the addendum this was approved by the planning officer Jake Horton but has now been refused. 

Mr Wilson noted that, if the PC feels that SP2/3/4 affect this village, there has to be a new team to completely review the current Neighbourhood Plan since the four existing members of the team are resigning. He warned that any change to the Plan could lead to extra expense -a village meeting and full vote which the PC would have to pay for as if it were an election. 

The only change with the addendum is that Stubton would then be classed as an unsustainable village, with regard housing, instead of its present status as a small village. Nothing can be developed beyond the last house on each of the boundaries but there can be infill. Any development in the village still HAS to be approved by the PC. It is not felt that there is an immediate requirement for an addendum given the work involved.

Cllr Crooks moved that the PC agreed with option 1 (see APPENDIX 5) – the SNP will be sufficient without amendment. Seconded by Cllr Davis and unanimously agreed.  The amendment will not be followed up.

The PC is very grateful to the SNP committee, Hugh Wilson, Dave Butler, Brian Birkenhead, Gary Senior and Rob Thornton for persevering with this very difficult task.

Mr Wilson will respond to Jake Horton telling him the decision of the PC.

10.7 Traffic flows on Doddington Lane – impact of Distribution Centre

In August 2018, SKDC approved a storing and distribution centre on Cleansey . Sept 2020 the application was revised to be approved as a conversion of an agricultural building. 

The volume of HGV traffic on Doddington Lane has significantly increased. 

Cllr Crooks would like the sanction of the PC to undertake another traffic surveillance to try and identify the nature of the extra traffic. 

This is a particular problem when HGVs seem to be delivering and collecting between 8.00-9.00. This is the same time as Littlegates children are arriving to the nursery. This could become a bigger problem since the roads are very narrow for heavy HGV traffic.

A resident noted that he had seen HGVs turning down the road past Littlegates and along to the farm where a storage building is now full of non-agricultural products e.g outdoor garden stoves…

Cllr Crooks moved that the traffic survey should be carried out to ensure the safety of walkers, cyclists, horses….seconded by Cllr Davis and unanimously agreed
(HGV lorries have Hallam Express on the side – black and yellow - can barely get through the white gates.) 

Littlegates nursery needs to be made aware of safety when they take the children walking on the Littlegates Lane.

Date and time of next meeting.  

The next meeting will be advised at the end of April 2022