Minutes December 2022
Minutes of the Meeting of Ropsley & District Parish Council held at Ropsley Hall on Monday 5 December 2022
Public Forum
There were no members of the public in attendance.
In Attendance
Councillor Ward (Chair), Councillor Marshall (Vice-Chair), Councillor Leslie, Councillor Rowbotham, Mrs N Gascoigne (Clerk & RFO), District Councillor Trotter.
The Chair opened the meeting at 7.12pm.
1. WELCOME REMARKS BY THE CHAIR (22/48)
1.1 The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting and thanked them for their attendance.
2. APOLOGIES: TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND TO RESOLVE TO ACCEPT REASONS GIVEN (22/49)
2.1 Apologies were received from Councillors Porter and Reeves, the reasons for which were accepted.
3. DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST AND REQUESTS FOR DISPENSATION (22/50)
3.1 No declarations of pecuniary interest or requests for dispensation were made.
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (22/51)
4.1 Councillor Ward proposed that the Clerk’s notes of the Parish Council meeting held on 3 October 2022 be approved as a true record, which was seconded by Councillor Marshall.
Resolved: The minutes of the meeting held on 3 October were approved. The Clerk to bring to the next meeting to be signed by the Chair.
4.2 Councillors discussed the adoption of .gov.uk email addresses for the Clerk and Councillors. The Clerk advised this was best practice in order for the Council to comply easily with data protection legislation and Freedom of Information requests and to give assurance of the Council’s local authority status. Councillor Marshall proposed that expenditure of £105 per year be approved and that .gov.uk email addresses be adopted with effect from the elections in May, which was seconded by Councillor Leslie.
Resolved: To approve expenditure of £105 per year and to set up .gov.uk email addresses with effect from May 2023.
Action: The Clerk to contact the supplier to make arrangements for the set-up of email addresses.
5. DISTRICT AND COUNTY COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS (22/52)
5.1 District Councillor Trotter reported that South Kesteven District Council offices were relocating to the site of a former cinema in the town centre. SKDC had refused planning application S22/1844 regarding 1 Peck Hill as the proposals were not in keeping with the conservation area. SKDC had posted information about support with the cost of living through residents’ doors and Councillor Marshall noted that the Parish Council had also signposted this on its website and Facebook page. Councillor Trotter reported that the new Chief Inspector wanted to rejuvenate the connection between parishes and the Police, and had set up Teams meetings for each ward, which she would speak about further at the January meeting.
6. CLERK’S REPORT (22/53)
6.1 Councillors noted the contents of the Clerk’s Report with regards to actions from the previous minutes.
7. FINANCE (22/54)
7.1 Members noted the following income received.
Remitter Purpose Amount £
HMRC VAT rebate 1,311.32
Cemetery income Exclusive Right of Burial 70.00
Calendar income Calendar competition 50.00
SKDC Best Kept Village prize 400.00
SKDC Community Cleaner grant 463.32
Colin Ward Funeral Directors Cemetery income 135.00
7.2 Members considered the listed items of expenditure for approval. Councillor Ward proposed that the expenditure be approved, which was seconded by Councillor Marshall.
Resolved: To approve expenditure as follows:
Payee Purpose Amount £
Employment Costs September 2022 566.75
HSBC Bank Charges September 2022 5.00
Community Heartbeat Trust Chargepack and electrodes 245.52
Wave Cemetery water 23.50
Autela Payroll Services Payroll Services 51.61
Councillor Marshall expenses Calendar competition 70.00
Councillor Gosbee expenses Fuel 145.62
LALC Training 39.60
Employment Costs October 2022 539.75
HSBC Bank Charges October 2022 5.00
P Collishaw Mowers Mower belt 51.62
Ropsley PCC Contribution to clock 100.00
Employment Costs November 2022 863.58
Community Heartbeat Trust Battery and pads 376.80
Ropsley Hall Hire charges May – Dec 2022 70.00
7.3 The Chair proposed that Members approve the bank reconciliation previously circulated by the Clerk.
Resolved: To approve the October bank reconciliation.
Action: The Clerk to provide a copy of the reconciliation for signature at the January meeting.
7.4 Members noted the budget monitoring statement showing expenditure and income against the 2022/23 budget to date previously circulated by the Clerk. The Clerk gave a verbal update on the position to date and forecast outturn for 2022/23.
7.5 Members discussed the draft budget for 2023/24 previously circulated by the Clerk and agreed that a £3k contingency budget should be added for mowing on the basis that it may not be possible to secure volunteers to undertake the work on an ongoing basis.
8. PLANNING (22/55)
8.1 Members noted the following planning applications on which no comments were made:
8.1.1 S22/1847 application to vary condition (construction working hours) of S22/0230 proposed Grantham to Bexwell potable water Pipeline Scheme.
