2020 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

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Minutes of a meeting of Crowland Parish Council held on Monday 3rd February 2020 at 7.30pm in the Parish Rooms, Hall Street, Crowland

Present  -    Coun B Alcock, Mr J Boor, Mr R Boot. Mr P Green, Mr L Quince, Mr D Ringham,

                   Mr G Searle, Mrs A Williams & Ms J Woodroffe.

In the Chair  -  Mr D Kempton

Clerk  -  Mrs D Halliwell

207. Apologies for Absence

Apologies received from Mr D Ancill, Mr M Atkinson, Miss C Elphee, Mrs J Head & Coun J Astill

208. Declaration of Interests as per the LGA 2000

Abbey Church             -           Mr P Green

Land                            -           Mr J Boor

RBL                            -           Mr R Boot

Crowland Cares          -           Mr D Ringham & Mr G Searle

Voluntary Car Service            -           Mr D Ringham & Mr G Searle

209. To Agree as a correct Record the Minutes of the Previous Meetings

Mr Boor proposed the minutes of the previous meeting as a true and accurate record.

Seconded by Mr Boot.    All agreed.

Clerks to remove the word “is” from item 203.                     Action  -  Clerks

210. Assets working party

A further planning permission has been granted.

There is one more planning permission to go through.

There is a trigger in the contract with the developers for mid-May.

There is a further meeting with Seagate Homes on 11th February 2020.

There have been three responses on the commercial side.

Clerks to include this on March Agenda in committee.                                 Action  -  Clerks

The quote for the Flood Risk Assessment is competitive.

The quote for the Ground Investigation is also competitive.

Coun Alcock proposed that the Assets Working Party be allowed up to £1200.00 to fund both of these investigations.    Seconded by Mr Boot.   All agreed.

211. Fitness and Wellbeing Centre WP Report

There had been a further meeting of the Working Party.

There is to be a meeting with the Building Control Officer.

Justin Ward of LCC Properties had seen the latest sketches and outline scope of works and was happy with what he saw.

Mr Ringham will speak to Justin again regarding the need to have the funds allocated to the Parish Council ring-fenced. We need this before committing to major expenditure on the gym.

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The next meeting of the Working Party is on 13th February 2020 where the Charitable Status for the Sports Hall will be further discussed.

Mr Ringham thanked Mr Halliwell for all his help with the sketches and outline scope of works.

Members were keen to move this project forward and agreed that they must help Mr Ringham to do this as this is an extremely important project for the Parish Council.           Action  -  All members

212. Finance and Admin Committee

Coun Alcock emphasised the fact that electricity costs must be reduced, especially in the pavilion and the Parish Rooms.

The main cause for the high costs was considered to be the heating systems.

Amenities Committee will look at this problem.                                Action  -  Amenities Committee

It was suggested that the Parish Council could apply for some external funding from South Holland District Council to replace the heaters.

213. Farms & Gardens Committee

All members had received a report from the Chairman of Farms & Gardens Committee.

Mr Boor will check with LCC to see if they will fill in the potholes on The Chase before the Parish Council take ownership.                                                                                   Action  -  Mr Boor

214. Planning Committee

All members had received a copy of the minutes.

Miss Elphee has started a survey of the Parish Council bins and had been out on the Gator with the General Workers as they emptied them all.

The Clerks had been in touch with 4 parish Councils locally to ask how many bins they have and if they have a bin policy. Two replies had been received showing that Deeping St James has 23 bins and no bins policy. Donington has only 6 bins, emptied by SHDC.

It was agreed that we do need to get a bins policy in place as soon as possible. Action – Miss Elphee

215. Amenities Committee

All members had received the minutes of the Amenities Committee meeting.

Mr Ringham & Mr Searle will look at the small play area to check for any safety issues.

                                                                                                  Action  -  Mr Ringham & Mr Searle

216. Safety & Security Committee

There had not been a meeting of this committee.

Mr Searle and Mrs Halliwell have prepared COSHH &SDMS information sheets for each premises except the West Street toilets, but Mr Searle has this in hand.

RAMS is the next thing to be updated.

There is a meeting arranged for Wednesday 19th February at 7.30pm. The Chairman is very keen that the chairs of each committee attend.

There is to be a security review of all the Parish Council’s fixed assets. Action - Committee Chairs

Clerks to include GDPR on the agenda.                                                                     Action  -  Clerks

217. Communications Proposals

Mr Green showed a presentation of the new Parish Council Facebook Page.

Members agreed that it should be set up as a “Closed Group” initially

Ms Woodroffe agreed to administer this page.

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Mr Green proposed that he went ahead and prepared the page as a “Closed Group”.    Seconded by Ms Woodroffe.     All agreed.                                                       Acton  -  Mr Green & Ms Woodroffe

218. VE Day Celebrations

In the absence of Miss Elphee, Mr Kempton outlined what had happened at the Working Party meeting.

Members asked that a decision on this item was deferred to the March meeting.

Clerks to keep VE Day on the March Agenda.                                              Action  -  Clerks

219. Police Matters

There was no police report available.

Mr Searle had prepared some figures showing a large increase in reported crime over the past few months.

CCTV was discussed as the police are saying that if CCTV was available it would help them to get evidence.

There is to be a meeting with the PCSO, the Health Centre, the Bowls Club, and the Parish Council which PCSO Nikki Timms is arranging, to further discuss installing CCTV.

Clerks to follow up Mr Ancill’s letter to the temporary Police inspector.     Action  -  Clerks

220. Clerks Report on matters arising

The Chairman and the Clerks are continuing with the Actions Report as it is, but will start to include item numbers on Full Council actions.                                                      

Mr Green has started to prepare a spread sheet that he will let the office have to look at.

221. Correspondence

1. Benjamin Damazer - Copy of letter sent to PCSO at Crowland regarding a white van parking overnight in front of the Parish Rooms on East Street, on the pavement blocking access and obstructing free passage for those with wheelchairs and pushchairs and pedestrians generally. This means people must walk on the highway. He asks that as this is against the law, that the police take action as is appropriate.         Noted
2. LCC - Response to our letter regarding the proposed experimental traffic orders on the A16. It advises that a report detailing the proposed restrictions is to be submitted to the Councils Planning & Regulation Committee in March and members will make a decision on whether or not to progress this scheme. Our concerns will be included in the report for consideration and we will be informed of the outcome.                                                     

Copy of email from B Hicks to LCC re the A16 proposals.       Wait to see what happens in   March

3. South View School - Very lengthy letter from SVCPS, regarding the use/access of the sports hall by the school.            Mr Kempton will respond to this letter and item 17 and copy in the Chair of the Governors. He will try to arrange a meeting with the Chair of the Governors

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4. Coun J Astill - Copies of emails and photographs that Coun Astill had sent to SHDC Planning, Coun Pepper and Coun Alcock regarding the dreadful state of Crease Drove and Harvester Way following the mud left on the road by Developers on Crease Drove. Response received from SHDC Planning Enforcement Team advising that they have contacted the developers working there and advised them of the need to clean the road.  Please let the team know if the problem continues.       Dealt with.
5. Mr R Pate - Email advising that Mr Pate had been in touch with Coun Pepper regarding the disappearance of dog and waste bins in Crowland                            Clerks to respond              
6. Mrs Goodliffe - Email received regarding the removal of the dog waste bin on Low Road. She asks if a notice could be installed to inform perpetrators to take their bags home.                                                                                                                              Clerks to respond
7. Kerrie Neal – Email concerning the article in the Town Magazine that litter bins are being removed. She would like to see an explanation in the next edition with a reminder for people to clear up after their dogs.                                                                   Clerks to respond
8. Steven Mullard – Email concerning the removal of the dog waste bin at Low Road.                                                                                                                       Clerks to respond
9. SHDC - Email from SHDC asking for as many suggestions as possible for the street names for the new development in Crowland behind Alderlands Close. Pass to Planning
10. LCC - Details of a temporary road restriction and a 40-mph speed limit in place on the A16 between the B1166 & the B1040 for essential works between 6 February & 14 February 2020.                               Not expected to happen
11. Finding Fitness, Stamford – Email stating that the company run holiday clubs free of charge for children. They can assist us by helping to raise funds to enable this to go ahead.   Pass to Ms Woodroffe
12. LALC – Lincolnshire Environmental Awards 2020. This includes work that encourages and protects the landscape and wildlife of the countryside. Deadline 31.3.2020.    Pass to Mr Green
13. LCC – Email advising that LCC has a new accessible and mobile friendly websites and are upgrading the current parish websites they host. Support for the current website ends on 31st March. Training on the new website will happen in March.        Mr Green will attend.
14. Environment Agency – Notification that the deadline for water abstraction license applications is 30.6.2020.                     Noted.
15. Prof MD Chisholm - The professor has a question concerning the plaque on Trinity Bridge. He has suggested an alternative text but the council at that time took no action, can the council reconsider?                        Clerks to respond and refer  Prof Chisholm to Ancient Monuments at LCC.

