Minutes 2025

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Minutes of the Sutton Bridge Parish Council Meeting held 19:00hrs Tuesday, 25 March 2025, in the Curlew Centre Bridge Room, Sutton Bridge.

Present: Cllr Baldry, Cllr C Brewis, Cllr M Booth, Cllr T Judd, Cllr Kirby Fox, Cllr Mclaughlin, Cllr Middleton, (Chair), Cllr M Philpott, Cllr M Pitt, Cllr A Scarlett, Mrs C Smith, (Clerk), Mrs K Croxford (Admin assistant).

Absent: Cllr D Cook Members of the Public: Four

Unless otherwise stated, actions are to be undertaken by the clerk. 

25.049. Apologies were received from Cllr Cook

25.050. Declaration of interests were received from:

i. Cllr M Booth for any matters relating to allotments as a family member was an allotment tenant.

ii. Cllr S Mclaughlin for agenda item 10.02 (min. ref 25.058. ii) as a member of the U3A.

iii. Cllr C Brewis for any matters relating to planning as he was a member of the district planning committee.

25.051. Public Representations.

i. A member of the public was disappointed to see that refuge bags had been left and had subsequently scattered rubbish all over the street. Cllr M Booth would report.

ii. Thanks were expressed to the contractor for the good work that had been undertaken to remove the trees at the side of the pavilion, they asked when the fence would be installed. The clerk reported that this item would be further discussed on the agenda.

iii. It was commented that it had been lovely to see lots of children playing on the new play equipment. 

25.052. It was resolved to approve the minutes of meeting held Tuesday 25 February 2025; they were signed by the chair.

25.053. Police

i. The local policing team had asked for any specific issue for them to consider at their next meeting. Cllr Mclaughlin reported that bikes had been ridden around the village without lights and could this be investigated.

25.054. Chairs Report

i. Thanks were expressed to Cllr Mclaughlin for chairing the Annual Assembly on the 11 March 2025 in her absence.

ii. The new play equipment had been installed and was looking great, thanks were expressed to the clerk for all her hard work in getting this completed in such a short time.

iii. The trees in the park had now been removed and the space now looked bigger.

25.055. Clerk’s Report 

i. SID – The software had been downloaded; statistics would be reported back to council shortly. The sign would be recharged and repositioned at the other end of the village. 

ii. Play Area – The new area had been completed and the damage platform repaired at an extra cost and installed free of charge. An impact report had been provided to the funders, thanks to Cllr Pitt for the photographs of the equipment in use.

iii. Village Green – Thanks were expressed to Adams Landscaping who would continue maintaining the Village Green. 

iv. Allotments - All plots were now full and there was no waiting list.

v. Year End Accounts – Instructions had been received from the External Auditors and work on the year end accounts and AGAR accounting and governance statements would begin, it was hoped that the AGAR return would be ready for consideration at the April meeting.

25.056. District Councillors Reports

1. Cllr Booth reported on the following SHDC (South Holland District Council) matters.

i. The dog fouling incident reported at last month’s meeting had been reported.

ii. An Emergency Committee was now set up. He had attended an incident of a sheep that had got stuck in the mud as the tide was beginning to come in. If anyone witnesses this kind of occurrence, please dial 999 and ask for the coast guard. 

iii. The Sutton Bridge Estate had now been taken over and was no longer run by Savills.

2. Cllr Brewis reported on the following SHDC (South Holland District Council) matters.

i. He had received no replies regarding any more grant funding. 

ii. Sutton Bridge Wombles continued doing a good job litter picking around the village.

iii. Talks were in place for a National Health reorganisation to merge James Paget Hospital Gorleston, Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kings Lynn. As governor of the QEH he would continue to provide a voice for those patients that came from Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire. Plans for the new car park continue.

25.057. Financial Matters

i. It was resolved to approve the February cash book and bank reconciliation.

ii. It was resolved to approve payments to 26 March 2025 as circulated at Appendix A. Cllr Middleton and Cllr Scarlett would authorise bank payments. 

iii. It was noted that a £65.000 grant was expected from Active Lincolnshire for the match funding of the Playzone project. It was resolved to apply to the solar farm and power station for the remaining amount of £3750.00.

iv. It was resolved to delegate the clerk to proceed with the sharing of legal expenses with Pinchbeck Parish Council for the review of the Playzone contract documentation and liaise with the chair and vice chair. 

25.058. Requests to use the Memorial Park

Dog show

i. It was resolved to approve the request for a Dog Show on the Sunday 25 May 2025 in the Memorial Park at a charge of £50.00 and £10.00 per stall.

19:38 hrs Cllr S Mclaughlin left the meeting.

ii. It was resolved to allow use of the Memorial Park for the U3A archery on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 10:30am till 12:30pm free of charge subject to risk assessments and insurance documentation being provided.

