January 2020 Minutes
MINUTES OF OLD SOMERBY PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
14 JANUARY 2020 7.15PM AT THE FOX AND HOUNDS
PRESENT: Cllrs: Lowndes, Percy, North, Stephens, Burrows and Parish Clerk David Holmes
A Public Forum was held at 7pm with 2 members of the public in attendance
1. APOLOGIES: None
2. DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTERESTS OR APPLICATIONS FOR DISPENSATIONS:
None
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
The minutes of meetings held 21 Oct 2019 and 26 Nov 2019 were approved and signed by the Chairman.
4. CLERK AND COUNCILLORS’ ACTIONS/UPDATES REPORTS:
a) Seat in memoriam: The Clerk reported the seat was now in place and was a credit to the family and the parish. A quote had been obtained by the Clerk for the renovation of the Bus Shelter next to the seat.
AGREED: 2 more quotes to be obtained. ACTION: Clerk.
b) Speeding: Cllr Stephens reported on her discussions with the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership. PSCO Stuart Bowden gave details of the Community Speed Watch Scheme together with details of various road calming measures.
AGREED: To set up a meeting with a representative of LRSP.
ACTION: Cllr Stephens. Cllr Adams commented on Rumble Strips as a deterrent in certain circumstances.
AGREED: To email him with a request for consideration.
ACTION: The Clerk.
c) Broadband: Cllr Percy had the matter in hand and would report back to the next meeting.
ACTION: Cllr Percy
d) Notice Boards: Cllr Lowndes proposed the newly re-furbished Notice Board should be sited in the Bus Shelter when the renovation is complete. That would provide for 3 Notice Boards throughout the village with the other 2 sited in the Fox and Hounds and near the wooden seat on School Lane.
AGREED:
ACTION: Cllr Lowndes
e) Clerks’ Networking Day. The Clerk reported back on the training day which had been useful.
AGREED: The clerk to attend a training day dealing with Data Protection and FOI issues.
ACTION: The Clerk.
f) Mobile Library service: The clerk advised he had published details on the Village Facebook page of the next 3 visits of the Library Bus.
AGREED: To add further dates when available.
ACTION: Cllr North.
5 FLOODING ISSUES:
An email from a resident regarding recent flooding on Grantham Road was referred to.
AGREED: A Meeting to be set up with the LCC Area Manager and possibly Anglian Water and Internal Drainage.
ACTION: The Clerk.
6. LCC LOCAL COUNCILLOR UPDATE: Cllr Bob Adams updated the meeting on recent planning issues. He advised contact should be made with FIX MY STREET to report to LCC Highways defects such as potholes etc. and if possible to add a photograph. The issue of a new footpath or footway on the south side of School Lane alongside the Old Quarry was raised by the Chairman. Cllr Adams advised an initial contact with the Area Manager. Cllr Adams was thanked for his attendance.
ACTION: The Clerk
7. SKDC COUNCILLOR UPDATE: Cllr Sarah Trotter reported concerning a local planning issue situate between Ropsley and Old Somerby and will keep us informed. She was thanked for her attendance.
8. PCSO POLICE UPDATE: PCSO Stuart Bowden attended with a colleague. He reported on the recent changes in his area. There had been little change in crime levels of late except that open windows or doors had been used as access by intruders. Also sheds had been searched and nothing taken with the intruder to return at a later date and steal items to order. He encouraged use of the phone line 101 in non-urgent issues but always to use 999 otherwise. He was thanked for his attendance.
9. PLANNING APPLICATIONS:
a) S18/2247 The Old Quarry – Refused
b) S18/2007 Harrowby Lane Traveller Site – Pending
c) S19/1236 Outline Planning permission on land to rear of The Old Post Office – Refused
d) Proposed Intensive poultry farming operation Great Ponton – Adjourned recently for further consideration and decision.
10 FINANCE:
a) payments over £100 – none
b) Finance update – The Clerk provided a bank reconciliation.
c) Budget Planning 2020/21- The draft Budget distributed to members was approved with one amendment regarding grass cutting.
AGREED: to accept the quote from the current contractor who had done a very good job. He had agreed to hold the price as now. There to be 9 cuts around the village and 5 on the roundabout.
ACTION: The Clerk.
The Precept for 2020/2021 was fixed at the same level as for this year.
ACTION: The Clerk.
11. HIGHWAYS: This item had been discussed at 6 above.
12. THE WELL HEAD:
AGREED : To consider this at the next meeting.
13. GRANT APPLICATION: The Clerk reported just one application had been received which was from the Village PCC.
ACTION: The clerk to circulate copies to each Councillor for the next meeting.
14.NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN: Cllr Burrows gave a report on today’s Public Hearing set up by the Independent Examiner in relation to Important Views included in the Old Somerby Neighbourhood Plan which had been submitted to the SKDC on 20 May 2019.
The Examiner will publish his final Recommendations early in February 2020. Once the Neighbourhood Plan has been finalised soon there-after there will be a Referendum held in Old Somerby for residents to vote upon that Plan. Upon adoption the Neighbourhood Plan will form part of the Development Plan for South Kesteven District and will be required to be used by the SKDC to determine planning applications relating to our Parish. Hence the Plan’s high degree of importance.
15. CORRESPONDENCE:
a) Various emails of complaint from a local resident
b) Update on response from Freedom of Commissioner
c) Email from local resident regarding flooding on Grantham Road. Dealt with at 5 above.
A proposal was made by Cllr Lowndes that: The Council does not consider it conducive to an orderly meeting if items 15 a) and 15 b) are discussed during an Open Meeting with the Complainant present in view of his previous behaviour during open meetings.
The proposal was seconded by Cllr Percy. It was carried unanimously.
Accordingly the meeting went into Closed Session.
a) Four Emails from a resident were consider as complaints. The emails covered several topics and had a common thread with several other emails sent previously. NOTED: that at the Parish Council Meeting dated 5 August, 2019 in relation to an earlier email a Determination had been made under the Council’s Policy Relating to Abusive, Persistent or Vexatious Complaints on the ground that the behaviour of the Complainant constituted “habitual” as provided by the Policy. That Determination was reviewed.
AGREED:
a) To renew that Determination in view of the Complainant’s continued behaviour.
b) to make a further Determination in the same terms concerning the emails referred to above. Both Determinations will be reviewed at the next or next but one parish council meeting.
ACTION: The Clerk
b) Update on response from Freedom of Information Commissioner in case number FS50879045. The Commissioner had sent four further questions after hearing from the Complainant. A draft response was considered and with amendments was accepted.
AGREED: The clerk to circulate the final version to Councillors and subject to their agreement send it to the Commissioner before the deadline of 20 January 2020.
ACTION: The Clerk.
16. DATE OF NEXT MEETING: Monday 23 March 2020 at 7.15pm at the Fox and Hounds with a Public Forum at 7pm.
The Meeting concluded at 10pm.