Minutes 6th March 2019
Minutes of the
Irnham Parish Council Meeting
Held in the Wedding Venue, Irnham Hall, on Wednesday 06 March 2019 at 7pm
Present:- Cllrs Amanda Ayre, Jon Crook, Jenny Crow, Lynda Hall, Trevor Vanson.
Parish Council Clerk: Jenny Crow
1. Apologies for absence
a. PCSO Stuart Bowden, Cllr Nick Robins.
The Chairman welcomed Cllr Martin Hill and 1 member of the public to the meeting.
2. Members declaration of interest or request for dispensation
a. None declared
3. Minutes of meeting 28/11/18
a. Read and accepted as correct record and signed.
4. Matters arising
a. Item 5: Clerk received email correspondence requesting clarification regarding the erection of CCTV signs at the entrance to Irnham. Cllrs had not agreed to investigate this at present.
b. Item 6: Clerk has received a brief update on the Griffin Inn. Decoration and refurbishment of bedrooms is progressing to enable accommodation for weddings to be ready for the end of March. The bar will open on Fridays for wedding guests and then eventually reopen as a village pub once the kitchen has been refurbished. Cllr Crook to contact Jamie Benton Jones to discuss possible help from residents.
c. Item 15: Christmas Event was another most enjoyable occasion. Thanks to Jamie and Leila Benton Jones for allowing us to use The Wedding Venue. Thanks to Al and Kimberley Benton Jones for running the bar. Cllrs thanked Martin Fuggle and Rev Stephen Buckman for accompanying the singing. Thanks also to Cllrs for providing a delicious spread of food and for organising the raffle and donating the prizes.
d. Item 16: A two sided Parish Update was delivered to every household at the beginning of December, particularly highlighting self-help security measures.
5. Accounts
a. Transactions since the last meeting are: Interest of £0.75 on Defibrillator Account and payment of £651.26 for purchase of laptop computer and printer. The balances in the accounts are now: Parish Council Account £2018.02, Defibrillator Account £5843.24
b. Bank reconciliation for 31st December 2018 agreed.
c. Transparency Code: Clerk has purchased a suitable lap top computer system. A balance of £57.28 remains in the fund for the purchase of a laptop case. Clerk has requested the computer system be added to the PC Insurance Policy.
d. LALC Invoice received for Annual Subscription of £71.72 approved for payment.
e. Clerk has received notification that the PC Insurance Policy will now be administered by the underwriters, Zurich and not Community Lincs.
f. Raffle takings were £148.00. A contribution of £60 for cleaning has been paid. Christmas Gifts totalled £21.97 leaving a balance of £66.03 to be paid into PC Account.
6. County council /district council matters
a. The Chairman invited Cllr Hill to update Cllrs on LCC matters. Cllr Hill confirmed the Council Tax rise for residents will be just under 5%. He is cautiously hopeful the County will be in a better financial position next year due to a fairer funding formula. The Council will be re-instating 3 cuts to verges rather than 2 as last year and annual gully emptying. LCC have received an additional 11.7 million for highways work just before Christmas but costs for re-tarmacking an A road are in the region of 2million per kilometre. Cllr Hill also invited Cllrs to take part in the Healthy Conversation consultation regarding the future for the United Lincolnshire Trust.
b. Cllrs agreed not to enter into a Parish Agreement for Highway Verge Cutting for Bulby in 2019/20. LCC will continue to cut the grass, now three times a year.
c. Cllrs were made aware of services to be offered by Environment SK.
d. Clerk had distributed information about Bourne CICLE Festival 31st August – 1st September. To be discussed at the next meeting.
7. Planning applications
a. Planning Application S18/2147 to build an extension to the Wedding Venue, Irnham Hall supported by Irnham PC and approved by SKDC.
b. Planning Application S18/2164 to reduce Yew tree by 4m in height and lateral spread by 2m at Yew Tree Cottage, Irnham supported by Irnham PC and approved by SKDC
c. Planning Application S18/2286 to build an extension to the Lodge, Irnham, supported by Irnham PC and approved by SKDC.
8. Update on highways issues within the parish
a. Cllr Ayre has continued to report pot holes in the parish on 03/01/19, 11/01/19, 07/02/19 and been assured these will be dealt with by 14/03/19.
b. Cllr Ayre has been informed that work on Swinstead Road has been contracted for completion by 01/04/19.
c. Cllr Ayre has been informed that work on Osgodby Road has been contracted for completion by 02/04/19.
d. Cllr Ayre has been informed that no action can be taken regarding the steep drops and narrow verges on roads from the Bulby turn to Hawthorpe and on to Irnham.
e. Cllr Hill will check on details of re-surfacing work in the Parish; possibly a continuation of re-surfacing from Callans Lane through Hawthorpe to Irnham and Corby Road, Irnham. The camber of the road in Bulby still needs attention to prevent flooding opposite Fairways.
f. Cllr Hill is sympathetic to concerns about noise and damage to roads being caused by quarry lorries. This has increased recently with lorries travelling to Bicker from Creeton. Cllr Hill to investigate whether any restrictions on the route taken by these lorries can be put into place.
g. The Big Clean returned to Irnham and Bulby and was much appreciated.
9. Security in the parish
a. PCSO Stuart Bowden sent his apologies. Increased patrols are taking place. Since November’s PC meeting further thefts have taken place and Urban Explorers have broken into Newton House.
b. Thanks expressed to Cllr Jon Crook for his information sheets regarding Security Lighting and CCTV Installations. Cllr Crook and other residents offered to share experiences when setting up CCTV systems.
c. Thanks expressed to Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator for setting up a WhatsApp Group to enable fast communication of any security issues in the Parish. Residents are encouraged to join the scheme and should ask any Councillor for details.
d. Cllrs are waiting to see if Neighbourhood Watch signs, which have been applied for, will be available to the Parish. Individual Stickers could be purchased at a cost of approximately £1. Item to be discussed at the next meeting.
10. Local elections May 2019
a. Clerk attended briefing meeting with SKDC. Nomination papers for Parish Councillors are available from the Clerk or SKDC and papers for District Councillor Election are available from SKDC. The deadline for delivery of Nomination Papers to SKDC Grantham Office is 4pm Wednesday 3rd April.
11. Best kept neighbourhood award
a. Clerk had circulated Judges marking sheets from 2018. Comments were very favourable. 89.6% in June and 93% in August. Areas for possible improvement were: more regular verge cutting especially around the village signage. (Verges were excellent in August but needed cutting when looked at in June). Addition of bird boxes/feeders, possibly in lower churchyard area and field.
b. Thanks to all who help maintain the Parish.
c. Correspondence received from Leila Benton Jones regarding improving the entrances to the village, possibly with the aim of making it clear people are entering a village. Clerk asked to contact Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership for advice, the Speed Reduction Initiative may be useful.
12. Update:
a. Faster broadband for the parish.
Clerk has not received any further updates despite several requests for information. PC Minutes October 2017 state the timescale for Irnham to be connected was January - March 2019 and Bulby/Hawthorpe June – September 2019. The cabinet in Irnham was installed about a year ago but has still not been connected. Cllr Hill informed the meeting that Irnham should now be connected by 30th June 2019. A request for work to connect Bulby and Hawthorpe is being made under the Change Control Mechanism in the contract with BT and would be due for completion by end 2019 or early 2020.
13. Bulby: update on plans for telephone kiosk
a. Cllr Ayre reported that the new glass has been installed and the box is now ready to display information.
14. Correspondence
a. None received not already minuted.
15. Irnham parochial church council matters for the parish
a. Cllr Ayre reported that the contract to repair the roof, before Easter, has been signed.
b. Cllr Ayre will request permission to install bird boxes in the Lower Churchyard. (See Minutes 11a)
16. Any other business
a. Cllr Hill alerted Cllrs to a large Dance Music Festival, Forbidden Forest, taking place at Grimsthorpe, Sunday 5th May 2019.
b. The Chairman asked that we note the large number of bottles, particularly wine bottles, found on verges around Irnham when litter picking. PCSO/SKDC to be informed if the problem persists.
17. Date of next meeting
a. Next Parish Council Meeting, Wednesday 17 April 2019, 7pm, Wedding Venue, Irnham Hall.
b. Date of AGM Wednesday 15th May 2019, 7pm, Wedding Venue, Irnham Hall.
Meeting ended at 8.45pm.