February 2024 Minutes
PUBLIC FORUM
• There were residents who spoke in the public forum with regards to the outline planning application on the agenda N/192/00095/24 South Grange. The Chair advised that any neighbouring houses wishing to object to the application should have independently written a letter of objection to ELDC. The main objections were that: The proposed buildings were too high / close to current two neighbouring properties blocking light; that current neighbours would lose their privacy; that the buildings would not be in-keeping materially with those already on that road; access directly opposite the refuge on A16 would create even more danger to vehicles accessing and leaving /using A16; no water course therefore concerns regarding flooding of land. Cllr Hall (LCC) would raise the access issue with LCC Highways.
• A member of the public complained about the state of the footpath and the road surface at the top of Grange Lane and onto the A16, it had become dangerous, and the poor state of repair led to trip hazards and large potholes. Although two drains had now been cleared, a drain next down was completely blocked. Two drains on A16 (gutter drains) required a key to open so not cleared. Two drains on the mouth the Grange Lane and A16 had been almost tarmacked over and so blocked. (Clerk to reported on Fix My Street). Cllr Hall (LCC) will also follow up.
Record of Members Present:
Present - Cllr Alan Woodward (AW) (Chair), Cllr Tina Bryan (TTB), Cllr Terry Buckley (TB), Cllr Jackie Woodward (JW) and Cllr Matthew Wright (MW).
Not Present –Cllr Nicola Mackin (JM) and Cllr John Mackin (NM)
In Attendance – Clerk: Maria Vincent, Cllr A Hall, (LCC) and 15 members of the public.
62 Apologies Received
Cllr Nicola Mackin (JM) and Cllr John Mackin (NM).
63 To receive any Declarations of Interest under the Localism Act 2011
None.
64 Minutes
a) It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of Parish Council Meeting 6th December 2023 as correct and the Chairman signed them.
65 Council Matters, Actions and Communications
a) Chairman’s Remarks The Chair reported he had delivered the Utterby Voice and thought that the village was looking very scruffy due to the verges being obliterated by heavy lorries. He was concerned that now there appeared to be only one solitary lady left at Benson Court on her own.
b) Clerk’s Report: Nothing to report.
c) Clerk’s Appraisal: It was RESOLVED to refer this matter to the following meeting.
d) Meeting Dates 2024/25 – It was RESOLVED to approve the dates for the council meetings in 2024/25 and to note that the Annual Council Meeting would be held on the second Wednesday in May (8th) due to the Village Hall AGM and elections also being held during the first week of May.
e) Consultations:
National Grid Pylons – It was RESOLVED that the Council opposed the plan to bring pylons through from Grimsby to Whalpole.
Devolution of Lincolnshire – Now closed.
Louth Travel Board – Residents were urged to complete the consultation regarding Louth Town Centre.
f) Communications were noted from: East Local Policing; Lincs PCC road engagement ref online meeting, St Andrew’s Church regarding toner collection point, LCC Emergency Planning regarding open day (no action to take) London Hearts regarding defib match funding.
g) Annual Parish Meeting - It was RESOLVED that the Annual Parish Meeting would be held at 6pm on Wednesday 8th May 2024 before the Annual Parish Council meeting.
h) It was RESOLVED to approve that the Village Hall Fire Assembly Point would be moved to the Village Green because of a recent fire risk assessment by Safelincs in the Village Hall.
66 Finance and Budgets
a) Council noted that the receipt for the Precept application for 2024/25 had been confirmed by ELDC.
b) It was RESOLVED to approve the payments made in January 2024 (circulated by email):
1. Clerk Salary and expenses for December 23 £237.87 ref 683.
2. HM Revenue and Customs Only120PX00376161 Tax for December 23 £9.00 ref 684.
3. DW Gibbs Bus shelter cleaning January 24 £30.00 ref 685.
4. Utterby Village Hall Hire of hall and Christmas tree donation £111.00 ref 686.
c) It was RESOLVED to approve the following payments for February 2024:
1. Utterby Village Hall, Hall hire Feb and March 2024 £54.00 ref 687.
2. Clerk January salary and expenses £250.82 ref 688.
3. Clerk reimbursement for Utterby Voice £144.86 ref 689.
4. HM Revenue and Customs Only120PX00376161 January 2024 tax £9.00 ref 690.
5. DW Gibbs Feb 24 Bus shelter and phone box £30.00 ref 691.
d) Village Projects 2024 – Cllr Woodward had approached a company to quote for replacing the Kissing Gates with a staggered fencing instead. Clerk now to get further quotations in line with financial regulations.
e) Grass Cutting - It was RESOLVED to award the grass cutting contracts for the amenity verges and village green to Dave Skells Traffic Management Ltd at a cost of £2015 plus VAT for 13 cuts. Even though this quotation was more than the only other company that quoted, the council agreed that due to the poor work undertaken by last year’s contractor, they would not wish to use them again if there was an alternative.
f) Daffodils - It was RESOLVED that David Buckley would plant the daffodil bulbs (supplied by the council) at a cost of £70.
g) Quarterly Monitoring - It was RESOLVED to approve the Quarterly Monitoring (October to December 2023) following being checked by Cllr TTB and JW.
