May 2026 Minutes
MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
Tuesday 12th May 2026 at 6PM
There were 15 people who attended the meeting, made up of Councillors, speakers and members of the public.
The Parish Council Clerk took the minutes.
1. Chairman’s introduction
The Chair welcomed those present to the meeting.
2. Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held Wednesday 13th May 2025
The minutes were approved and signed.
3. Annual Report - Utterby Parish Council & ELDC
a) The Chair of the Parish Council, Cllr Traves, presented a report outlining the work and achievements of the Parish Council over the last 12 months. He covered careful financial management and good governance. The Council is in a good financial position with strong reserves for replacing worn out assets and to cover emergency spending. The Council has escalated issues to ELDC and LCC and other partners. Residents’ views are always taken into account. Community-based work included a litter pick organised by Cllr Lashbrooke-Small and a defibrillator training session. Work to improve road safety has been a priority with LCC agreeing to reduce the speed limits on approach to the village from 50mph to 40mph. The Council has invested in shared spaces including the maintenance of benches, hedges and bus shelters, replacement of the millennium bench base, gates and fencing at the entrances to public rights of way, and tree works on the village green. The Council looks forward to carrying with its positive work in the coming year.
Cllr Mossop presented a report as the EDLC District Councillor. Cllr Mossop referenced the future challenges posed by Local Government Reform, flooding and large development projects. It is anticipated that £4,000 of Councillor’s Community Grant funding will be available again this coming year for community projects.
4. Annual reports from village organisations: -
a) LIFT Utterby – Mr Tom Hawkins
Mr Hawkins introduced the new name for the school which reflects the mission to lift aspirations. Currently 71 pupils attend. 60% of pupils travel in from outside the immediate catchment area. An Ofsted inspection recently reported that the school is meeting all of the expected standards in all areas. The school has supported the community café at the church. A dedicated group of pupils worked to tidy up the church grounds demonstrating involvement in the wider village community. Mr Hawkins thanked the PTA for its support to the school.
b) St Andrew’s District Church Council – Roger Stanniforth
The church holds regular services – with some of the services conducted as café services. Special services included – Christingle – Songs of Praise, a harvest festival and pumpkin trail. A service for pets is planned for this year. Pupils from the school visit the church to help at the café and do gardening work in the churchyard. The churchyard is appreciated by visitors and the grant from the Parish Council is appreciated. Numerous grants have been received to enable the church and its activities to continue.
c) Village Hall Committee – Simon (Chair of the UVH)
The Chair thanked all committee members and non-committee members for helping with jobs around the site. Electrical testing had been carried out. Fire safety had been reviewed and improved with all required testing and maintenance. Grants and donations had enabled many improvements to be made in the last year. Policies and governance were all in place to ensure the site is safe and compliant. The website, and social media platforms as well as fliers, calendars and newsletter articles keep the villagers informed. Hall use has increased from 202 last year to 235 hirers this year. The committee takes its role very seriously and hopes to continue its development and achievement over the coming year.
d) Any other groups wishing to present a report
None
5. Open Forum
Matters raised: -
None raised.
The meeting closed at 6.50PM