April 2024 Minutes
Date/ Time: Tuesday 9th April 2024 at 7.00 pm.
Location: The Parish Office @ The Venue, Navenby.
Present (Cllrs): Mr M Burt (Chairman); Mr K Gunning (Vice Chairman); Mrs H McFaul; Mrs R Watson; Mr K Lamyman; Mr A Watts; Mr T Everett & Mr I Standen.
In Attendance: Ms S Letham (Parish Clerk)
Absent/Apologies: Mr C East & Mrs E Carless.
1. Chairman’s - Welcoming Remarks
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
2. Public Session
No residents present.
3. Apologies for absence and declarations of interest in accordance with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011. Consider any applications for dispensations in relation to disclosable pecuniary and/or prejudicial beneficial interests.
Absences - Mr C East & Mrs E Carless.
Declaration of Interests – None.
4. To consider and sign the minutes from the previous Parish Council Meeting, held on Tuesday 5th March 2024.
It was proposed by Cllr Standen and seconded by Cllr Watson and therefore RESOLVED that the minutes from the previous Parish Council meeting held on 5th March 24, should be accepted as a true record of the meeting. NB All Cllrs voted in favour of the motion.
5. To consider the financial report and authorise payments (Appendix A).
It was proposed by Cllr Standen and seconded by Cllr Watts and therefore RESOLVED that all expenses listed in Appendix A were authorised. Cllr Lamyman advised that he’d approve the payments on the Bank. NB All Cllrs voted in favour of the motion.
6. To consider updates from District/County Councillors.
Cllr Hagues – not in attendance. Newsletter supplied prior to meeting.
Cllr Overton – in attendance, and briefed on the following:
Improving local roads – applied for and obtained additional funding to improve roads and deal with heavy congestion thru villages. Cllr Overton urges those present to report all faults via Fix My Street.
Quickline Broad Band Ground Works on village pavements – Cllr Overton confirmed that Head of Highways was aware of the issue and would be investigating the Contractors stand of work.
DEVO DEAL – 62% of people in Lincolnshire are against the proposal for a combined authority and 45% were strongly against the plans.
Facing up to big Solar Industry - huge scale of industrial developments continues to be a significant battle with unlimited applications coming in for thousands of acres of farmland.
Green Man Road Layout – Cllr Watts briefed on the difficulties being experienced with locating the Speed Indicator Device on the road due to the layout. Cllr Overton advised that she’d have a look and see if she was able to speak with someone in Highways about how it could be changed.
Action: Cllr Overton to speak with Highways regarding the layout of Green Man Road.
7. To consider updates from local police.
No report from the Police to discuss.
8. To consider Planning Matters
a. Planning Applications – None.
b. Correspondence – in respect of the RIPPON Homes development, Cllr Gunning asked if the NKDC Planning Enforcement Officer had visited the site and addressed all the outstanding remedial landscaping work with the Contractor. The Clerk advised that NKDC had confirmed they had visited Site and were in discussions with the Contractor to resolve.
c. Tree Conservation – None.
9. To consider correspondence.
18 Mar Hedghogs R Us – the request to take part in the Project and donate £150 was discussed and it was agreed that it could not be supported at this time.
27 Mar National GRID – proposed new Navenby Sub Station. After discussion, it was agreed that the Clerk would request a briefing ahead of the summer consultation.
Action: The Clerk to write to the National GRID and request a briefing ahead of the summer consultation.
10. Approval of NPC Schedule of Meeting for 2024/25.
After review of the proposed meeting dates, it was proposed by Cllr McFaul and seconded by Cllr Gunning and therefore RESOLVED that the meeting dates be accepted. NB All Cllrs voted in favour of the motion.
11. Updates from Portfolios Holders:
a. Cemetery
Stonework repairs to the Cemetery Lych Gate – Cllr Gunning advised that due to being let down at short notice, NPC had to seek an alternative quote for the stonework repairs. It was therefore retrospectively requested that the Council consider and approve a quote from CPM Joinery. After discussion, it was proposed by Cllr Standen and seconded by Cllr Watson and therefore RESOLVED that NPC accept the quote of £3,370 exc VAT for the stonework repairs. NB All Cllrs voted in favour of the motion.
Issue of grave subsidence – Cllr Gunning advised that a resident had reported that several graves in the cemetery were now showing signs of subsidence and could NPC investigate. After discussion, it was agreed that the Grounds Maintenance (GM) Contractor should mark out those graves and that NPC purchase a quantity of topsoil and have the Contractor top up the graves as necessary. It was proposed by Cllr Everett and seconded by Cllr Standen that the sum of £500 be approved for the purchase of top soil. NB All Councillors voted in favour of the motion.
Actions: The Clerk to arrange for the purchase of top soil and task the GM Contractor with levelling the grave sites.
b. Highways
Community Speed Watch (CSW) – the Chairman advised on the CSW report for the month of March which detailed that drivers continued to exceed the speed on the High Dyke & Green Man Roads. He also asked that the Clerk supply the CSW Team with some additional Hi-Vis waistcoats for new members.
E Mail form LCC Highways regarding request for speed camera van – the Chairman asked that this item be placed on the Agenda for May 2024.
