2023-24 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

Clerk: Carolyn Wilkinson Website: https://south-hykeham.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk/

Minutes of the December Parish Council meeting of South Hykeham Parish Council held on Wednesday 13th December 2023 at 7.00pm at South Hykeham Community Primary School, Wath Lane.  

Present: Councillors Mrs P Whittaker (Chairman), D Rowson, P Driffill, S Roe, N Southam, Mrs L Graham.

Clerk: Carolyn Wilkinson. 

In attendance: Cllr A Briggs LCC. 

Public Forum:  There were no members of the public present so there was no Public Forum.

The Parish Council meeting started at 7.00pm with the Chairman welcoming everyone.

1. To receive apologies for absence and to resolve to accept the reasons given.  Cllr Mrs Dillon Jones had sent her apologies for absence.  Cllr Rowson proposed that the reasons for absence should be accepted.  Motion seconded by Cllr Roe and unanimously resolved on a show of hands.    The Police Beat Team and Cllr M Lofts (NKDC) had each sent their apologies which were noted.

2. To resolve to receive any declarations of interest in accordance with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011 and to consider member’s written dispensation requests.  Cllr Roe declared a prejudicial interest in item 9(a) PL/0087/23 LCC construction of Hykeham Relief Road and advised he would be leaving the meeting when that item was discussed and would not be taking part in the vote. 

3. To receive County and District Councillors reports – for information only.  Items raised for decision will appear on the agenda for the next meeting . 

Cllr Overton had sent a written report which had been copied to all members and was noted.  

Cllr Briggs advised that the application for a judicial review on the proposal to use Scampton to house asylum seekers had failed.  It will now be referred to the Court of Appeal. 

4. To receive the Police report. In the absence of the Police Beat team there was no report.

5.To resolve to adopt the clerk’s notes of the meeting held on 8th November  2023 as the minutes of that meeting.   Cllr Rowson proposed, seconded by Cllr Roe and unanimously resolved on a show of hands that the Clerk’s notes should be adopted as a true record of that meeting 

The Chairman signed the minutes.

6. To receive any updates from the 10 Year Strategy Working Party. There were no updates.

7. Finance. 

a) To resolve to approve the payment of accounts for December 2023. Cllr Driffill proposed that the payment of accounts for December should be approved.  The motion was seconded by Cllr Rowson and unanimously approved on a show of hands.

b) To receive the budget report up to 30th November 2023. Cllr Roe proposed that the budget report should be received.  The motion was seconded by Cllr Rowson and unanimously approved on a show of hands.

c) To resolve to approve the 2024/25 Budget.  After careful consideration of the proposed budget in front of members it was proposed by Cllr Southam, seconded by Cllr Roe and unanimously resolved on a show of hands that the Council should adopt the budget as discussed making provision for increases in the rate of inflation and the additional hours for the clerk and the recent pay award.  

d) Letter from NKDC re: Town and Parish Precept setting and to resolve to set the precept for 2024/25.   After much discussion it was proposed by Cllr Southam, seconded by Cllr Roe and unanimously resolved on a show of hands that the precept should be set at £20,000 equating to a 6.5% increase as indicated on the NKDC Parish Council Precept working calculator attached to the letter sent out by NKDC. Clerk to submit necessary documentation  to NKDC by the due date.

8) Highways matters

a) Speed Indicator Device report from Cllr Roe. There was no report for this evening as the Device has not required recharging and is still in situ in the vicinity of the school.

b) To report outstanding/new highways faults requiring urgent attention. No new matters to report.

9. Planning matters

a) To consider NKDC & LCC planning applications received and respond by deadline.

