2025 Minutes

North Somercotes Parish Council

 

Minutes of the North Somercotes Parish Council meeting held in the Village Hall on Monday 23rd June 2025

 

There were 5 members of the public present and County Cllr Bayleigh Robinson was in attendance. District Cllr Paul Rickett was not in attendance, having given his apologies.

 

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and opened the public session at 7pm

 

Public Session

a. Comments/Updates from members of the public on agenda items or issues for future agenda

i. Further complaints re speeding vehicles - Cemetery Road, School Lane, Keeling St, Conisholme Rd. Members of the public voiced their concerns regarding the speed of vehicles in the village especially School Lane where there is no footway and pedestrians or people walking dogs, and children emerging from the nursery are at risk, and this was discussed. The Clerk noted that she had met with Graeme Butler from the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP) to look at where a Speed Indicator Device might be placed on School Lane, as well as other locations in the parish. The Chairman thanked the members of the public for detailing their concerns and noted that this would be further discussed later in the agenda at 7b and members of the public were welcome to stay to hear what was discussed in the formal meeting.

ii. Fly-Tipping of sofa from outside no. 8 Evison Way left on PROW between Locksley Way and Evison Way – The issue had been reported and ELDC street scene collected it the same day and are investigating.

iii. Knocking on door on Keeling St in the early hours of the morning – The Community Police officer has now visited the homeowner and discussed the options for security to try and prevent further instances.

iv. Alleged report of shooting at Playing Field/rear of Somercotes House in the early hours of the morning

Trying to ascertain details to discuss with Police.

v. Fly-tipping – small fridge left behind planter on Keeling St by noticeboard – this has now been removed.

vi. Complaints re Overgrown Hedges – Jubilee Road, Evison Way, Locksley Way – these are being followed up

vii. Breach of Planning Permission South Rd – following queries raised with the parish council, these have now been passed to Planning Enforcement at ELDC – see 6E below.

b. Comments/Updates from Lincs County Cllr Bayleigh Robinson – Cllr Robinson confirmed that Lincs County Council (LCC) had now formally withdrawn from the discussions on the Nuclear Waste Facility at Theddlethorpe. The Grimsby to Walpole Pylons project formal consultation is now underway – some of the proposed pylons would now be 43m instead of 50cm - and comments need to be in by 8th August 2025.

c. Comments/Updates from East Lindsey District Councillor Danny McNally – Cllr McNally noted that there would be a session on applying for grant funding at the Horncastle Hub on Wednesday 9th July at 6pm, and the District Cllr Grants were now available. The Local Government Review, which proposes dissolving all the District and County Councils in Lincolnshire and replacing them with two unitary authorities is now out for consultation which will then be submitted in November 2025, with elections in 2027, to start officially in 2028.

The Chairman closed the public session at 7.27 pm and commenced the formal meeting

 

23/6/25-1 a. Present: Cllr Stephen Brooks – Chairman, Cllr Neil Drewery – Vice Chairman, Cllr John Kennedy, Cllr Roger Maidens, Cllr Danny McNally (also District Cllr), Cllr Lynda Plater, Cllr Shaun Smalley, Cllr David Wallis, Cllr Paul Walmsley, Sheila Pearce – Parish Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer. In attendance County Cllr Bayleigh Robinson.

b. Apologies for Absence – it was RESOLVED to accept Cllr Arundel’s apologies for absence for the reasons given.

 

23/6/25-2 To receive any declarations of pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest on any item on the agenda in accordance with the Localism Act and the Council’s Code of Conduct and Standing Orders – none.

 

23/6/25-3 Minutes of Annual Meeting and monthly meeting held on 19th May 2025 – it was RESOLVED to adopt and sign the notes as accurate minutes, and they were signed and dated by the Chairman.

North Somercotes Parish Council

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North Somercotes Parish Council: Minutes of the Council meeting held on Monday 23rd June 2025 - Page No 2 of 4 -

Sheila Pearce – Parish Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer

 

23/6/25-4 Clerk’s Report on matters outstanding – for information only

a. Cemetery - Chapel Doors – work scheduled for End July/August 2025 b. .gov work Email Addresses – technical issue resolved, Clerk and Chair to trial .gov.uk address c. Chapel Field Future Use/Disposal – see 12 below

d. Defibrillator Maps for each location in the village – looking into doing own map e. Orchard area – weeding and strimming being done f. Dog Fouling/Public Space Protection Order – bag dispensers arrived, to be installed shortly, response from ELDC re Enforcement team patrolling village chased again g. Concrete seat opposite bus garage – changed to a bench as concrete back broken h. Bench on Conisholme Rd – used left-over wood to replace wooden plank and metal repainted i. Bench next to bus stop/noticeboard – cleaned, oiled, refixed and metal painted

