September 2024 DRAFT Minutes
Woolsthorpe-by-BelvoirParish Council
Minutes of a Parish Council Meeting held at Woolsthorpe Social Club
Monday 2nd September 2024 at 19.00
Present
Cllr. McCallion - Chair
Cllr. Bunn – Vice Chair
Cllr. Jarvis
Cllr. Packer
Julie Gillies - Clerk
Guests:
DC Rob Leadenham
Sarah Turtle, VPG representative
5 Parishioners
28/24 WELCOME REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR
Cllr. McCallion welcomed everyone to the meeting.
29/24 APOLOGIES: TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies had been received and were accepted from Cllr. Hardcastle-Waugh, Cllr. P. Bosworth and Cllr. M. Whittington.
30/24 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOCALISM ACT 2011
No declarations of Member interests in relation to agenda items were received.
No requests for dispensations from Members were received.
The meeting adjourned at 19.01 for the Public Forum.
Query was raised over the responsibility for maintenance of the green at the crossroads as it was reported to be in an unkempt state.
Cllr. Leadenham confirmed SKDC responsibility.
Hedgerow overgrown from Park to Shop – Cllr. McCallion to ask the householder to cut back the hedge.
Parishioner volunteered to cut the hedge by the allotment site.
Concern was raised at the lack of communication from the Estate of events taking place.
Parishes were notified of Forbidden Forest as it was a condition of the licence.
A request was made for a police presence at the Land Rover event. This would be under the remit of Leicestershire Police but Lincolnshire Police were aware of the event and Denton Community Speedwatch would be undertaking speed checks during this time.
Cllr. Leadenham suggested the Parish Council speak to the District Councillor for Belvoir to put a request into Leicestershire Police.
The Archer Survey has been requested for the Belvoir Road, between Denton and Woolsthorpe and it has also been requested for the Forbidden Forest next year.
The meeting re-convened 19.21
31/24 APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 1st July 2024 were agreed to be a true and accurate record and were signed by Cllr. McCallion as Chair.
32/24 FINANCE
a) Resolved – To accept the bank reconciliation (appendix i)
b) Resolved – To accept 2024/25 budget to actuals (appendix i)
Cllr. Packer queried the budget remaining for grounds maintenance. Cllr. Packer and the Clerk to meet to discuss.
The Clerk confirmed a VAT reclaim of £193.51 had been made.
The meeting adjourned at 19.24
Items in the village requiring maintenance were discussed and a parishioner volunteered to donate some wood and carry out the repairs.
Suggestion was made to approach SKDC for a community grant.
Reconvened at 19.27
33/24 Playground
Jacob Dunne had agreed to meet to view and discuss the proposal.
34/24 Community Orchard
An allocation of money was available, up to £1,500, for a community orchard.
Miniature trees of choice were provided, through a specific supplier.
This to be discussed with Jacob Dunne when Cllr. Jarvis meets with him and with the Social Club Committee regarding funding.
Adjourned at 19.32
Parishioner volunteered to get donations of fruit trees and volunteered his knowledge.
Re-convened at 19.33
35/24 Village Issues
a) Overgrown Hedges
Residents to be contacted to trim back overgrown hedges.
The overgrown hedge from the bridge to Woolsthorpe crossroads had not been deemed to be obscuring the signage, however, it was obscuring vision so the resident will be spoken to.
Community Orchard trimmings to be removed by parishioner.
b) Signage on Cliff Road
In hand with Cllr. Whittington.
c) Speed limiting solutions
Archer Survey to be conducted.
d) Solar Farm – Fields on Muston Lane, Easthorpe
A public enquiry to be held on 10th September at 10am.
There had been no representations from parishioners.
Cllr. Bunn explained that solar panels would be in place for 40 years and there would have to be a battery farm to go with it to store the electricity from the solar panels until needed. The batteries proposed to be used would have a discharge pipe into the ground and this was a pollutant.
Cllr. Bunn to attend the enquiry to speak on behalf of the Parish Council.
e) Tree work – St James Church – Notice of work
Permission had been granted for the work.
f) Cycle race through village
Discussion took place on the lack of notification and the speed of the bicycles.
Cllr. McCallion to put a request on Facebook for comments on the cycle race, both positive and negative. These comments to be reported to the licensing department.
Cllr. Packer to draft the letter to the licensing department.
36/24 Community Speed Group
Five people trained, plus Cllr. Leadenham, Cllr. Whittington and Sarah Turtle.
Vests, signage and reports have been received.
Cllr. Jarvis to observe community speedwatch in action at Denton.
Denton or Barrowby to be asked to conduct a speed check in Woolsthorpe at the weekend for the Land Rover event.
Adjourned at 19.58
Cllr. Leadenham explained Lincolnshire Day on 1st October.
Denton and Barrowby to be asked to conduct a speed check at a designated area in Woolsthorpe.
Reconvened at 20.00
37/24 Vale Parish Group (VPG)
Forbidden Forest - A report was given by Sarah Turtle on a meeting with Licensing, Forbidden Forest, Police and Ambulance Service.
It had been acknowledged that the police presence had not been enough but improvement would be made for next year.
Forbidden Forest had reported no security issues and no traffic issues and the issue reported on social media had been blown out of all proportion.
Issues raised included cars left in the village, the state of the dirty duck, traffic and buses.
Traffic for Forbidden Forest had been sent through Denton by the organisers and over 3000 cars had been clocked by Speedwatch going through the village.
Confirmation had been received that there would be no increase in numbers for next year.
The police bikes, paid for by Forbidden Forest, had not been effective as they finished before the event closed.
A meeting had been arranged with Forbidden Forest to discuss next year’s event.
Parish Council concerns to be forwarded to Sarah.
An idea had been put forward for Forbidden Forest to make a donation to all the villages.
A52 and speed restrictions - Cllr. Leadenham had arranged a meeting with 2 County Councillors and 3 District Councillors. A letter had been sent to Gareth Davies, MP and Ed Elgar, MP and both had agreed to meet and speak to National Highways about issues in the area.
Staggered junction at Bottesford – consideration to be given at how the group can work on this.
Wedding venue planning refusal had been taken to appeal. Cllr. Leadenham explained the issues.
38/24 CHAT benches
Parishioners were asked for potential sites and the following were suggested:-
Community Garden
Green at Crossroads
By lamppost at Hillside
Sedgebrook Road area – exit by stables – permission to be sought from Belvoir Estates.
A request to be made to the Rural Communities Fund for funding.
Adjourned at 20.33
It was explained that the Duchess had previously been approached for permission to use the land behind the social club to relocate the playground and she had refused.
Reconvened at 20.34
39/24 Cobleas Cemetery
Cllr. McCallion and Cllr. Packer had met with Sarah Tierney, Vicar, to discuss ownership of the water tap and it had been agreed to sign over ownership to the Church.
It was explained that the Parish Council had installed the tap based on the misunderstanding that it was Council property, but it actually belongs to the Church.
The Vicar to approach the Church Commissioners to accept the tap as a gift from the Parish Council.
It had been explained to the Vicar that the Church could approach the Parish Council for a donation.
It was reported that the grass at the closed cemetery had now been cut and the gate had been repaired.
40/24 Emergency Plan
Cllr. Jarvis reported that she would be attending a County Emergency Planning meeting.
Discussion took place on the help available to complete the Emergency Plan form.
Cllr. Packer volunteered to work with Cllr. Jarvis.
Agreed: To work with Denton Parish Council on the Emergency Plan.
41/24 Items identified for next meeting
Webmaster hours
Budget
Past records
Asset register
It was suggested the Parish Council speak to Belvoir Estate after every meeting to update them.
42/24 Date of next meeting
Monday 4th November 2024 at 19.00.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 20.58