2023 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

Welbourn Parish Council 

MINUTES OF THE OF THE MEETING OF WELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 8 NOVEMBER 2023 IN THE WELBOURN VILLAGE HALL AT 7.30 p.m.

PRESENT 

Not Present

1. Welcome

2. Acceptance of reasons for absence

2.1 Cllrs Huntsman, Stark and Short and County Councillor Marianne Overton MBE gave their apologies. These were accepted.

3. Declaration of interest in any matter on the agenda – None declared. 

4. Notes of the meeting held on 11 October 2023 were approved as minutes.  Proposed by Cllr. Spedding and seconded by Cllr. Mark Crosby. 

4.1 Resolved: That these be accepted as minutes. 

5. Clerk’s Report on matters outstanding

5.1 Report of possible pollution in the village hall pond/beck has been received.. 

5.2 Action: Parish Clerk to arrange for water sample to be analysed. 

5.3 A letter was sent to Taylor Lindsey Homes regarding the development site opposite village shop. The following response has been received,” We will have a look at the site and see what can be done to improve its appearance, pending development.”

5.4 Regarding the pedestrian bridge over the moat, the Parish Clerk has written to the relevant department of Lincolnshire County Council to ask if it has any details of contractors who could carry out a survey of the structural stability of the bridge. 

5.5 The Parish Council’s solicitors have been instructed register a restriction on the playing field as required by the FCC Communities Fund grant conditions and the Village Hall & Playing Field Committee have been asked to notify their insurers regarding the imminent installation of the play equipment. 

5.6 The Litter Picking Grant application to NKDC has been approved and paid to WPC. A litter pick was carried out on 27 October 2023. 

5.7 Regarding item 17.6 from the October 2023 minutes, the official colour for BT old style telephone kiosks is Currant Red. Suitable paint costs £40.50 plus VAT for 2.5 litre tin. 

6. Public Forum 

6.1 Resident AB reported that she had hosted a meeting of residents on 7 November 2023 to gather information from those affected by surface water flooding and sewerage spills into their property during Storm Babet on 20 October 2023. The meeting had been a success with crucial information about the flows of water through the village during the storm, the number of houses affected, and the extent of flood damage caused. This information will be used to prepare a report on the flood damage which will be sent to the Welbourn Parish Council, Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) and Anglian Water and will include proposed solutions to prevent similar problems occurring in future. 

6.2 Resident DM is helping AB prepare this report. He made a short presentation describing his initial findings regarding three main flows of water through the village, using maps and photographs. The report when finished, will identify problematic drains, ditches, culverts and suggest solutions including the creation of new culverts, wider ditches, and attenuation ponds.

6.3 The Chair expressed his support and thanks for the work being done by AB and DM. 

6.4 Resident JR had submitted 12 drainage related questions which had been sent to the Parish Clerk earlier in the day. The Chair provided answers to these questions to the reasonable satisfaction of JR. JR said that there had been several similar flooding incidents over the past few years. Remedial plans and actions taken place after each incident, but then those responsible had “taken their eye off the ball”. He volunteered to act as a representative for his part of the village when a meeting with Lincolnshire County Council, Anglian Water and the Parish Council takes place. This meeting will be arranged after the report being prepared by AB and DM is available. 

6.5 JR noted that the drainage ditch on the east side of the A607 as you enter the village from the south is choked with weeds. There followed a discussion between the Chair and JR concerning possible solutions to the general flooding problems affecting the village. It was agreed that the problem needs addressing in view climate change. 

7. County and District Councillors updates 

7.1 The monthly newsletters have been received by the Parish Clerk and circulated to Parish Councillors. 

7.2 Cllr Hagues had nothing further to add and left the meeting at 8.20pm. 

8. Current and future maintenance responsibilities 

8.1 The pollarding of the willows at Castle Hill has been delayed as the contractor’s lorry needed repairing. A new date is to be agreed. 

8.2 The dog waste bin on Cow Lane has disappeared. 

8.3 Action: Parish Clerk to arrange to order and fit a new dog waste bin to replace this item. 

8.4 The old horse chestnut tree on The Green near the old telephone box is suffering from white rot and honeydew fungus and could become a health and safety hazard. The tree is the responsibility of Lincolnshire County Council Highways and needs to be removed and a replacement tree arranged.

8.5 Resolved: Request LCC Highways to inspect the tree and report back to the Parish Council before taking further action.

9. Planning Matters to consider and discuss: 

9.1 Notification of Intended Works to Trees in a Conservation Area.

Application reference: 23/1271/TCA. 
Description of works: T1 Horse Chestnut - crown lift to 4m; T5 Norwegian Maple - crown lift to 4m; T4 Conifer - fell to ground level; T2 & T3 Conifer - reduce height by 3m; T6 Tulip tree - fell to ground level.
Location: 6 Beck Street, Welbourn.

9.2 Resolved: Approved. 

10. Notifications of Planning Decisions: 

10.1 Notification of Withdrawal of Planning Application Reference: 23/0625/HOUS

Proposal: Erection of two storey side extension and car port
Location: Chestnut Tree Cottage The Heath Wellingore

10.2 Application Reference: 23/0746/HOUS – Approved by NKDC
Proposal: Demolition of existing outbuilding and erection of front, side and rear extensions and installation of solar panels
Location: Field House Cliff Road Welbourn

10.3 Resolved: The above notifications are noted by the Parish Council.

11. Finance Report (From Responsible Finance Officer): - To review bank balances, invoices paid since last meeting since, items to be paid before next meeting and present quarterly budget comparison: -

11. Finance Report (From Responsible Finance Officer): - To review bank balances, invoices paid since last meeting since, and items to be paid before next meeting: -

11.1 Accounts value (1 November 2023):

N.B. Cllr. Bighi checked these balances against bank statements and initialled. 

11.2 Bank reconciled:    £0 discrepancy.

11.3 Payments made since 11 October 2023

11.4 Payments received since last meeting:

11.5 Expected payments within the next meeting (10 January 2024): 

11.5 Investments 

Melton Building Society Account (Reserves): Balance £972.81

11.6 Resolved: - That items 11.1 to 11.5 be noted and approved. 

12. To consider and approve the budget for 2024-25. 

12.1 In view of the comment made at 8.4 above, the Council decided to add £800 to the Tree Maintenance budget previously presented prior to the meeting. Also, the Responsible Finance Office received notification of the 2023-2024 Pay award for the NJC pay Scales on 7 November so the Wages /salaries figure is higher by £1003.60 than stated in the agenda. 

12.2 Resolved that the following budget for 2024/2025 be approved: -

13. To consider a request to donate to emergency flood relief expenses incurred by a Welbourn resident under S137 of The Local Government Act 1972. 

13.1 This item was withdrawn at the request of the resident affected. 

14. To consider a proposal from a resident to consider the provision of roadside bins to store sand in the event of flooding. 

14.1 The following alternative options were discussed as suggested by the resident: 

1.   To ask LCC Highways if the Parish Council can repurpose the existing grit bins to store sand.

2.   To buy new grit bin/containers to be placed next to the current grit bins. 

3.   To store sand in one place in the village. 

14.2 Resolved: To pursue option 3 by checking the availability of sand from the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum and /or the Environment Agency. Options 1 and 2 are considered to be unworkable and outside the remit of the Parish Council. 

15. To consider a donation for the purchase of a wreath for Remembrance Sunday under the provisions of S137 of The Local Government Act 1972.

15.1 Resolved: - No British Legion branch is available to accept a donation for a wreath. 

16. Emergency Plan Planning

16.1 Cllr Smith presented a comprehensive report on the implications of adopting the Emergency Plan template recommended by the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum (LRF). This was introduced as an idea by a representative from the LRF at the Annual Parish Meeting in May 2023. Her report covered the following topics: 

16.2 Resolved: - To continue to work towards the implementation of an Emergency Plan through the creation of a working group lead by a Welbourn resident and including Parish Council representation. Parish Clerk to prepare an article for 3 Villages and a Hamlet Magazine requesting recruits to the working group. 

17. FCC Communities Foundation - Update from Cllr Bighi

Cllr Bighi had a site meeting with the Proludic Contracts Manager on 3 November 2023. Various housekeeping arrangements were discussed. Proludic hope to start work shortly. The deposit invoice has been received from Proludic and the VAT portion of this will be paid by Welbourn Parish Council later this month after confirmation that FCC CF have paid the net amount of the deposit due. 

18. Portfolio Holder Update

18.1 Cllr Crosby agreed to obtain an estimate from a local tradesman for repainting the old telephone box on The Green.

18.2 Cllr Beaty requested that the Parish Clerk contact the tree specialist carrying out the pollarding of the willows at Castle Hill to warn them not to commence work until the ground is firm to avoid damage to the grass surface on Castle Hill. 

18.3 Cllr Spedding requested that the Parish Clerk write a letter of thanks to AB thanking her for organising the residents meeting on 7 November 2023. 

18.4 Approved by the Council. 

18. Agenda items for next meeting: - Emergency Planning; Neighbourhood Plan, 

Next meeting: 10 January 2024

Meeting closed at 9.27 pm. 

Copies to:

All Parish Councillors; County & District Councillors. Parish Council Web Site. 

Future Parish Council Meetings: