May 2022 Notes Annual Parish Council Meeting
Hough on the Hill Parish Council
NOTES of the Annual Parish Council Meeting of Hough on the Hill Parish Council (PC) held at Hough on the Hill Church Community area at 7.30 pm on Thursday 26th May 2022.
Present: Cllr S Rowland (in the Chair), Cllrs. A. Barrett (AB), P. Baker (PB), R. Holden (RH), A. Knott (AK), and V.McLean (VM) plus Cty Cllr A Maughan and Dist Cllr P Milnes. Marilyn Taylor also attended for the NP Committee. There were no members of the pubic present.
01/22 - Election of Chair – Cllr Baker proposed and Cllr Knott seconded that Cllr Rowland continue as Chair – agreed unanimously. Cllr Rowland accepted the nomination and duly signed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
02/22 – Election of Vice Chair – Cllr Rowland proposed and Cllr Barrett seconded that Cllr Holden continue as Vice Chair – agreed unanimously. Cllr Holden accepted the nomination and duly signed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
03/22 – Apologies- there were none.
04/22 – There were no declarations of interest.
05/22 – The Minutes of the meetings held on 17th March 2022, 15th March 2022 (NP) and 10th May 2022 (NP) had been read, were approved and it was resolved that they be signed.
06/22 -The Chair brought forward item 9 of the Agenda (Neighbourhood Plan).
Cllr Knott advised that if he had to miss upcoming meetings of the NP, he had arranged for Cllr McLean to attend to ensure that the number of Parish Councillors will be 3. David Hindmarch has been appointed to the NPC. The playing field is outside the built up area. Some clarifications are still required and these will be finalised at the NP meeting on 16th June. 90% of responses said they want the character of the villages kept. A list of Green spaces has been made. The letter re Green spaces was approved by the Parish Council but cannot go out until the NPC approve it on 16th June. The final design guide will come to the PC for approval. Sites letter was also approved by the PC. Various comments were made in the survey that went to all households and Cllr Knott is collating those comments.
The new grant for £1,678 has been received. It is hoped that the first draft of the new Plan will be available for the PC meeting on 8th September. There will then follow a 6-week consultation. Clerk asked whether it would be likely that the referendum would be held with the local Council elections in May 2023 – it was hoped it would be earlier than that. It was agreed that the Clerk should attempt First Registrations in respect of The Green and The Pinfold at Gelston.
07/22 – Cllr Milnes – The Best Kept Village scheme is running and the Lincolnshire Gardens Trust carries out the inspection. Residents are offering Ukrainian refugees accommodation and 91 offers of interest have been received to date – lots of checks are required. The statue of Margaret Thatcher is now up on its plinth and was paid for by donations. SK has been allocated £4,000,000 from the Shared Prosperity Fund which is part of the levelling up process to promote the area. Cllr Milnes has been appointed Vice Chair of the Planning Committee today.
08/22 – Cllr Maughan advised that Fire Services have sent 5000 pieces of equipment to the Ukraine. 300 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Lincolnshire. Budget – Highways grant was cut by 25% (£12,000,000) which leaves the County Council in a very difficult position. Council Tax was increased by 2%. Potholes should be repaired within 90 days. Childrens’ Services received an Ofsted “outstanding” report in 2019 – they were praised for their work on “edge of system” children. Devolution – a White Paper has been released by the Government for the bidding process. All 10 Councils in Greater Lincolnshire are working for Lincolnshire devolution which means more things are done locally. The preferred option is to have a combined Mayoral authority with one Mayor.
09/22 – Planning:
S18/ 0078 and S20/0098 – Brandon Wood Clay Shoot application – ongoing; S22/0042 – Change of user of former station yard to site 5 holiday pods – pending consideration; S22/0130 – Certificate of Lawful use for extensions at High Meadow, Gelston; S22/0330 – 17 High Road, Hough - tree works approved; S22/0389 – Chestnut Court, Stubton Road – alterations and extension – approved; S22/0785 – Change of use of barn to holiday let at Wayside Farm – pending consideration; S22/0869 - tree works at 3 Gelston Road, Hough – pending consideration; S22/0874 – tree work at Manor Farm – pending consideration.
10/22 – Road safety / Highways – Clerk advised of various quotes for wooden and recycled plastic gates for village entrances. After much discussion it was considered that it may be more prudent to spend money on a SID. Resolved to retain £750 from existing funds towards speed awareness matters and consider precepting next year a further £1,250.
Cllr Maughan will look into a pothole that was reported and has not been repaired (ref 419541). He will also ask for a road sign for Carlton Road, Hough to advertise that our Play Park is ahead. He advised that the A1 coffee shop is no longer going ahead and that National Highways will not be closing the “northbound crossover” at A1/Toll Bar Road – at best they will put reactive signs or road signage in that area. Speed reduction is unlikely.
11/22 – Speeding measures – Community Speedwatch has approved a Brandon site. The 40 mph signs have been received and 30 mph ones will be provided free of charge. A speed gun can only be used within the speed limit. There are 6 people prepared to do the Zoom training for using a speed gun and AB will arrange this.
12/22 – Defibrillators – Gelston needs a new person to carry out the regular checks – Cllr Milnes will look into this. Clerk to arrange the annual checks with CHT for each village defibrillator.
13/22 – Play area - the moss on the MUGA has been sprayed but the grass is encroaching, as it is on the footpath. A weatherstrip is required for the hut roof. A working party is required to sort out these minor problems. Resolved that Clerk should order 3 builders bags of bark as required by the Wicksteed annual report. AK will do the gate spring. The wayleave for putting electric cables underground was noted.
14/22 – Dog mess – this was no longer an issue for Brandon.
15/22 – QPJ – After discussion, it was agreed that rather than a commemorative bench, an oak tree will be planted to commemorate the QPJ. A tree and a metal protector will be donated by councillors. A site for planting the oak is to be thought about and a resolution made at our September meeting. 105 people are attending the celebrations in Hough. The road closure has been agreed by LCC. Approximately £100 of expenses will need to be reimbursed and this was agreed.
16/22 – Finance –
[a] Bank balances at 30.4.22 = £5,214.11 (deposit account) and £9,750.87 (current account).
[b] It was resolved to sign bank reconciliations for 31.3.22 and 30.4.22.
[c] It was resolved to pay £312 to BDG for grass-cutting, £420.04 to BHIB for insurance and £30 to the internal auditor.
[d] Resolved to sign the AGAR Certificate of Exemption.
[e] Resolved to sign the AGAR Annual Governance Statement.
[f] Resolved to sign the AGAR Accounting Statement.
17/22 – Correspondence – none to hand but the Chair thanked our County and District Councillors for their work on our behalf, and he also thanked Cllr Knott and Marilyn Taylor and the NP Committee for their hard work on the revised NP.
18/22 – Date of next meeting – 8th September 2022.
Meeting closed at 9.38 pm