April 2025 Minutes
MINUTES OF SCOTTON PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY 3RD APRIL 2025 AT 6PM IN SCOTTON VILLAGE HALL
1) PRESENT - Cllr Y Huddleston, Cllr H Alexander, Cllr S Walker (Acting Clerk), Cllr R Walker (Chair & RFO), Cllr K Ibbeson
ALSO PRESENT – District Cllr K Carless
2) CHAIRS REMARKS - Cllr R Walker opened the meeting at 6pm
3) PUBLIC SESSION - No members of the public present
4) APOLOGIES - None
5) COUNTY/DISTRICT CLLRS - Cllr Carless sated that for the election due to take place on May 1st there were six candidates standing for Mayor of Lincolnshire and several people standing for County Councillors including Cllr Rollings.
RAF Scampton has now gone up for sale and the hope is that the aerospace programme will still go ahead but this is not certain as the market is open to all including housing developers.
6) DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST - None
7) MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON THE 6TH of MARCH 2025
The minutes were accepted as a true and accurate representation of the proceedings
8) CODE OF CONDUCT - Cllr R Walker stated that it was possible that this would change soon, but copies of the current code were distributed to the councillors for completion by the next meeting. If necessary, a new code would be distributed in the future.
9) FINANCE - Precept of £12,000 received from WLDC
a) Insurance - It was agreed by the councillors to take the 3-year fixed price offer from Zurich at a cost of £270 per year
b) Grass cutting - Mr Williams bill for £180.00 was agreed
c) Audit costs - It was agreed that Mr Brooks would be paid £285 to carry out a full year’s audit.
d) LALC Membership - It was agreed that the annual membership fee would be paid ( £240/250)
e) Grants - It was agreed that grants applied for would be paid.
Village Hall - £1600
Church - £1000
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f) Chairs fund - It was agreed that the annual £50 chairs fund would be split £25 each to Rob and Andy Ramsay for their volunteering work within the village.
g) Banking update - Despite several emails and phone calls Cllr R Walker has still not managed to get the banking mandate changed as requested. Cllrs were urged to look at Unity banking as an alternative. It was suggested that both banks could be utilised and worked side by side before a full transfer takes place.
10) AUDIT UPDATE - Cllr R Walker to contact Mr Brooks (auditor) and arrange a drop off all necessary paperwork to enable audit to take place.
11) VILLAGE HALL - Cllr S Walker stated that due to the generous grant/s given to the village hall to enable improvements to take place the committee were now seeing significant savings on electricity for heating
The next area for improvement/s would be the playground but this will probably need outside funding as well as further grants from the Parish Council.
12) PINFOLD UPDATES - Cllr Alexander stated that the planters on the pinfold were still good but further planting would be required by the end of April/beginning of May to cover the summer season.
13) ORCHARD UPDATE - No change. All trees doing well.
14) COMBINED PARISH/DISTRICT CLLR SURGERY
As planned, this will take place on Tuesday 8th April 2025 in the village hall from 1.30/3.30pm. Cllr Carless will be attending as well as a parish councillor/s.
15) Following a visit to the proposed site for the seat requested by Cllr Huddleston, a budget of £500 was agreed for the purchase of a 3-seater bench and related fixing pins. Cllr R Walker to order for delivery to Cllr Huddleston who will arrange for transportation to the required area.
Cllr R Walker stated that he had some membrane and pegs for covering the ground underneath the bench to stop weed/grass growth.
16) VE DAY - Commemorative symbols had been received from Royal British Legion for display around the village particularly on the entrances. Cllr R Walker and Cllr H Alexander to place these.
17) COUNCILLORS REPORT - Following a discussion it appears that the planning application submitted by the Blyton Racetrack is still pending. It is stated in the application that no increase in noise is expected because of the development but Cllr Alexander stated that the noise nuisance experienced now is, on most days, unacceptable. It was suggested that a poll was put out on Scotton Facebook asking for views from parishioners as to how, if at all, this affected their day-to-day life.
Cllr Huddleston reported that she had personally cleared overgrowth from some of the pathways within the recreation area and these were now passable.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING - Friday 2nd May 2025 6pm Village Hall
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