2021 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

Minutes of a meeting of Crowland Parish Council

Held on Monday 4th October 2021

in the Sports Pavilion at 7:00pm

Present:          David Kempton, Philip Green, Bryan Alcock, Graham Searle, Lee Quince, Jon Boor, Darren Warner, Cathi Elphee, Jan Woodroffe

and Annette Williams

Clerk:              Angela Harrison

District & County Cllr Nigel Pepper

Press Officer: Kris Johnston

In the Chair:    David Kempton

1) 108. Apologies for Absence

Wayne Glenton, Reg Boot, David Ringham and Michael Atkinson

District Cllr:     Jim Astill

It was resolved to accept the apologies for absence.

The Chairman reminded everyone that all members must advise the Clerk ahead of the meeting if they are unable to attend.

2) 109. Declaration of Interests as per the LGA 2000

Graham Searle:          Crowland Cares & SH Voluntary Car Scheme

Philip Green:               Payments

Jon Boor:                    Farmland

3) 110. To Agree as a correct Record the Minutes of the Previous Meetings

It was unanimously agreed to accept the Minutes as a true record.

4) 111. Matters Arising from the previous minutes

Clerk’s Report is usually taken under this item, but it still requires work doing on it, as it is no longer serving its purpose.

Action: Clerk & DK

PG stated that he had managed to get into the CCTV in the allotment building but

was unable to see any of the data.  He has the name and contact details of the guy who installed it, so will get in touch with him.

Action: PG

5) 112. Chairman’s Report - to receive the Chairman’s report

A Copy of the report had been circulated prior to the meeting.

Sports Hall/Gym,

• The main issue is what are classed as ‘common areas’ and the ‘green path’ walkway.
• Require access between 6am and midnight from the car park to the gym and Sports Hall.
• School is now using this area for the children to access the swimming pool and the playground but must protect our access and maintain safeguarding.
• Problem with Maglocks, which are supposed to automatically unlock when the fire alarms sound, are now opening without the alarms going off. LCC is slow in rectifying this.
• Waiting for confirmation from the school as to whether the meeting arranged for this week, is going ahead.
  • Clerk confirmed that she had seen an email which stated that the school had postponed the meeting.
  • Email to be forwarded to the Chairman & Vice Chairman in the morning.

Action: Clerk

6) 113. Amenities Committee - to receive the Chairman’s Report

A Copy of the report had been circulated prior to the meeting.

DK advised that in the absence of the Committee Chairman, he had called a Working Party meeting to try to get some names put against actions.

Sports Hall

BA advised that he had forwarded copies of the Interim MOU for management of the facility by a third party, to DK and WG.

Children’s’ Playground

• GS advised that due to the heavy rainfall, the slabs will now be laid on Wednesday morning.
• The gates and self-closers will be looked at tomorrow, (Tuesday 5th).
• A letter will need to be written and sent along with photos of the multi-play equipment, to accompany the payment.

Action: GS, PG & Admin

Tennis Courts

Government have pledged money to upgrade tennis courts around the country. 

Action: PG

Kicking Wall

MA has the timber to repair it and the work can be done in-house.

Action: JB

Other Existing Snowden Equipment

Need to look at the zip wire and other equipment on the Snowden.

Action: DK & JB

7) 114. Finance and Admin Committee - to receive the Chairman’s report.

A copy of the report had been circulated prior to the meeting.

• It was agreed that more work needs to be done on the report in order to make it more useful to the members.
• Budget figures will also be added, so that there is a figure to relate spending to.

Action: BA & Clerk

• BA advised that the query raised by the external auditor, has now been resolved and that the person who raised the query, has since left the company.
  • The Clerk advised that the Notice of Completion of Audit has been posted onto the PC’s website.
    • GS requires 2 copies to put into Notice boards.

Action: Clerk & GS

• The Clerk advised that the Land Rent invoices were sent out on the 21st of September and the monthly invoices for bookings and room hire, were sent out on the 30th.

8) 115. Farms & Gardens Committee - to receive the Chairman’s report.

A copy of the report had been circulated prior to the meeting.

Next meeting will be held on Monday 18th October; Agenda will be sent out in due course.

Action: Admin

• The tree works along Thorney Road were delayed due to Covid.  A new date has been arranged for later this month and we will need to liaise with Ashwood Homes if this falls on a weekday.

Action: RB

• A new land agent has been appointed and a meeting was held with DK and JB.
  • Tenants will be responsible for paying the drainage rates in the future, subject to contract.
  • Land adjacent to the new allotment site should be a rolling contract, not 12-monthly.
  • A mechanism needs to be put in place to ensure this happens each year.
• DK reported that he had sought the new land agent’s advice regarding the expired lease on the Kissing Ground.  Her advice was that we write to say that as the lease has expired, we will still cut the grass but will no longer be responsible for this piece of land.

Action: DK & Clerk/Admin

It was agreed that there would be NO bookings taken for the Kissing Ground area until legal advice regarding the lease has been sought from the new land agent.

Action: Clerk

9) 116. Planning Committee - to receive the Minutes of the recent meeting.

A copy of the Minutes had been circulated prior to the meeting.

PG advised that he had been in touch with SHDC regarding the temporary fencing around the refurbished phone box. Awaiting response.

Electric Car Charging Lease

• Terms of the contract had been agreed and we await the final documents.

Christmas Lights

• PG has contacted the Brass Band, but they are now down to only 4 members.  He asked members to let him know if they have details of any others.
• JB will get the existing lights out of the Implement Shed, for LQ to inspect prior to them being put up.

Action: JB & LQ

• CE advised that there will be one or two stalls plus a small funfair.

10) 117. Safety & Security - to receive the Chairman’s report.

A copy of the report had been circulated prior to the meeting.

• GS advised that a member of Crowland Juniors FC had approached the suspicious character that had been watching their games but did not know of the outcome.  This incident had been reported to the Police as the person was believed to be hiding in trees and then scurrying off when approached.
• A member spoke of suspicious activity in a house near his home, where 4-5 Police cars attended.  He advised the officers that he had information to pass on, but although they said they would call in to see him, they never did.
• PG advised that no Police officers have requested to see his CCTV footage of the quad bike that had been driving illegally through the town. 
• The quad bike has not been seen for a while now.
• GS urged everyone to report anything suspicious that they see.
• It was suggested that a meeting with a senior Police office and/or Marc Jones, along with a few members, be arranged.

Action: GS

• It was added that other Parishes within the Spalding Rural South area, may wish to be involved too.
• GS, with the permission of the Chairman, asked Cllr Pepper if he knew what had happened regarding the suggested 50mph speed limit by the Radar Corner junction.
  • Cllr Pepper said he would find out and report back.

Action: Cllr Pepper

11) 118. Leisure and Wellbeing Centre – to receive the team’s Report.

There was no report circulated prior to the meeting.

As DR and WG were both absent from the meeting, BA stated that he would send out the draft MOU to all of the Trustees.

Action: BA

12) 119. Assets Working Party - to receive the team’s Report

A copy of the report had been circulated prior to the meeting.

• LQ advised that the temporary traffic lights on James Road during the construction of the access road, had prevented a lot of vehicles from using it as a ‘rat run’.
• BA stated that there were some snagging issues, that will be dealt with in due course.
  • With regards to insurance of the properties, he requested that the AWP be given powers to agree the Insurance policy. Figures to be disclosed “in Committee”
• A schedule of works will be put together regarding the pond.  The current staff should be able to cope with that workload.
• In 5-10 years’, time, we should have enough funds to pay for a contractor to maintain it.
• A memorandum of understanding has gone out on the other commercial site, in between the A16 and James Road/Thorney Road.
  • The interested party has 6 months to come up with a viable plan
  • SHDC and LCC are both ‘morally’ supportive of what we are doing.
• With regards to the proposed Burial Ground, the PC is morally but not legally obliged to provide this,
• The site next to the allotments that was earmarked for it, may not be suitable due to the water tables.
• BA to liaise with a colleague at SHDC who sits on his local PC and to meet with him and their Clerk in order to find a way to make it ‘cost neutral’.

Action: BA

13) 120. Accounts for Payment - See separate sheet

Proposed:       A Williams

Seconded:       J Woodroffe

All agreed

(PG did not vote as he had expressed a pecuniary interest in this Agenda item).

14) 121. Matters to be considered for inclusion on a future Council Agenda.

As the Pavilion was quite cold, it was suggested that we find out whether the Community Hub could accommodate us for our next meeting.

Action: GS & Clerk

• Agenda Packs will be printed at the office in future and members notified of when they are ready for collection.
• Packs to be mailed out to JW and MA

Action: Clerk

Meeting ended at 8:50pm