Village Entry Road White Gates. Discussion took place regarding the installation of “white gates” in a bid to slow traffic down on entry to the village. Cllr Gunning advised that he’d provide the Clerk with further details on the fences.
30 MPH symbols to be painted on the High Dyke Road – Cllr Overton offered to investigate getting 30MPH symbols painted on the High Dyke road surface.
Green Man Road Navenby Entry Sign – discussion took place regarding the entry sign not having a yellow reflective background. It was agreed that the Clerk write to Highways and enquire if it was possible to have all the village entry signs replaced with the new versions.
Actions:
The Clerk - to provide Hi Vis waistcoats to the CSW Team, to add the response from LCC Highways to the May Agenda & to write to LCC Highways regarding replacement of all village entry signs with the updated reflective background version.
Cllr Gunning – to provide the Clerk with information on village entry white gates.
Cllr Overton – to speak to Highways regarding painted speed restriction symbols on road surfaces.
c. Navenby Car Scheme
Cllr Watson advised that now that the Co-ordinator was able to resume the role, she would look to contact her for an update on how the service was being utilised. The Clerk asked that Cllr Watson check that the appropriate insurance was in place.
Action: Cllrs Watson to liaise with the NCS Co-ordinator regarding confirmation that the appropriate insurance cover was in place.
d. Play Areas
Cllrs Lamyman & McFaul asked if there was an update from Newby Leisure on when they would be able commence work on all the repairs and if they had found an alternative piece of equipment to replace the slide cabin? The Clerk advised that she’d hasten Newby again for a response.
Action: The Clerk to hasten Newby Leisure for an update on when they intended to commence the repair work and if an alternative option for the slide cabin was available.
e. Schools House Trust (SHT).
Nothing to report.
f. Library
Cllr Watts advised that the footfall figures continued to be good and that he was expecting receipt of the annual Library GRANT later in the month.
g. WEBSITE/IT
Nothing to report.
h. VENUE Trustee Chairman
Update on Progress of Community Consultation Contract – the Chairman advised that work had commenced on the Contract. The first Consultation meeting with the residents was to be held on the 29th April 2024 followed by an Open Day on the 21st July 2024.
End of Year Finances – the Chairman advised that the Venue had made a loss of £11K in the last FY and the balance of funds as at 31 March 2024 was just under £20K.
Update on Car Accident damage to the Venue building – Cllr Gunning advised that the Contractor who built the Venue had submitted a structural report and a quote for the required repairs. Cllr Gunning asked that the Clerk forward the document to the Insurance Co. The structural report from the Insurance Co was still awaiting the Loss Adjusters approval to be released.
Action: The Clerk to forward the Contractors structural report & quote to the Insurance Co.
Proposal to purchase & install solar panels on the Venue roof – Cllr Standen advised that any system that was purchased could be updated at a later date and that it would be best to go ahead with purchasing the 16kw option. Initial advice from Planning was that system was within “permitted development”. It was proposed by Cllr Standen and seconded by Cllr McFaul and therefore RESOLVED to approve match funding of £4,087.50 in respect of the purchase of a 16kw solar panel system for the Venue roof. NB All Cllrs voted in favour of the motion.
Business advertising posters outside the Venue on the grass verge - the Clerk advised that formal responses had been received from LCC & NKDC regarding the rules for the size, placement of and time duration of advertising posters. The responses had been forwarded to the Venue Manager for dissemination to Users of the facility.
i. Community Wellbeing inc Youth Club
Youth Club – Cllr McFaul advised the Youth Club was seeing 30 plus attendees at each session.
Youth Café – numbers continued to be low. However, it was expected that they would increase in September when it would see older children migrating across from the Youth Club.
j. Speed Indicator Device (SID).
Cllr Watts advised on the SID Data for the month of March 2024 which continued to show that vehicles were exceeding the speed limits.
Discussion took place regarding the purchase of a “Twin Pack” Evolis Vision Solar Version SID from Elancity. It was proposed by Cllr Gunning and seconded by Cllr Watts and therefore RESOLVED that NPC purchase a “Twin Pack” for the sum of £3,999 exc VAT from ElanCity. NB Four Cllrs voted in favour, 2 Cllrs were against and 2 Cllrs abstained.
Prior to purchasing, the Chairman asked the Clerk to check with the Responsible Finance Officer (RFO) that the NPC current account balance was able to accommodate non budgeted expenditure in respect of the Community Consultation Contract £2k, the SID Twin pack £4K & the Solar Panel match finding of £4K.
Action: The Clerk to check with the RFO that the £10K of unbudgeted spending was affordable within the current FY.
k. Defibrillators.
Cllr Gunning advised that the pads on the DEFRIB at the Methodist Chapel would need to be changed in June and that he would look to arrange with LIVES in due course.
Action: Cllr Gunning to speak to LIVES about purchasing replacement pads.
l. Street Lamps.
Nothing to report.
The Chairman thanked all present for their participation and declared the meeting closed at 20.55 hrs.
12. Date & Time of next meeting is the 7th May 2024 at 7.30pm.
Minutes Accepted: Original Signed T E Everett Chairman Date: 7th May 2024
