October 2021 Minutes
Minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 20th October 2021 at 7.15pm in Mareham Le Fen Community Centre
Public Forum
Public and Press are welcome to attend with the first fifteen minutes being allocated for members of the public to speak.
There is a bench to the side of the bus shelter. The question was raised as to whether this would be better put in the actual bus shelter. It would probably need a bit of work doing on it to repair it and tidy it up. This will be looked at.
Some felt that it may attract anti-social behaviour if the seat was put into the shelter and that as a village, we are lucky there isn’t any trouble.
It was felt that in the winter there is a need for more shelter from the elements when sat on the benches around the village and could some protection be provided. Benches was on the agenda for discussion and so all matters above were taken on board later in the meeting.
It was reported that No37 street light outside of Manor House, Fieldside was not working. The clerk will report this.
There is a large pot hole outside of Ormsby House Drive. Work has recently been carried out here but the hole has been left unrepaired. The clerk will report this.
After the last meeting it had been brought to the attention of Councillors that members of the public had been unable to hear some of the meeting. Councillors were asked to speak up so that everyone could hear.
Present
County Councillor Cllr W Gray
Chairman Cllr M Percival
Councillors Cllr P Chilvers Cllr P Bourn Cllr S Millen Cllr D Hill
Acting Clerk Mrs A Appleyard
Members of the Public Twelve
12. Welcome by Chairman
Cllr Percival welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked them for attending. She asked members of the public to bear with the new Councillors as they carried out Parish business as most of them were new to the job and had a lot to learn.
13. Apologies for Absence and Reasons
Apologies had been received from Cllr Avison who had other commitments.
14. Declarations of Interest
There were no Declarations of Interest brought before the meeting.
15. Minutes of the Meeting held on 15th September 2021
It was proposed by Cllr Bourn and seconded by Cllr Chilvers that the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 15th September be accepted as a true record of the previous meeting. All in favour. Cllr Percival signed the minutes.
16. Matters Arising from the Minutes
Cllr Hill asked what had happened about the two planning applications discussed at the last meeting. The clerk advised that due to the deadlines these had now gone through the planning process at ELDC. She also advised that the Parish Council can comment on applications but this doesn’t mean that the District Council will always take on board issues raised. The clerk will look to see if there are any planning training courses coming up in the next few months.
17. Election of Vice-Chairman
It was proposed by Cllr Chilvers and seconded by Cllr Bourn that Cllr Hill be elected as Vice-Chairman. All in favour. Cllr Hill was duly elected.
18. Co-option of Councillors
There are currently four vacant seats available for co-option. A notice will be placed on the village board advertising the post and on Facebook. All applicants will be asked to apply in writing. Details, to make sure they are eligible to stand will be sent out to interested parties. The co-option of Councillors will be put on the next agenda.
19. Advertisement for position of Clerk
The position of Clerk was discussed and it was agreed to advertise the vacancy on the Noticeboard, Indeed, Website, LALC and social media. It was proposed by Cllr Millen and seconded by Cllr Hill that the job be advertised at £12 per hour. The position will be for approximately 25 hours per month. It is hoped to get applications in before the next meeting so that the new Clerk is in the role by Christmas.
20. Benches – to discuss possible sites and types of benches
The District Councillors had kindly granted £978 to purchase new benches for the village and this now needs using for that purpose. Cllr Millen had got quotes from two companies for outdoor benches made from recycled material. These benches are strong, durable and maintenance free. They also come with a 25-year guarantee. Various sizes are available and are suitable for two, three or four people. Cllr Millen will find out if the benches can be delivered straight to the site they are going on or if they will need storing somewhere before being erected. She will also find out if the supplying companies fit them or if it has to be done by the Parish Council. Various places for siting these were discussed and suggestions were the grass triangle as you go out of the village towards Revesby, at the Church wall, opposite the Church where the Christmas tree usually goes and possibly either the cemetery or close to the shop. It was agreed that the Parish Council look to purchase two benches to start with, these being three-seater ones which is what the grant was originally given for. This will be discussed at the next meeting once all the information has been gained re the fitting and anchoring down of the benches to make them secure.
21. Grass Verge Maintenance
The clerk was asked to contact Revesby Estate to ask them if they intended to cut the edges and the verges around Manor Farm. The hedges are overhanging the grass verges and vehicles are getting scratched going past. The grass cutting in certain parts of the village is better than others. Hobson’s cut some of the verges and hedges. The clerk had spoken with Mr Hobson and he advised that this year they have only carried out one cut. The areas he usually does is within the 30mph speed limits, opposite the cemetery, up to Revesby Corner, Chapel Lane, Fen Lane up to the sewerage works, main road up to Mr Sewell and then round past the allotments. The churchyard and cemetery are being kept in pristine condition. A review of the areas covered for grass cutting will take place. The clerk will look to see if she can find a contract for Mr Hobson. The current contract for Mr Lawrence has expired but he is currently continuing with the work. The clerk will also look for the LCC agreement and the plans their agreement cover. This information will be required before any decisions regarding tenders can be made.