j. National Grid Projects – see 6g below k. Climate Change Report and Action Plan/LCC – results of comments still awaited l. Policies and Procedures – schedule of updates to be done m. Cemetery and other Title deeds – change of address to be actioned n. Additional Flower Planter – chased LCC Highways again to agree location o. Bench on Marsh Lane – chased LCC again to discuss location or alternative p. Biodiversity Action Plan – LWT planned to conduct in June q. Study for community energy project – put on hold r. Cemetery Statutory Records – ongoing data checking and amendments s. Cemetery historic paper records – historic burial ledger repaired, paper plans now being done, new ledger to be sourced t. Council Records Management – archiving, shredding and recycling ongoing u. Bowls Club – donation now paid v. Flagpole – emails in support received, note regarding costs/funding to be put in next Communication. LCC provided utilities diagrams, impact on annual insurance premium ascertained w. Defib Training – details of costings/possible timings requested x. Annual Cemetery Meeting – confirmed as 21st July at 7pm, Clerk to remind councillors.

 

23/6/25-5 Parish Council Donations 2025/26

a. To note these have been paid as agreed: S137 - Communication Magazine £250, CAB £100, Lindsey Blind Society £200. Other – Youth Club £1K allocated in the budget – available for specific projects/needs as requested, ANPR maintenance/electric £600, Christmas Tree £100.

b. To consider any other applications received – North Somercotes United Football Club have made a request for the cost of 10 match footballs for the coming season, at £350. It was unanimously RESOLVED to donate the £350 as requested.

 

23/6/25-6 To consider any Planning applications received and RESOLVE the way forward on these and other Planning matters

a. Planning applications for consideration:

GIGI Restaurant Keeling St – Pavement Licence applied for – it was RESOLVED to support this application.

b. To note planning applications approved: none

c. To note planning applications refused: It was noted that the TPO request to remove the Sycamore at Bank End, which the parish council supported owing to proximity to/impact on the house, has been refused but a 30% reduction has been agreed by the District Council TP Officer.

d. Planning Applications appealed: none

e. Enforcement Issues/Actions: Any update on reported issues/new issues:

i. Static Caravans on land/stables on Common Lane – an update has been requested and is awaited

ii. Static caravan in garden on Gibson Gardens – confirmed that no breach of planning permission established

iii. Radio Aerial at Summermeade on Jubilee Road - Enforcement advise that the aerial is a minor breach now that it has been reduced in size with minimal harm and therefore does not warrant further enforcement action.

iv. Land at South Road – Enforcement have advised that the occupation of the fenced off area of the site - which was part of the site with planning permission for the industrial units - and erection of the wooden fence over 1m high for a boundary adjoining the highway is a breach of planning regulations. Discussion took place on the concerns regarding the negative impact on the amenity of neighbours, impact on biodiversity and the sycamore tree with the Preservation Order on it, contamination of the site with grey water, and duration of time that would be allowed before an application for planning is submitted, as there was normally a 28-day notice served for similar breaches. It was RESOLVED that the Clerk should formally raise these issues with the Enforcement Officer.

f. Theddlethorpe Nuclear Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) – as noted by Cllr Robinson in the earlier public session, LCC decided on 3 June to withdraw from the Theddlethorpe Community Partnership and from the Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) siting process.

North Somercotes Parish Council

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North Somercotes Parish Council: Minutes of the Council meeting held on Monday 23rd June 2025 - Page No 3 of 4 -

Sheila Pearce – Parish Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer

g. National Grid Projects

i. Grimsby to Walpole pylon/substation proposals LCC correspondence – no further update available at present following the LCC letter requesting a proper financial breakdown and the proposed Judicial Review Process.

ii. Stage 2 consultation on Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL 3) and Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL 4) projects, this commenced at 12pm noon Tuesday 13 May and closed today, Monday 23 June 2025

iii. Grimsby to Walpole - The Stage 2 formal consultation launched on Wednesday 11 June and will end at 11:59pm on Wednesday 6 August 2025. Following discussion, it was unanimously RESOLVED that the Council would continue to object to the proposals for the reasons previously stated, and the Clerk was asked to submit an objection accordingly.

 

23/6/25-7 Highways, Paths and Lighting:

a. verbal update on problem log/outstanding issues which have been queried with LCC Highways, including:

i. Donna Nook Car Parking – LCC have been asked to liaise directly with staff at the Range for details of issue

ii. Warren Rd drainage works – formal complaints regarding the timing and lack of consultation, despite the parish council flagging these up to LCC early on, have now been raised with LCC by the businesses concerned but works will proceed for four weeks from 28 July 2025.

iii. Parking opposite Warren Road Track to Oasis/Warren Farm near primary school – outcome awaited of request for double yellow lines, white solid line or exclusion box to prevent parking to ensure safe access/exit during school drop off/pick up times

iv. Principal of having a bench on Marsh Lane/possible locations – response from LCC Highways chased again

v. Principle of having a flagpole on the corner of Jubilee Rd/Conisholme Rd – LCC have provided utilities maps, further entry in Communication to ask for comments and possible contributions to costs.