8.1.2 S22/1927 Submission of details reserved by conditions: biodiversity mitigation, hard surface construction, levels, tree protection method statement and boundary treatments of S21/2532 Ropsley Fox House, 23 Grantham Road, Ropsley, NG33 4BX.
8.2 Members noted the following planning applications on which comments were made:
8.2.1 S22/1844 Extensions and alterations to existing house, conversion of existing outbuilding into a residential annex, 1 Peck Hill Ropsley Lincs NG33 4BL
8.3 Members noted the following planning decisions:
8.3.1 S22/0620 Application to vary Conditions re approved plans, soft landscaping and parking and turning facilities of S20/0042 Ropsley Fox House 23 Grantham Road Ropsley NG33 4BX. Councillors noted changes from the original plans approved.
9. HIGHWAYS (22/56)
9.1 Electrical Vehicle (EV) Charging Points under the On Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS).
The Chair noted that Ropsley Hall committee had discussed the use of the Hall car park for EV chargepoints and did not object in principle. The Clerk had contacted National Grid, who had advised that the cost to upgrade the sub-station would be £60k and the cost to lay cabling to provide two EV charge points would be £110 – 130k per km. Given that the ORCS Scheme funded only 60% of the capital costs of any scheme, it was felt that these costs were prohibitive, and it was decided not to proceed at this time.
9.2 Humby Footpath and Lost Footpaths Project
Members discussed correspondence received from a parishioner asking about the location of a footpath in Humby and about the Council’s participation in the Lost Footpaths Project. Members asked the Clerk to contact Lincolnshire County Council with regard to the first point, and asked that the second point be added to the May agenda.
Action: The Clerk to contact LCC re Humby footpath and to add the Lost Footpaths Project to the May agenda.
9.3 Responsibility for Waterways
Members discussed correspondence received from a parishioner regarding responsibility for waterways in the Parish. They asked the Clerk to investigate and respond to the correspondence. Members noted with respect to Water Lane that the pipework in the adjacent field had recently been improved and that this should alleviate the flooding issues.
Action: The Clerk to investigate and respond to the parishioner.
10. CEMETERY (22/57)
10.1 Meeting 31 October
Members noted that the Chair and Vice-Chair had met family members on 31 October with regard to their request to mow the grass on their family’s plots in the cemetery. It had been agreed that the family could continue to tend the grass on their plots with the proviso that the Council would take over maintenance if they ceased to do so at any time in the future.
10.2 Cemetery Rules
Councillor Ward proposed that the revised Cemetery Rules be approved, which was seconded by Councillor Marshall.
Resolved: To approve the revised Cemetery Rules.
Action: The Clerk to post the revised rules on the website, and Councillor Ward to post a laminated copy at the cemetery.
11. COMMUNITY UPDATES (22/58)
11.1 Recruitment and Retention of Volunteers and Risk Assessments
Councillors discussed the recruitment and retention of volunteers for a range of tasks including grounds maintenance, events and prospective Councillors to stand at the May elections. They agreed to hold an event in the New Year for those interested in volunteering to meet Councillors.
Action: The Clerk to circulate guidance on the recruitment and retention of volunteers. Councillors to arrange a volunteer information event in the New Year.
11.2 Little Humby Trees
Councillor Rowbotham asked that this item be deferred to the next agenda.
Action: The Clerk to add to the next agenda.
11.3 Community Updates
Councillor Marshall reported that the Christmas Party had been attended by 55 people, with meals sent out to those who were unable to attend. The event had been covered in the Grantham Journal and had been funded by money raised by the Green Man. Councillor Marshall also noted that 90 Ropsley calendars had been sold and £316.51 had been raised. Councillors agreed to run the calendar competition next year.
Councillor Leslie reported that she had been asked by a resident if it would be possible to have a Speed Indicator Device in Braceby. Councillor Marshall responded that this had recently been considered for Ropsley, but the cost had been prohibitive.
12. CASUAL VACANCY (22/59)
12.1 Members noted the resignation of Councillor Gosbee, and that Councillor Sentance had also resigned since the agenda had been circulated. Members agreed to advertise the casual vacancies for co-option after Christmas.
Action: The Clerk to prepare the vacancy advert for publication in the New Year.
13. CORRESPONDENCE (22/60)
13.1 Members noted all general correspondence circulated for information since the October meeting.
13.2 Members noted the Neighbourhood Policing quarterly briefing, previously circulated by the Clerk.
14. DATE OF NEXT MEETING (22/61)
14.1 Monday 9 January 2023 at 7pm at Ropsley Hall.
Meeting closed at 8.47pm.