May 2022

Minutes of the Annual Parish Council Meeting of Ropsley & District Parish Council held at Ropsley Hall on Monday 9 May 2022.

 

Public Forum

A member of the public was in attendance regarding a planning application for land to the rear of 23-35 Grantham Road.  He noted that some correspondence relating to the application had incorrectly attributed it to 23 Grantham Road, but that the application was in fact being made by a developer from Stamford and was not related to that address in any way.  He expressed concern regarding the impact of the plans on trees which were subject to Tree Preservation Orders and access to the site.  Councillor Marshall noted that the Parish Council had made representations regarding the application.

 

Mr Chris Corden was in attendance to discuss parking at Ropsley Hall and damage to the verge and triangle at the end of Braceby Road.  He considered that damage to the triangle was outside the Hall’s jurisdiction, although Councillor Gosbee commented that the contractor who had constructed the Hall had reduced the size of the triangle when tarmacking the road and had originally said they would reinstate it.  Mr Corden offered to raise the issue again at the sign off meeting for the project.  

 

Councillors discussed whether the preferred solution was to remove or reinstate the triangle, or to have clearer road markings.  All acknowledged that the road surface was in a poor state of repair.  County Councillor Martin Hill joined the meeting at 7.20pm and advised that Braceby Road was on the list to be repaired, but that it was up to the Parish Council to decide whether they wished to retain the grass triangle.  Following further discussion, the majority of Councillors were in favour of retaining the triangle as part of the rural character of the area.

 

Mr Corden acknowledged that parking at the Hall could be difficult, especially on a Saturday morning, given that there were only 40 spaces in the car park.  He noted that the football club used flags to discourage parking on the verge and that this seemed to be successful and could be trialled at other times.  The Chairman thanked the member of the public and Mr Corden for their time, and they left the meeting.

 

The Chairman opened the meeting at 7.42pm

 

1. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN & DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE (22/01)

Councillor Sentance proposed that Councillor Buckley be re-elected as Chairman, which proposal was seconded by Councillor Reeves.  Councillor Buckley indicated that he was happy to stand and there were no other candidates.  The Chairman duly signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

Resolved:  To re-elect Councillor Buckley as Chairman.

 

2. ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIR & DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE (22/02)

Councillor Sentance proposed that Councillor Marshall be re-elected as Vice-Chair, which proposal was seconded by Councillor Leslie.  Councillor Marshall indicated that she was happy to stand and there were no other candidates. The Vice-Chair duly signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office. 

Resolved:  To re-elect Councillor Marshall as Vice-Chair. 

 

3. WELCOME REMARKS BY THE CHAIRMAN (22/03)

The Chairman welcomed Members to the meeting and thanked them for their attendance.  Those in attendance, the Vice-Chair Councillor Marshall, Councillors Gosbee, Leslie, Porter, Reeves, Rowbotham and Sentance, District Councillor Trotter, County Councillor Hill and the Clerk Mrs Gascoigne.  

 

4. APOLOGIES:  TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND TO RESOLVE TO ACCEPT REASONS GIVEN (22/04)

There were no apologies.

 

5. DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST AND REQUESTS FOR DISPENSATION (22/05)

No declarations of pecuniary interest or requests for dispensation were made.

 

6. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (22/06) 

6.1 The Chairman proposed that the Clerk’s notes of the Parish Council meeting held on 9 March and Extraordinary Parish Council meeting held on 24 March 2022 be approved as a true record.

Resolved: The minutes of the meetings held on 9 March and 24 March 2022 were approved and duly signed by the Chairman.

 

7. ANNUAL PROCEDURES (22/07)

7.1 The Clerk advised that she had reviewed the Financial Regulations and Standing Orders against the model documents and there were no significant changes.  The Chairman proposed that the documents be approved.

Resolved: To approve the Financial Regulations and Standing Orders.

7.2 The Clerk reported that she had not yet received the dates for forthcoming Ropsley Hall Management Committee meetings, and that she would circulate a rota once they were received.

Action: The Clerk to circulate a rota for attendance at Ropsley Hall Management Committee meetings.

 

8. ANNUAL RETURN (22/08)  

8.1 The Chairman proposed that the Council ratify the appointment of Tracey Broughton as Internal Auditor and to approve payment of £50 for her services, further to the Council’s provisional approval by email.