23/1253/FUL The Gamekeeper Newark Road S Hykeham Erection of single storey rear extension & associated works Cllr Rowson proposed that there was no objection or comments in relation to this proposal.  Cllr Mrs Whittaker seconded the motion that was unanimously approved on a show of hands with one abstention from the vote.    No objection/no comments

PL/0087/23LCC CONSTRUCTION OF THE NORTH HYKEHAM RELIEF ROAD (NHRR) BETWEEN THE A46 HYKEHAM ROUNDABOUT AND THE A15 SLEAFORD ROAD ROUNDABOUT AT THE END OF THE LINCOLN EASTERN BYPASS Cllr Roe declared a prejudicial interest in this proposal and left the room and took no part in the discussion or vote.  Cllr Rowson proposed that there should be no objection or comments relating to this proposal.  Cllr Driffill seconded the motion that was unanimously approved on a show of hands with one abstention from Cllr Roe who had left the room and had taken no part in the discussion.   No objection/no comments

PL/0095/23 LCC TO CONSTRUCT A GENERAL PURPOSE BUILDING (ON SITE AND ON FOOTPRINT OF PREVIOUSLY APPROVED GENERAL PURPOSE STORE BUILDING (PL/0025/18 & 18/1096/CCC) & GENERAL PURPOSE/RELATED EXTERNAL STORAGE OF MATERIALS, AGGREGATES, SKIPS & EQUIPMENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE APPLICANTS USE OF THE ADJACENT SITE AS AN MRF LOCATION: MUSHROOM FARM, BOUNDARY LANE, SOUTH HYKEHAM  Cllr Rowson proposed that there should be no objection to the building but concerns should be raised over the likelihood of an increase in traffic which would be generated by this proposal and that a traffic survey should be requested. Cllr Driffill seconded the motion that was unanimously approved on a show of hands with one abstention from Cllr Roe who had left the room for the previous item.  No objection but a traffic survey to be requested

Cllr Roe returned to the meeting.

b) To consider NKDC Tree Preservation Order applications received and respond by deadline. None  

c)  To note NKDC/LCC planning decisions. None

10.Update on the planned review of the Hykeham Joint Neighbourhood Plan and report from the joint meeting held on 11th December 2023 to discuss the proposals.  The next meeting will be on Monday 8th January 2024 at Fen Lane.  Luke has applied to Communities for grant funding and the next meeting will focus on how the consultation with parishioners will be carried out and where.  It was suggested initially that there should be two consultation events.  One at South Hykeham Village Hall and the other in North Hykeham.  Clerk to send out email to all members with details of the next meeting on 8th January 2024 along with the draft agenda which Luke will produce and send to both Clerks. Clerk to send out agenda and meeting details to members of council once received

11. Litterpicking report. Two new volunteers have been recruited at the recent Church Xmas Fayre where the Clerk and Cllrs Mrs Whittaker, Rowson and Southam were present with a Parish Council tombola and were asking parishioners to complete questionnaires which would help Council understand what their priorities for services and amenities were.   Feedback from parishioners to be fed into the NP review and new volunteers for litterpicking to be contacted with details of the next litterpick. 

12. Correspondence.

a) Letter from RAF Waddington advising of Exercise Cobra Warrior 24 February/March 2024. Noted

b) Newsletter from LCC advising of Greater Lincolnshire devolution consultation and to consider Parish Council response. Noted.  There will be a series of events at the Showroom on Tritton Road

13. Chairman’s report.    No report

14. Clerk’s report.    No report

15. Parish Councillors’ reports –information only/items requiring a decision will appear on a future agenda.  No reports

16. To resolve to approve nominations for Councillor/Clerk Training. No nominations.

17. To consider moving into closed session in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to meetings) Act 1960 as amended by section 100 of the Local Government Act 1972 for confidential items. Proposed Cllr Roe, seconded by Cllr Rowson and unanimously agreed on a show of hands that Council should move into closed session in order to discuss the next item relating to the Clerk’s pay.

18. 2022/23 Local Government Services Pay Agreement 2023.

It was proposed by Cllr Roe, seconded by Cllr Southam and unanimously approved on a show of hands that the Pay Agreement 2023 should be applied to the Clerk’s pay with immediate effect and that arrears should be backdated to 1st April 2023.  Provision has been made in the budget for this pay increase and also the increase in hours from 60 to 80 per calendar month.  

Date & Time of Next meetings:

10 Year Strategy Working Party meeting Weds 10th January 2024
Full Council meeting Weds 10th January 2024 7.00pm

There being no further competent business the meeting closed at 8.30pm.