March 2026 Minutes
Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir
Parish Council
Minutes of a Parish Council Meeting held at Woolsthorpe Village Hall Monday 30th March 2026 at 19.00
Present Cllr. C. McCallion - Chair
Cllr. M. Bunn
Cllr. A. Hill
Cllr. P. Hill
Cllr. K. Price
Julie Gillies - Clerk
Guests Sarah Turtle, VPG representative
5 residents
Welcome from the Chair
Cllr. McCallion welcomed everyone to the meeting.
161/26 To receive apologies for absence
Apologies were received and accepted from Cllr. Leadenham and Cllr. Litchfield.
162/26 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.
163/26 To receive the resignation of Cllr. S. Hardcastle.
Cllr. B. Hardcastle-Waugh’s resignation was received and accepted. Thanks were made to Cllr. Hardcastle-Waugh for his support and contribution to the Parish Council.
The two vacancies would be publicised.
The meeting adjourned at 19.02 for the Public Forum.
A resident raised concerns regarding confidence in the Parish Council’s conduct, citing a recent planning application where a Councillor with a close personal interest was not asked to abstain. Councillors agreed this was an oversight and the Chair apologised.
Concerns were also raised about a lack of progress with Community Speedwatch and the Emergency Plan. The Chair clarified that Community Speedwatch relied on volunteers and that it had been difficult to progress due to lack of engagement, but efforts would continue.
Regarding the Emergency Plan, the Chair advised that this was a substantial document and that there had been attempts to obtain templates from neighbouring villages, however, no completed plan had yet been forthcoming. It was noted that the process was not straightforward but the Chair agreed to speak to Cllr Leadenham regarding the availability of a suitable template.
A request was made for support towards grass cutting at Cobleas.
Clarification was sought regarding the contingency money in the budget and whether this should be reflected more clearly and published within the minutes.
The land at Cobleas was discussed and the Chair agreed to raise concerns about its condition with the landowners.
A grant opportunity for bus shelters was noted for discussion at the next meeting.
The meeting re-convened at 19.28
164/26 Report from Cllr. Leadenham
A report had been received during the Annual Parish Meeting held before the Parish Council meeting.
165/26 Approval of Minutes
After an amendment to reflect that there was £6,000 held in reserve and not £3,000, the minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 19th January 2026 were agreed to be a true and accurate record and signed by the Chair.
166/26 Finance
a) Resolved - To accept the bank reconciliation, payments and monies received (appendix I and II) and to approve invoices for payment:
Microsoft – Annual Subscription £84.99
J. Gillies – HP Ink Subscription for 2025/26 £125.92
Glasdon Products – Dog waste bin £343.20 (VAT £57.20)
Plus salaries and PAYE.
b) Resolved – To accept 2025/26 budget to actuals (appendix i)
c) To discuss quote for new toddler swing
Prices for an accessible basket swing had been obtained but it was deemed very expensive.
It was reported that, although it had previously been thought the playground lease had been renewed, it required an additional Trust member’s signature, which had not yet been obtained despite continued chasing, as a result, the playground remained locked and out of use.
Adjourned at 19.38
Concerns were raised that members of the public were still using the playground and that the sign originally put on the gate had been removed.
The meeting convened at 19.40
Repair quotes had been obtained but would not be progressed until the lease had been signed.
ACTION: Cllr. McCallion to install a new sign and remove the sign which stated the playground was Parish council property.
d) To agree auditor for 2025/26
A proposal was put forward to use the services of a LALC appointed auditor and this was AGREED.
e) To approve grounds maintenance contract and community cleaner contract for 2025/26
Details of both contracts were given and it was AGREED to accept both.
It was AGREED that the grass cutting should be stopped until further instruction.
f) To approve Insurance Policy and quotation for 2025/26
This item was deferred to the May Parish Council meeting due to the timing of the renewal.
167/26 Planning Applications and Decisions
a) Planning Applications
There were no planning applications to discuss.
b) Planning Decisions
S25/2330 – The Croft, 65 Main Street
GRANTED
Adjourned at 19.49
A resident commented that Melton Borough Council had adopted a framework policy in response to a surge in unregistered children’s homes and this matter was discussed.
Re-convened at 19.52
168/26 Playground
This item was discussed under item 166/26c.
169/26 Village Maintenance
a) Overgrown hedge and village maintenance
A village walkaround was carried out which started at the crossroads and included productive discussions with representatives from Highways. It was noted that a stop sign could not be installed due to the absence of buildings. Overgrown hedges were identified as impacting sightlines and the Estate would be asked to cut these back, failing which Lincolnshire County Council could undertake the work and recharge the Estate.