Resolved: To ratify the appointment of Tracey Broughton as Internal Auditor and to approve payment of £50.

8.2 Members considered the Internal Audit Report for 2021/22 and noted that all questions were answered in the affirmative with the exception of Petty Cash which was not applicable. 

8.3 The Chairman read each statement of Section 1 of the Annual Governance Statement in turn and Members indicated their agreement to each question.  Councillor Sentance proposed that the Section 1 of the Annual Governance Statement was approved.

Resolved:  To approve Section 1 of the Annual Governance Return.

8.4 Members considered the Annual Accounting statements contained in Section 2 of the Annual Return, which had previously been circulated along with supporting documents.  Councillor Reeves proposed that they be approved.  

Resolved:  To approve Section 2 of the Annual Governance Return.

8.5 Councillor Reeves proposed that the Council declare exemption from External Audit as its income and expenditure were below £25k in 2021/22 and all other conditions were met.

Resolved: To declare exemption from external audit.

Action: The Annual Governance Return and Certificate of Exemption to be signed by the Chairman and Clerk, the Certificate of Exemption to be returned to the External Auditor and the Annual Governance Return and supporting papers to be posted on the website.

 

9. DISTRICT AND COUNTY COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS (22/09)

District Councillor Trotter informed Councillors about a talk that she had attended with Chief Inspector Vickers about policing at which she had expressed disappointment that police representatives no longer attended Parish Council meetings.  There was a new rural crime team dealing with issues such as hare coursing, horse trailer theft and fly tipping.  Councillor Trotter had requested an extra cut of the grass on the Green for the Queen’s Jubilee and had also been involved with some local planning issues.  She noted that there had been a good response locally to Ukrainian refugee families.

 

County Councillor Hill reported that residents in Humby had been delighted with the road resurfacing there.  Unfortunately, the campaign to secure more funding for Lincolnshire highways had not been successful and the County Council had therefore needed to increase Council Tax and use reserves to keep spend at £51m.  He noted that other than King Street, roads in the parish were not in too bad a condition, and maintenance teams were trying to keep on top of potholes as well as the quality of repairs having improved.

 

Councillor Hill noted that two to three thousand households in Lincolnshire had signed up to host Ukrainian families, and that around 350 families had so far arrived.  Households wishing to be hosts were visited by SKDC and safeguarding checks were conducted, and there remained questions around what would happen if placements broke down and refugees became homeless.  Migration continued from other routes such as Hong Kong, Afghanistan, unaccompanied minors and those crossing the Channel on small boats, but Lincolnshire was well funded by the government to deal with this.  Councillor Hill reported that the Grantham bypass was proceeding, with the second phase finished with limited disruption and the next phase, which was the most difficult as it involved crossing a viaduct and a river, ongoing.  The scheme was on target to be finished in two years.

 

The Chairman thanked Councillor Trotter and Hill for their reports and Councillor Hill left the meeting at 8.05pm.

 

10. CLERK’S REPORT (22/10)

10.1 Councillors noted the contents of the Clerk’s Report with regards to actions from previous minutes.  

 

11. FINANCE (22/11)

11.1 Members noted the following income received:

Remitter Purpose Amount £

SKDC Precept 2022/23 13,000.00

 

11.2 The Chairman proposed that the items of expenditure listed below be approved.

Resolved:  To approve the proposed items of expenditure.

Payee Purpose Amount £

Wave Cemetery water (2021/22) 14.77

Autela Payroll Services Payroll services (2021/22) 50.40

Employment Costs March salaries (2021/22) 642.45

HSBC Bank Charges March 2022 (2021/22) 6.20

Ropsley Hall Room hire (2021/22) 97.50

Information Commissioner’s Office Annual Fee 35.00

Ropsley & District WI Jubilee Celebrations 500.00

Employment Costs April salaries 539.75

Npower Phone box electricity 49.65

ICCM Annual membership 95.00

HSBC Bank Charges April 2022 5.00

Tracey Broughton Internal Audit 50.00

CPRE Annual Fee 36.00

 

11.3 The Chairman proposed that Members approve the bank reconciliation previously circulated by the Clerk, which was duly signed and dated by Councillor Porter.  

Resolved:  To approve the April bank reconciliation.

 

11.4 Members noted the budget monitoring statement showing expenditure and income against the 2022/23 budget to date previously circulated by the Clerk.  

