January 2024 Minutes
Minutes of the Meeting of Ropsley & District Parish Council held at Ropsley Hall on Tuesday 16 January 2024
Public Forum
There were no members of the public in attendance. Members resolved to suspend Standing Orders to allow the meeting to commence at 7pm.
On
In Attendance
Councillor Ward (Chair), Councillor Marshall (Vice-Chair), Councillor Campbell, Councillor Hughes, Councillor Leslie, Councillor Louth, Councillor Vaughan, Councillor Rowbotham, Mr Andrew Jones (Clerk & RFO), District Councillor Trotter.
The Chair opened the meeting at 7.05pm.
1. WELCOME REMARKS BY THE CHAIR (23/61)
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 (23/62)
2.1 Apologies were received from Councillor Leslie.
3. DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST AND REQUESTS FOR DISPENSATION (23/63)
3.1 There were no declarations of interest or requests for dispensation.
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (23/64)
4.1 Councillor Hughes proposed that the Clerk’s notes of the Parish Council meeting held on 21 November 2023 be approved as a true record, which was seconded by Councillor Campbell.
Resolved: The minutes of the meeting held on 21 November 2023 were approved and duly signed by the Chair.
5. DISTRICT AND COUNTY COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS (23/65)
5.1 District Councillor Trotter reported that she had spoken to the SKDC Planning Officer re the change in use to a care home of 9 Paddock Close. It has now been called into Planning as has the other development in Grantham that the developers are also trying to change. Mike Sibthorpe. Planning Consultant, is assisting the Paddock Close residents but at present, no date has been set for the meeting.
5.2 The erection of a bungalow at 38 High Street has also been called into the Planning Committee on the 19 January 2024.
5.3 LCC are offering Flooding Resilience Grants following Storms Henk and Babet and details are on the LCC website.
5.4 Councillor Trotter informed the meeting that there LCC are to hold roadshows throughout the county to give information on the possibility of having a Mayor for the whole of Lincolnshire.
5.5 Councillor Trotter is to contact SKDC to ascertain whether there are any garages available to house our equipment and/or whether it would be possible to put a container on the grassed area behind the garages on Muntons Fields.
Action: Councillor Trotter to contact SKDC re garage availability and siting of container.
6. CLERK’S REPORT (23/66)
Councillors noted the contents of the Clerk’s Report with regards to actions from the previous minutes.
6.1 Item 6.2 Councillor Leslie was still having problems with her .gov email – Councillor Campbell to assist.
Action: Councillor Campbell to assist Councillor Leslie with accessing her email address.
7. FINANCE (23/67)
7.1 Members noted income received as follows:
Remitter Purpose Amount £
Cemetery fees Interment 75.00
SKDC
Calendars Community Cleaner Grant
Proceeds 463.32
400.07
7.2 Members considered the listed items of expenditure for approval. Councillor Marshall proposed that the expenditure be approved, which was seconded by Councillor Louth.
Resolved: To approve expenditure as follows:
Payee Purpose Amount £
Employment costs November 2023 557.15
Tidy Gardens Cemetery maintenance Nov 273.00
Roger Charles Autumn planting 100.00
Employment costs
Ropsley Village Hall
LALC
Wave
Tidy Gardens
Autela December 2023
Room rental
LALC training costs and travel
Water usage -cemetery
Cemetery maintenance Dec
Payroll Services
557.15
72.00
94.80
245.28
273.00
99.72
7.3 The Chair proposed that Members approve the bank reconciliation previously circulated by the Clerk.
Resolved: To approve the December bank reconciliation, which was duly signed by Councillor Ward.
7.4 Members noted the budget monitoring statement showing expenditure and income against the 2023/24 budget to date.
Councillor Vaughan enquired about the money held with the Melton Mowbray Building Society and the interest rate that we were receiving.
Action: The Clerk is to confirm the interest rate we are receiving and also to investigate whether there are better rates to be achieved elsewhere.
7.5 The 2024/25 budget was discussed, and it was proposed to increase the precept from £13,210 to £13,830. This is a 5% increase and would increase the annual contribution for a Band D property by £1.98.
The 2024/25 budget and precept increase was proposed by Councillor Hughes and seconded by Councillor Marshall. The proposal was then voted on and passed unanimously.
Resolved: The 2024/25 budget and the increase in the Precept to £13,830 (Band D equivalent £41.31 5% increase) was approved
7.6 The Chairman proposed that a new expenses policy should be implemented and the Clerk will liaise with the Chairman and bring a revised policy to the next meeting.
Action: A new expenses policy to be discussed at the next meeting
8. VOLUNTEERS (23/68)
8.1 Equipment storage – as noted in 5.5 above, Councillor Trotter is to contact SKDC to ascertain whether there are any garages available to house our equipment and/or whether it would be possible to put a container on the grassed area behind the garages on Muntons Fields.