Belvoir Lane flooding was discussed and it was noted that the main water run-off pipe ran along the centre of the road but there was no drainage. A plan was proposed to install drains and connect them to the main system.
It was also established that a stretch of road which regularly floods and which had previously been thought to fall outside County Council responsibility, was in fact an LCC maintained road and would be resurfaced.
Drainage issues were identified elsewhere in the village but it were unlikely to be resolved as it would require road closures.
Numerous potholes were identified, marked and logged for repair.
Discussion took place on the persistent running water by Compton Cottage which had been going on since the 1960s.
b) Speed Signage/Stop Signs on Cliff Road
This item was discussed under the item above.
c) Dog Waste Bins
A further dog waste bin would be purchased. The contractor responsible for emptying the bins had been contacted and the additional bins had been added to the regular collection route.
d) Flooding issues and gullies
This item had been discussed under item 169/26a.
.
170/26 Community Speed Group
The need to progress the Community Speed Group was discussed, noting that this had been an ongoing issue for some time. It was agreed that an advert would be placed on the Parish Council website and social media to recruit a coordinator. Additional promotion would also take place via the community WhatsApp group, Facebook, posters, and the community page.
It was noted that evidence gathered through the scheme could support ongoing concerns relating to the crossroads.
A list of Estate events would be reviewed and a date set for an initial session. Cllr McCallion agreed to act as temporary coordinator to help establish the group and would liaise with Cllr. Leadenham and Sarah Turtle.
The meeting was adjourned at 20:07.
The forthcoming Forbidden Forest event, taking place from 4–7 June, was discussed, with proposed Community Speedwatch dates identified as the evening of Friday 5 June and Monday 8 June.
A resident advised that the Engine Yard was planning to introduce additional events, which were also expected to increase visitor numbers. It was confirmed that data could be extracted from the speed indicator device and the Chair agreed to obtain the instruction booklet to determine how this could be accessed.
The meeting reconvened at 20:18.
171/26 Vale Parish Group (VPG)
It was reported that a VPG meeting had taken place at the Castle with the Forbidden Forest team and other organisations. It was noted that the new event organisers were highly professional and experienced in managing large scale events nationally. The Belvoir Events Coordinator was also in attendance and was reported to have listened carefully to feedback.
It was agreed that the Belvoir Events Coordinator would be invited to attend the next Parish Council meeting.
172/26 Emergency Plan
This item had been discussed earlier in the meeting.
173/26 Correspondence received and circulated
Grantham Canal Local Authority Open Day on 1st May 2026,
Lorry Watch
Belvoir Ward of Parishes Planning Meeting – 16th March
LGR Town and Parish Councils virtual events – March
Lincolnshire County Council bus shelter grant scheme
South Kesteven DC Local Development Scheme 2026-2029
Proposed Housing Development Barrowby (email from Cllr. Leadenham)
Rural Area Liaison Forum RALF meetings notification
SKDC: Barrowby Neighbourhood Development Plan Consultation
National Highways and Transportation (NHT) Survey
SKDC Community Awards
Local Government Reorganisation in Greater Lincolnshire Consultation
174/26 Any other business
- Defibrillator – It was reported that the defibrillator was in place and operational, however, there was currently no ongoing maintenance arrangement. It was noted that Mr Duff had contacted the Chair regarding a meeting with an individual experienced in defibrillator maintenance, who had previously supported the Parish Council through the Heartbeat scheme.
The individual had been invited to attend the Parish Council meeting but was unavailable due to being on holiday. Availability had been shared to enable a future discussion.
It was also noted that the village phone kiosk would be painted once the weather improved.
The meeting adjourned at 20.23
A request was made for the noticeboard to be cleaned and resealed and notice that the bench in the cemetery was in need of repair.
A resident queried whether Councillors had completed their declarations of interest correctly.
The meeting re-convened at 20.25
Cllr. P. Hill volunteered to clean and seal the noticeboard if the Parish Council purchase the equipment.
- Councillor Surgery – It was hoped to arrange a surgery with Cllr. Leadenham and Cllr. Litchfield before the May Parish Council meeting. Details to be published.
- Concern was raised at the increase in parking on pavements. Regulations to be checked.
175/26 Dates of next meeting
Annual Parish Council meeting – 12th May 2026
Parish Council meeting – 13th July 2026
There being no further business the meeting closed at 20.30.