2021 Minutes

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Minutes of the meeting of Sutton Bridge Parish Council held 7pm Tuesday, 23 February 2021 via remote attendance.

Present: Cllr Simon Booth (chairman), Cllr Anne Scarlett (vice-chair), Cllr Michael Booth, Cllr Chris Brewis, Cllr Kim Davies, Cllr Ray Perkins, Cllr Dave Summers, Cllr Terry York, Mr Robert Smith (Clerk), Mrs Karen Croxford (Admin. Assistant.), Ms Victoria Fear (Press - Spalding Guardian).

Absent: all members were present

Cllr S Booth greeted everyone present and informed them that the meeting would be recorded.
21.029. No apologies were received.
21.030. There were no declarations of interest.
21.031. As no members of the public were present there was no public participation.
21.032. It was resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held 26 January 2021.
21.033. Police matters:
01. The clerk reported that the matter of trial bikes being driven dangerously around the Village had been reported to the police.
02. Cllr M Booth would report all the anti-social behaviour at his next Performance Monitoring Panel meeting.
21.034. Chairman’s report
01. The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
02. Thanks were given to the clerk for sorting out all technical issues prior to the meeting.
21.035. Clerk’s report
01. The website had been updated, including the addition of an informational poster on the Census 2021.
02. Planning applications comments had been submitted as resolved.
03. The new Council domain suttonbridge-pc.gov.uk had been registered @ £110.00 + VAT for two years. Using this domain, new email addresses were in operation for the clerk and admin assistant at no extra cost. These were: clerk@suttonbridge-pc.gov.uk & admin@suttonbridge-pc.gov.uk. The previous staff email addresses would continue to work while the old domain was retained. New email addresses for councillors in the format: cllr{firstname}{surname}@suttonbridge-pc.gov.uk would be rolled out over the next month @ £3.80 user/month.
04. Changes in the Council’s domain name had led to some temporary access issues to the Parish Council’s online document storage. This included meeting agendas. The clerk apologised for the disruption caused.
05. The Parish grass cutting agreement with Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) had been signed and returned and the offer of highway grass cutting received from South Holland District Council (SHDC) had been declined; both as previously resolved.
06. The update in Unity Trust bank signatories was awaiting the return of signed forms from councillors.
07. Works for the drain covers in the carpark and for the pavilion drain had been ordered.
08. Community First Responders had been invited to submit a grant application. No response has been received to date.
09. A grant for £1,450 had been awarded to the Parish Council by LCC for the refurbishment of the bus stop near to the school. An order for the works was now to be issued. It was suggested that a grant for the refurbishment of the bus stop opposite the village green is submitted in the new financial year.
10. The National Association of Local Council’s (NALC) continued to advise local councils to meet remotely. Under current legislation, remote council meetings cannot take place after 7 May 2021. NALC is pressing the Government to extend legislation to allow remote meetings beyond this date. The clerk would keep the Council updated.
21.036. To receive reports from District & County Councillors
01. Cllr Brewis reported:
i LCC had proposed using some of its reserves to provide additional support for local business while COVID-19 restrictions remained in force. Further information could be found at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk, or from Cllr Chris Brewis
ii Reports of potholes had been sent to highways. Problems remained on Avenue Farm Road, Sluice Road, and Woad Lane which would also be reported.
iii The Community Speed Watch van had been present in the village last week.
iv Forced housing loans had been taken out around nine years ago by the District Council to repay purchases subsequently this had led to each tenant paying an additional £0.19.
v Councils in Lincolnshire had seen cuts to government funding with approximately £160 taken away per person compared to urban areas. Fairer funding for Lincolnshire should not be put aside again.
02. Cllr M Booth reported.
i Rural areas had been poorly serviced by government and were under funded by 44% compared to urban areas.
ii Environmental services had increased and were 76 % higher than last year, good news as this meant that people were not fly tipping as much.
iii The fly tipping clearance rate was down 21% in December.
iv Wet weather had deterred hare coursing. However, with better weather approaching it would soon return.
v A meeting at SHDC set up to investigate untidy areas in the district had been attended. Progress would be reported.
21.037. Financial matters
01. It was resolved to approve payments to 23 February 2021 as below. Cllr Scarlett & Cllr York agreed to authorise on-line bank payments.

 02. There was no delegated expenditure.
03. The following receipts were noted: bank Interest £110.79; VAT refund £2,234.15; Garden of Rest fees £600.00.
21.038. Recent correspondence
01. Citizens Advice contact details had been received and would be put on the website and notice board.
02. A Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils (LALC) news update was noted.
21.039. The following planning applications were considered:
01. H18-0125-21: 25 Railway Lane North. Extension to existing garage including upper floor with Velux windows. It was resolved to support application on the condition that no additional living areas were included.
02. H18-0134-21: 20 Bridge Road, PE12 9SG. Proposed rear extension. It was resolved to support application.
03. H18-0120-21: 11 Kinderley Close, PE12 9PZ. Single storey rear extension. It was resolved to support the application.
04. H18-0109-21: Boud Minerals and Polymers West Bank Road, PE12 9QH. Proposed canopy used for storage purposes. It was resolved to support the application.
05. H18-0074-21: Ponderosa, Chalk Lane, PE12 9YF. Two single storey extensions and front porch. It was resolved to support the application.
06. H18-0143-21: 61 Stanley Drive, PE12 9XQ. Extension & Alterations. It was resolved to support the application.
07. An appeal had commenced against the decision by SHDC to refuse application H18-0826-20: 258 Bridge Road. The Parish Council’s representation on this planning application would be forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate.
08. The marine licence application MLC/2020/00002 for the Cross Keys Marina had been approved. It was noted that the original plan had been downgraded by Fenland District Council. Now, only three 506mm diameter piles and the 57-metre-long infill pontoon would be installed; the 35-metre pontoon extension would not be installed.
21.040. To following District Council planning decisions were noted:
01. H18-0998-20: Adj. 236 Bridge Road. 2 dwellings, re-submission of H18-0191-20 & H18-0525-20. Approved
02. H18-0084-21: Land at Sutton Bridge Golf Club (Plot 2), New Road. Details of roof tiles (Condition 2 of H18-1211-17). Approved.
03. H18-0918/19/20-20: Caravan A4/B2/C1, Fields Farm, Bridge Road. Permanent Residential Use of Caravan. Refused.
04. H18-0774-20: Roffes Transport, West Bank, PE12 9QH. Temporary siting of caravans, retrospective. Approved.
21.041. Highways & footways
01. Update on outstanding matters.
i Nothing to report.
02. To report any new matters
i A proposal to contact highways to request the removal of the build outs along the Bridge Road near the junction of Crosby Row an extend the yellow lines was rejected.
ii It was resolved to contact highways to reinstate the missing bollards in the build outs along the Bridge Road with matching bollards. Copy of correspondence to be sent to Cllr Brewis.
iii Streetlight not working in Royal Close. Clerk to report.
21.042. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, and as permitted by the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 (LAPCP 2020), it was resolved to postpone the Annual Parish Meeting. The matter would be reconsidered at the April meeting.
21.043. Committee and Working Party Reports
01. The next Pavilion Committee meeting would be arranged once a response from SHDC had been received.
02. Personnel committee.
i The new outside operative had been appointed and had commenced work today.
ii Thanks were expressed to the clerk and admin assistant for helping with the litter picking around the village whilst the outside operative role was vacant.
iii Staff Appraisals had taken place and a Personnel Committee meeting was to be arranged.
03. A recent Open Spaces Working Party meeting that had been postponed due to adverse weather disrupting a planned park inspection was to be rearranged.
21.044. There were no outside body representative reports.
21.045. It was resolved to continue membership of LALC and NALC for 2021/22 @ £739.85.
21.046. It was resolved not to join the annual training scheme this year @ £140.00+VAT.
21.047. It was resolved that Cllr Davies, Cllr Perkins, Mr Smith, & Mrs Croxford attend legionella training @ £39.99 each.
21.048. It was resolved to adopt the Document Retention Policy with the amendment that, excepting routine correspondence, papers, and emails, prior to the disposal of Parish Council documents, confirmation should be obtained from the Parish Council.
21.049. There were no requests from members for items to be included on the agenda of a future meeting.
21.050. It was resolved to move into closed session on the grounds of confidentiality in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 s.1(2).
Ms Fear and Cllr Davies left the meeting at 19.51pm.
21.051. It was resolved to proceed with tree works in the Memorial Park@ £150.
Cllr Davies returned to the meeting at 19.52pm
21.052. It was resolved to purchase outdoor clothing and PPE up to the value of £100 for the Outside Operative.
There being no further business the meeting was declared closed at 19.54pm.