2025 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF WIGTOFT PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON the 12th of May 2025

Present: Cllr I Mills; Cllr S Baxter; Cllr B Leggott; Cllr S Smith; Cllr K Redhead and Cllr S Collingwood.                                                                               Also present: None.

Public Forum. (The Public Forum does not form part of the meeting of the Parish Council)

None.

Cllr Mills opened the meeting at 20.00.

013/25  Chairperson’s remarks – none.

014/25  Apologies and reasons for absence. Apologies and reason for absence were received from Cllr Brigham due to being on holiday. It was resolved to accept her apologies and reason for absence.

015/25  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 – Cllr Smith declared an interest in agenda item 17.

016/25  Notes of the meetings held on 7.4.25 to be confirmed and signed as minutes.

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

017/25  Financial matters: To resolve to accept the accounts for payment for April 2025 to be checked and signed by 2 Councillors at this meeting and budget figures for the year to date. Bank balance £13040.52 as at 6.5.25. To receive and agree the checked bank reconciliation for the period 1.1.25 to 31.3.25 from Cllr Baxter.

It was resolved to accept the bank reconciliation for the period 1.1.25 to 31.3.25 checked by Cllr Baxter. The accounts for payment were checked against the invoices and the lists signed by  Cllrs Smith and Baxter. It was resolved to agree the payments. The clerk had circulated the budget figures up to date for the current financial year to the Councillors prior to the meeting. The clerk advised that there was nothing new to comment on or explain for the current year to date. It was resolved to accept the budget figures year to date as an accurate copy of the Parish Council’s receipts and payments from and the balance of the bank account at £13040.52.

ACTION: Clerk to make payments and add budget to website

018/25  Planning: B/25/0168 – stage two consultation for the proposed Meridian Solar Farm.

It was resolved unanimously that there were no comments. ACTION: Clerk to advise planning department at BBC.

019/25  Correspondence received since the April meeting.

9.4.25    Information from Borough Councillor James Cantwell about the proposed emergency group. Emailed to Councillors 13.4.25.

29.4.25  LCC Parish Council Community Newsletter                  Emailed to Councillors and added to website 29.4.25

30.4.25  Email from Borough Cllr Cantwell about the new round of funding opportunities from UKSP. Emailed to Councillors 30.4.25

9.5.25    Email to and from County Councillor Lock, our new LCC Councillor.                                            Emailed to Councillors 9.5.25.

**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. **FB is short for Facebook

020/25  Councillors’ Reports

Cllr Leggott – Could we discuss having goal nets in the playing field? ACTION: Agenda item next meeting.

021 /25 Borough and County Councillors reports.

None present.

022/25  Clerk’s report

Noticeboard update – awaiting quote to remove old noticeboard and install replacement.

Microsoft renewal due 29.4.25, cost £84.99. I have renewed it at a cost of £49.99.

Cllr Brigham reported fallen branches in the playing field. I arranged for them to be removed at a cost of £50.

Precept for the first half of our financial year now received less the charge for electricity usage for the footway lighting.

Land rent due 1.5.25 to 31.10.25 received and reimbursement for the drainage rates.

I would like to thank Cllr Leggot for his help with the quotes and content of the Insurance Policy details and Cllr Brigham for her help in this matter too.

023/25  Internal Auditor Report 24/25

The Internal Auditors Report had been sent to the Chairperson and then shared with all Councillors in advance of the meeting. There were no items to discuss. It was resolved to accept the Internal Audit report for 24/25.

024/25  Certificate of Exemption 24/25

The clerk has prepared a certificate of exemption from a limited assurance review by the auditors.  The Parish Council qualified due to income or expenditure for the financial year being under £25000. It was resolved to confirm the accuracy of this document which was then signed by the chairperson. ACTION: Clerk to submit to the auditors, PKF Littlejohn before the last due date of 30.6.25.

025/25  Annual Governance Statement 24/25.

The Annual Government Statement was completed and each line agreed with the whole Council. It was resolved that the Chairperson and the clerk should sign the document to confirm the accuracy of the responses.  

026/25  Accounting Statement 24/25

The clerk had completed the Accounting Statement in advance of the meeting as per the audit requirements, signed  and circulated it to the Councillors prior to the meeting. It was resolved to accept the data on this document and it was signed by the Chairperson.

The previous four documents will be published on the Council’s website.

027/25  To review the Play Area inspection undertaken by the clerk.

The clerk had circulated the report to the Councillors prior to the meeting. There were no new items of concern to discuss.

Cllr Smith left the meeting room.

028/25 To decide whether to accept the quotes to take down the old noticeboard and erect the new one £150,  to remove the ivy on the back of the bus shelter £25 and to treat the necessary surfaces in the play area with Wet and Forget to remove algae and moss, £25 or not.

It  was resolved to accept the three quotes for the work as detailed above.

Cllr Smith returned to the meeting room.

029/25  To discuss the two invoices received from T N Sneath & sons for grass cutting in the village and to decide what action to take.

The clerk advised Council that there was an invoice for grass cutting for £324 plus vat from October last year which was not received. Also, the clerk has queried the data on the latest invoice for £790 plus vat as it did not tie up with our records. Following a conversation with the contractors, it was agreed that the amount on the invoice was correct but there were some errors with the dates noted and confirmation texts to the clerk each time the grass was cut. It was resolved to make both payments. ACTION: Clerk to email contractors to remind them of the Parish Council’s requirements which was agreed when their quote was accepted.

Meeting closed at 21.03.  Next meeting is on the 2nd of June at 7.30pm at the Village Hall.