Minutes July 2022
Minutes of the Meeting of Ropsley & District Parish Council held at Ropsley Hall on Wednesday 20 July 2022.
Public Forum
There were no members of the Public in attendance. The Vice-Chair therefore proposed to suspend Standing Orders to open the meeting early at 7.00pm, with which Members were in agreement.
In Attendance
Councillor Marshall (Vice-Chair), Councillor Gosbee, Councillor Sentance, Mrs N Gascoigne (Clerk & RFO), District Councillor Trotter, Mr M Ward.
1. ELECTION OF CHAIR (22/19)
1.1 Councillor Sentance proposed that Councillor Marshall be elected Chair, following the resignation of Councillor Buckley, which was seconded by Councillor Gosbee. Councillor Marshall indicated that she would Chair the current meeting, but that she did not wish to Chair on an ongoing basis and would resign at the end of the meeting. There were no other candidates.
Resolved: To elect Councillor Marshall as Chair for the July meeting.
2. WELCOME REMARKS BY THE CHAIR (22/20)
2.1 The Chairman welcomed Members to the meeting and thanked them for their attendance.
3. APOLOGIES: TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND TO RESOLVE TO ACCEPT REASONS GIVEN (22/21)
3.1 The Chair noted that there were a number of apologies as the meeting had been rearranged at short notice due to extreme temperatures. Apologies were received from Councillors Leslie, Porter, Reeves and Rowbotham, the reasons for which were accepted. District Councillor Trotter had informed the Clerk that she would arrive late, as she had a prior engagement.
4. CO-OPTION (22/22)
4.1 Councillor Marshall nominated Mr Michael Ward to fill the casual vacancy arising from the resignation of Councillor Patrick Buckley by co-option, which was seconded by Councillor Sentance. Mr Ward duly completed and signed a Declaration of Acceptance of Office form.
Resolved: To co-opt Michael Ward to fill the casual vacancy.
5. DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST AND REQUESTS FOR DISPENSATION (22/23)
5.1 No declarations of pecuniary interest or requests for dispensation were made.
Action: The Clerk to forward a DPI form to Councillor Ward for completion.
6. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (22/24)
6.1 Councillor Sentance proposed that the Clerk’s notes of the Annual Parish Council Meeting held on 9 May 2022 be approved as a true record, which was seconded by Councillor Gosbee.
Resolved: The minutes of the meeting held on 9 May 2022 were approved and duly signed by the Chair.
7. DISTRICT AND COUNTY COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS (22/25)
7.1 This item was deferred as Councillor Trotter had not yet arrived.
8. CLERK’S REPORT (22/26)
8.1 Councillors noted the contents of the Clerk’s Report with regards to actions from previous minutes.
9. FINANCE (22/27)
9.1 Members noted the following income received:
Remitter Purpose Amount £
SKDC Community Cleaner Grant 463.32
Robert Holland FD Cemetery Fees 135.00
9.2 Councillor Marshall proposed that the items of expenditure listed below be approved, which was seconded by Councillor Sentance.
Resolved: To approve the proposed items of expenditure.
Payee Purpose Amount £
Ternex Village sign 1,056.00
Employment Costs May 2022 566.75
HSBC Bank Charges May 2022 5.00
Cllr Gosbee Fuel 110.12
Gorsebush Ltd Village Sign 80.00
BHIB Ltd Insurance 684.23
Green Man Ropsley Prize vouchers 40.00
Glasdon Ltd Dog waste bin 137.59
T Davies Internal Audit 50.00
Employment Costs June 2022 539.75
HSBC Bank Charges June 2022 5.00
Autela Payroll Services 64.02
Cllr Gosbee Fuel and mower belt 118.81
Employment Costs July 2022 566.75
9.3 The Chair proposed that Members approve the bank reconciliation previously circulated by the Clerk, which was duly signed and dated by Councillor Ward.
Resolved: To approve the June bank reconciliation.
9.4 Members noted the budget monitoring statement showing expenditure and income against the 2022/23 budget to date previously circulated by the Clerk.
