2025 Parish Council Minutes

DRAFT MINUTES OF POINTON & SEMPRINGHAM PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

Held on Tuesday 11th February 2025 at 7.30pm in St Gilbert Primary School

Councillors present: Cllrs Christie, Clarke, Green, Greenwood, Keeley, and Wesley (Chair)

In attendance: C. Cllr M Hil, R. Boden (clerk) and 16 members of public.

To be noted that the meeting may be recorded for the purpose of transparency.

AGENDA 

Chairman’s Welcome and Housekeeping Arrangements.

25015. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SESSION

To receive reports from outside bodies.

- Report from C. Cllr Hill. Cllr Hill gave an update on the closure of the B1177. It was done as an emergency repair by Anglian Water. There was not enough road signage and a lot of the minor roads had received damage. There is to be a meeting and Anglian Water will either pay for repair or LCC will carry out the repairs and invoice Anglian Water.

The meeting held by the various departments on the Friday was very good. The relief ditch will take on responsibility. Cameras will be placed under the roads of West Road and the High Street to access any damage. Cllr Wesley added that there is damage at the end of this pipe, which is on Crown Land, and there is to be a meetings with the Crown and Black Sluice.

There is going to be the abolishment of the County and District Councils and it to become one Unitary Authority. There will be the election of Lincolnshire’s Mayor on the 1st May. LCC is going to raise the precept by 3%

- Report from D. Cllr Dixon-Warren. No report was received and Cllr Dixon-Warren gave his apologies the following day.

- Questions or Points raised by residents and members of the public. A member of the public questioned that the public participation session had been agreed to be held at the end of the meeting. Cllr Wesley explained that it was discussed but nothing had been agreed. 

Residents asked the clerk about various aspects of the budget set at the previous meeting and the precept figure, her CiLCA and why her other council was not sharing the cost of this, why she needed a phone for her job instead of using her own and did her other council pay anything to this, produced a copy of her other council’s agenda and asked about the layout on finances. 

A resident questioned the condition of the roundabout and another gave a compliment to the new playground.

The chair of the Emergency Planning Group then gave an update of the recent walk around held with the group, SKDC, Black Sluice and members of the PC and residents.

COUNCIL SESSION

25016. To receive Declarations of Pecuniary or Non-Pecuniary Interest. No Declarations of Pecuniary or Non-Pecuniary Interests were received.

25017.To receive and accept Apologies for Absence. It was resolved to accept the apologies of Cllr Ross.

25018. To approve the clerk’s notes for the meeting held on the 14th January 2025 and for the chair to sign. It was resolved to approve the clerk’s notes for the meeting held on the 14th January 2025 and for the chair to sign.

25019. Finances:

a) To receive the clerk’s report on payments between meetings

It was resolved to accept the clerk’s report on payments between meetings.

b) To approve payments as list below.

It was resolved to approve the payments listed above.

c)To approve the bank reconciliation and for the Vice-Chair to sign. It was resolved to approve the bank reconciliation and for the Vice-Chair to sign.

25020. LALC:

a) To consider the joining of LALC for the financial year 25/26 for £182.06. It was resolved to join LALC for the financial year 25/26 for £182.06.

b) To consider the joining of the training scheme for financial year 25/26 at £120 +VAT. It was resolved to join the training scheme for the financial year 25/26 at £120 +VAT.

25021. Clerk’s Report – To receive an update of developments between meetings. The clerk collected 3 phones from Cllr Keeley but due to various reasons they could not be used. She has managed to find an older iphone to use and has started a contract of £6 a month for the council phone.

The internal auditor has been appointed for the year through LALC and a date for the meeting will be arranged shortly.

25022. Policies - To review and accept the following policies:

a) Grievance Policy- It was resolved to accept the Grievance Policy

b) Risk Register- It was resolved to accept the Risk Register

25023.  Emails – To consider the Council changing to .gov emails for security and best practice (JPAG).

Deferred from January meeting. It was resolved for the Council to change to .gov emails and work with CloudNext at a cost of £150 a year.

25024. St. Gilberts School – To consider the Council working with the school council on the theme good neighbours. It was resolved for the Council to work with the school council on the theme good neighbours.

25025. Pavilion & Playground 

a)To discuss the matter of the pavilion & playground, including an update on the current position in the matter of the lease and agree any actions. Cllrs held a meeting the previous week so that they could all talk freely without disruption and had asked for a meeting with some of the Pavilion group so that an explanation and discussions could be held before the council meeting. 

It was proposed by Cllr Green and seconded by Cllr Wesley that a Community committee / group be formed with a mix of Cllrs and villagers but under the banner of the PC. Members of the Pavilion group would be invited to join the new committee and hopefully everyone could work together for the good of the community and the pavilion. It was resolved by all Cllrs that this should be the way forward and it was hoped that the benefactor would still want to refurbish the pavilion and that their money could help with further grants for match funding.

b) To consider applying for a Small Grant from SKDC and to receive endorsement from Cllr Dixon-Warren. It was resolved for the clerk to apply for a Small Grant from SKDC for the purchase of benches and picnic tables to be placed on the playing field for community use. Cllr Dixon-Warren had already endorsed the grant application.

25026. Planning Application

The Council had no objections to the application.

25027. Date and time of next Parish Council Meeting Tuesday 11th March at 7.30pm. 

The meeting closed at 8.29pm.