ROUGHTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Thursday 14th November 2019 At Roughton Village Hall starting at 7.30 pm.

Those present:  Councillor Poucher (Chair), Councillors Drew, Lupton, Councillor Mrs Lynaugh, Councillor Mrs Simpson and the clerk Mrs S Helliwell. 

In Attendance:  District Councillor Fitzaden-Gray, PCSO Wass.

Public:  None present.

PCSO Nigel Wass stated that at the end of October there had been a spate of burglaries/thefts in Kirkby on Bain and Roughton Moor from outbuildings when residents were on holidays.  Police had now started patrols in the area sometimes in unmarked cars and with no set times and thankfully in the past week these incidents have tailed off.  Have you been catching drug dealers?  This was a County Lines initiative in areas like Skegness.  An eviction is currently taking place at Waterloo housing for a family that was involved with drugs and general anti-social behaviour.  Several things can be done to tackle these issues such as fines and court etc.  Is there a connection with drugs and theft?  Not really with bigger drug dealers.  The Chair thanked PCSO Wass for his time and he left the meeting at 7.38pm.

060     Chair’s Remarks:  The Chair thanked everyone for attending and giving their time. 

      061     Apologies:   Councillor Dormer due to holiday and County Councillor Bradwell due to prior engagement.  Councillors resolved unanimously to accept these apologies.

      062     Declarations of Interest:  None.

      063     To approve the notes of the meeting held on 12th September 2019 as minutes:  All notes were proposed, seconded and resolved unanimously to be correct and were signed as                   necessary by the Chair.

      064     County Council Report:  Not in attendance.

      065     District Councillor Report:  The first thing to mention is the East Lindsey District Council Public Sector Hub.  ELDC are buying most of the old Horncastle College Site.  The vast            majority of ELDC councillors voted for this.  It will have Boston College Adult Outreach/County Council/Registrars/Police and other partners on site and will be fully functioning by                  September 2021.  There will also be an extra care system for older/disabled/just out of hospital people and will have hubs in Louth, Skegness and Mablethorpe.  The Town Hall in Skegness will close and it is not clear yet what will happen to the site at Manby as part of it is listed but there is talk of an Eco town.  Will Horncastle Police Station close?  District Councillor wasn’t sure but thought this was a possibility.  Why did the Council decide to leave Manby?  It had been talked about for many years as it is very expensive to run, has a big carbon footprint and was generally not fit for purpose anymore.  Even if it is not sold the move will still go ahead.  Who owns Manby?  It is owned by ELDC.  District Councillor said this would be good for Horncastle as it will bring more people and money to the town and will attract a lot of people to the area.  He also informed the meeting that Horncastle Christmas Market is to be held on Sunday 8th December 2019 and will be the biggest yet.  All stalls are sold, there will be free parking and it is hoped to attract around 6,000 visitors up on last year’s figure of 4,500.

066     Clerks Report:

a.   The clerk said there was still a vacancy for another councillor which could be co-opted onto the Parish Council if anyone knew of anyone that was interested.

b.   The clerk informed of road closures in the parish.

c.   The clerk showed a letter from Citizen’s Advice Bureau requesting any possible donation by the Council.  All Councillors agreed to again support this worthwhile service and £30 was agreed by all in attendance.  Cheque no. 700263.

067     Broadband Update:  The District Councillor informed that he had been to a broadband summit held by the local MP on Saturday in Legbourne where he learned that BT were near the end of Contract 2 and were working on not spots.  He said broadband in Haltham and Kirkby on Bain was very much improved with superfast speeds of 90mb in most households.  The clerk said she had contacted Onlincolnshire for an update and they had said that works in the area should be completed at the end of November/beginning of December.  It was decided to wait until the next parish council meeting in January to see if speeds had improved before any next step is taken by the Parish Council.  Agreed by all in attendance. 

068     Dog Bins:  Councillor Mrs Simpson had requested that this was an agenda item due to incidents of dog mess in the village.  The clerk said she had contacted ELDC to enquire about the possibility of a dog bin in the parish and ELDC had sent back a form for completion and return.  A decision would then be made as to whether the application is rejected or approved.  After discussion it was decided to apply for a litter/dog bin to be placed in the area of the salt bin and telephone box opposite the T junction with Moor Lane.  The clerk will complete all paperwork and return to ELDC as required.

069     Planning:                                                                                                                       

            a.   Applications:  S/141/01756/19, 120 Horncastle Road, Roughton Moor, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, LN10 6UX – No objections.

            b.  Permissions Granted:  No Permissions Granted.

070     Training Available:  The Clerk informed all that she can provide a full list upon    request.

071     Finances: 

            a.   Bank Balances and signing of statements.  The clerk confirmed current account balance of £4429.72 and deposit account balance of £15.06, a total of £4464.78.  Bank       statements were checked by all and signed by the Chair as required. 

            b.   Payments Required.  None.

            c.   Signatories on the Parish Council bank accounts:    The clerk informed she was just waiting for documentation from Councillor Mrs Simpson after her agreement at the last meeting to become a signatory on the bank accounts.  Councillor Mrs Simpson said she had sent the required paperwork to the clerk via email a few weeks previously.  The clerk to check and then send to Santander as required.

            d.   External Audit Update.  The clerk informed the meeting that she had not heard anything else from the external auditor after sending the exemption certificate to them so assumed that was satisfactory.

            e.   Initial precept discussion.  After checking the figures presented by the clerk, a discussion took place and an initial precept of £2700 was agreed.  This would be finalised at the next meeting in January where paperwork would be completed by the clerk.

072     Date of Next Meeting and Items for Agenda:  The date of the next Roughton Parish Council Meeting is to be held on Thursday 9th January 2020 at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall.  Agreed by all.

            Agenda Items:  Broadband update, Litter/Dog bins, Councillor Vacancy plus any item forwarded to the clerk prior to the agenda being published.

073     Clerks Salary and Expenses:  The Council agreed to pay the clerks salary and expenses for the period 12th Sept 19 – 14th Nov 19, £207.10, Cheque No. 700261.

Meeting Closed at 8.37 pm