Minutes 2024-25

SWINSTEAD PARISH COUNCIL

Draft Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting

 Held on Thursday 9thMay 20234 Following the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council

Present were the members of the Parish Council the Parish Clerk.

1. To agree the Minutes of the 2023 Annual Parish Meeting.

Having been previously circulated, the Minutes were approved unanimously.

Matters Arising. Following on from elector’s concerns, the Clerk confirmed, the WW1 Commemorative Plaque was consecrated by Father Ed in October 2023. The dropped curb in Park Road has been approved by Highways, the cost of work being covered by their small works budget. Installation date to be confirmed. The problem of flooding at New Estate has been acknowledged by Highways, (see item 6 Highways, January 23 minutes). Other concerns raised are still being pursued by the Clerk.

2.0   Chairmans Annual Report of the Parish Council.  A comprehensive Chair’s report was presented by Cllr Underhill. Please see below.

3.0   District and County Councillors' Reports. County and District Councillors were not in attendance.

4.0   Financial report for year ending 31st March 2024. The end of year accounts for the PC were presented by the Clerk, these were accepted unanimously.

        The Treasure of the Village Hall presents the PC with the audited accounts for the Village Hall. Cllr Underhill asked the Clerk to minute the Parish Councils thanks to the Village Hall Committee for all their efforts over the past year and the wonderful events held at the Village Hall.

5.0   Electors’ concerns. Two residents attended the meeting.

Date of the next meeting TBA.

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

Chair’s Annual Report May 2024

I would like to begin my report by thanking all members of the Parish Council for their hard work and dedication throughout this last year.  We five current Councillors have now completed our first year together, working successfully as a team to endeavour to uphold the best interests of the village.  Each Councillor has also made valuable individual contributions along the way including taking on responsibilities for particular areas of Council concerns such as roads, drains, unofficial signage and defibrillator maintenance.  It has been very fortunate that Councillors Micky Hoodless and Annette Whitworth have also been Village Hall Committee members. This has enabled Council generated ideas to benefit from the wonderful organisational skills of all those running the Village Hall Events.  Also I’d like to thank my fellow Councillors for making my year as Chair a very pleasant and easy one.

The smooth running of any Parish Council is reliant on having a good Parish Clerk and Swinstead PC benefits enormously from having a superbly efficient, incredibly energetic and very knowledgeable Clerk in Chris Hatch.  Huge thanks go to him for guiding us through meetings and questions of protocol, keeping the finances is good order and generally working on our behalf with tireless zeal.

Thanks go to County Councillor Charlotte Vernon and to District Councillor Nick Robins for their attendance at our meetings whenever possible throughout the year.  Their reports have kept us in touch with matters at County and District levels and with their inside knowledge we have found their advice and help invaluable.

A year ago at the Annual Parish Meeting we celebrated the retirement from the Council of Clive Lunn and Bryan Lynch.  It was with great sadness that the village learnt of Clive’s death a few months later in August.  I was privileged to represent the Parish Council at Clive’s funeral in Swinstead in an absolutely packed village church.  A plaque to Clive stands in the Jubilee Community Orchard under the oak tree that was presented to him on his retirement from the Parish Council.

During the past year we have paid attention to Parish Council matters such as village speed signs, street lighting, road pot holes, areas of flooding and the consideration of planning applications. Where appropriate the relevant authorities have been notified and our opinions submitted.  In the case of potholes and street lighting the Parish Council would like to encourage village residents to directly report concerns on the “Fix my Street” website or failing that bring them to our attention. 

This time last year the Jubilee Community Orchard had just been fenced in securely against deer.  The Council  has since added a picnic table set and a park style bench.  A village pic-nic was suggested there last September and thoroughly enjoyed by all who came to join in.  The orchard was originally planted with 60 fruit trees to celebrate the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.  During the winter this year through the generosity of villagers, donations were given to replace the 14 trees that had since died.  We held a planting morning in January, much appreciating those who came to help and the orchard is now fully stocked with 60 trees again.  I’m pleased to report that all the new trees look happy and healthy and are full of blossom.  In fact the orchard is a beautiful sight in full bloom at the moment and we hope that the area will be used as a village amenity for years to come with the bonus of free fruit for picking in the autumn.  The Parish Council pays to have the orchard mowed regularly but in addition we must say many thanks to Chris Hatch for volunteering to strim, prune and generally look after the orchard for us all to enjoy. 

October saw the Consecration of the Airfield Memorial at the Airfield site on Creeton Road.  Father Ed dedicated a moving service and blessing to all those who served there during W W 1.  Thank you to Councillor Hoodless for orgainsing that.             

Also in October Swinstead heard that it was runner up in SKDC’s Villages in Bloom Competition.  Barrowby was the outright winner with Swinstead in joint second place with Tallington.  This was remarkable considering the size of our village within the whole district.  Swinstead was presented with a slate plaque which is now mounted on the outside of the Village Hall.  Thanks must go to Chris Hatch for representing the best of our village in photographs and submitting the successful application.  Congratulations Swinstead!

As proved by the above the appearance of our village has been much enhanced in recent years by the planters at the three village entrances and the floral displays on The Green in Bourne Road.   Many thanks to Jan Andrews, Jenny Cowan and Chris Hatch who dedicatedly tend these attractive features.   The Parish Council makes sure that The Green is mown regularly and that the village planters, the bench on The Green and the fence at Croake Hill receive a coat of paint as necessary.

We have two very dedicated village cleaners in Gail and Steve Clarke who do a superb job in keeping the pavements and verges clear of litter.   This year the Parish Council has purchased 3 new litter bins to also help keep the village tidy.  Another thank you must go to Chris Hatch for installing them with Owen Wilson.

The village Xmas tree looked delightful this year with decorations and accompanying sparkly deer.  We are once again indebted to Chris Hatch and Jenny Cowan for everything to do with the tree including the electricity supply. 

A project for the future that the Parish Council is currently investigating is how to look after the village cross and make the road island that it stands on more of a centre piece to the village. This was the site of a village well and pump which could perhaps be symbolised in some way.   This initiative would only be possible with grant funding from English Heritage and SKDC.

Talking of funding, the Council finances remain healthy.  The Parish Clerk produces a financial statement for each PC meeting and the accounts are displayed along with the minutes on the Council notice board for the village to see.  The Precept will be kept the same as the last six years at £3363.00. 

Swinstead has enjoyed many wonderfully successful social events during the past year thanks to the imaginative, energetic and hard-working members of the Village Hall Committee.  We are indeed fortunate to have had so many social opportunities offered to us throughout the year.  The approach of the D-Day Commemoration day and weekend in June gives another opportunity for the village to come together with the Beacon lighting on the 6th and the Street Party on the 8th and based on past records the VH Committee will no doubt be making the occasions memorable ones for all.    The Village Hall as an amenity is in such good hands too with improvements having been made continuously by the Committee, the latest being the brand new toilet facilities which I’m sure were well tested at last weekend’s Sausage and Cider Festival. 

To sum up: It’s been a busy year.  The Parish council website is available for all to view and is maintained in compliance with the Transparency Code by the Parish Clerk. 

Liz Underhill

Chair

Swinstead Parish Council