22. Cemetery to include Mole Control, Dustbins and Owl Box
There are a number of mole hills appearing at the cemetery. The clerk will contact Mr Kime who usually does the mole control to see if he can quote for carrying out the work. If possible, this will be sorted before the next meeting.
Cllr Chilvers asked if any-one was available to put the bin in and out. He has been doing it for sometime but now it is getting nearer to winter he is unable to get to do it in daylight hours. Cllr Bourn agreed to sort out the bin.
There is currently an owl box within the cemetery which has been there for two years. There have previously been inhabitants in it and it is now most probably in need of cleaning out. As it is a registered box this needs doing by someone specialised. Mr Gary Steel of Coal Lane, Stickford was suggested. The clerk will see if she can find any contact details for him.
Once again, the purchase of extra land at the cemetery was discussed. This has now been going on for 10 years with no end in sight. Cllr Millen asked if planning permission had been sought to change the land from agricultural land. Issues the planning department may have concerns about is Flood Risk, Off Road Parking, Landscaping etc. N B Law in Tattershall have been contacted for copies of the purchase documents but they are dragging their heels. Cllr Millen also asked how the Council propose to access the new bit as the current gap in the hedge is the only access. The only other possible access would be through the football field although the football club has now been disbanded so this would all depend on what is happening with that land. Further advice needs to be sought on all aspects of the cemetery including the purchase of the land as this is something which none of the Councillors or the clerk has dealt with much previously. Advice will be sought from LALC and training will be looked into through LALC. It was agreed that all of the Councillors would hold a site meeting at the cemetery as soon as possible to discuss the above.
23. Salt Bags/Bins
The County Council are offering a 1 Ton salt bags to Parish Councils for their use during the winter months. The clerk had spoken with LCC and this would be in addition to the salt bins already in the village. The salt bins will be filled by LCC but they need to be informed when the bins are getting empty. It was reported that the bin at Clay Pits Hill is damaged and the water is getting into the salt. The clerk will report this to see if it can be replaced. As we already have access to bins it was proposed by Cllr Hill and seconded by Cllr Millen that we thank LCC for their offer of the extra salt but politely refuse. Storage would be a problem and also finding someone to actually spread it around the village.
24. Correspondence, for information only
Various correspondence had been sent through to the Councillors prior to the meeting. This included LALC Newsletter, LALC E-Newsletters, LCC – notification of roadworks.
25. Finance
Current Position - The clerk advised that she hadn’t received an updated bank statement since the last meeting but as nothing had been paid out the balances would have remained the same. Bills outstanding were from Mr Lawrence for grass cutting, the Community Centre for hire of the room for meetings and Mr Hobson for grass cutting. She also advised that a cheque had been received for the allotment rent, this will be banked as soon as possible.
AGAR Forms – The clerk advised that she had been contacted by the external auditors as the AGAR forms for last year had not been received. The previous clerk says that she had sent them and there is minute documentation to say that the forms had been signed but the acting clerk cannot find a copy of the forms either on the laptop or in the files. The External Auditor suggested that new forms were raised and signed at the next meeting. The clerk had prepared the forms and both her and the Chairman signed the necessary sections. She will forward these to the auditors.
Change of Bank Signatories - The bank signatories are in the process of being changed. Bank forms will be signed to add the new Councillors onto the account. The clerk warned that it can be a bit of a lengthy process getting the bank to carry out the changes. As soon as the signatures are changed, outstanding accounts can be paid.
26. Other Parish Matters/Items for Next Agenda
Poppy Wreath – It was proposed by Cllr Bourn and seconded by Cllr Millen that the Parish Council organise a poppy wreath for Remembrance Sunday on 14th November. The clerk will contact the British Legion to organise this.
Cllr Millen asked if the Parish Council were going to meet in December. They usually have a month off but due to the number of issues which need sorting it was agreed that this would be a good idea.
Cllr Bourn had been approached about a problem with a blocked footpath down Watery Lane, this has now been resolved.
A planning application has been received for Tara, Church Lane, Mareham Le Fen. The clerk will see if an extension can be given for the Council to send in their comments as the deadline is 9th November.
Items for inclusion on the next agenda to include grass cutting, cemetery, planning, benches, Jubilee beacons, Co-option, Clerk vacancy, policy adoption, website update, standing order adoption and safety inspection on gravestones.
Cllr Gray had sent through his report and this has been forwarded to Councillors via email.
27. Date of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held at Mareham Le Fen Community Centre on Wednesday 24th November starting at 7.15pm. There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.30pm.