2025 Parish Council Minutes

DRAFT MINUTES OF POINTON & SEMPRINGHAM PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

To be held on Tuesday 11th March 2025 at 7.30pm in St Gilbert Primary School

Councillors present: Cllrs Green (Chair), Greenwood, Keeley, and Ross 

In attendance: C. Cllr M Hil, D Cllr Dixon-Warren, R. Boden (clerk) and 8 members of public.

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

AGENDA 

Chairman’s Welcome and Housekeeping Arrangements. 

25028. The Chair stated that they would like to propose to suspend Standing Order 3f and have no Public Participation session at this meeting. It was seconded by Cllr Keeley and it was resolved to have no Public Participation session at this evening’s meeting.

A number of residents left the meeting, whilst others remained to listen to Cllrs Hill and Dixon Warren.

25029. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SESSION

To receive reports from outside bodies.

- Report from C. Cllr Hill. Highways are waiting for slightly drier weather and then they will repair areas damaged as people found alternative routes whilst the B1177 was closed. Contractors have been organised to look down the drains to find the cause of the blockage on West Road and it had been reported that a number of ditches are to be dug out following meetings between LCC, SKDC and the Crown.

- The Government Scheme that was in place during storms Babet and Henk is no longer available. LCC have put one million pounds aside to create a similar scheme, that is easier to apply for. However, claimants can only apply once.

- Discussions over becoming a Unitary Authority have begun where LCC and SKDC will be merging.

- Report from D. Cllr Dixon-Warren. Congratulations were given on the news that work is to start on the improvement of the ditches. It was also asked if the Council were likely to be doing anything for VE day. At present the Council have nothing planned.

COUNCIL SESSION

25030. To receive Declarations of Pecuniary or Non-Pecuniary Interest. No Declarations of Pecuniary or Non-Pecuniary Interest were received.

25031. To receive and accept Apologies for Absence. It was resolved to accept apologies from Cllrs Wesley, Christies and Clarke due to work commitments.

25032. To approve the clerk’s notes for the meeting held on the 11th February 2025 and for the chair to sign. It was resolved to approve the clerk’s notes for the meeting held on the 11th February 2025 and for the Chair to sign.

25033. 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 payments as the list 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 Chair to sign.

25034. Clerk’s Report – To receive an update of developments between meetings.

a) The Internal Auditor is due for the 17th March for an intermediate audit and then a further audit will be carried out at the end of the financial year.

b) Lloyds Bank have changed the Council to a community account from the business account and will be charging £4.25 a month.

c) The Council have been successful with the community grant from SKDC and thanks go to Cllr Dixon Warren for the support. The grant of £2,000 will help the Council purchase various tables for the playing field.

d) Footpath 10 is due to be completed by the end of March.

e) With the addition of the new play equipment added to the insurance policy there is an extra cost of £72.34.

f) Whilst the Council do not need a Post Installation Inspection it has been recommended that one is carried out due to the cost of the equipment. It was resolved that the clerk speaks with Wicksteed.

25035. Policies - To review and accept the following policies:

a) General Grant Scheme 2025-26. It was resolved to review and accept the General Grant Scheme for 2025-26.

25036. Statutory Consultation - Ossian Transmission Infrastructure project - Notification of Environmental Impact Assessment scoping report consultation. It was noted that the Statutory Consultation – Ossian Transmission Infrastructure project was live.

25037. Pavilion – To consider the requirements of the Pavillion. It was voted on in September 2024 that the Council would use a design and build service for a new pavilion. This had not progressed as the Pavilion Group (Pointon Sports & Social Club) had come forward with an offer of using money (£60,000) that they had been given by a benefactor to refurbish the Pavilion in exchange for having a lease on both the Pavilion and playing field for 10 years, without having with the Council involved in any steps. 

The Council had asked for various paperwork during a number of meetings with the group and had suggested that the groups funds could be match funded. This would have potentially given £120,000 for refurbishing the pavilion. The group had no bank account for the money, nor business plans and it wasn’t until the last meeting that they gave the names of members. The Council had asked for names right at the beginning as this was information that was needed for any lease to be drawn up.

At the last Council meeting it was resolved that the way forward was a Community committee / group be formed with a mix of Cllrs and villagers but under the banner of the PC. 

The Pavilion Group have since made it clear across Facebook that they do not want to work with the parish council but nothing has been received from the benefactor or their solicitor.

Moving forward it was resolved to carry on and look at using the old planning application and create a plan of a building to fit within the same footprint. There are still grants available at the moment. The building needs to work and so will need money coming in, which previous tenants have found difficult, but without stepping on the toes of either the pub or village hall.

25038. Date and time of Parish Council Meetings – To be agreed

Items of confidential nature to be debated in the absence of the press and public. Under the Public Bodies (Admission to the Meetings) Act 1960 (due to the confidential nature of the business).

Cllr Green proposed that the council enter closed session due to the confidential nature of the business. It was seconded by Cllr Keeley. It was resolved for the council to enter closed session.

25039 To consider and approve the work to be carried out on the playing field trees following the tree inspection. It was resolved to use Simpsons Arboriculture Ltd for the essential tree work at a cost of £638 +VAT and to use Simpsons Arboriculture Ltd for the desirable tree work at a cost of £638 +VAT.

The meeting closed at 8.30pm