November 2024 Minutes
Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir
Parish Council
Minutes of a Parish Council Meeting held at Woolsthorpe Social Club
Monday 4th November 2024 at 19.00
Present Cllr. McCallion - Chair
Cllr. Bunn – Vice Chair
Cllr. Jarvis
Cllr. Hardcastle-Waugh
Julie Gillies - Clerk
Guests DC Rob Leadenham
CC Mark Whittington
Sarah Turtle, VPG representative
1 parishioner
43/24 WELCOME REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR
Cllr. McCallion welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Cllr. Hardcastle-Waugh introduced himself and was welcomed to the meeting.
44/24 APOLOGIES: TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies had been received and were accepted from Cllr. Packer.
45/24 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 19.05 for the Public Forum.
Objection was made to the wording of the minutes, item 39/24 Cobleas Cemetery, and to the responsibility of the cemetery. The minute item was read out.
Query was made as to ownership of the cemetery should the church close. It was explained that the ground would revert back to the Diocese, but as the churchyard still had capacity, it could not be closed.
The meeting re-convened 19.21
46/24 APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 2nd September 2024 were agreed to be a true and accurate record and were signed by Cllr. McCallion as Chair.
47/24 FINANCE
a) Resolved – To accept the bank reconciliation, payments and monies received (appendix i)
b) Resolved – To accept 2024/25 budget to actuals (appendix i)
c) Budget 2025/26 – A meeting had been held to discuss the 2025/26 budget. Figures and precept proposal to be circulated before the next meeting.
d) Webmaster hours – A request was made to purchase more hours for website updates.
Resolved – to purchase 2 hours @ £18 ph.
e) Asset register – Cllr. McCallion and Cllr. Packer to draft a more detailed register. Asset locations to be marked on a map, pictures taken and replacement values to be included on the register.
The meeting adjourned at 7.32pm.
Additional items for the asset register were reported as the telephone box and defibrillator.
Discussion took place on the checking of the defibrillator and maintenance of the telephone box.
Cllr. Hardcastle-Waugh agreed to carry out weekly checks on the defibrillator.
The meeting reconvened at 7.40pm
f) Records/Archive – Cllr. McCallion to be given archive documents to catalogue.
48/24 Planning – Applications and Decisions
a) Planning Applications
The Dirty Duck, Sedgebrook Road, Woolsthorpe by Belvoir
New premises licence application.
SKDC had no objection to the licence being granted with comments that the proposed licence is in accordance with the established and lawful planning use for the site.
b) Planning Decisions
S24/1500 – Old Hunt Stables, pruning and shaping of Christmas Tree – Work allowed.
S24/1088 – Castle Farm, Main Street, new vehicular access, parking area and repair to existing stone wall – Permission granted subject to conditions and reasons.
S24/1569 – Walnut Tree Cottage, removal of Spruce Tree – Work allowed.
S24/1429 – The Burrow, Main Street, remove dead Silver Birch and Ash Tree – Work allowed.
c) Advice for Parish/Town Councils commenting on Planning Applications
The document had been circulated to Councillors.
49/24 Playground
It was reported that due to the lack of communication from Jacob Dunne since the last meeting, Antony Haslam had been cc’d into all correspondence.
Information had been given to Cllr. Jarvis on a master plan for Belvoir Estate and the surrounding area, details of which could not be divulged at the meeting. The meeting was assured that all parties would be consulted with once documentation had been received.
Preliminary talks had confirmed that Belvoir Estate were happy for the playground proposal to go ahead, but formal approval would need to be obtained before grants could be sought.
The meeting adjourned at 19.48.
Cllr. Whittington and Cllr. Leadenham reported on a grant available from SKDC to raise biodiversity.
A proposal for the play area included a wildlife area, this grant could be applied for.
Details of the grant to be forwarded to Cllr. Jarvis.
The meeting reconvened at 19.52
50/24 Community Orchard
Nothing further to report.
51/24 Village Issues
a) Overgrown Hedges
A request had been sent to the Castle to trim back the hedges on Cliffe Road, old allotment. A follow up request to be sent.
b) 30mph road signage on Cliff Road
In hand with Cllr. Whittington.
c) Speed limiting solutions
Discussion took place on the history of the ‘halt’ signs. Cllr. Whittington to enquire about the possibility of replacing the ‘give way’ signs with ‘stop’ signs.