19:41 hrs Cllr S Mclaughlin returned to the meeting.  

25.059. Sutton Bridge Estate

i. The Sutton Bridge Estate had now been sold, the new owners were now Farmland Reserve Limited.

25.060. St Matthews Drive 

i. A resident had reported dog fouling along the Wrights Lane Allotments. The clerk would report to the dog warden. Cllr Brewis and Cllr Middleton would look into installing some signs to put up along the boundary.

25.061. It was resolved to amend item 4.1 Memorials of the Burial Rules and Regulations to clarify that wooden crosses are installed as a temporary marker until such time as the stone memorial was installed.

25.062. Emergency Plan

i. The clerk reported that an emergency group had been formed, it had identified that the Curlew Centre and St Matthews Church could be used as a place to evacuate. Work was still progressing on further sites and a list of contacts to help before the emergency services arrive. 

ii. The clerk would populate the information and draft the Emergency Plan.  

25.063. Fundraising 

i. Cllr M Booth declared an interest in the agenda item as a member of the district licensing committee. 

ii. After further discussions on the proposed fund-raising tote idea, it was resolved for the Parish Council not to get involved and wished the project well to whoever took this up. 

25.064. Councillors’ open surgeries were being held in the Police Room at the Curlew Centre, Sutton Bridge on the second Saturday of the month between 10am and 12 if anyone would like to attend. This would be advertised on social media and locations throughout the village. It was resolved to continue the surgeries till September 2025 and then the matter would be reviewed.

25.065. Correspondence

i. Essential repair maintenance would take place under the carriageway at King John Bank on the 5 May 2025 for two weeks. A road closure and a short diversion route would be in place for that period.

ii. Information from L.A.N.D (Lincolnshire Against Needless Destruction) had been received offering help and advice to residents and Parish Councils. Further information can be found on their website www.lincsland.co.uk.

iii. An invitation had been received from EDF renewals to celebrate the operation of the Sutton Bridge solar farm on Wednesday 9 April 2025 at 10.00 am. If anyone would like to attend, please contact the clerk.

iv. Combined County Authority Mayoral Elections and Lincolnshire County Councillor Elections would take place on Thursday 1 May 2025. Further information can be found on https://www.sholland.gov.uk/ElectionCCAMLCC

25.066. Planning Applications

i. Cllr Brewis declared an interest in the agenda item and did not participate in the vote.

ii. H18-0240-25: Bridge Hotel, 4 Bridge Road, Sutton Bridge, PE12 9UA: Change of use from Hotel Class C1 to Class C3 including the creating of 15 residential units – Approved under H18-0463-24: Remove condition 5 to allow: It was resolved to object on the grounds on potential flooding in this area.

iii. H18-0237-25: Bridge Hotel, 4 Bridge Road, Sutton Bridge, PE12 9UA: Details of schedule of external materials and hard surfaced area (condition 7 of H18-0463-24): No comment

iv. H18-0193-25: New House Nursery, Hospital Drove, Long Sutton, PE12 9EN: Occupation of dwelling by persons not employed in agriculture – Condition 5 of H18-1886-88 & H18-0910-89: No comment.

25.067. Planning Decisions – Councillors noted the planning decisions made by South Holland District Council as listed below:

i. H18-0089-25: Pavilion, The Curlew Centre, 51 Bridge Road, Sutton Bridge, PE12 9SA: Demolition of existing football changing rooms/pavilion: Approved

25.068. Committee Reports 

01. New Pavilion

i. Cllr Middleton reported that some months ago the Football Association had agreed a maximum grant funding towards the project of £200,000. After speaking to them again last week this figured had decreased to £150,000.

ii. A meeting was arranged with the FA and Sir John Hayes MP to discuss funding but unfortunately this had been cancelled, nothing had been rearranged yet

iii. The National Lottery Reaching Communities funding was due to open on 1 April 2025 this would be investigated at that time.

02. Events

i. Cllr Pitt reported that an event would take place for VE80 on May 8, 2025. At 17:30 hrs St Matthews Church would hold a memorial and wreath laying service with the bells rung at 18:30hrs. Sutton Bridge Constitutional Club would hold an event also on that day (please contact them for tickets and further information) and then the lighting of the beacon would take place in the Memorial Park at 21:30 hrs.  

20:44 hrs Two members of the public left the meeting.

25.069. There were no outside body representative reports

25.070. There were no more Public Participations.

25.071. It was resolved to move into closed session in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 s.1(2).

20:48hrs Two members of the public left the meeting.

25.072. The clerk would reply to the resident concerned regarding the planting at the Garden of Rest. Cllr M Booth offered to cultivate and plant some wildflowers along the area.

25.073. It was resolved to approve the most economical quote from Mr D Large for the fencing in the Memorial Park 

25.074. There were no staffing and administration matters 

Appendix A 

The chair closed the meeting at 21:07 hrs.