2021 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF GREETWELL PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 4 OCTOBER 2021 IN THE VILLAGE HALL AT SUDBROOKE

These notes are subject to change

PRESENT:  Councillors John Taylor (Chairman), Mrs Sarah Bates (Vice Chair), Keith Johnson, Mike Taylor, Chris Thatcher

County Councillor Ian Fleetwood, District Councillor Mrs Anne Welburn,

Clerk Christine Myers

60 – 21/22  PARISHIONERS ITEMS

None  received

61 - 21/22  TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES AND REASONS GIVEN

None received.

62 – 21/22  TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTREST ON ANY ITEMS ON THE AGENDA

None declared.

63 – 21/22  CO-OPTION OF NEW MEMBER TO PARISH COUNCIL – IF APPLICATON RECEIVED.

None received.

64 – 21/22  NOTIFICATION OF VACANCY DUE TO NON-ATTENDANCE OF J LEAFE

The non-attendance of meetings for 6 months of J Leafe had been notified to WLDC Electoral Registration who had confirmed that they had set in motion the procedure for electing a new member to the Parish Council.

65 – 21/22  COUNTY/DISTRICT COUNCILLORS REPORT

CC Ian Fleetwood had sent a brief during September which had been circulated to members and published in the Greetwell News.

DC Mrs Anne Welburn sent a report as follows:-

The new Waste Transfer Station  opens 26th October at Caenby Corner, this is designed with features intended to reduce Carbon emissions and be consistent with our climate change strategy.

We have a new Cultural Strategy in place which includes sports and leisure, it is early stages but does include outreach programmes for our villages. Streaming of film and theatre productions and sports coaching  to suitable village halls and venues.

West Lindsey District Council and Bassetlaw District Council have been approached by Island Green Power UK Ltd. They are an international developer of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Plants with a focus on large scale ‘utility size’ solar plants.

They propose to deliver 2 solar farms as  Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) across land in West Lindsey and Bassetlaw, connecting into the National Grid at West Burton and Cottam. The proposal includes the development of solar panels, built infrastructure, buried infrastructure and security features across both West Lindsey and Bassetlaw. The proposed megawatt capacity of these solar farms is understood to be 600 megawatts for the solar farm to be known as West Burton and 480 megawatts for the solar farm to be known as Cottam.

The scale of these proposals make them NSIPs and as such they bypass normal local planning requirements. These projects are managed by the Planning Inspectorate.

This means that West Lindsey District Council and Bassetlaw District Council are NOT the decision-making body for these applications. However, as a ‘host’ authority we have a defined role to play which includes agreeing a Statement of Community Consultation, revising the Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report, developing a Local Impact Report, and agreeing a Statement of Common Ground prior to the examination. The officer teams are working to establish a resourcing framework and draft a decision making and delegation process.

The proposals are centred around agricultural land close to the following locations; Bransby, Broxholm, Ingleby, Brampton, Bellwood, Fillingham, Willingham, Stow, Cammeringham, Corringham, Blyton.  Further sites are proposed within Bassetlaw.  

The developers intend to launch a public website and it is understood they may contact Parish Council’s in advance.

The Councillor Initiative Fund allows District Councillors to make awards of funding to support a wide range of community projects and activities. Each district Councillor has £4,000 allocated to them to use over a 4-year period. I have five parishes in the ward and try to allocate equal amounts yearly across the ward, each area has had some funds and I have £1000 to spend next year so welcome applications from any small clubs who may be struggling for equipment or any wild life project to enhance communities visually.

66 – 21/22  NOTES OF MEETING HELD ON 6 SEPTEMBER 2021 FOR APPROVAL AND TO BE SIGNED BY THE CHAIRMAN AS MINUTES

That the notes be signed as minutes proposed by Councillor Mrs Sarah Bates, seconded by Councillor Mike Taylor and Resolved.