vi. Additional planter – response from LCC chased again

b. Speeding vehicles – Following on from the issues raised by parishioners at the previous meeting and in the public session of this meeeting, Councillors discussed the concerns in respect of the increasing incidents of speeding in the community and considered the possibility of the implementation of a speed indicator device (SID) or devices in the parish, which the Clerk had recently discussed with Graeme Butler from the LRSP. Installing suitable posts that can have a device attached are £200 each, and the solar units are approx £3k each, which could be loosened and then turned to face the other direction from time to time. Battery units, which are lighter weight and so may be moved around, are a similar cost, and must be recharged every 3 weeks or so in busy areas. The possibility of speed humps on School Lane was discussed and the clerk was asked to enquire whether this could not be an option now instead of having to spend c£3,500 to gather data from a SID and then the expense of installation of a speed hump. Other measures were discussed including possible signage, guard rails and road marking, which the Clerk was asked to investigate, as well as liaise with LCC and the LRSP.

c. Recent Road Dressing – Councillors discussed the numerous complaints regarding the chaotic handling of the resurfacing - including road closed/diversion signage so far away as well as on every road in/out of the parish, lack of activity when the roads were then closed, and the state of the road with ridges and quantity of chippings in the drains now evident. The attitude of some staff was also raised, including attitude to motorists, the smoking/vaping, mobile use evident amongst a number of those standing around, which appeared very unprofessional, and it was RESOLVED that the Clerk should write formally to LCC regarding these issues.

d. Parking on the road outside the Axe and Cleaver – this was raised, and it was noted that the parish council has previously tried getting yellow lines or other road markings at this junction owing to parked vehicles causing problems with lack of visibility at the crossroads. However, when the problem was last inspected, there were no cars parked. If photographs of the problem can be provided this can be looked at again, but evidence is required.

 

23/6/25-8 To receive reports from councillors who are representatives on Village Organisations/Committees

a. Playing Fields Association - Cllr Walmsley – The Party in the Park will take place on 16th August, with 2 live bands and disco, from 5pm onwards. The new Junior Football Club has started training and playing friendly matches, so the pavilion is now used every day except Friday.

b. Police Panel – Cllr Newman – No report

c. Emergency/Flood Planning – Cllr Newman/Clerk – No report

d. Village Hall Committee – Cllr Plater reported that the committee have applied for a grant for a new boiler.

North Somercotes Parish Council

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North Somercotes Parish Council: Minutes of the Council meeting held on Monday 23rd June 2025 - Page No 4 of 4 -

Sheila Pearce – Parish Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer

e. DTE Wildlife Group – Cllr Newman/Clerk – no report

f. Youth Club – Cllr Wallis noted that there were some issues with a break-away group forming whereby 20 turn up but there are only 7 signed in, so this is being looked at to see what can be done, which might include reverting to just one session per week. Issues with the store cupboard need to be resolved.

 

23/6/25-9 Finance and Annual Audit

a) the bank reconciliation for June 2025 was checked and signed by the Chairman.

b) It was RESOLVED to approve the schedule of receipts and payments for June 2025, the final amounts to be confirmed once the laptop issues have been resolved.

c) The Clerk noted that the Annual Audit Report has been submitted as agreed before the deadline.

d) Investment of Reserves – following discussion of the Clerks’ proposals, it was RESOLVED to invest £20,000 of the council’s reserves in an easy access savings account with Charity Bank at a rate of 3% (to be confirmed)

 

23/6/25-10 General Correspondence for June, Website Updates and Communication – the Clerk noted that these have all been circulated for information.

 

23/6/25-11 Agenda items for the meeting to be held on 28th July 2025 in the Village Hall

To include any items arising from the Cemetery Annual Inspection, Flagpole consultation, Chapel Field, Speed indicator Devices/actions as well as the usual standing items.

 

23/6/25-12 - Confidential Property Matters – it was RESOLVED that the Council would move into closed session by reason of the confidential property matters to be transacted – Cllr Robinson and the remaining member of the public left the meeting at this point.

a. Confidential Minutes of the discussion on property matters on the 19th May 2025 – the Clerk circulated the Confidential file note of the discussion which had taken place at the meeting on the 19th May 2025.

b. Chapel Field Residual Land – the Chairman briefed the meeting on the Clerk’s Confidential Report which was tabled and had been prepared following receipt of detailed legal advice. Further consideration and discussion of the issues took place. All Councillors were asked to confirm that they had no pecuniary interest in the land to be disposed of, in accordance with the Code of Conduct and Standing Orders, and this being the case it was RESOLVED to dispose of the residual land in line with the two options in the report and having fully considered the solicitor's detailed legal opinion. The Clerk was therefore asked to action the disposal accordingly with the council’s solicitor.

 

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting at 9.07pm

 

Sheila Pearce

Parish Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer