Minutes 2023-24

SWINSTEAD PARISH COUNCIL

Draft Minutes of the of the Parish Council held

 Thursday 9th November 2023, 19.00pm in the Village Hall

Cllr L Underhill Chairperson, Cllr A Whitworth Vice Chair, Cllr K Vardy, Cllr M Hoodless, Cllr M Robinson & C Hatch (Clerk)

1. Public Forum (15 minutes maximum) No members of the public attended the forum.
2. Apologies for Absence. Received from Cllr Whitworth and Cllr Vardy.

3. To receive declarations of interest in accordance with the 2011 Local Government Act. – personal or prejudicial interest in any items for discussion. None.

4. Draft Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 7th September 2023 to be approved as the Minutes. Having been previously circulated, the Minutes were approved unanimously.

1. Matters Arising. The Clerk confirmed BT have attended to the damaged phone box in the High Street which had been vandalised. He also confirmed BT had added the phone box to their painting rota for 2024.

5. Chairperson’s Report.
   1. County & District Councillor’s. Neither LCC nor SKDC Councillors were in attendance.

5.2 Councillors Reports. Cllr Underhill provided her Chair’s report see below.

“Quite a lot has happened since our September meeting”.

Community Orchard pic-nic  Sept 23rd went well and was enjoyed by all who attended.  A huge thank you to the Councillors and Village Hall Committee Members who set it all up - especially to Councillor Hoodless, Ron Hoodless and our Clerk Chris Hatch.

Whilst on Orchard matters the picnic table set and the bench have been installed and look very good in situ.  Thanks to the Clerk for ordering the furniture and to him, Owen Wilson and Graham Underhill for doing the hefty work.

46 fruit trees from the original 60 planted are still standing so 14 more need to be added.  Bare rooted trees planted between autumn and spring are best and I suggest that we ask if any villagers would like to donate a tree (as we got a good response from that for the original planting), and that the Parish Council then make up the shortfall.

3 new litter bins.  Again, huge thanks to the Clerk for ordering them and to him and Owen Wilson for installing them – 1 in the church car park, the other 2 at the Bourne Rd and Corby Rd village entrances.   

SKDC Villages in Bloom.   Swinstead was joint runner up with Tallington in this year’s contest, with Barrowby taking first prize.  A huge thank you to the Clerk for taking and submitting all the photographs and for his supporting letter which obviously did the trick!   The Clerk and I were presented with a commemorative slate plaque for the village at the Gala Community Awards Ceremony on October 27th.   The Village Hall Committee will be asked if it could be displayed on the outside of the Hall.

SKDC Housing Development Questionnaire.    Councillor Robinson, Councillor Vardy and I filled this in on behalf of the Parish Council with responses and comments that we felt should apply to Swinstead – ie to a small, rural, conservation village with virtually no amenities. 

Whitegates. The gable end has now been repaired and re-tiled and is therefore no longer a danger to passing pedestrians.

Highways: None.

Defibrillator: None

Village Hall: Cllr Robinson confirmed that the defibrillator training organised by Cllr Whitworth took place in the Village Hall on October the 17. The training was well attended with all agreeing, it was extremely educational.

6. Parish Clerk report.
   1. Position at Bank. The Clerk presented the accounts to date which were accepted unanimously.
   2. Cheques to be signed. Poppy Wreath (Remembrance Sunday) £23.99. Agri Cycle £1563.00, Orchard furniture. Glasdon Ltd £1047.32. 3 x New Litter Bins. These were approved and signed.

7. Village Monument Refurbishment: Cllr Underhill suggested the PC consider a project to refurbish the Village Monument (The Cross), at the same time reinstating a replica well, similar to the original. The Clerk advised, he should have on file, papers from a similar exercise the PC considered in 2019. He will also investigate which grants, if any, are available for the project. The Parish Council will continue to keep all updated.

8. Correspondence: Email from Barclays Bank chasing new signatory’s forms. Clerk to action.

9.0 Planning: S23/1610, Mr Nick Ridley, Section 211 notice to remove appx 4 large limbs on Sycamore tree T1, approx. 3 large limbs on Sycamore tree T2 and approx. 3 large limbs on Sycamore tree T3, Swinstead Hall, Park Road, Swinstead, Lincolnshire, NG33 4PH. (Circulated to PC). No action from PC.

10 AOB Cllr Robinson advised he has been removing unofficial signage from the village and will continue to do so.

Clerk to contact highways re unadvised road closures between Swinstead and Corby Glen on the Swinstead Road.

Date of next meeting

     January 11th, 2024. 7.00pm at Swinstead Village Hall

https://swinstead.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk/