March 2026 Minutes Annual Parish Meeting
Woolsthorpe by Belvoir
Parish Council
Annual Parish Meeting 30th March 2026 18:00hrs
Attended
Cllr McCallion
Cllr Bunn
Cllr Price
Cllr A Hill
Cllr P Hill
DC Leadenham
BC Litchfield
8 Villagers
1. Chair’s Welcome
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.
2. Apologies for absence.
No apologies had been received.
3. Signing of the Minutes from the Annual Parish meeting held on 14th May 2025.
Following an amendment that Mrs Duff was not a Councillor at the time of the meeting, the minutes were agreed and signed by the Chair.
4. Chair’s report about the Parish Council activities during 2025/26.
It was reported it had been a relatively quiet year for the Parish Council.
Several planning applications had been considered and investment had been made in the village including the purchase of two new dog waste bins, with plans to purchase a third.
It was reported that during the year in question the Parish Council had reached full capacity, although some positions had since become available.
It was noted that, through the efforts of Malcolm Duff, paint had been secured for the village phone kiosk and thanks were recorded to Malcolm Duff for this. Cllr McCallion confirmed that the kiosk would be painted over the coming months.
The defibrillator would be discussed at a forthcoming Parish Council meeting.
The meeting was advised that the playground had been closed for several months due to the lease coming to an end, however, attempts to renew the lease were ongoing.
There had been no major emergencies during the year, aside from a small amount of flooding earlier in the year.
5. Presentations from groups within Woolsthorpe by Belvoir
Cllr Leadenham reported that a number of successful events had taken place in the village, including activities to mark VE Day.
It was noted that funding through the South Kesteven Community Fund, which operated on a matched funding basis with grants of between £2,000 and £10,000 were available and that any bona fide organisation was eligible to apply.
Food waste bins would become operational within the next two weeks.
It was advised that there was a significant amount of activity taking place in Woolsthorpe along the canal and SKDC was hosting a Big Green Weekend event on Saturday 6th June, which had previously been held in Barrowby. The event was being promoted jointly by SKDC and the Grantham Canal Society.
It was noted that a Society Day would take place on 1st May and would be open to representatives from District, Parish and County Councils as well as MPs, Mayors and Council officers.
It was reported that SKDC had been subject to vandalism with windows smashed at the Customer Service Centre at the Picture House Cinema and at Stamford Arts Centre.
The consultation period on local government reorganisation had concluded and further information on the structure for Lincolnshire was expected by July or August.
Cllr Litchfield provided an update and advised that he had been working with Cllr Leadenham.
It was reported that a walkaround of the village had been undertaken with Cllr. McCallion and Highways officers to review local issues. During the visit, Belvoir Lane had been inspected due to ongoing flooding issues and it was noted that the road was the responsibility of Lincolnshire County Council and that the lack of drainage was contributing to the problem. Officers were able to develop an outline plan while on site and this work was now progressing. Feedback would be provided to the Parish Council.
It was further reported that all potholes identified during the walkabout had been logged and marked and these would now be progressed through the Highways system.
Discussion also took place regarding the crossroads, including the potential installation of stop signs and the impact of overgrown bushes. Lincolnshire County Council had agreed to provide accident data covering the previous five years, however, only one incident had been identified, which was felt to be somewhat disconnected from the Parish Council’s experience. This information would be used to continue to press the issue.
Cllr McCallion agreed to speak with the Estate regarding the trimming back of bushes.
In response to a query about drainage at the top of the parish, it was confirmed that Lincolnshire County Council had cleared a silted drain that had been identified.
A resident raised a concern regarding a blocked drain on Rectory Lane, noting that it had been blocked for several years. Cllr Litchfield agreed to look into the matter and updates would be fed back to the Parish Council.
A further issue was raised by a resident relating to blocked drains reported via FixMyStreet. It was noted that one report had been closed on the basis of extreme weather conditions, and a subsequent report submitted on a dry day had been closed on the grounds that the drains had reportedly been cleaned the previous year. The resident agreed to forward the reference number to the Parish Council, who would in turn pass it to Cllr Litchfield for investigation and resolution.
Village Hall Committee reported on a number of successful events held during the year, including VE Day celebrations, a Christmas Party and the Village Hall being opened on Christmas Day for the first time, which saw a very good turnout. Other events, including quizzes, bingo, and live music, were also reported to have been well attended and successful.
It was noted that the Village Hall had experienced a challenging winter, particularly due to increased utility and building running costs.
The Committee reported that it was seeking to undertake additional maintenance work to the building, however, progress had been limited due to a lack of funding. It was acknowledged that the building was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.
Cllr Leadenham agreed to forward details of potential funding opportunities to support the Village Hall.
The Committee noted with thanks the continued support received from the village community.
6. Questions and Open Forum
It was reported that the closed churchyard was being maintenance satisfactorily.
7. Close of Meeting
The meeting closed at 18.24.