January 2024 Minutes

MINUTES OF ANCASTER PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 15 JANUARY 2024 AT 7.30PM IN THE PARISH HALL ANNEXE AT 7.30PM

Present:            Cllr Sayer(Chair) Cllr Leighton(Vice-Chair)
Cllrs Barker, Rock, Hollick, Fleming, Lovett  and Dr Entwistle

In Attendance:        11 parishioners and Denise Gascoyne Parish Clerk

Public Forum:
Flooding - Residents attending the parish council meeting informed Cllrs that the beck had flooded at Water Lane resulting in all gardens being flooded and two bungalows being flooded throughout, resulting in owners having to leave.
All believed it was lack of maintenance and a comprehensive plan should be put together to prevent this happening again. 
The Chair said the Lincolnshire Rural Support Network(LRSN) and The Lincolnshire Resolution Forum needed to be contacted. Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management should also be sought.
As the owners had a watercourse running through, beneath or adjacent to the boundary of the land they were classed as Riparian owners and as such own the watercourse to the centre and need to keep that clean. The owners were all unaware this was the case. The Parish Council agreed to contact their County and District Cllrs and LCC to expedite the situation to a satisfactory conclusion.

Car Parking outside the School – one resident attended the meeting regarding the parking outside the school and along Ermine Street at start and finish of the day. A parking warden had been out one day. The Chair said a no parking zone/20mph application was in. The Chair of Governors was at the meeting and said the new headteacher was doing all she could to alleviate the situation.

The meeting began at 8.10pm

1.Chair’s Welcome:
The Chair David Sayer welcomed everyone to the meeting and wished them a Happy New Year.

2. Apologies for Absence:
a. The Clerk confirmed that apologies for absence with valid reasons had been received from Cllrs Ferguson, Clarke and Pearsey. It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: that apologies for absence with valid reasons be accepted from Cllrs Ferguson, Clarke and Pearsey.

3. Declarations of Interest:
a. There were none.

4. To approve and accept as a true record the notes of the Closed Finance Meeting held on 11 December 2023. It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: that the notes of the Closed Finance Meeting be accepted as a true record, and the Chair to sign.

5. Report from County Councillor/District Councillors:
a. County Cllr and District Cllrs did not attend the meeting -  no report.

6. Chair Update:
a. Nothing further had been received re enforcement on Mid UK and Copper Hill Quarry.
b. Nothing further had been received on Sewerage Spill Charlestown.
c. Notification had been received that Wilsford Lane would be shut from 05 February 2024 and 29 March 2023. The closure will be 24/7 and the bus companies have been informed. Residents will be informed re access to their properties.

7. Planning:
a. S23/2201 Planning application landscape improvements, new gates and piers Ancaster Hall. It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: to make no comments on this application.

b. S23/2289 Planning application to replace existing bungalow with one single-storey dwelling and alterations to driveway Scott’s Bungalow Willoughby Road. It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: to make no comments on this application.

8. Speed Watch:
a. A number of areas had been explored re the existing speed signs. After a short discussion it was proposed, seconded and
Resolved:  that we request two new batteries for the speed signs.

9. Parish Clerk Update:
a. To date the white lines had not been reinstated outside the Old Masons Arms Sudbrook.

c. The Clerk confirmed that Staff Appraisals are due. It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: the Clerk would do the ones for The Caretaker, Cleaner and Community Cleaner. The Chair would do the one for the Clerk

d. SKDC confirmed that they would provide one tonne of sand and 100 sandbags. It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: as we had nowhere to keep the sand, we would decline the offer.

10.Correspondence:
a. ICCM Winter edition – passed to Cllr Hollick
b. Local Councils Update – circulated to all Cllrs.
c. Railwatch – passed to Cllr Dr Entwistle            
d. Parish Council engagement session recording – circulated to all Cllrs.
e. Town & Parish Newsletter – circulated to all Cllrs.
f. LALC e-news – circulated to all Cllrs.
g. Consultation Open Spaces – circulated to all Cllrs.
h. Road Closure Order Pottergate Level Crossing 10pm-6am 21.01.24 to 22.01.24.
i. The Clerk – passed to Cllr Dr Entwistle
j. SLCC News Bulletin – circulated to all Cllrs.
k. D-Day 80th – 6th June 2024 – circulated to all Cllrs.
l. Welby Solar Farm Consultation 24.01.24
m. Amended Road Closure order B6403 High Dyke (between A153 and a point 1600m South) 30.01.24 to 03.02.24.
n. Greater Lincolnshire Devolution Consultation.

11. Cemetery and Newton Meadow:
a. Andrew Newton had completed an audit of the Burial and Cremation Beams. His report had been sent to Clerk.

b. Missing disks had been noted in the report, mainly due to the grass contactors. After
a short discussion it was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: to purchase some disks from Viking and Cllr Barker agreed to get them stamped. 

12.Grass Cutting/Grounds Maintenance:
a. The fallen  trees on Back Lane had now all been removed.

b. The tenders for the grass cutting contract had been received. After a short discussion it was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: to award the contract for 3 years to Tidy Gardens & Grounds. 

13.Parish Hall:
a. Nothing to report.

14. Report from Councillors:
a. Cllr Hollick was expecting an update on the Tall Thrift Survey undertaken in the next few weeks.
b. Cllr  Hollick told the meeting it was hoped that the Information Panel would be in place by Easter. The final details needed adding and the base put down.

15. Playing Field:
a. The contractor had been, but the cherry picker was not big enough. As the one they needed was in for repair another date would be set.

16. Finance:
a. The Bank Reconciliations, Bank Transfers and Cashbook to 31 December 2023 had been circulated to all Cllrs. It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: to accept the Bank Reconciliations, Bank Transfers and Cashbook to 31 December 2023, and these were signed by the Chair.

b. The Approval List and Retrospective BACS/DD Payments had been circulated to all Cllrs. It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: to accept the following Retrospective BACS/DD Payments made in December. The Chair signed the paperwork.

Thorpe Trees    2 x Plum Trees    £88.00
British Gas    Electricity    £142.83
SKDC    Grass cutting Contract    £3631.41

c. The Approval List for Staff BACS Payments had been circulated to all Cllrs. It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: to accept the Approval List for Staff BACS Payments amounting to £1889.00
and authorise the Clerk to make the payments. The Chair signed the paperwork.

d. The Approval List for BACS/DD Payments had been circulated to all Cllrs. It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: to accept the Approval List for the following BACS/DD Payments and authorise the Clerk to make the payments. The Chair signed the paperwork.

James Bell    Maintaining Website    £35.00
Tidy Gardens    Cutting around gates    £360.00
We do doggy doo doo    Emptying Dog Bins    £225.00
British Gas    Electricity    £85.60

17. Training:

18. Date of Next Meeting:
a. The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 19 February 2024 at 7.30pm in the Parish Hall Annexe.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.45pm

                        Chair …………………………………….
                        Ancaster Parish Council

                        19 February 2024


It is important to understand that the information given above represents notes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 15 January 2024  and do not become Minutes of ANCASTER PARISH COUNCIL until accepted or otherwise at the next Parish Council Meeting.