Issue 176 June 2021 £1.50

COUNCIL OF THE YEAR: SOUTH KYME PARISH COUNIL

‘Lincoln by Night’ Painting by Gillian Beale www.gillianbeale.co.uk

About us

Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils (LALC) is a not-for-profit membership organisation for parish and town councils in . As an unincorporated association LALC is owned by its member councils who exercise Inside this issue: control through the Annual General Meeting. Administered by a County Committee appointed at the Annual General Meeting, the Association operates in accordance with its constitution and also in the best interests of the first tier of local government. Every member Meetings 3 of the County Committee is either a councillor or a clerk from a member council.

We also deliver an extensive training programme which is designed and reviewed regularly to reflect the needs of member councils. From our surveys 4 County Executive Committee • Gary Ellis President • John Rose Vice President • Tony Howard Chairman • John Kilcoyne Vice Chairman Neighbourhood Plans 5-11 • Mike Passfield Treasurer and Vice President • Katrina Evans Chief Executive

LALC Team General Power of Katrina Evans (Chief Executive) 12-14 Competence Office Manager, dealing with all Council enquiries including HR queries, legal requests for advice. Representation at local, county & national meetings. Manages & delivers the training programme.

Around the county 15-16 Amy Bestwick (Training Support and Media Officer) - currently on maternity leave.

For enquiries about the website, e-news and quarterly newsletter during her absence, please contact Training 17-20 John Kilcoyne

Lindsey Westman (Senior Admin & Finance) Provides admin support, deals with training bookings, clerk updates and vacancies, all LALC financial enquiries.

@LincsALC

Contact us: Get in touch

Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils https://www.lalc.co.uk/contacts/

Dunholme Old School 01673 866596 / 07422 963475 8 Road Dunholme www.lalc.co.uk Lincoln LN2 3QR

2 LALC Meetings

The year of remote meetings has now passed; lots of councils have embraced the use of technology, others have been glad to get back together. Lots of you will have given your views to the MHCLG call for evidence, so we’ll have to wait and see what long-term options are made available. As far as LALC is concerned, Zoom will be one of the ways forward. The benefits to LALC staff and course participants far outweigh the disadvantages of connection problems, technical issues and mute contributors. Remote training removes the need for long journeys across the county, it gives us more flexibility in when we can hold courses, and it allows resources to be shared easily.

We will still continue to hold some training sessions and meetings face-to-face. It is important that we keep the personal contact where we can. Networking is still a much–needed and invaluable part of what we do. One of our first events will be a physical CiLCA catchup for our current cohort of candidates in September.

And of course, we’ll be getting back together for our AGM on 6th October at the Bentley Hotel, South Hykeham. More details will follow in our newsletters. We’ll be delighted to meet you there in person.

Contact us Please remember to use the online contact us facility from our website to make sure your enquiry gets through to the right person.

The Good Councillor’s Guides ...

The Good Councillors Guide

The Good Councillors Guide to Finance & Transparency

The Good Councillors Guide to Neighbourhood Planning

The Good Councillors Guide to Being a Good Employer

The Good Councillor's Guide to Community Business

The Good Councillor’s Guide To Cyber-Security

Download directly from LALC website or contact Lindsey to order copies at £3.99 each plus p&p.

3 From our surveys

The success of our January survey has led us to try to find out more. We’ve had a few shorter surveys out over recently; thank you so much for your responses. We’re trying to find out about what your council is doing well; we also want to know about the things you’ve started that didn’t work, and the things you’ve not got going with. We’ve asked some of you to give us more details about what you’ve told us. See the next few pages to find out. If you haven’t completed the surveys yet, each heading below has a link or ask us.

Neighbourhood Plans Where is your council up to with a Neighbourhood Plan?  Achieved – well done!  Awaiting approval.  Currently preparing.  Considering.  Started but abandoned.  Not considering.

If you haven’t started to put together a neighbourhood plan, what are the barriers?  Didn't know about it.  Haven’t thought about it.  Haven’t got round to it.  Cost  Time.  Confidence.  Other

What has been your experience of the process of establishing a neighbourhood plan? If you started preparing a neighbourhood plan but gave up, can you explain why? How has having a completed neighbourhood plan been of benefit to your community? Have there been any disadvantages to having a completed neighbourhood plan?

General Power of Competence This survey gives you four choices. Go with the one that fits you and answer the relevant questions.

 My council currently holds the GPC - well done!  My council held the GPC in the past but is no longer eligible.  My council meets the necessary two criteria and is eligible to hold the GPC but doesn't. Why not?  My council isn't eligible to hold the GPC. Why not?

