November 2024 DRAFT Minutes
Minutes of the Meeting of Carlton Scroop and Normanton on Cliffe Parish Council held at Carlton Scroop Village Hall on Tuesday 26 November 2024.
In Attendance: Councillor Thomas (Chair), Councillors J Baines, Balfe, England, Worrell and Mrs Gascoigne (Clerk).
There was one member of the public in attendance, who asked a question about the dead and dying trees on the A607 between Newark Lane and Sudbrook Road. Councillor J Baines advised that planning permission had now been granted and the work would be commencing shortly.
Councillor Balfe raised a query on behalf of Councillor Hands who had asked about the management of trees between the service road and the A153. The Chair reported that he had contacted Councillor Hands to explain that this was a Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) matter.
The Chair opened the meeting at 7.30pm.
1. WELCOME REMARKS BY THE CHAIRMAN (24/52)
The Chair welcomed those present and thanked them for their attendance.
2. APOLOGIES: TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND TO RESOLVE TO ACCEPT REASONS GIVEN (24/53)
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors H Baines, Hands and County Councillor Maughan. Councillor Hankinson was not in attendance.
3. DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST AND REQUESTS FOR DISPENSATION (24/54)
No declarations of pecuniary interest or requests for dispensation were made.
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (24/55)
4.1 Councillor England proposed that the Clerk’s notes of the Parish Council meeting held on 24 September 2024 be approved as a true record, which was seconded by Councillor Balfe.
Resolved: The minutes of the meeting held on 24 September were approved and duly signed by the Chair.
5. REPORTS FROM DISTRICT AND COUNTY COUNCILLORS (24/56)
5.1 A written report had been received from County Councillor Maughan, giving updates including on the resurfacing of the highway between Honington and Carlton Scroop which would take place in August next year and concerns regarding funding for the western relief road.
6. CLERK’S REPORT (24/57)
6.1 Members noted the Clerk’s report giving updates on actions from the previous meeting.
7. FINANCE (24/58)
7.1 Members noted the following income received.
Received From Purpose Amount £
NatWest Interest September 7.63
NatWest Interest October 0.02
SKDC Community Cleaner Grant 231.66
Cemetery Fees Exclusive Right of Burial and Interment 200.00
Carlton Scroop Parish Charities Contribution towards defibrillator 1,000.00
7.2 Councillor Balfe proposed that the following items of expenditure be approved, which was seconded by Councillor Worrell.
Resolved: To approve the following items of expenditure.
Payee Purpose Amount £
Employment Costs September 2024 263.64
Employment Costs October 2024 263.64
Who Lets Your Dog Out August & September 2024 231.00
Who Lets Your Dog Out October 2024 92.40
Npower Defibrillator electricity 201.28
Employment Costs November 2024 263.64
7.3 Councillor Balfe proposed that the October bank reconciliation be approved, which was seconded by Councillor Worrell and signed by Councillor Worrell.
Resolved: To approve the October bank reconciliation.
7.4 Councillors noted the budget monitoring statement which had been circulated by the Clerk in advance of the meeting.
7.5 Budget 2025/26
Members considered the draft 2025/26 budget which had been circulated in advance of the meeting. The Chair noted that expenditure exceeded income, which could be funded from reserves in the short term. To ensure longer term sustainability, expenditure would either need to be reduced or funded by increased income.
Councillor Worrell asked whether a budget had been allocated for cutting the grass at Normanton Church yard. The Clerk explained that this was currently funded through the grants budget.
The Chair explained that due to a reduction in the Council Tax base, maintaining the precept at £9k would equate to a 1.7% increase in a Band D equivalent charge. If the Council were to increase the precept by 3%, this would equate to a £110 increase in income.
Councillor Balfe noted that when the Council had not increased the precept for a number of years in the past, it had been disadvantaged when prices had risen. Councillor Worrell proposed that as the Council currently had reserves and in view of the cost-of-living pressures on residents, the precept should remain at £9k. This proposal was seconded by Councillor England.
Resolved: To set the precept for 2025/26 at £9k, which was an increase of 1.7% due to the reduction in the tax base.
8. PLANNING (24/59)
8.1 Members considered the following planning application and had no comments.
S24/1955 Section 73 for the removal of condition 2 (Agricultural occupancy) of planning permission SK.1219/83/2352, Stone Horse Farm, Hough Lane, Carlton Scroop, Lincolnshire, NG32 3BB.
8.2 Temporary planning permission at 1A Main Street Carlton Scroop
Members discussed the above planning permission, which was due to lapse in March 2025 and whether the occupants were likely to request an extension to the application. The Chair noted that it would be up to SKDC to decide what action to take if the permission lapsed, and whether to approve any retrospective application. Members discussed whether the conditions of the current planning permission had been complied with, and what stance the Council should take if an extension to the permission was sought.
8.2.1 Councillor Worrell asked whether the SKDC Travellers’ Strategy had been updated, which the Chair explained that it had not although the Planning Inspector had indicated it should have been completed by the end of last year. He understood that SKDC had experienced difficulty in identifying suitable land to develop a site.
Action: Councillor Thomas to speak to the Chief Executive of SKDC regarding the Travellers’ Strategy.
