December 2022 Minutes
ASTLE BYTHAM PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the meeting held on 21 December 2022
Present
Cllr Hinton (Chairman), Cllr Brooman (Vice Chairman), Cllrs Goode, Harvey, Hayward, McLaughlin, Webber
In attendance
County Cllr C Vernon, District Cllr P Robins
1.Declaration of interest
None
2.Approve minutes 16 November 2022
The notes of the meeting held on 16 November 2022 were approved as minutes and signed by the Chairman. Proposed by Cllr Brooman, seconded by Cllr Webber, all in favour.
3.Matters arising
None.
4.County Council matters
County Cllr C Vernon presented her report:
County Council Wide Matters
Cost of living – there is help available for residents struggling with the cost of living from the council and other organisations. LCC have a large section on their website with some useful links including how to apply for free school meals. Financial support for cares, help with childcare costs, the household support fund and the HAF (Holidays Activities and Food Programme.) There is also information about the emotional support available though local organisations. LCC has worked in partnership with district councils to identify and agree the most appropriate methods for distributing this funding. I Lincolnshire, the plans include 56% of the grant to fund support for children and young people eligible for free school meals, two-year old early years entitlement and early years pupil premium. This funding will be allocated through schools and early year providers to eligible families via a one-off payment of £100 per child. It was expected that families will receive this support before the end of November 2022. In addition, 1% of this funding will provide support to children in care in supported living accommodation. The seven district councils across Lincolnshire will collectively distribute approximately 25% of the grant funding to households in receipt of housing benefit only as this is a group where some of the customers have not benefited from other recent cost of living support. Eligible families will receive a letter from their district council giving further details. The remaining funding will be made available to support other households in need. Details of the support in local areas will be on the district council’s website as and when they have their local arrangements in place. These will be based on the needs of the local communities in their area, which include working with food banks, providing vouchers and one-off support payments via applications. Not all households will be eligible for support. However, the government have put a number of arrangements in place, and this is just one. Residents facing financial difficulties can also visit: https://helpforhouseholds.campaign. gov.uk/ for details of the other support available.
Budget Preparation – as the council prepares to set its budget for the 2023/24 financial year, it is asking residents to share their views on which services they value most. People can have their say by joining the County View citizens’ panel online at www.letstalk.lincolnshire.gov.uk. There are already 1,000 panel members helping to improve council services by sharing their views; by joining the panel people can take part in this and other engagement opportunities. In this lates survey, panel members will be asked which council services should be prioritised an why. People have until 4 January to complete the survey.
Fixmystreet website - potholes, damage to roads should be reported via this website.
Grantham Transport Strategy – Grantham is one of 4 towns in Lincolnshire that has had a new strategy drawn up to improve transport and support future development to 2036 and beyond. This will be looked at by one of the Scrutiny Panels that Cllr Vernon sits on (Highways and Transport) and some of the aspirations in the draft for all the towns include improving facilities for walking and cycling across the town and strategy area, improving bus journey times and reliability, creating mobility hubs around town that offer a range of transport options from a single location (eg. Bus, rail, taxi and cycling), investigating junction improvements at key pinch points.
There will be changes to opening times at County Offices over Christmas – details on the website.
County Cllr Vernon said thank you to the Councillors and said that she had enjoyed working the Parish Council this year. Cllr Vernon wished the Councillors a Merry Christmas.
5.District Council matters
District Cllr P Robins presented her report:
District
SKDC has now received their share of the Levelling up fund money and work will begin in the New Year with various consultations. They will communicate out to the Parish Councils and Cllr Robins will ensure we are not sold short on anything on the community projects.
Work was currently being undertaken to relocated SKDC to their new offices (above the Cinema in Grantham) in the New Year. There will be an opening of the offices late January 2023. The priority was to sort the phone lines out so that they work more effectively.
More local
Bin collections will change over the Christmas and New Year period.
The next bin collection for Castle Bytham is a silver bin day on Saturday 24th December. The bins require leaving out at 7.30am, the next black bin collection will be Tuesday 3rd January and after that time starting from Monday 9th January it will revert back to the usual Monday collections.
SKDC have a very useful guide – Cost of Living – help and support for households who are in financial hardship Information and links for all your Cost of Living enquiries information can be found at www.helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk. There is also The money helper service which is free, confidential and impartial at www.moneyhelper.org.uk. The guide is also printed in SKtoday magazine for residents of South Kesteven. In addition to this there is a small room off the foyer area in Stamford Arts Centre which is set up with a phone and IPad for customers to make payments or contact the Council should they need any help or advice.
There was not much to report in the run up to Christmas, it is very much business as usual from the Council side.