8.2.1 Councillor Louth discussed the purchase of a new mower – Cobra MX515SPBI 20” for £640 less 15% discount and it was agreed that we should go ahead with this,
Action: Councillor Louth to purchase the mower
8.2.2 The rotavator requires servicing at a cost of £110 and the mower used by Barry also needs servicing and it was agreed to go ahead with these expenses.
Action: Councillor Louth to arrange the servicing of the equipment
9. PLANNING (23/69)
9.1 Members noted the following planning applications on which no comments were made:
9.1.1 S23/2265 Monolith Sycamore Tree Church Farm Braceby NG34 0TA
9.1.2 S23/2116 Steel Clad agricultural Building, Ropsley Farms Ropsley NG33
9.1.3 S23/1255 Erection of Bungalow, 38 High Street, Ropsley NG31 8BE – before the Planning Committee on the 19.01.24
9.1.4 S23/2159 Change of use from C3 to C2 of 9 Paddock Close, Ropsley to Care Home
9.1.5 S23/2202 Proposed new kin, doors, windows etc Brookfield, Little Humby NG33 4HW
9.2 Members noted the following planning decisions:
9.2.1 S23/1888 Remove of large ash tree 2 Somerby Road, Ropsley NG33 4AY Approved 12th October 2023
10. HIGHWAYS (23/70)
10.1 The grit boxes, Humby bridge repairs and the bollards in Braceby were still to be completed so the Clerk is to write to LCC to chase.
Action: The Clerk to write to LCC
10.2 Councillor Vaughan explained the safety concerns of the lack of footpath at the corner opposite 12 Humby Road, Ropsley. There is no safe area for pedestrians and it would be beneficial if the grass verge on the north side could be widened. Or failing that, the installation of safety signage. The Clerk is to write to LCC with our comments and see if they would be willing to come out.
Action: The Clerk to write to LCC re possible options.
10.3 The grass triangle at the end of Braceby Road continues to be problematic when vehicles meet and so the Clerk is to write to LCC to discuss changing to a normal T-junction.
Action: Clerk to contact LCC re possible alterations
11. CEMETERY (23/71)
11.1 Update on Work Needed – The tree that was felled has now been removed.
There is some other work to be carried out re tree removal and the Clerk is to contact Crimson Kings for a quote.
The hedge also requires trimming and the Clerk to contact Tidy Gardens for a quote.
Action: The Clerk to obtain quotes for the above work
11.2 Wildflower Seeds – this will be completed in the Spring with the ground being prepared in March. The area is to be marked with a sign informing people of our intentions.
Action: Wildflower area to be marked
12. COMMUNITY UPDATES (23/72)
12.1 Major Projects – a number of possible major projects were discussed.
12.1.1 Christmas Tree for the village green – we need to look at the insurance cover.
Action: The Clerk to confirm the insurance cover.
12.1.2 Tree planting – This would be a project in which we could involve the younger people of the parish and The Clerk will contact The Woodland Trust to see if they have any schemes that we can participate in.
Action: The Clerk to contact The Woodland Trust
12.1.3 Energy Saving Options – look into funding for options including Heat Pumps, Insulation, wind and solar power etc for individuals and whole communities. Larger scale projects also to be looked into.
Action: Councillor Vaughan to write article for the newsletter re possible funding resources.
12.2 Combined Activity calendar -this is not being used to its full potential, but it was decided that this would be retained at present and try to get other organisations to use it.
12.3 Newsletter – Councillor Marshall asked for articles for the upcoming newsletter by the 31st January.
12.4 Calendar Competition – this has now been handed over to Councillor Campbell who will take over the running of next year’s calendar.
12.5 Community update
12.5.1 Councillor Rowbotham is to order some sand and bags for use in the event of any further flooding.
Action: Councillor Rowbotham to order sand and bags
12.5.2 The possibility of purchasing real-time speed limit signs was discussed and the Clerk is to contact the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership to their cost and availability.
Action: Clerk to contact LRSP re speed limit signs
12.6 Neighbourhood Plan – Councillor Vaughan requested that the aspirations in the Neighbourhood Plan should be re-visited, and the Chairman proposed that The Councillors re-read the Plan for the next meeting.
Action: Councillors to discuss the aspirations in the Neighbourhood plan at the March meeting
13 CORRESPONDENCE (23/73)
13.1 Members noted all general correspondence circulated for information since the November meeting.
14 DATE OF NEXT MEETING (23/74)
14.1 The date of the next meeting is Tuesday 19th March at 7pm at Ropsley Hall.
The meeting was closed by the Chair at 9.16pm.