May 2024

Minutes of the Annual Parish Council Meeting of Ropsley & District Parish Council held at Ropsley Hall on Tuesday 28th May 2024.

Public Forum

There were no members of the public in attendance.  Members resolved to suspend the Standing Orders to allow the meeting to commence at 7.30pm.

In Attendance

Councillor Ward (Chair), Councillor Marshall (Vice-Chair), Councillor Hughes, Councillor Louth, Councillor Vaughan, Councillor Campbell, Mr Andrew Jones (Clerk & RFO), Councillor Martin Hill (LCC)

The Chair opened the meeting at 7.30pm

1. ELECTION OF CHAIR & DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE (24/15)

Councillor Hughes proposed that Councillor Ward be re-elected as Chairman, which was seconded by Councillor Marshall.Councillor Ward indicated that he was happy to stand and there were no other candidates.The Chair will duly sign the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

2. ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIR & DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE (24/16)

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

3. WELCOME REMARKS BY THE CHAIRMAN (24/17)

The Chairman welcomed returning Members to the meeting and thanked them for their attendance and hard work during the past year. Councillor Vaughan requested that the Chair ensures that all Members are involved in the Council’s business. The Chair replied that he was of the opinion that this has always been he case. Councillor Hill joined the meeting at 7.45pm.

4. APOLOGIES:  TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND TO RESOLVE TO ACCEPT REASONS GIVEN (24/18)

Apologies were received from Councillor Rowbotham and Councillor Leslie., the reasons for which were accepted.

5. DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST AND REQUESTS FOR DISPENSATION (24/19)

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

6.            APPROVAL OF MINUTES (24/20)

6.1         Councillor Marshall proposed that the Clerk’s notes of the Parish Council meeting held on 30th April be approved as a true record, which was seconded by Councillor Campbell.

Resolved: The minutes of the meeting held on 30 April 2024 were approved and duly signed by the Chairman.

7.            ANNUAL PROCEDURES (24/21)

7.1         The Clerk advised that he had reviewed the Financial Regulations and Standing Orders against the model documents and there were no significant changes.  The only addition was the Expenses Policy which will be added to the website. The Chairman proposed that the documents be approved.

               Resolved: To approve the Financial Regulations and Standing Orders

8.            ANNUAL RETURN (24/22) 

8.1         Chris Pilkington from LALC was approved as Internal Auditor for 2023/24.

8.2         The Chairman read each statement of Section 1 of the Annual Governance Statement in turn and Members indicated their agreement to each question.  Councillor Marshall proposed that the Section 1 of the Annual Governance Statement was approved, which was seconded by Councillor Hughes.

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

8.3         Members considered the Annual Accounting statements contained in Section 2 of the Annual Return, which had previously been circulated along with supporting documents.  Councillor Hughes proposed that they be approved, which was seconded by Councillor Louth.

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

8.4         Councillor Campbell proposed that the Council declare exemption from External Audit as its income and expenditure were below £25k in 2023/24 and all other conditions were met, which was seconded by Councillor Marshall.

Resolved: To declare exemption from external audit.

Action: The Annual Governance Return and Certificate of Exemption was signed by the Chairman and Clerk. The Internal Audit report to be reviewed at the next meeting when completed by the External Auditor.

9.            DISTRICT AND COUNTY COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS (24/23)

Councillor Hill was pleased to report that LCC had a surplus this year of £10M which will be invested in Highway maintenance.

He also reported that the Council were concerned about the industrialisation of the countryside with numerous planning applications for solar farms and the possibility of power lines down the east coast. The Council’s preference is that no land with a worse rating than 3A should be used because of their agricultural worth. However, this is not happening as the Planning Authority is still approving schemes on higher grade agricultural land.

The AWA pipeline work has temporarily ceased in our area to continue work further south, LCC will ensure that the work is finished and the land reinstated. They are also ensuring that AWA continue their work to resolve the flooding problems in parts of the county.

The decision re a possible Mayor for Lincolnshire is currently on hold due to the forthcoming general election.

Finally, the Grantham Relief Road is on course to open in 2025.

10.         CLERK’S REPORT (24/24)

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

10.2       The Clerk reminded Councillors that training is available for any Councillor who requires it, and they should contact him to arrange.

11.         FINANCE (24/25)

11.1       Members noted income received as follows:

11.2       Councillor Marshall proposed that the following payments be approved, which was seconded by Councillor Hughes.

               Resolved: To approve the payments as listed.

11.3       Councillor Campbell proposed that the April bank reconciliation be approved, which was seconded by             Councillor Ward.

Resolved:  To approve the April bank reconciliation.

11.4       Members noted the budget monitoring statement showing expenditure and income against the 2024/25 budget to date. 

12.         PLANNING (24/25)

12.1       To consider the following planning applications received since the last meeting:

12.1.1    There were no applications received.

12.2       To note the following planning decisions:

12.2.1    S24/0433 Reduce 3 x Cypress Trees and Horse Chestnut – Back Lane, Braceby NG34 0SZ – Approved 26th April 2024

12.2.2    S24/0449 Various tree works – College Farm, Braceby NG34 0SZ  - Approved 26th April 2024

12.2.3    S24/0369 Re-use of existing traditional agricultural building for the provision of 2 dwellinghouses – Approved 1st May 2024

13.         HIGHWAYS (24/26)

13.1       The Council considered where the new 30mph signs from LRSP should be located. It was agreed that they would be positioned In Ropsley at Grantham Road, Peck Hill. High Street and Humby Road. There would also be one going into Little Humby village, and we then would have one spare to be used wherever. Additional signs can be purchased from LRSP.

13.2       The Clerk had written to LCC re the removal of the grass triangle on Braceby Road, a more visible sign at the A52 junction, the footpath options on Humby Road and the bollards in Braceby. In all cases we have received a reply saying that they are investigating.

               As concerns the bridge repairs at Humby Road, the LCC are sending a team out to look at the problem.

               Action: The Clerk to await further information from LCC.

14.         CEMETERY (24/27)

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

Resolved: To approve the Burial Ground Fees for 2024/25.

14.2       As noted in a previous meeting, the quote from Tidy Gardens for 12 cuts a year at £273 per cut was accepted. This quote was agreed for a three-year period at the same rate.

               Resolved: To approve the quote from Tidy Gardens.

14.3       The Clerk is to contact Crimson Kings to look at the two remaining trees in the cemetery to assess whether the work on them will wait until the autumn mainly for Safety purposes.

               Action: The Clerk to contact Crimson Kings re the cemetery trees.

15.         COMMUNITY UPDATES (24/28)

15.1       The Bulb planting and Christmas Tree Projects were in hand but there was nothing to do until later in the year.

The Village Litter Clean up will be discussed at the next meeting.

               Action: To ensure these items are on the agenda for future meetings

15.2       The necessity of a storage container was discussed, and it was decided that if we could site it behind the garages at Munton Fields, then we should go ahead. The Clerk is to contact SKDC to see if we can site it there.

               Action: The Clerk to contact SKDC re the siting of the storage container.

15.3       The Clerk had contacted both the Coronation Orchard Grant and the Woodland Trust re the possibility of obtaining trees to plant on an area near the Church on Hall Field.

The minimum number of trees from the Woodland Trust was 105 which the Council felt was too many.

We could however receive 30 apple trees from the Coronation Orchard Grant and the Clerk is to progress this further with the Coronation Grant Scheme and SKDC.

               Action: The Clerk to contact the Coronation Orchard Grant Scheme and also the SKDC.

15.4       In Community updates, Councillor Vaughan said that he had had a brief conversation with Gareth Davies MP concerning the Government’s current heat pump grants scheme and whether it would be better to retain the consumer’s original boiler to be used alongside the newly installed heat pump as a hybrid solution. Any movement on this policy will now have to wait until after the election.

16.         CORRESPONDENCE (24/29)

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

Correspondence had been received re a Hedgehog project which includes metal openings that can be put into fences to aid their routes. Councillor Marshall to put the item on the Facebook page to see if there are enough people interested before we go ahead further.

Action: Councillor Marshall to publicise the Hedgehog Scheme on Facebook

17.         DATE OF NEXT MEETING (24/30)

17.1       The date for the next meeting was set for Tuesday 15th July 2024 at 7pm at Ropsley Hall.

               The Chair closed the meeting at 9.09pm.