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16. Teresa Grindley - Series of emails regarding the problem of speeding traffic along Crease Drove. Clerk advised PC, PCSO and LCC and copied author in. However, she would like us to take action as a Parish Council to help alleviate the problem.    Respond and say that we will move interactive speed sign to Crease Drove.              Action  -  Mr Ringham and General Workers
17. South View CPS - In addition to item 3, and following the chairman’s response, a further email has been received, that the school are unable to determine a benefit to the children by having a further meeting with the Parish Council.       See item 3
18. Jane Harris - Further email and photo of the fly tipped dog waste bags where the bin has been removed from Low Road. She requests that the bin is returned.       Respond
19. Sylvia Bosma-Keller - Email and photos of fly tipped dog waste bags from where the bin was removed from Low Road.                                                                                 Respond
20. Laura Beeken - Letter requesting permission to start a “Men’s Shed” in Crowland. Laura hopes that the new allotment building could be used for this purpose. It has proved to be extremely successful in many other local communities. These “sheds” are places where men can meet for chats, games and fellowship. Group would also like to take tenancy of the two allotments beside the shed to give members a focus. Rev Brown fully supports Laura in this and has suggested that the Abbey and the Methodist Church could provide some funding. Pass to Farms &Gardens.
21. Andrew Grief - Email and photos giving details of the ASB at the bowls club over 4 nights. All reported on 101.                                  Noted.
22. NJ Electricals - PAT testing quote as requested.    Clerks to ask NJ Electricals to go ahead.
23. Prof MD Chisholm - Email saying he hopes to prepare a revised edition of his book on Crowland. He is querying if the Parish Council had any further thoughts on replacing the plaque on Trinity Bridge. He had previously suggested alternative text. He has offered his help in the process should we wish to replace it.       See item 15.
24. Co-op Community Awards - Details of the award the Co-op is sponsoring.  It is the Lincolnshire Environmental awards 2020 which celebrates Groups and communities who encourage and protect the landscape. Encloses details of how to apply.       Noted.
25. Paul Slack - Further concern about the removal if the dog bin from Low Road. He suggests that of the bins are not to be put back then a sign put up stating why the bin was removed and that littering is a criminal offence.                                                                     Respond.
26. Keep Britain Tidy.org -  They are asking for support by completing a short survey. We are able to sign up as a supporting community. They also ask for good news stories and pictures.  Noted.

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27. Helen Guest – Email stating that a number of dog bins have been removed.  Can the Parish Council advise if and when these will be returned please?                  Respond
28. PCSO Timms – Email suggesting a meeting with the Parish Council Chairman, Abbey View Surgery and the Bowls Club to discuss the recent incidents of criminal damage.    Dealt with.
29. Valuation Office Agency – Letters requesting ownership/lease/rent details of the Sports Hall and Crowland Tennis Club.       Mr Kempton & Clerks to complete the form for return.
30. LCC Highways Manager – Signed Parish Agreement for the erection of a structure – planter in West Street.                          Noted.               

222. Accounts for Payment

S137 payments

There were no S137 payments.

Mr Ringham will make further checks on item 237 before these are paid. Action  -  Mr Ringham

The accounts were proposed for payment by Mr Kempton

Seconded by Coun Alcock

All agreed

223. Matters to be considered for inclusion on a future Council Agenda

Coun Alcock pointed out that the footpath on Gravel Causeway should be maintained.

Mr Boor is to get the General Workers to do this.     Action  -  Mr Boor & General Workers

Meeting Closed at 10.10pm