67 Planning
a) It was RESOLVED to ratify to decision to make no comment (as no meeting held and insufficient agreement in comments received) ref N/192/02430/23 LANGDALE, CHURCH LANE, UTTERBY, LOUTH, LN11 0TH Planning Permission - Erection of a freestanding pergola (works started) with amendment - The proposals have been amended to include an extension to the pergola which has already been sited on the northern elevation round to cover the length of the western elevation.
b) Following a lengthy discussion, it was RESOLVED to object to the outline planning application N/192/00095/24 South Grange Outline erection of 2no. dwellings with existing outbuildings to be
demolished (with site layout and means of access to be considered). LOCATION: South Grange, MAIN ROAD, UTTERBY LN11 0QT for the following reasons:
• Garden grabbing both sides of current property.
• Overshadowing/loss of outlook to the detriment of residential properties on both sides.
• Overlooking and loss of privacy of residential properties on both sides.
• Highway issues: traffic generation, vehicular access, highway safety as access onto very busy A16 directly opposite the (road island) refuge. There have been a number of car accidents on this stretch of road of late.
• Noise disturbance due to proximity of planned builds to that of neighbouring properties.
• Visual appearance not in keeping with current property on the land.
• No water course and therefore concern that land would be prone to flooding with further development.
c) There were no urgent planning applications to consider or any updates.
68 Parish Council Amenities (bus shelters, village green, etc)
a) Welcome Pack – One pack had been delivered to new residents.
b) Village Green and Verges – It was RESOLVED that the Clerk would contact the Pest Control company and ask that they treat the verges for mole hills, and from this date the Clerk would contact Pest Control when the need arose, not having to bring the decision to a meeting.
c) Trees – Due to weather the replacement trees have not yet been purchased.
d) Bus shelters – Nothing to report.
e) Telephone Box – Inside the telephone box still to be painted and a resident has offered to undertake this.
f) Kissing Gates – See finance item above.
g) Utterby Voice - nothing to report.
69 ELDC/LCC Services (Streetlights, Bins, Highways, Verges, Footpaths, etc)
a) A16 speed limit – It was RESOLVED to ratify the statement agreed with Councillors by email:
Utterby Parish Council response to A16 UTTERBY – PROPOSED 30MPH SPEED LIMIT
Utterby Parish Council are pleased to support the proposed reduction in speed limit along the A16 through Utterby.
We would also like to see considered in the future the stretch of road, currently 50mph from Peartree Lane to just before Chapel Lane, reduced to 40mph as we consider the reduction from 50 to 30 less likely to happen without gradual transition.
We would also appreciate any information that you can provide on how Lincolnshire County Council intend to enforce the 30mph limit.
b) Parking bays outside Bank Cottage, Main Road, Utterby – Cllr Hall (LCC) had met with the person who had requested the parking bay and was now dealing with the enquiry.
c) Benson Court – The complaint that glass and other debris littered the grass and car park at Benson Court had been responded to by Platform Housing and they said that they would deal with the issue. There was concern that there was now 6 skips on the car park and that this area was now being treated as a commercial area opposed to a residential area (still a person living at Benson Court) and that this would surely need planning permission, and further that we had originally been informed that the skip and storage was a stop gap solution whilst some work was being carried out in (it was thought) Skegness. It was RESOLVED that the Clerk would write to Platform Housing (cc Cllr Mossop and Cllr William Grey the portfolio holder) to raise their concerns and objections to the current situation.
d) Any urgent issues or updates – The Clerk reported that ELDC Planning would no longer follow up with a council if they had not made a consultee comment on an application and it would instead be assumed that they wished not to respond.
70 Notifications
Nothing to report.
71 Date and time of Next Meeting
a) It was noted that that the next meeting was on Wednesday March 6th 2024 at 7pm in the Village Hall, Utterby.
Meeting finished at 8:41pm.
Signed ___________________ Date________________________