2024 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF WIGTOFT PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON the 7th of October 2024.

Present: Cllr S Brigham; Cllr S Baxter; Cllr B Leggott; Cllr S Smith and Cllr I Mills. Also present County Councillor M Brookes and Boston Borough Councillor J Cantwell.

Chairman’s remarks – none.

Public Forum – none.

065/24  To receive apologies and reasons for absence. Apologies and reasons for absence received from Cllrs Redhead due to holiday and Cllr Collingwood for personal reasons. It was resolved to accept their apologies and reasons for absence.

066/24  To receive declarations of interest under the Localism Act 2011 – being any pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest not previously recorded on Member’s Register of Interests – Cllrs Brigham and Smith declared an interest in agenda item 21 as they are both involved in organising this event and have requested help towards funding it.

067/24  Notes of the meetings held on 31.7.24 to be confirmed and signed as minutes.

The above notes were agreed and signed as minutes by Cllr Brigham. It was resolved to accept the notes as minutes.

068/24  Financial matters: Accounts due for payment for August and September and budget figures ytd. To confirm the checking of the bank reconciliation from 1.4.24 to 30.6.24 by Cllr Smith.

It was resolved to agree the payment schedules and the budget figures ytd. ACTION: Clerk to make payments and add budget to website

069/24  Planning: B/24/0381, proposed timber framed agricultural building at Growing Wild, Washdike Nursery, Washdike Drove, PE20 2QA.

It was resolved that there were no comment to send to the planning department.  ACTION: Clerk to advise planning.

070/24 Correspondence received since the 31.7.24 Meeting.

1.10.24  LALC emails about temporary replacement Webmaster                          Emailed to Councillors 1.10.24

               LALC fortnightly enews.                                   Emailed to Councillors 15.8.24

BBC new regular email re events in area        Emailed to Councillors 19.8.24

19.9.24  LCC re Greater Lincs Devolution Update        Emailed to Councillors 30.9.24

20.9.24  LALC Fortnightly enews and training bulletin                              Emailed to Councillors 25.9.24

20.9.24  LIVES info about their First Aid Courses         Emailed to Cllrs 30.9.24

21.9.24  Email from LALC re the sudden passing of Peter Langford, Webmaster for LALC and a lot of PCs in Lincolnshire including Wigtoft                            Emailed Cllrs 22.9.24        

23.9.24  Community Leaders Engagement Briefing from BBC and minutes from last meeting.                Emailed to Cllrs 30.9.24

23.9.24  Boston Community Policing Priority Setting                Emailed to Cllrs 30.9.24    

24.9.24  Town and Parish Councils Newsletter from LCC          Emailed to Cllrs 30.9.24

25.9.24  BBC, summary of social media posts for the week.     Emailed to Councillors 30.9.24

27.9.24  BBC Gambling Policy, statement pf principles.             Emailed to Councillors 30.9.24

30.9.24 Boston Parish News from BBC                        Emailed to Councillors 1.10.24. Posted on website and link on FB.                                   

**NALC is short for National Association of Local Councils.  **LALC is short for Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils.   **BBC is short for Boston Borough Council   ** LCC is short for Lincolnshire County Council

071/24  Councillors’ Reports

Cllr Mills – asked who owns the plot of land on Asperton Road where construction of residential housing has started. There is grass and nettles overhanging the path. On the left hand side of Asperton Road about 100 yards past the building site, the road edge by the pavement has a lot of grass growing along it. Borough Councillor Cantwell offered to liaise with  Boston Borough Council re action needed. Cllr Mills updated the Council about the sidings work due to be done on the path outside the chicken farm.  He said it will be done asap. There is still the same problem with dog poo around the Fishmere End junction. Action: Cllr Mills to forward photos of Asperton Road to the clerk who will send on to Cllr Cantwell. County Cllr Brookes will mention the urgency of the sidings work to the Highways Manager. Clerk to request another reminder to be included in the village News and Views about the dog poo.  

Cllr Leggott – the lay by on the left hand side of the A17 heading towards Kings Lynn is flooded. Action: Clerk to report on Fix My Street. Burtoft Lane South and Green Lane surfaces have been redressed.

Cllr Smith   - The Market Place parking area has been resurfaced.

Cllr Brigham – a resident has reported to me that that two young males (teenagers but school age) are arriving on bikes and going into the play area and the toddler area regularly at about 10am and look to be abusing the equipment. Action: Clerk to report to local Police.

072/24  Borough and County Councillors reports.

County Councillor Brookes – The Chief Inspector of Boston Police will be holding a bi annual meeting  for the rural division which covers Sutterton and Wigtoft.

Cllr Cantwell – Borough Cllr Brown and I will be holding another surgery in the Village Hall soon. I have sent out an email about grant funding for purchasing new defibrillators. There will be a full Boston Borough Council meeting to discuss the removal of the Winter Fuel Allowance for pensioners.

073/24  Clerk’s report

The second half of the precept £7024 was received on 17.9.24.

The grass cutting schedule in the playing field has reverted to fortnightly

Update – chased yet again. She is chasing the contractors for information. I have spoken to our new contact at the Borough about ordering LED lamps to replace the old ones. I am waiting for confirmation of the price. Price now confirmed and no change at £350 each, total £3150. Resolution to spend 107/23. My contact at the Borough is away until 30.7.24.

I sent out emails to you about the tyre bin in the lay by provided by Wyberton Wombles. I have not yet received any further information from Wigtoft Litter Pickers about the quantity of litter in the tyre bin since installation.

The hedge on the corner at the junction of Asperton Road and the Market Place has been cut back. Email request sent 2.9.24.

Cllr Smith posted the bank reconciliation to me on 12.9.24 at a cost of £2.10. I received notification on the 24.9.24 that there was a letter for me to collect from Horncastle delivery office with no stamp on it and there was a fee of £5 to pay. This turned out to be the missing envelope. I collected the envelope and filed a complaint with Royal Mail. I received a letter of apology dated the 25.9.24 enclosing two books of 4 first class stamps worth £10.80. I will reimburse Cllr Smith £2.10 and myself £5 and put the stamps in with the current postage stamps I hold on behalf of the PC. I will be claiming £7.24 mileage.

074/24  To review the play area/playing field inspection for August undertaken by Cllr Collingwood and for September by Cllr Mills and to agree any actions needed.

The issues reported were - a rotten tree by the access gate; part of the seat on the grass is rotten: a replacement roundabout and surface underneath will need consideration at the budget planning meeting. It was resolved to monitor the tree, get a quote to repair the seat and paint it and get a quote for replacing the roundabout. Action: clerk to obtain quotes.

 075/24 To confirm the acceptance of the quote for £90 plus vat to cut the Wildlife Garden grass and decide how the mown grass is to be collected up.       It was resolved to accept this quote. No decision made re collecting up the grass.

076/23  To confirm the acceptance of the quote by Victoria Clark for the midyear and year end  Internal Audit at the same cost as last year, £100.                    It was resolved to accept the quote.

077/24  To discuss the Councillors inspection of the trees in the playing field and to reconsider the two estimates for the work on the trees in the playing field, £1500 and £2000.

Cllr Leggott told Council he wasn’t convinced that all of the work quoted was needed. It was resolved that the clerk would contact the contractor who gave the cheaper quote to ask if he would visit the site with Cllr Leggott to review the work needed. It was also resolved that once the amount of work had been confirmed, a new quote would be requested or the quote for £1500 is to be accepted. Action: clerk to make contact as above.

078/24  To discuss the replacement of the noticeboard. Email sent 1.8.24

Following a discussion, it was resolved that the clerk is to research any funding opportunities to allow the Council to but a better quality noticeboard. Action: clerk to research funding opportunities.

079/24  To discuss the purchase of nets for the goal posts in the playing field requested by a resident.  

Further information about this is needed before nets can be purchased. Clerk to research.

080/24  To discuss the Speed Indicator Device donated by Swineshead Parish Council to be shared with Amber Hill and to confirm joining the LCC Community Speedwatch at a cost of £60. Email sent.

Following a discussion it was unanimously resolved NOT to take up the offer as Council felt that the older type devices are difficult to move and will create a lot of work to download the information manually Council will consider the purchase of a new device when undertaking the budgeting procedure for the next financial year. It was resolved to join the Community Speedwatch at a maximum cost of £60. Action: Clerk to advise the clerk for Amber Hill and Swineshead Parish Councils.

081/24  To decide if more salt is needed for the bin on Asperton Road. Email sent 18/9.

Cllr Brigham had checked the existing bin and photographs had been circulated. The bin is damaged. It was resolved to request a new bin and a salt bag. Action: clerk to contact LCC.

082/24  To discuss the clerk’s leave from the 28.1.25 for 2 weeks and a possible change of date for the February meeting.

It was resolved to bring the February meeting forward to the 20.1.24. Action: clerk to check that the Village Hall is available for this date and if so amend the meetings schedule, forward to all councillors and amend on the website.

083/24  To discuss the request from Sandra Brigham and Sally Smith for a donation from the Parish Council towards the Senior Citizens Christmas Lunch.

Cllrs Brigham and Smith left the room at 20:56

Information about the request was given to Council prior to the debate. “This event is in its 4th year. We will charge the minimum amount for tickets. We are using outside caterers and request £100 towards the funds we have already. It was resolved to donate £100. Action: Clerk to make payment.

Cllrs Brigham and Smith rejoined the meeting at 20:58.

Meeting closed at 21:59.  Next meeting 4.11.24 at 7pm.