January 2025

Wainfleet All Saints Town Council Meeting        

Draft notes from the Town Council Meeting held on 8th January 2025 at 6.00pm in the Methodist Chapel.

Councillors present: Cllr. Steve Mitchell (SM), Cllr. Christine Mitchell (CM), Cllr. Wendy Bowkett (WB), Cllr. Jean Hart (JH), Cllr. W. Hatchman (WH), Cllr. C. Drury (CD), Cllr. M. Clarke (MC), Cllr S. Drury (SD), Cllr. D.Kettleborough (DK).
Apologies : Cllr. Wayne Lagden (WL), Cllr. S.Fraser (SF), Cllr. Samuel Storey-Taylor (SST). 
Also present : Clerk C. Cleary (CC) and 4 members of the public. 

Mayor SM welcomed everyone and opened the public session at 1800 hrs.

1.  Public session
An opportunity for the public to ask the Council questions and to bring new observations. This session will be of maximum 15 minutes duration.
No questions were received from the public.

2. Apologies for absence
To receive and approve apologies for absence.
Apologies had been received from Cllrs. SST, WL and SF.
PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to accept the apologies from the absent councillors.

3. Declarations of interest
To receive declarations of interest under the Localism Act 2011.
Being any pecuniary interest in agenda items not previously recorded on the Members Register of Interests and any written requests for dispensation.
None declared.

4. Draft Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 4th December 2024
To confirm the notes as a true record of the decisions made.
Draft notes of the meeting had been circulated prior to this meeting. Discussion on notes.

PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to confirm the notes of the meeting held on 4th December as a true record of the decisions taken. Mayor SM duly signed the minutes.

5. Clerks report and action points from the previous minutes
To receive the clerks report and deal with matters arising.

Matters arising from last meeting
Completed issues

* Payment received for verge cutting
* Stoneset invoice paid
* Landlords approval obtained for noticeboard and signage
* Budget and precept drafted
* Draft memorial bench policy produced
* Councillors Community Grant application submitted (received 6/1/25)
* Newsletter printed and distributed
* Voting request for Magdalen Museum published on website and FB
* Dog poop bags ordered
* Advertising of farming allotment plot 3 (2 acres)   on website

Issues still pending
* Wildflower area to be planted (scheduled for March/April 2025)
* Community Payback scheme application
* Extension of cremation plot area in Northolme 
* CCTV 
* Review of Financial regulations
* Review of co-option policy
Clerk CC provided details for a new noticeboard to be fitted onto the outside wall of the office. Discussion on proposal. Cllr. CD offered to try and obtain an alternative quotation. Clerk CC provided details of signage to be fitted onto the outside of the new office. PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to accept the quotation. Clerk to finalise the layout and proceed with the installation.
Clerk CC presented a summary of the electricity consumption in the new office compared to the old premises. Consumption was approximately 85% lower than experienced in the old office premises.
Clerk incurred no overtime in the month of December.

6. Reports from External Agencies
To receive reports from LCC and ELDC Cllr. Wendy Bowkett.
Other Councillors reports from external meetings.
Cllr. WB reported the following :
* LCC are proposing to set the increase in council tax at 2.99%. Other options are considered and feedback from the public is welcomed. More details on LCC website.
* The resurfacing of St John Street and Silver Street is expected to take place soon.
* The emergency plan was successfully implemented during the recent heavy rains. Thankfully only 2 properties were affected, one of which was unoccupied. Mayor SM thanked WB for all her hard work coordinating this response. 

7. Finance
    a. To receive the December Financial reports and updates.
    The December financial report and bank reconciliation had been sent to councillors prior to the meeting. Discussion on financial report.
    
    PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to accept the December Financial Report.
   
    b. To approve payments and receipts
    Discussion on payments to be made.
    
    PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to accept the payments and receipts for December.

For transparency, the following payments in excess of  £100 were made in December.

    c. To review the rents for the farming allotments for 2026/27
    Farming allotment rents require that council give tenants12 months notice of any increase. Discussion on farming allotment rents. PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to maintain the current rental at  £190 per acre. Clerk to issue invoices.
   
    d. To receive and approve the proposed budget and precept for 2025/26
    The finance working group had prepared a proposed budget for 2025/26 which had been circulated to councillors prior to the meting. Discussion on draft budget. PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to approve the budget for 2025/26.
    The finance working group proposed to set the precept for 2025/26 at  £43667, and increase of 4.7%. PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED to set the precept for 2025/26 at  £43667. Clerk to submit precept form to ELDC.

8. Planning
To receive and discuss new applications.

S/039/02378/23   development of The Elms Golf Centre. Application discussed. Council supported the application.
S/039/01476/24   Mill House, Spilsby Road. Erection of wall and siting of a caravan. Application discussed. Council objected to the application as the height of the fence and gates where not appropriate to the area, and council had been advised by concerned parishioners that the caravan had already been marketed as a commercial venture.
ACTION: Clerk to submit council comments to ELDC.
Information from SSE re: Ossian project (circulated to councillors). Clerk CC reported on this proposed project to bring a subsea electricity line from Scotland to Lincolnshire and then to connect to a local hub.

9. Reports from working group meetings
To receive and discuss reports from working group meetings and approve associated expenditure.

a. Allotments   to include a review of the current allotment policy and a decision on the vacant plot
This item was discussed in closed session due to the presence of interested parties.
Discussion on applications received for vacant plot 9. Discussion on current allotment policy.
PROPOSED, SECONDED and RESOLVED by majority vote to readvertise the vacant plot and for the P&A working group to review the allotments policy and report back to full council.

b. Burials & Cemeteries   to include a review of the draft memorial bench policy.
Activities in Northolme.
Memorial        : Plot GR 337
EROB        : Plots GR 344 & GR 346

Clerk CC had prepared a draft memorial bench policy which was circulated to councillors for review prior to the meeting. Discussion on draft policy. To be reviewed further by burial working group. Discussion on using an existing bench for memorial plaques. Burials working group to review possible locations and size/style of plaque.
Clerk CC had contacted our grass contractor to review the hedge at All Saints Cemetery. Hedge is currently overgrown with ivy. Discussion on options for hedge. ACTION: Clerk to contact contractor to obtain cost for removing ivy. Cllr. CD will arrange for its disposal.

c. Marketing & Promotions
Children s Christmas party was a success, but there were 33 no shows. To be reviewed by working group.
VE day celebrations to be discussed by working group. Tree lights to come down Friday. Cllr.WH will cut tree down. Remaining lights will be taken down once a new storage facility has been located but no later than the end of the month.

d. Marketplace.
Planters need attending to and replant in spring. 

e. Play area
No issues in general. Mayor SM thanked Cllr. WH for clearing the fallen tree. Annual Inspection to be arranged. Discussion on cost of inspection. Agreed to have an accompanied inspection this year. Mayor SM to accompany the inspector. Clerk to arrange inspection. 

10. CCTV
To review further information received on the possibility of installing CCTV within the parish
Antisocial behaviour instances are reduced with no real issue reported. Cllrs.CD and WB have obtained a quotation for a system for the play area which would cost approx.   5000 plus costs for monitoring. Play area to be prioritised, 2 further quotes to be obtained.

11. Correspondence
To discuss correspondence received.
* Parish council engagement with Lincs. Police session 16th January   subsequently cancelled.
* LALC annual training scheme received. Discussion on training. Decline to subscribe.
* TV Licencing enquiry   clerk already replied
* Precept letter received from ELDC. Clerk to complete and return to ELDC.
* Proposal to close vacant NHS premises in Wainfleet   circulated.
* Request from volunteer for green bags for litter collection and for hi-vis with  volunteer  printed. Discussion on hi vis vests. Clerk to obtain prices.
* Email from ELDC advising of the setting up of  Warm Homes  grant scheme for 2025   noted.
* Email from Flood Research Team of the MoD asking for volunteers to comment on their experience of the flooding. Poster displayed on noticeboard.
* Vital & Viable action plan meeting scheduled for 20th January   poster on noticeboard.
* Revised quote for accompanied play area inspection received ( 50 more). Discussed under item 9e.
* New LALC training course   Introduction to new planning legislation. Noted.
* E-mail from university student re: Councils environmental policies. Clerk to reply directing them to ELDC and LCC.

12. Agenda items for next meeting
To receive items for inclusion on the next meeting s agenda,
Next meeting to be held on 5th February 2025. Cllrs. SF, JH and WL offered their apologies in advance of the next meeting.

Council went into closed session at 7.45 pm to discuss item 9a of the agenda.

Mayor SM thanked all for their attendance and closed the meeting at 8.30 pm