2024 Minutes

BISHOP NORTON & ATTERBY PARISH COUNCIL

Record of the Parish Council meeting held in the village hall on Monday 11th November 2024 at 7.30pm. 

PRESENT: Councillors: Cllr Suggit (Chairman,) Cllr Widdop, Cllr Townsend, Cllr Freeman, Cllr Dean, Cllr Thody and Jayne Moore (Clerk.)
 
Public Question Time: No members of the public were in attendance. 
 
1. Apologies for absence: Cllr Guy

2. Record of the last Meeting: 

September 2024 – Minutes proposed and seconded, all agreed. 

Extra-ordinary Minutes October 2024 - Minutes proposed and seconded, all agreed.

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

4. County & District Councillor Reports: 

District and County Report: 

Cllr Bunney was in attendance. He reported that Budget preparations going on at the moment. LCC ticking over and mayoral authority is about to start taking place, even though elections aren’t until next May, offices will start next in the few weeks. The structure will be in place by May 2025. 
There are some questions through Government of what that will look like.

More details on budget will be coming out in December 2024. 

Scampton – Has come to a standstill, no development and Government may reclaim some money by putting the price up. The bidding process will happen again, not necessarily be WLDC. The court case has mostly come out now, not costing too much. 
It was questioned if it may be a solar panel farm, not likely. 

Solar Farm – One being proposed and gone through, but the battery element has gone back for further consideration. Seems to be concern around the technology and the regulation around this. The emergency services weren’t 100% satisfied so application has gone back for some rework. 

Other items as before want to get more police and resources.

The extra-ordinary meeting held to discuss the application – Heard no more, whilst they are consulting, it appears to be tweaking the final arrangements. The transport element may just be disregarded. The tractors/ lorries will be increased and our roads aren’t capable of taking such heavy traffic. Our smaller/rural roads not higher enough classification and therefore not fed well into the system. Cllr Widdop did some numbers on traffic possibilities; this could be increased by 4 if this goes ahead. 

The food waste contract has been ordered to Hemswell. Means that the County Council may have expected the Hemswell Anaerobic Digestate plant to stay. 

One of the consequences of increased AD, expect to see increased application around on fields. Whereas people moving to rural area you expect rural activity. Digestate is one significant difference, as manure has been applied in the past but the AD is a larger scale operation. Larger tractors and machinery are required for digestate, and they do leave roads very muddy and dangerous. 
We would be looking at ammonia measures/ measurement device. If the village decided to obtain masks/ respirators for the village, then you can include this in your emergency plan, Cllr Bunney would be happy to assist with this. If this occurs you may need to get the fire and public health involved. 

A15 – Unfortunately no real difference, expect when the combined authority comes in, they will be taking responsibility for transport away from County Council. The question of dualling of that may come back if the investment to Immingham, East Midlands is strengthened then that road may get priority. Some of the money from HS2 that was freed up for roads won’t be available. The money needed to improve the A15 must come from national money. Traffic flow isn’t seen as a problem unfortunately injury and fatality is. 

The police may become combined as would the fire services.

We have had an enquiry from someone who is not a parishioner who alleges his access to the Ancholme gate has been stopped via a locked gate. There is a locked gate down there probably put up by the river authority/ drainage board to potentially stop 4x 4/ motorbikes going up the bank. Clerk to send Cllr Bunney the details of the gate including the grid reference for him to follow it up. It doesn’t directly connect to the public footpath as much as we can see.

Cllr Bunney was thanked for his attendance and left the meeting at 7.55pm.

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

Clerk and Cllr Dean disclosed an interest in Item 11.

6.  Planning Applications: None received since extraordinary meeting. 

7. Community Resilience and Flooding: 

Cllr Suggit reported that nothing further to report. The only thing to action is Cllr Suggit to find a suitable box for the flood signs.
I will include the anaerobic farm on our resilience plan - like to purchase some ammonia measurement devices. Talked about 2 or 3, which can be distributed so someone is always available. When we do smell ammonia, we can record our data and send those in. I don’t see any harm in asking for the reading scaling for when it becomes a public health issue. 
We may be catching farmers out, however this will be the unfortunate part of the monitoring/ reporting process. 

8. Playing Field improvements: 

Grant Funding – Unfortunately still no funding is available for the project from WLDC but we are still in their system.

Mole Infestation – Clerk discussed the mole issue. Once company came out and told the clerk that it was not bad enough and they moles are likely to be ‘passing through.’ This has proved not to be the case as the mole infestation has gotten much worse and most of the field is affected. The first company wanted the Parish Council to provide appropriate barriers and signage, which we do not have without significant cost. 

It was decided to ask another company. They came to look and suggested they come straight away. The Councillors all agreed on the second company at.
£109.00 + VAT initial cost and any moles caught will be £35.00 + VAT. 
It was decided to engage Pestcotek, all agreed. Clerk to contact them. 

9. Finance update: (See RFO finance report): 

No comments made. 

10. Estimate Precept 2025/2026:

It was discussed that last year (2024/25) the Parish Council requested £6,750.00 last year (remained the same as 2023/24.)
Costs are rising but a very minimal increase still below inflation should be added, as we understand it is a difficult financial time for people but as our costs are rising and to contribute towards the improvement/ purchase of village assets as well as the salary/ NI increases. 
Unanimously agreed to increase by 1% to £6,817.50 for 2025/26. 

11. Grass cutting including additional village grass cutting: 

The current contractor has requested if the cuts can increase to 12 cuts (previously 10 budgeted,) as the grass has grown much more this year and the warmer weather extended from March to November. All agreed to increase to up to 12 cuts per year.

Clerk to draw up a specification and email out to the current contractor. Tender discussed to be every 3 years unless a vast price hike occurs. 
The grass strip alongside the church to be added to the specification.

LCC have not yet provided an up to date verge cutting map, once this is received Clerk will circulate or bring to January’s meeting if it has changed in any way to the previous map. 

Issues remain with the 2 houses on Eastfield, Cllr Suggit was going to contact via letter however someone showed concern and informed us to contact WLDC should a concern of welfare occur. 
Councillors suggested a polite letter be written to check on them and if they need any assistance. 

12. Grass strip in front of playing field: 

We have been informed that signs on stakes should not be used next to the highway. 
Signs could be installed in stakes next to the fence, on the fence or onto the post/ pole. 
It was suggested that a sign be put onto the pole/ post saying:
‘Please do not park on the grass so it does not impede emergency vehicles. Alternative parking in the village hall car park.’ 
Cllr Townsend will look for a suitable sign and send to Clerk for purchasing.
Cllr Townsend asked if a sign could be put up in the village hall to say ‘If you have parked on the grass verge opposite, please can you park in the village hall car park. Thank you.’ Cllr Townsend said she would ask the committee at their next meeting. 

The Councillors discussed the option of adding hardcore to the front strip. It was decided that a sign be installed first, and this be explored should that not stop the issue from occurring. 

13. Village flower boxes: 

Highways came back to the clerk and suggested some changes to the positioning of them to avoid obstruction of view. The contract/ paperwork will need to be signed once sorted and sent back to Highways. 
Topsoil will need to be sourced. All 5 to be purchased (the wooden options) to be placed on base. 
Clerk to ask for a quote to install the bases and planters. 
Cllr Dean to contact the plant centre at Hemswell to obtain a comparison price of the planters. 

14. Gate across Parish Lane at Atterby Carr: 

Clerk to send information to Cllr Bunney for him to aid (as above.)
We have a copy of the enclosure map, goes back to 1771. Atterby was not on it as enclosed with Snitterby. So the base map, which we could use to find out the status of the lane/ road, has disappeared. 

15. Defibrillator at Atterby: 

Mr C Everatt has agreed that we can put something up providing we come up with a specification including the power source necessity and trickle charge. 
Defibrillators are currently £600.00. 

16. Correspondence: 
- The 30mph sign discussed at the last meeting near The Old School House was reported by the Clerk.

17. Items for next Meeting: Final precept 2025/26, Update on mole infestation, gate on Parish Lane, Flower boxes, defibrillator at Atterby, Grass cutting update, Update on ammonia detectors. 

18. Date of next Meeting: Monday 13th January 2025 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall

 
Chairman thanked all in attendance and meeting closed at 9.10pm.

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