9. HIGHWAYS (24/60)
9.1 The Chair referred to a note he had circulated following the Highways walkabout he had attended with Councillor Maughan, Rowan Smith (Highways Manager), and Councillors Hankinson and H Baines. He reported that Councillor Maughan and Mr Smith had been sympathetic to the issues raised around the lack of a safe walking and cycling route between the villages, but that there was currently no funding available for a footpath. Mr Smith would put together an estimated cost of installing a footpath, should funding become available.
9.1.1 The Chair reported that Councillor Maughan and Mr Smith had reviewed the stretch of Sudbrook Road between the A607 and Charity Street where the speed limit had not been lowered to 30mph. There had been discussions regarding the original consultation in 2022 and whether any objections had been properly recorded. As there had been a further traffic accident on this stretch of road since the walkabout, Councillor England proposed that the Council formally ask the County Council to reduce the speed limit to 30mph, which was seconded by Councillor J Baines.
Resolved: To formally ask LCC to reduce the speed limit on the stretch of road between the A607 and Charity Street to 30mph.
[Post meeting note: Councillor Maughan contacted the Clerk on 26th November to advise that he had made a formal request for the section of road to be reassessed for a reduced speed limit and had made the Cabinet Member for Highways aware that the consultation comments on the original application had not been properly collated and communicated to Members.]
9.2 Highways Reports
The Chair noted that he had not seen evidence of any routine drain clearing in the parish recently.
Action: The Clerk to contact LCC to ask for details of the drainage clearing schedule.
10. CEMETERY (24/61)
10.1 Cemetery Rules
Councillor England proposed that the revised cemetery rules be adopted, which was seconded by Councillor Balfe.
Resolved: To approve the revised cemetery rules.
Action: The Clerk to post the revised rules on the website.
10.2 Row Markers and Cemetery Plan
The Chair shared a revised cemetery plan. The new plan allowed a gap of 0.8m between plots to allow for visitors to walk between graves. Councillor England proposed that the new plan be adopted, which was seconded by Councillor J Baines.
Resolved: To adopt the revised cemetery plan.
Action: The Clerk to digitise the plan.
10.2.1 Members discussed the purchase of markers to mark the rows and columns in the cemetery. The Clerk advised that she had not been able to locate markers designed for this purpose, although it may be possible to purchase stone samples from a memorial mason.
Action: Councillor Balfe to prepare a sample row marker for approval.
10.3 Memorial Bench
Councillor Balfe proposed that families be allowed to place a memorial plaque on the existing cemetery bench rather than placing additional benches in the cemetery, which was seconded by Councillor J Baines.
Resolved: To permit the placing of memorial plaques, of a size to be determined by the Council, on the existing cemetery bench.
11. JUBILEE FIELD (24/62)
11.1 There was no report.
12. COMMUNITY UPDATES (24/63)
12.1 Bus shelter repairs
Councillors considered the three quotes which had been received for refurbishment of the bus shelter. They discussed whether it might be possible to reduce the cost by using cheaper materials but agreed that this would not be as long lasting. Councillor Balfe agreed to seek a further quote before a decision was made on how to proceed.
Action: Councillor Balfe to seek a further quote for repair of the bus shelter.
12.2 Grass cutting contract 2025/26
Councillors discussed quotes for grass cutting received from Prestige Landscapes and MCS Ground Care and Garden Services. The Council was awaiting a quote from the existing contractor, SKDC, but agreed that they were unlikely to proceed as the service was not flexible enough and was based on too few cuts. Councillor Thomas proposed that the quote from MCS be accepted, as it was the cheaper of the two quotes and the contractor had carried out previous work for the Council to a high standard, which was seconded by Councillor Balfe. Councillor Worrell would speak to the Normanton Church Yard fund to establish whether they would like to be included before finalising the contract.
Resolved: To award the grass cutting contract for 2025/26 to MCS Ground Care and Garden Services subject to confirmation of whether Normanton Church Yard would be included in the contract.
12.3 Air Crash Memorial
Members recognised the efforts of David Bristow and Simon Hutton in laying a memorial stone to commemorate the 80th anniversary of an air crash in the village. The stone would be unveiled at 11am on 18th December.
12.4 Community updates
There were no further updates from Councillors.
13. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES (24/64)
13.1 Councillor Balfe proposed that the revised Defibrillator Policy be adopted, which was seconded by Councillor J Baines. The Chair thanked Councillor Worrell and the Chair of the Village Hall Committee for their efforts in arranging the installation of the new cabinets and defibrillator. Councillors agreed that the old cabinets could be disposed of.
Resolved: To approve the updated Defibrillator Policy.
14. CORRESPONDENCE (24/65)
14.1 Members noted all general correspondence circulated for information since the September meeting.
15. STAFFING (24/66)
15.1 Members noted the NJC Pay Award, effective from 1 April 2024.
15.2 Councillor England proposed that the meeting move into closed session in accordance with the Public Bodies Act of 1960 due to the confidential nature of matters to be discussed, which was seconded by Councillor J Baines.
Resolved: To move into closed session.
The member of the public left the meeting.
Councillors discussed advertising the vacancy arising from the resignation of the Clerk and agreed that this should be advertised at the existing scale point (scp18) and for the current working hours of four per week. The Chair thanked the Clerk for her service to the Council.
Resolved: To advertise the Clerk’s vacancy.
16. DATE OF NEXT MEETING (24/67)
16.1 Councillors agreed to amend the dates of the January and March meetings as follows:
Tuesday 7th January 2025
Tuesday 1st April 2025
Tuesday 20th May 2025
The Chair closed the meeting at 9.00pm.