67 – 21/22  CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTS

A     Correspondence received since last meeting:-

*4.9.2021 – Nettleham Police News letter

*6.9.2021 – CC Ian Fleetwood’s brief

14.9.2021 – LALC E News

15.9.2021 – WLDC Markets Survey

20.9.2021 – LALC E News

22.9.2021 – Notice from WLDC of vacancy of Parish Councillor due to non-attendance of

J Leafe for 6 months

24.9.2021 – Application 143260 - application for an entry level exception site for erection of 21no. affordable dwellings - phase 3, Land to South of Wesley Road Cherry Willingham Lincoln LN3 4GT – noted that this is in Cherry Willingham

24.9.2021 – WYPF Valuation Series – training sessions offered

B  Pedestrian Crossing -  CC Fleetwood stated that the proposed pedestrian crossing would be discussed at the Planning and Regulation Committee of LCC.

C     Community Speedwatch – Councillor Mrs Sarah Bates requested an agenda item for the next meeting ‘Proposal to purchase speed restriction devices’

D     Bollard at The Chase – LCC had proposed fitting a fence and gate across the entrance to The Chase at Hawthorne Road and sought the Parish Councils comments.

That the Council agree to a gate and fence with a spring closure fitting so that it is not left to swing open unanimously Resolved.

The Clerk was also asked to enquire if the fence could be continued along the front of the shrubbed area to replace damaged caused by the LEB works.  An enquiry also to be made as to the tidying up of the area of ground purchased from Greetwell Parish Council.

E     Possibility of registering a permissive path – Notification received that this was not something the County Council now gets involved in and is simply an agreement between the owner of the land on whatever terms.

It was agreed that an approach be made to Nettleham Parish Council to ascertain if, due to the traffic on the A158, they could arrange for an extension of their network of permissive paths to include one at the side of the field up to the horse field on the A158.

F     Bunny Run – To discuss further correspondence from Witham Valley Group – The Group were concerned that the gate was being kept locked along this stretch of highway, therefore the footpath not being accessible.  It was understood that LCC were dealing with this and that this Parish Council had already agreed to the highway being downgraded to bridleway.

The Group had also asked that Greetwell Parish Council request LCC to erect warning signs by the railway bridge at Greetwell warning drivers to be aware of pedestrians on the road.  That this request be met unanimously Resolved.

68 – 21/22  FINANCE

A     Accounts for payment

Glendale Countryside – Village gateways, Westfield Avenue roundabout, The Chase –

That the payments be approved and paid by Bacs unanimously Resolved.

Councillor J Taylor to approve through internet banking.

B     Bank Reconciliation to 30.9.2021 – This would be deferred until next meeting as Co-op bank website not accessible. 

C     To consider joining the LALC Internal Audit Scheme – This scheme was an alternative to having an independent Internal Auditor.  However, Mrs Bridget Solly had indicated that she would be willing to audit the accounts for Greetwell Parish Council for the forthcoming year and this was unanimously Resolved.

D  Review of Risk Assessment – This was reviewed and adopted for the current year.

E     To consider any items for the 2022/23 budget – Councillor Mrs Sarah Bates requested that consideration be given in the budget for the purchase of Speed Indicators.  Agenda item for next PC meeting.

69 – 21/22  PLANNING

Nothing to report

70 – 21/22  TO REVIEW RISK ASSESSMENT FOR LITTER PICK

That this be reviewed without amendment unanimously resolved.

71 – 21/22  CLERKS REPORT

The Clerk reported as follows:-

That she had attended a Clerks refresher training run by LALC - 3 x 21/2 sessions.  The sessions had been interesting and informative.

She had attended a Society of Local Council Clerks meeting at Saxilby on 29.9.2021. 

That meeting dates for next year would be an agenda item for the next meeting – members agreed to continue using Sudbrooke Village Hall as the venue for meetings.

72 – 21/22  CHAIRMANS COMMENTS

The Chairman stated that he was optimistic for the parish obtaining a pedestrian crossing.

73 – 21/22  DATE OF NEXT MEETING

Monday 1 November 2021 7.30pm, Bramham Lounge, Sudbrooke Village Hall.