10. PLANNING (22/28)
10.1 Members noted the following planning applications on which no comments were made:
10.1.1 S22/0959 Replace existing conservatory with garden room, 12 Grantham Road, Ropsley, NG33 4BU
10.1.2 S22/0380 To replace two velux windows with two dormer windows, 16 Paddock Close, Ropsley, NG33 4BJ
10.2 Members noted the following planning decisions:
10.2.1 S21/2532 Erection of dwelling, land to Rear Of 23-25 Grantham Rd Ropsley, NG33 4BX Granted 18 May 2022
10.2.2 S22/0474 Remove holly tree, 27 High Street, Ropsley, NG33 4BG Work Allowed 12 May 2022
10.2.3 S22/0678 Works to tree, White House, Village Street, Braceby, NG34 0TA Work Allowed 11 May 2022
10.2.4 S22/0504 To vary conditions re extraction, Ropsley Quarry, Long Hollow Lane Granted 10 May 2022
10.2.5 APP/E2530/W/21/3281286 Land at 25 & 27 High Street, Ropsley NG33 4BG Appeal Dismissed 20 April 2022.
The Chair noted that planning application S22/1264 (demolition of existing outbuilding and construction of new detached office and leisure facilities, Red House Farm, Somerby Road, Ropsley, NG33 4AZ) had been received after the agenda had been published. Members had no comments on the application.
10.3 Members noted the Lincolnshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan Issues and Options consultation.
11. HIGHWAYS (22/29)
11.1 Electrical Vehicle Charging Points under the On Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS).
Members discussed the potential for installing electrical vehicle chargepoints in Ropsley under the above scheme which provides government funding for 60% of the capital cost of chargepoints.
Action: The Clerk and Councillor Ward to attend a webinar on the ORCS Scheme and the Clerk to report to the next meeting on costs and next steps.
11.2 Archer Survey
District Councillor Trotter joined the meeting at 7.30pm. Members considered the report provided by Lincolnshire County Council of an Archer Survey carried out in March to monitor vehicle speeds on Crown Hill, which found no evidence of speeding.
Action: The Clerk to enquire whether the other two locations originally requested (Peck Hill and Grantham Road) would be considered for a survey in future.
12. CEMETERY (22/30)
12.1 Members discussed correspondence received from a member of the public requesting that they be allowed to mow the grass on their late family members’ burial plots and that the Council not use the ride-on mower on these plots. Members agreed that it was not practical or desirable for individual members of the public to cut grass in various sections of the cemetery at various times. As the land was owned by the Parish Council as Burial Authority, the responsibility for grounds maintenance lay with the Council and a ride-on mower was the most appropriate way to carry out this task. Councillor Gosbee reported that the family had approached him whilst he was working at the cemetery regarding this issue.
Resolved: To decline the family’s request that the Council not use the ride-on mower on their family’s burial plots.
Action: The Clerk to respond to the email to explain the Council’s decision.
13. COMMUNITY UPDATES (22/31)
13.1 Jubilee Celebrations
Councillor Marshall reported that Jubilee celebrations in Ropsley had been a great success and had included a flower festival, Fun Run, an Afternoon Tea for the over 70s, a Church service, and a Jubilee lunch in Ropsley Hall.
Action: The Clerk to send a letter of thanks from the Parish Council to the Jubilee Committee.
13.2 Calendar Competition
Councillor Marshall asked whether Members would be in favour of a calendar competition being run this year as in previous years. Councillors were in agreement and Councillor Sentance suggested a Jubilee theme. Councillor Marshall agreed to give further consideration to arrangements for the competition.
13.4 Policing Priorities
Members agreed that there were no particular crime or antisocial behaviour trends to report at present.
13.5 Community Updates
District Councillor Trotter informed Councillors that the SKDC Community Champions Awards was ongoing, and that SKDC had recently been awarded the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award in recognition of its support of reservists, veterans and partners of those in the Armed Forces. Support for Ukrainian evacuees was also ongoing with home inspections currently taking place. Essential work would be taking place on the A1 from South Witham to Wothorpe near Peterborough until November with overnight road closures. There had been a national Anti-social Behaviour (ASBO) week from Monday 18 – 24 July to coincide with the start of the school summer break with joint working between Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and Council Neighbourhood Teams recognising hotspots for ASB. There were no other updates from Councillors.
14. CORRESPONDENCE (22/32)
14.1 Members noted all general correspondence circulated for information since the May meeting.
15. DATE OF NEXT MEETING (22/33)
15.1 Monday 12 September at 7pm at Ropsley Hall.
The meeting closed at 8.10pm.