Cllr Robins thanked everyone for their support over the last year and wished the Councillors a Happy Christmas and New Year; Cllr Robins was looking forward to working with the Parish Council next year.
6.Precept 2023/24
Cllr Brooman suggested a 7.5% increase on last year’s precept. The £1,100 increase was unanimously approved. Proposed by Cllr Brooman, seconded by Cllr Goode. The precept form will be returned to SKDC, with the request for a £16,600.00 precept for 2023/24.
7.Land ownership - Upper Green, Lower Green
Cllr Hinton will send Cllr McLaughlin all information on the Upper Green land ownership process.
Cllr Hinton had started the online process of registering the Village Pump as an Asset of Community Value and will provide Cllr McLaughlin with the application reference number. Cllr McLaughlin will take the lead in land registration for the Upper Green, Lower Green and Village Pump.
8.Planning issues - verbal report from the Planning Working Group
None
9.Planning
None
10.Amenities Working Group report
Cllr Harvey said that had been no changes since last month; Cllr Harvey would like to see the adult fitness equipment’s installation contract. Cllr Hinton will order the new swing seat and bolts.
11.Jubilee trees replacement
Cllr McLaughlin suggested to wait until spring and see which trees had survived.
12.Village pump replacement posts quotes
Cllr Hinton will forward specifications.
13.Contingency plan during planned strike action from ambulance/medical services
Cllr Hinton had spoken with the emergency planning team as ambulance strikes will affect the village. Cllr Hinton would like to reactivate the support groups that were formed during Covid and will prepare a draft article for Glenside News and Next Door.
14.Generator external connection at the village hall - approve funding
Cllr Hinton said that a generator socket cost around £57. Jonathan Wattam will be asked for an installation quote.
15.Update on bank fraud recovery
There were no updates.
16.Retrospective request for financial assistance from the children’s Christmas party organisers
It was proposed by Cllr McLaughlin, seconded by Cllr Hayward to make a £125 donation; all in favour. The organisers will be asked to submit a new application in August next year, well ahead of the party.
17.Winter-spring wildlife planting; vote to order plants and apply for LCC Wildlife Grant
Cllr Hinton suggested ordering the plants approved by Sheena Harvey and apply for the £500 LCC Wildlife Grant.
18.Approve Parish Council recruitment article
Cllr McLaughlin had drafted a recruitment article which will appear appear in Glenside News and on Next Door to encourage people to apply at the May elections. The article was unanimously approved by the Councillors.
19.Cllr Hinton’s resignation and election of new Chair
Cllr Hinton announced his resignation from the Parish Council, effective from 1 January 2023.
20.Neighbourhood Plan
Cllr Hinton will take on the Neighbourhood Plan project once he retires from The Parish Council. District Cllr P Robins said that SKDC still offered seminars to help with the project.
21.Emergency Plan
Cllr Hinton had circulated an incident format for the 19 December emergency response following the loss of power supply to houses at the south end of the village. County Cllr C Vernon suggested that street coordinators would be valuable in case of future emergencies. Cllr Hinton said that once the Emergency Plan was approved by the Parish Council it would be sent to LCC who would provide an additional emergency pack to be kept at the village hall.
22.Burial Committee matters
None
23.Correspondence
LALC – civility and respect newsletter
Rural services network bulletin
DM planning support weekly lists
Places Called Home – requesting update on playing field development
LALC e-news
YMCA news and update bulletin
Budget shipping container – light order
Stamford town and rural newsletter
Zurich Insurance – festive period opening hours
FCC community foundation - funding for community facilities
Parish online newsletter
SKDC elections – supply of electoral register to parish councils
Resident reporting upper green lights not working
Resident regarding mountain bikers on public footpaths
LCC – community emergency groups
LALC – emergency plan status
SKDC LGA model code of conduct presentation dates
Unity Trust Bank newsletter
TGSG - Christmas bus services information
CB Youth Club – funding request
Children’s Christmas party funding request
Bythams School – notice of governor vacancy for website
LALC/SLCC – clerks’ networking day
Lincolnshire school admission policy
Village Hall Committee – jubilee expenditure
24.Accounts
The following payments were approved:
JRB Enterprise - dog waste bags £76.98
Anglian Water - cemetery supply £12.16
Wattam Electrical - defibrillator installation at community shop £90.00
Village Hall Committee - rent £120.00
25.Councillors’ verbal reports
Cllr Hinton had replied to t the resident concerned about off road bikes by the castle mound. Cllr Hinton said that the path was a by-way going down the mound and a footpath at each end and had liaised with the Local Access Forum about the situation.
Cllr McLaughlin expressed thanks on behalf of all the Councillors to Cllr Hinton for his work as Councillor during the past sixteen years.