February
CASTLE BYTHAM PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the meeting held on 21 February 2024
Present
Cllr Brooman (Chairman), Cllrs Dugmore, Goode, Hayward, Morritt
In attendance
County Cllr C Vernon, District Cllr P Robins, one member of St James’s PCC
Apologies
Cllr McLaughlin, Cllr Lee
1.Declarations of interest
None
2.Approve minutes 24 January 2024
The record of the 24 January 2024 meeting was approved as minutes and signed by the Chairman. Proposed by Cllr Hayward, seconded by Cllr Dugmore, all in favour.
3.Matters arising
All matters arising were on the agenda.
4.County Council matters
County Cllr C Vernon said that the Lincolnshire devolution consultation had ended and was being analysed. There will be a full meeting of the County Council on 13 March. There will be a full meeting to discuss council tax – 2% of the council tax was allocated for social care. Pinfold Road road surface repairs were scheduled for 2024/25. Anglian Water had made repairs to one of the two exposed ironworks in Cumberland Gardens; the second one will also be repaired. Additional Give Way signage has been installed at the Carlby crossroads. The signage for roadworks on Morkery Lane could have been better placed. Water Lane road surface cannot be repaired while under water. Cllr Dugmore has been rotating the device between its three locations and will provide the vehicle count data for Morkery Lane to Cllr Vernon. Parked vehicles on Station Road were helping to slow down traffic. There were no updates on the bridge repair onto Castle Mound; Cllr Brooman said that the paprapet had fallen in and that the bridge was not safe.
5.District Council matters
District Cllr P Robins said that there had been a lot of complaints with regard to wheelie bins contents being checked and some bins not emptied as a result; checking bins had now been suspended. Cllr Brooman said that there were a number of spare purple lidded bins around the village. The upper green wall will soon be repaired. The Mallard Pass was in the final stage of decision.
6.Planning issues - verbal report from the Planning Working Group
Cllr Goode said that Mr Nicholls’s application for a dwelling on Holywell Road had been refused again; Cllr Brooman asked District Cllr P Robins whether any future applications for the site could be intercepted before they were validated if they were not materially different. Cllr Goode said that the Planning Working Group had no comments on application S23/2298 apart from the usual recommendations for contractors’ parking, cleaning up and hours of working. Application S23/2105 was listed in SKDC’s 15-19 January planning list but the Parish Council had not been notified by a planning officer; Cllr Goode said that the Planning Working Group had no comments on the application which was for the erection of a fence and gate at Castle Farm, Glen Road. No planning application had been received yet for the shed on Swayfield Road plot and barn.
7.Planning. S23/2298 – Mrs A Davies; erection of single storey extension. Stoneybrook Cottage, 12 Water Lane, Castle Bytham
The Councillors had no comments on this application but would like to ask that contractors pay attention to the parking of construction vehicles, are considerate and not a nuisance to other householders. The hours of working should also take into account the proximity to other properties. Mud on the road from construction vehicles should be cleared promptly.
8.Amenities Working Group report; mowing quotations; bus shelter repair; upper green tree; upper green wall; bridge repair into the castle mound
The PCC member said that the PCC was responsible for the maintaining the churchyard until it is closed; the process for closure was lengthy; responsibility will then become the parish council’s or SKDC’s if the parish council cannot undertake that responsibility. The PCC will inform the parish council once the graveyard becomes closed. The parish council had been approached by the PCC a few years for help with the cost of mowing and had agreed to take this on and add the graveyard to their other mowing areas. Cllr Hayward said that the new mowing contractor’s letter of engagement had been received – this is for all areas of mowing except the playing field; the Councillors unanimously approved the £450 cost – proposed by Cllr Brooman, seconded by Cllr Hayward, all in favour. An e-mail will be sent to the resident who has offered pantiles for the High Street bus shelter repair. The dead tree with the plaque on the upper green will be cut down after planning permission for the work has been obtained and the parish council will keep Mr Harris informed. No date had been confirmed for moving the sand bins into their new locations. Peter Hinton had offered to give the village benches a new coat of sadolin.
9.Purchase of domain, setting up of .gov e-mail address and associated costs
The Councillors unanimously approved a £160 cost to purchase a .gov domain through ‘Cloud Next’ and set up e-mail addresses. Proposed by Cllr Brooman, seconded by Cllr Dugmore.
10.Burial Committee matters
None
11.Correspondence
Mallard Pass solar farm update
Rural Services Network bulletins
Lincolnshire Police – safer together team coordinate
SKDC planning mail weekly lists
Peter Hinton – offer to paint villages benches with Sadolin; dog waste bags
LCC – notification of temporary traffic restriction
Resident – pothole; Cllr McLaughlin reported it on FixMyStreet
Funding for village halls
SKDC Community Engagement – funding fair, Bourne, 27 March
Parish Online newsletter
SKDC – climate change; tree and woodland strategy consultation
Lincolnshire Police – parish council engagement on road safety 20 February
Resident – offer of pantiles for High Street bus shelter repair
12.Accounts
The following payment was approved:
Woodcraft Tree Services - late payment fine £110.00
13.Councillors’ verbal reports
Cllr Brooman said that the dog waste bags dispensers will be refilled from time to time; the £1000 expense for the purchase of bags last ye