February 2025 minutes
The Parish Council meeting was held on Monday 10th February 2025 at 7.00pm in the Jubilee Hall, High Street, Heighington.
Present:
Councillor Buckley-Jones
Councillor Catlow
Councillor Catterson (arrived 7:02pm)
Councillor Craig
Councillor George
Councillor Trafford (Vice Chair – Chair for the meeting)
Councillor Watkinson
Clerk – Elaine Atkin
RFO – Nikki Briscoe
NKDC & LCC Councillor Ian Carrington
Absent:
Councillor Farrington
Councillor Sockell (Chair)
Councillor Sowerby
NKDC Councillor Carola Goodwin
NKDC Councillor Reece Harrington
There was 1 member of the public present.
Public participation
There were no questions.
193/M/24 To receive and accept apologies, where valid reasons for absence have been submitted to the clerk prior to the meeting.
Apologies and valid reasons for absence had been received from Cllrs Farrington, Sockell and Sowerby. It was proposed by Cllr Catlow, seconded by Cllr Watkinson and resolved to accept these.
194/M/24 To receive Declarations of Interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011 and receive Requests for Dispensations.
There were none.
195/M/24 To approve as a correct record the notes of the meeting held on Monday 13th January 2025 and for the chair to sign these as the agreed minutes.
It was proposed by Cllr Catlow, seconded by Cllr George and resolved to approve the January minutes. These were duly signed by the Chair.
Cllr Catterson arrived (7:02pm).
196/M/24 To receive reports from County and District Councillors (for information only).
Cllr Carrington, shared the following highlights:
- LCC proposed budget increase of 3% is due to be ratified at Full Council in a couple of weeks.
- Cllr Carrington recently walked the source of flooding in Washingborough.
- There are embankment issues on the South Delph.
- Previous damage to the embankment over a year ago has not been repaired.
- The Delph is overgrown and silted.
- Questions have been raised to the LCC Flood & Scrutiny Committee about this.
- There are issues with sewage from the Canwick treatment plant.
- Washingborough playing fields were submerged, possibly with sewage.
- Local parish councils are not being informed by Anglian Water about what’s going on.
- S.19 flood reports have now been completed.
- Recommendation for Heighington for upstream mitigation/attenuation (to help with the surface water flooding).
- Telemetry installation on 12th February – at the school and three on LCC bridges over the beck.
- Various agencies need to work better together.
- A parish councillor commented that the Syke is still blocked and so will prevent water getting away from the village.
- Highways have done various road repairs in the area.
- No further news of progress on the bypass.
- Local government reorganisation/Mayor will go ahead but government hasn’t provided any detail.
197/M/24 To note the list of correspondence and meetings since the January council meeting.
This was noted.
At this point the Chair decided to change the order of the agenda and consider agenda item 14 now.
198/M/24 To receive an update from the Garrett’s Charity following consultation on the proposed changes to the Scheme.
The meeting chair invited the member of public, one of the Garrett’s Charity trustees, to provide an update.
The public consultation ended on 7th February with 12 responses in support of and 4 responses opposed to the proposed change to the charity Scheme. The charity trustees will meet on 11th February to decide how to proceed in accordance with the instructions of the Charity Commission. The objectives are to ensure that the intentions of the original donor (Thomas Garrett 1620) are honoured and to enable the charity to secure much needed grant funding for ongoing maintenance.
The member of public was thanked for the update, and they then left the meeting.
Financial matters:
199/M/24 To note an amendment to the October monthly accounts (approved in November, minute reference 135/M/24) – voucher number 199 (insurance value refund) originally stated £57.40 net, £6.89 VAT and should be £64.26, VAT not applicable.
The amendment was noted.
200/M/24 To approve the monthly accounts for January 2025, including List of Payments, List of Receipts, Net Position and Bank Reconciliation
The bank reconciliation for January had been checked and signed off by Cllr Catlow prior to the meeting.
Bank balances at the end of January as presented were: Co-op (current) - £30,015.24, Unity Trust (current) - £93,346.32, Public Sector Deposit Fund £48,000.
It was proposed by Cllr George, seconded by Cllr Buckley-Jones and resolved to approve the January monthly accounts.
201/M/24 To note overtime worked in December and paid in January.
This was noted.
202/M/24 To agree to sign up to a Tesco Mobile contract with basic handset for the emergency contact, with payment to be made via direct debit
The RFO confirmed the direct debit will be £7.50 per month. This was proposed by Cllr Catterson, seconded by Cllr George and resolved.
203/M/24 To consider the insurance renewal from Clear Councils (third year of a three-year arrangement).
The RFO confirmed that there were a couple of queries for the RFO and Clerk to sort out but otherwise the documents looked alright. It was proposed by Cllr George, seconded by Cllr Buckley-Jones and resolved to go with the renewal.
204/M/24 To consider whether the council wants to celebrate VE Day 80th Anniversary in May and tie in with The Big Lunch
This was proposed by Cllr Watkinson, seconded by Cllr Catlow and resolved.
205/M/24 To agree the council meeting schedule for administrative year 2025-26.
This was proposed by Cllr George, seconded by Cllr Buckley-Jones and resolved.
206/M/24 To adopt the new model IT Policy.
This was proposed by Cllr Buckley-Jones, seconded by Cllr Catlow and resolved.
207/M/24 To consider various free trees that are available.
It was proposed by Cllr George, seconded by Cllr Catterson and resolved for Cllrs Buckley-Jones and Trafford to arrange to meet with a representative from the cricket club to discuss location at Potterhanworth Road for the ten fruit trees obtained; and to obtain the offered Whitebeam for Station Road, with a potential suitable location at the opposite end of the field to the pavilion.
Planning Matters and Tree Works:
208/M/24 To consider tree works applications received from NKDC (including those considered between meetings)
a. 25/0098/TCA. T1 – Cherry plum/wild plum – Reduce in line with red line on images provided. T2 – Robina – Reduce in line with red line on images provided. Woodbine Cottage, Chapel Lane, Heighington.
b. 25/0100/TCA. T1 – Sycamore – fell. Albert House, 6 High Street, Heighington.
c. 25/0126/TCA. T1 – Leylandii – The tree branches currently extend about 10-12 feet over my house and are touching my roof tiles. The tree surgeon’s advice is to reduce the height to be roughly level with the guttering on both houses to prevent future damage to both houses. T2 – Elder – Reduce branches that overhang, back to boundary line. (Rear garden). T3 – unknown species – Eastern side of property – reduce from property wall. 69A High Street, Heighington, LN4 1JS.
It was proposed by Cllr George, seconded by Cllr Catlow and resolved to leave these to NKDC tree officer.
209/M/24 To note tree decision notices from NKDC
None received.
210/M/24 To note the planning applications received from NKDC for consideration (including those considered between meetings).
a. 24/1119/LBC. Erection of single storey rear extension, widening of 2 no openings to existing walls, create new door within existing window. Park View House, 1 High Street, Heighington. Considered offline and comments submitted.
b. 23/0387/FUL. Notification of amended plans/additional information. Demolition of an existing bungalow and erection of two dwellings. The Willows, 36 Park Lane, Heighington. Considered offline and comments submitted.
c. 25/0019/VARCON. Application to vary condition 6 (approved plans) addition of ground floor window and door to eastern elevation and omission of window to first floor elevation, re planning permission 20/0650/HOUS (Erection of a two-storey rear and side extension). 48 Park Lane, Heighington, LN4 1RF. Council had no comments.
211/M/24 To note planning decision notices from NKDC
a. 24/1044/LBC. Remedial works to pitched roof (chapel nave & hiring rooms), installation of insulation, new roof battens, replacement box gutter, pinning of four vent apertures and removal of false ceiling in the kitchen room. Thomas Garrett Heritage Rooms & Chapel, Potterhanworth Road, Heighington. Application approved.
b. 24/1040/LBC. Replace existing boiler. 18 High Street, Heighington. Application approved.
Planning decisions were noted.
212/M/24 CLOSED SESSION. Council to resolve to move into closed session in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 for the following items on the grounds that publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.
It was proposed by Cllr Catlow, seconded by Cllr Catterson and resolved to move into closed session.
LCC & NKDC Cllr Carrington left the meeting (7:40pm).
213/M/24 To consider quotes for a petrol lawnmower and multi-tool and confirm where this would be funded from.
It was proposed by Cllr Watkinson, seconded by Cllr Catterson and resolved to purchase a petrol lawnmower and multi-tool from Mower Magic and also a power washer from Screwfix, totalling £788 plus VAT, and for the funds to be transferred from reserves to budget line 66.
214/M/24 To consider quotes for sensory boards for the Station Road play area and confirm where this would be funded from.
It was proposed by Cllr Catterson, seconded by Cllr Craig and resolved to purchase a height measuring post (How Tall Are You) and two sensory boards (from Premier Play Solutions at a cost of £3590 plus VAT) for installation at Station Road play area. These to be funded from allocated Station Road reserves. Further investigation is required, and will be reported back to a future meeting, to determine whether the ground is suitable for an accessible roundabout.
The meeting closed at 7:50 pm.
Please be advised that these are notes of the meeting taken by the Clerk and cannot in any way be regarded as the official minutes of Council proceedings until they are approved and signed at the next meeting.