2023 Annual Parish Meeting

North Somercotes Annual Parish Meeting - 5 April 2023

DRAFT Minutes from the meeting held in accordance with Schedule 12 Paragraph 14(2) of the Local Government Act 1972

1. Welcome from Chair of the Meeting – Mr Steve Brooks, Parish Council Chairman introduced those parishioners present who serve as Parish Councillors (Stuart Arundel, John Kennedy, Roger Maidens, Danny McNally (also Lincs County Councillor and East Lindsey District Councillor), Trisha Newman, Lynda Plater, David Wallis) plus Sheila Pearce (Parish Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer).

2. Minutes from the meeting held on Wednesday 6th April 2022

The notes of the meeting were read out by the Clerk and proposed and seconded as an accurate record by two members of the Parish present who had been present at the last meeting. 

3. Parish Council activities

The Chairman provided a brief summary of council activities over the last year – a written update is available if required on request from the Clerk.  These included:

a. The English Coastal Path Proposals and Public Footpath Access on PROW FP28 to join the coastal path along the beach are expected to be confirmed shortly.

b. The purchase and repairs/updating and subsequent rental of Woolpack Meadows Property was completed by the parish council and is now being let. Rental receipts are now being used for other projects to benefit the community, for example the digitising and mapping of the cemetery grave plots to preserve the records and locate unused spaces, which is a statutory responsibility, is being achieved without increasing the precept.  This work will continue for the next 12 to 18 months.

c. Village oil scheme – this continues and now has over 120 members, with the last order saving nearly 10p per litre.

d. The Clerk has secured a £5k grant for the East Lindsey District Council Zero Carbon project to change the lights in the Luke Walmsley Pavilion and on the playing field with LED ones, which will decrease the cost of usage as well as improve the Carbon Footprint of the village.

e. Coastal bid monies – The clerk secured £2k from the fund to use for replacement litter bins and planters.  Two new litter bins and two large new planters were obtained, and two more planters have also been obtained and a third is planned.

f. The Council included a £1k grant again for the Youth Club in in its budget and this has enabled the purchase of various items, including Karaoke Machine, Zorb Balls, and Outdoor Tennis Table set.

g. The Clerk also successful bid for a £530 Grant from District Councillors towards the cost of the Jubilee bench and trees for Cemetery/Playing field

h. The Clerk has secured over 600 free trees/hedging saplings which are being planted around the Cemetery and playing field. This will increase the wildlife habitat in line with the Council’s Biodiversity duty and save on having to replace the wooden fencing.  They will also be registered as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy planted in honour of the late Queen’s Jubilee year.

i. The council has agreed changes to the Amenity area to help make it easier to maintain and a programme of refurbishment for the public toilets, as well as a programme of improvement for the Garden of Remembrance which should be undertaken during the summer.

The council has also:

• Continued to Highlight and report problems with potholes/road subsidence owing to last year’s drought conditions, as well as other highways issues of signage, excess chippings, pavement problems, etc
•   Maintained the cemetery grounds and public footpaths and many of the highway verges to a high standard, and trying to dissuade people form parking on the verges
•   controlled the council’s budget - The accounts for the last financial year have been checked by the Internal Auditor in February and are now being prepared for submission to the external auditors.  The unaudited accounts will be available for inspection in June after they are agreed at the Annual Council Meeting in May, in accordance with the Rules, and a Notice will be put up on the Notice Board and website regarding this.
•   Made a donations to the CAB, Communication magazine and LIVES, as well as the £1k for the Youth Club. 

The Chairman explained that these were just some of the things the parish council has been doing on parishioners’ behalf during the year.  He reminded attendees that the public are welcome to attend the regular monthly meetings, which are held in either the Village Hall or St Mary’s Church Hall or you can read the minutes online or on the noticeboard, to find out what is going on each month.  He also thanked all staff, councillors, and volunteers past and present for their hard work, time and commitment in contributing to village activities and other matters.

4. Comments/questions to the Parish Council from Parishioners on village issues and services

a. Future of Post Office services in the village.

The Clerk updated on the current position – the Post Office are not in a position to Confirm that a Post Office Service will definitely return to the village at present.  However, an applicant is going through the joining procedure and the Post Office will update as soon as they can.

b. Request for a dog waste bin on Bank End – in response to a question the Clerk noted that ELDC will not usually consider an additional bin but may move another bin if one is available.  The Clerk will make enquiries to ask about another bin and see what can be done to deal with the problem of people not picking up after their dogs or discarding pooh bags in the ditch/hedge on Bank End, but this is a problem in many areas of the village and playing field/Warren etc despite the area being covered by a Public Space Protection Order.

c. Publication of Council activities – suggestions were made that the Parish Council should perhaps explain what it did have the power or duty to do, and what the District and County councils have responsibility for, as many people are not aware.  For example, many expect the parish council to be able to do something about the running of Post Office services in the parish, but this is not the case.  Once the outcome of the current discussions are known however, it may be able to look at ways to help facilitate an outreach service if this was required, but until the outcome is known and discussed it cannot make any decisions.

Refreshment  Break

5. Future format of Annual Parish Meetings to ensure wider participation and interest

The parish council will look again at how to increase participation in the Annual Parish Meeting before the next one, as this is not a parish council meeting although the Chairman of the Parish Council Chairs it, in accordance with statutory requirements.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting.

Notes taken by Sheila Pearce, Parish Clerk