September 2021 Minutes
PUBLIC FORUM
• A resident highlighted an issue with weeds in the lane he lived, but reported that a neighbour had contacted LCC regarding this. The resident also reported an issue with a very noxious smelling bonfire. It was suggested by Councillors that we could put an advert in the Utterby Voice again regarding bonfires.
• Cllr. Mossop spoke about the Riparian Working Group, responsibilities of residents regarding dykes and waterways. Cllr Mossop asked for an update on the Chapel Lane issue with large lorries delivering building material etc. It was reported that since the large signs had been erected, there had been only a few lorries driving down the lane, but that the builders were noisy which made sitting out in gardens unpleasant. It was reported that each building plot had been sold separately.
Record of Members Present:
Present - Cllr Alan Woodward (AW) (Chair), Cllr Nicola Gallant (NG), Cllr John Mackin (JM), Cllr Nicola Mackin (NM), Cllr Jackie Woodward (JW) and Cllr Matthew Wright (MW).
Not Present - Cllr Terry Buckley (TB).
In Attendance - Clerk Maria Vincent, Cllr Mossop (ELDC) and one member of the public.
32. Apologies Received
None received.
33. To receive any Declarations of Interest under the Localism Act 2011
None.
34. Minutes
It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Parish Council Meeting 7th July 2021 as correct record and the Chairman signed them.
35. Council Matters, Actions and Communications
a) Chairman’s Remarks. The Chairman reported that he had been watering all the flower troughs, that a new one was now installed on the Main Road (and that he had repainted the Main Road sign also). Primulas had been replaced by geraniums. He also reported that he had delivered letters around the green about the felling on the willow tree and that he had completed the Treescape application form to apply for free large trees for the Village Green (see item 38).
b) Clerk’s Report. The Clerk reported that HSBC would no longer be offering free banking and that the Council would have to pay (from November 2021) £8 per month plus £1 per cheque. The Clerk would look at charges by other banks so that we could assess at a later meeting if it was best to move banks, or at the very least change to internet banking. The Clerk also reported that she had concerns that the grass cutting company were only cutting the verges and village green once a month, but they had confirmed that it was being cut twice a month, they were just a bit behind with invoicing.
c) Consultations – The Council noted the information sent out by email at the time regarding Anti-social Behaviour, Crime & Policing and the Bus Survey (deadlines passed).
d) Communications
i. The Clerk read out a letter from the Village Hall Committee regarding concerns that the Village Green trees branches currently hanging over the parking area in the Village Hall would cause an issue with parked cars and also that they were causing an obstruction to the telegraph wires. All Councillors inspected the said issues and it was RESOLVED that the Chairman would arrange to trim the branches hanging over. Cllr JW had spoken to the owners of the bungalow whose telephone wires were running near/through the trees and they had no issues. It was noted that Openreach surveyed trees growing near to wires and that they would alert us to any pruning needed.
ii. The Council noted communications (sent out at the time by email) regarding the Historic Asset Listing, Wolds Police Quarterly Update and the Riparian Working Group (deadline to apply passed). The new Historic Asset Listing was discussed and although many Utterby sites were on there, the Council should check whether the Round House and Ivy Cottage (wattle and daub) should be included.
36 Finance and Budgets
a) It was RESOLVED to move this item to the end of the meeting (minuted in its original order). It was RESOLVED to go into Closed Session. It was RESOLVED that the Clerk’s hourly payment rate would be increased to point 12 on the pay scale – an hourly rate of £11.53. It was RESOLVED to come out of Closed Session.
b) It was RESOLVED to approve the payments: Glendale Countryside Ltd -Grass cutting July 2021 £118.80, Clerk -July and August salary and expenses £377.28, DW Gibbs -August and Sept Bus Shelters £40.00, Brookdale Tree Surgery-Tree felling and crowning £402.00, J Woodward -Planter, plants etc £74.98, David Buckley -Hedges and strimming May £100.00 TOTAL £ 1,113.06
c) It was RESOLVED not to use the new LALC audit service and instead to continue to use the services of Steve Fletcher from Mablethorpe Town Council who had been undertaking the Utterby Internal Audit for the last few years.
d) Councillors were asked to consider projects for the 2022/23 budget and bring it to the November meeting.
e) It was RESOVLED to approve the Quarterly Monitoring undertaken end June 2021.
37 Planning
a) It was RESOLVED to ratify the comments made for the planning application for N/192/01447/21 The Barn - “Utterby Parish Councillors who made comment had no objections to this application.”
b) There were no urgent planning issues to consider.
38 Parish Council Amenities (bus shelters, village green, etc)
a) Welcome Pack – No packs had been given out, but Cllr. JM did report new residents in the village.
b) Village Trees –
i. It was reported that the tree work and felling undertaken had been carried out very well.
ii. It was RESOLVED to ratify the application made by the Chairman to the Treescapes Fund for 8-10ft silver birch, hornbeam and roan tree.
iii. It was RESOLVED to speak to the company who did the last tree survey and find out if a budget of £250 would cover a new survey, to check the health of the trees and to clarify types of trees that the Parish Council were responsible for.
iv. It was RESOLVED to contact a local garden nursery that dealt with large trees to find out the availability and cost of a new weeping willow tree – ELDC have stated that when planted the circumference of the trunk of the new tree, measured at 150 centimetres above ground level, must be 12-14 centimetres. Further that a tree should be ordered and the contractor paid to plant it so that the tree had the best chance of survival. That the position of the tree be near to where the previous willow was felled.
c) Village Green – All fine.
d) Bus Shelters – All fine.
e) Planters – A member of the public offered to water the planter at the end of Grange Lane. The Chairman asked that if any Councillors passed by the planters on their lanes, that they could water them also.
f) Village Christmas Decorations – It was RESOLVED that the Parish Council would look at decorating the tree on the opposite side of the Village Hall (by wooden sign) with battery/solar lights for Christmas 2021 – these would be the only decorations. If this was successful, they would consider a decorated Christmas Tree on the Village Green in 2022. Clerk to look at prices for lights.
g) Utterby Voice – It was agreed that the next Utterby Voice would be published in January 2022.
h) It was RESOLVED that the Clerk request prices for UK cloud storage.
39 ELDC/LCC Services (Streetlights, Bins, Highways, Verges, Footpaths, etc
a) No urgent issues.
b) The Clerk reported that there had been no action by LCC to cut the trees near Church Lane obscuring vision for traffic from Church Lane onto A16, as they were ‘not permitted to prune any hedges/trees under Natural England regulations’ (Cllr Hall suggested this was birds nesting). It was RESOLVED that now we were in the autumn that we should update the request on Fix My Street.
c) It was RESOLVED to report the hedge overgrowth and poor condition of pathway along A16 on Fix My Street.
d) It was RESOLVED to report the hedge overgrowth on the Benson Court Hedges to Platform Housing.
40 Notifications
a) Nothing to report.
41 Date and time of Next Meeting
a) Parish Council Annual Meeting on Wednesday October 6th 2021 at 7pm at the Village Hall.
The meeting finished at 8:31pm.
Signed ___________________ Date______________________