 

12. PLANNING (22/12)

12.1 Members noted the following planning applications on which no comments were made:

12.1.1 S22/0474 Remove holly tree, 27 High Street, Ropsley, Lincolnshire, NG33 4BG.

12.1.2 S22/0620 Vary conditions re soft landscaping and parking and turning facilities, Ropsley Fox House, 23 Grantham Road, Ropsley, NG33 4BX

12.1.3 S22/0678 Works to tree, White House, Village Street, Braceby, NG34 0TA.

12.1.4 S22/0230 Anglian Water proposed Grantham to Bexwell potable water Pipeline Scheme.

12.2 Members noted the following planning applications on which representations were made: 

12.2.1 S21/2532 Erection of a detached dwelling, Land to The Rear Of 23-25 Grantham Road, Ropsley, NG33 4BX.

12.3 Members noted the following planning decisions:

12.3.1 S22/0171 Erection of carriage shed, Glebe Farm, Chain Lane, Ropsley, NG33 4AU Granted 23 March 2022

12.3.2 S22/0586 Change of materials for vehicular driveways and hardstandings, Ropsley Fox House, 23 Grantham Road, Ropsley. Approved 13 April 2022

 

13. HIGHWAYS (22/13)

13.1 Parking around Ropsley Hall.

13.2 Grass Triangle – these matters were discussed during the public forum above.

 

14. CEMETERY (22/14)

14.1 The Clerk recommended that Burial Ground fees remain unchanged, with which Members were in agreement.

Resolved: To approve the Burial Ground Fees for 2022/23.

 

15. COMMUNITY UPDATES (22/15)

15.1 Village Sign

The Chairman reported that the sign had been collected and was in the village, and that Robert Holland had offered to produce the commemorative plaques for the sign and bench.  He noted that the staining was likely to cost £30 more than the original budget for design and staining of £200, of which £150 had so far been spent, and proposed that the additional expenditure be approved.

Resolved: to approve an increase in the budget for staining the sign of £30.

 

15.2 Little Humby Mowing

Councillor Buckley reported that the resident who had previously mown the Green at Little Humby had now left the village, and there had been some discussion locally about how mowing would be undertaken, including whether a ride on mower could be bought for several residents to use on a rota basis.  Councillors discussed how this compared to the arrangement at Ropsley where a limited number of volunteers operated Council owned equipment, and how insurance cover would operate as the Green at Humby had been adopted by the Parish Council.  

Action: To add consideration of a risk assessment for volunteers to the next agenda.

 

15.3 Dog Waste Bin

The Chairman proposed that the purchase of a larger dog waste bin of up to £250 be approved as requested by a parishioner on the basis that he continue to empty it and inform the Council if he left the property so that the bin could be removed.

Resolved: To approve the purchase of a dog waste bin of up to £250.

Action: The Clerk to contact the parishioner.

 

15.4 Jubilee Celebrations in Ropsley.

Councillor Marshall reported that a leaflet had been produced giving details of the celebrations across the four days of the Bank Holiday weekend’

 

15.5 Best Dressed Jubilee House

Councillor Marshall reported that this event had also been publicised.

 

15.6 Litter Pickers

Councillors Rowbotham and Marshall offered to donate the litter pickers for the Spring Clean event on 28 May 2022.

 

15.7 Best Kept Village 

Members considered the judges’ feedback from the Best Kept Village competition in 2021 and noted that there was little that could be done about overgrown gardens, although they hoped that the Best Kept Jubilee House competition would encourage people to make the most of their outdoor space.  The old sign had been remarked upon, and the new sign as well as the new gates should make a difference.  A parishioner had asked during the Annual Parish Meeting whether it might be possible to arrange a skip or waste collection prior to the Best Kept Village competition.  

Action: Councillor Trotter to ask the Waste team at SKDC about arranging a skip or waste collection.

 

15.8 Community Updates

There were no updates to report.

 

16. CORRESPONDENCE (22/16)

16.1 Members noted all general correspondence circulated for information since the March meeting. 

 

17. STAFFING (22/17)

17.1 Councillors Buckley, Marshall, Reeves and the Clerk volunteered to form a Recruitment Working Group to deal with staff and councillor vacancies, advertising and co-option or recruitment.

 

18. DATE OF NEXT MEETING (22/18) 

18.1 Monday 18 July at 7pm at Ropsley Hall.

 

Meeting closed at 9pm.