Cllr. Leadenham reported he was requesting the Archer Survey through Denton as they have the majority of traffic going through. It was explained that the Archer Survey measured traffic flow and speed during a 7-day period. Data is then broken down into hour long sessions and the percentage of speeding vehicles identified. This information goes to the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership.
The result could then add weight to complaints or planning applications for events in the area.
The Archer Survey carried out by the Dirty Duck was a private survey commissioned by the Castle. As it was conducted out of season, it showed little traffic.
Issues with speeding on the A52 were discussed and it was confirmed that Cllr. Leadenham had contacted Leicestershire Local Authority with a view to joining together to the tackle the traffic issues and to make the entire area a 50mph zone. Concerns had been escalated to MP
d) Solar Farm – Fields on Muston Lane, Easthorpe
Cllr. Bunn had been unable to attend the public enquiry and details of the outcome were unknown.
Discussion took place on the likely increase in solar and wind farms, the placement and the possibility of more pylons.
e) Cycle race through the village
Cllr. McCallion had collated all the complaints from residents and a letter would be sent to the licensing authority.
f) Land Rover event
A complaint had been received and was read out. The reports of a significant amount of traffic had been confirmed by Speedwatch.
VPG explained that the traffic management plan they had seen only covered Leicestershire, but an event of this size should have a plan that covered Lincolnshire and the Parish Council should be able to obtain it.
VPG were now represented on the Safety Advisory Group (SAG).
52/24 Community Speed Group
A session had been done over the Land Rover event and around 90 vehicles had been monitored. Nobody had been speeding but the presence of the speed watch team had been considered a deterrent.
Cllr. Leadenham to arrange for a speed watch session to be monitored to enable them to be carried out unsupervised.
More volunteers were needed and Sarah Turtle volunteered her assistance.
Details of the Belvoir Ward Briefing on 22nd November were given, including guest panel members of Gareth Davies MP, Grantham and Bourne MP, Cllr. Martin Hill OBE, Leader of Lincolnshire County Council and Marc Jones, Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner. Venue to be confirmed.
Cllr. McCallion and Cllr. Jarvis to attend, Cllr. Hardcastle-Waugh hoped to attend.
Cllr. Leadenham reported that the next briefing on 25th May 2025 would include Citizens Advice as a panel member.
Suggestions for future panel members, including SEND, were discussed.
Discussion took place about the lack of provision for SEND children and Cllr. Hardcastle-Waugh volunteered his expertise to this area.
53/24 Vale Parish Group (VPG)
The Licencing appeal hearing outcome had not been made public, but VPG want the event stopped.
Boundary changes and flood planning were taking place on the Melton side, which would not affect Woolsthorpe.
Leicestershire do not take part in Speedwatch, so monitoring how effective Lincolnshire is to be able to push Leicestershire into doing something.
Melton Borough Council were moving forward with a more formalised care home policy planning procedure, due to the amount of care homes opening up in the vale, currently 29.
A meeting was trying to be arranged with Belvoir.
It was reported that the group was working well, had good expertise and authorities were taking notice of the group, who were representing thousands of people.
54/24 Cobleas Cemetery
A response had not been received from the Vicar regarding acceptance of the tap as a gift from the Parish Council.
The Vicar to be invited to the next Parish Council meeting.
It was reported that as the Oak Tree was a young tree, it did not require maintenance or moving.
The Vicar has been told to inform the Parish Council when it required maintenance and an agreement would be reached.
55/24 Emergency Plan
A working party was needed to progress the Emergency Plan.
Cllr. Leadenham to forward an example from another Parish.
Phil Swinton, H & S Officer at SKDC said Parish Councils should submit their Emergency Plans and he would work with them to provide guidance.
Suggestions were made on how to get information from parishioners to include in the plan.
Cllr. Hardcastle-Waugh volunteered to help Cllr. Jarvis collate the information and draft the Plan.
56/24 Matters to report
Broken post at the park – Stacey Woodward to be asked to quote to replace the post.
Councillors were asked if they wanted to change the day of the Parish Council meetings as the Village Hall was booked every Monday for band practice. It was agreed for the meetings to remain on a Monday.
57/24 Date of next meeting
Monday 6th January 2025 at 7pm.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 20.56