2024 Minutes

BISHOP NORTON & ATTERBY PARISH COUNCIL

Record of the Parish Council meeting held in the village hall on Monday 13th May 2024 at 7.30pm. 

PRESENT: Councillors: Cllr Suggit (Chairman,) Cllr Thody, Cllr Freeman, Cllr Dean, Cllr Townsend, Cllr Widdop, Cllr Guy and Mrs J Moore, Clerk.

Public Question Time: No members of the public were in attendance. 

1. Election of Chairperson/ Declaration of acceptance: 

Councillors all nominated Cllr Suggit as Chairman, he agreed to sit for another year. 

2. Election of Vice Chairperson: Cllr Thody was proposed and seconded, all agreed.

Note - As the person concerned, I can confirm that I am happy that Cllr Thody may sit as vice chair and on the staffing committee. 

3. County & District Councillor Reports: 

County & District: Cllr Bunney sent his apologies and report in advance.

Report received via email: 

Unfortunately, The Annual Council Meeting for West Lindsey District Council is scheduled for Monday May 13th 2024 meaning that none of us will be able to attend your Parish’s Annual Meeting on that night.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us.   We are always prepared to arrange a meeting with councillors and or residents outside scheduled Council Meetings if this would be seen to be beneficial to your community.

Over the next year as a group, we will be working to deliver, amongst others, the following Priorities:

• Devolution and Levelling Up – ensuring that the rural areas of the ward/division are not ignored and that grant money is widely distributed and not concentrated on the main centres of population.

• Rural Infrastructure Investment including, Highways & Footpath improvements, GP, Dentist and Health Services, continuing education 

• Sustainable environment and climate change mitigation measures

• Rural Transport provision

• Active Leisure, Sports and Culture provision for all across the district

• Flood and severe weather resilience.

• Inward Economic Investment along the A15 corridor including RAF Scampton.

LCC Highways Contractors – including Balfour Beaty & Colas have once again offered free time to undertake works in local communities.  Details have been sent to all Parish Clerks in the district.  If your parish is interested in taking up the offer please let Cllr Stephen Bunney know, the deadline for applications is June 7th.

Sand Lane Osgodby

Report form LCC Highways

We appreciate the lane has been closed for some time, the issue related to a collapsed culvert under Sand Lane leading to flooding of the carriageway and some damage/collapse.

It therefore requires a culvert replacement which is what we are looking to achieve.

A job was raised at the time to close the road for public safety, and a job to repair, however on further inspection it was deemed that the works are beyond what our (the local network team) MW gangs can achieve at present and as such we have been in discussion with the Structures Team whose MW gangs have the relevant skills.

It has now been agreed that their gang can undertake the work, but currently I have not yet got any idea of dates.

 Our apologies to the residents for the ongoing inconvenience, and I will update you further when I have more idea of timescales.

Stephen Bunney    

cllr.s.bunney@west-lindsey.gov.uk

cllrs.bunney@lincolnshire.gov.uk

07506188570

Cllr Suggit and Cllr Widdop met with Cllr Bunney regarding the footpath, and he has submitted their views and awaiting an outcome. Cllr Suggit reported that he has been going down to the beck to keep an eye on it after the recent rainfall, slightly soft but not impassable. 

The beck at the junction may be able to have the funding Cllr Bunney proposed put towards it. Cllr Suggit with draft a letter of application and send to Cllr Bunney before the deadline of 7th June 2024. 

4. Minutes of the last meeting: All accepted and duly signed.

5. Matters arising: None that aren’t covered in the agenda.

6. Co-option of Parish Councillors: Not applicable at this meeting.

7. Declarations of interest; to receive any declarations of interest in accordance with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011: 

Cllr Suggit, Cllr Thody and Cllr Townsend declared an interest in item 13.

8.  Planning Applications: None received.

9. Community Resilience and Flooding: Cllr Suggit reported that he went and rodded that drain following from the litter pick day and checked it again after recent rainfall. The mesh is withholding items as intended. 

A contractor is being instructed by the house owner for the bank to be built up. 

The two concrete lids adjacent to the sugar beet pad, where a tractor has flipped it over and need returning as they propose a safety risk. 

Cllr Widdop reported that beck clearance could be requested on the Cllr Bunney’s list, Cllr Townsend said that they provide people for it but we need to pay for any machinery. 

Most farmers are clearing out their becks albeit some slower than others. 

10. Playing Field improvements and Grant Application: Clerk reported that Clare Morris from WLDC called following our grant application to say our application was impressive and approved however the funding stream was not available at that time. Further funding may be available from August/ September but not guaranteed. 

Most of the hedge has been lost but the hedges that are very deep seem to have survived. 

11. Finance update: (See RFO finance report): No comments made.

12. Audit: 

[a] Internal – An internal auditor, Vikki Henson from Figured it Out has been instructed to complete an internal audit and is due to come early June 2024. 

[b] External – It was agreed that the external audit should not be needed this year and will be reviewed again at our May 2025 meeting. 

13. PCC grant application (2024-2025):  The PCC have asked the Parish Council for a donation again this year. There are lots of areas the PCC could benefit donation from. 

Last year the PC granted £500.00, it was decided from those with no interest that this year 2024/25 the PC would grant £500.00.

With specifications of weed killing/ path maintenance, church clock maintenance. Proposed and seconded. Grant approved unanimously. 

14. Grass strip in front of playing field: We are awaiting confirmation from Highways where we are allowed to place stake signs in relation to the road (this request is combined with the flower boxes request.)

15. Village flower boxes – Highway contact: We are awaiting confirmation from Highways. Once confirmation is received Clerk will order planters. 

16. Defibrillator at Atterby: Cllr Suggit has asked a Parishioner at an appropriate place but awaiting confirmation. 

17. Correspondence: None received. 

18. Items for next meeting: Playing field improvements, Grass strip in front of the playing field, village flower boxes, internal audit update/ report, defibrillator at Atterby, acknowledgement of WLDC from the status of grant application.

19. Date of next meeting: Monday 8th July 2024 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall

Chairman thanked all in attendance and meeting closed at 8.28pm.

Chairman signed………………………………………. Date: ……………………….