What have been the benefits to your council from holding the GPC?

And with all our surveys– what can LALC do to help?  Information to show how each award can benefit your council and community?  Support from other councils who already have these in place?  Review of criteria for your council prior to submission.  Sharing your story with other councils.

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Our surveys: Neighbourhood Plans

Neighbourhood planning as we know it now was introduced by the Localism Act 2011. It is intended to give a community greater say over the amount and type of development in their area. There are known benefits to having a plan.  It’s community-led.

 It gives you more influence over local planning matters.

 It encourages dialogue with your community.

 It identifies issues in your local area.

 It may provide additional income for your town or village through the Community Infrastructure Levy.

There are also disadvantages.  It takes a great deal of time to prepare.

 There are costs, although hopefully they are all paid for through government grants.

 You will need knowledge of planning regulations and procedures.

 You will need to call on specialist skills and knowledge within your community.

 It doesn’t stop development.

 You can’t change boundaries.

 Not all development brings CIL money.

 You need to convince your community to adopt the plan through a referendum.

What have you told us? It’s not all plain sailing. For every adopted neighbourhood plan, there are many that were started and abandoned. Plans that do make it to referendum have involved a great deal of effort. Some towns and parishes felt that district councils were very supportive, although this is by no means always the case. Some respondents suggested that it was difficult to maintain the interest and enthusiasm of residents across a long, complicated process. Some parishes have a plan in waiting but nobody is willing to step forward to take it on. Problems seem to have come up sometimes where neighbouring communities found it difficult to work together.

We have got examples of success though. Parishes and towns are still making progress through the different stages of plans, and we’ve been told about achievements where planning decisions are made on the basis of adopted plans.

What we have learned through our consultation is that these plans are not for everyone. Many communities, though, feel that all the effort and time has been well spent. See the next few pages for examples.

5 Ropsley and District Neighbourhood Plan

The Localism Act, 2011 provided parish councils with the ability to have a vital say in shaping the future of their communities through a neighbourhood plan. To take advantage of this opportunity, in November 2015 'Ropsley & District Parish Council' voted to commence our journey in preparing our ‘Neighbourhood Plan’(NP).

The first steps in this included putting together a team of willing volunteers to form the 'Ropsley & District Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee', swiftly followed by designating our NP boundary with District Council (SKDC). Willing as we were, as rookies in NP's, it is fair to say it took us a while to grasp the intricacies and correct procedures for producing a plan. Nevertheless, we read lots and between us figured out the next steps including drafting a questionnaire, which we then put to our community. This asked a range of questions about local issues including what people liked about living in the parish, about our facilities and the communities thoughts around development in the parish… to name but a few. Information was gathered, further community consultations and presentations were undertaken over the next year and then we were ready to prepare our 'draft' plan. At this point we called on some excellent expert advice from town planner who understood how to weave the community’s wishes with local and national planning policy. Early last year we consulted the community again with the 'draft plan' and conducted other statutory consultations. The plan was scrutinised by an ‘Independent Examiner’ and after some final tweaks and sign off from SKDC it was ready to be voted on by our community at a Referendum.

At the elections held on 6th May 2021, I am delighted to report our NP was passed with a resounding yes....87% in favour! It is a fantastic result for our community, delivering on their wishes. It’s been a journey and a lot of work after 5 years but well worth the exercise.

The Ropsley & District Neighbourhood Plan, now forms part of South Kesteven’s “Development Plan” and has real influence over planning in the Parish, because it is a “Material Consideration” in planning decisions. It will shape how development will occur locally giving our community a bigger say over – volume, type, location, size, pace and design of future development. It will increase our community’s influence on planning applications and appeal and it represents the wishes of our community to Government. It also sets our communities vision for our Parish to 2036. In our case. it documents our desire for five distinct, sustainable and vibrant rural settlements, surround- ed by attractive open countryside. A community that values and looks after its historic buildings and the natural environment. At the same time supporting employment, services, and facilities. You can see the final Plan on the SKDC website.

The next step in our NP journey is to put in place ‘best practice’ for the application of NP policies to planning enquiries and applications, and establish and operate an implementation and monitoring system for the NP, to measure its effectiveness. We are working on this now.

In my opinion, key to the success of producing a Neighbourhood Plan is the people involved. Appoint a great 'Steering Committee' of interested, keen, willing and proactive parishioners to help to invest time and effort over several years. Engage with your ‘Community’ - consult them all the way and get their full input. Appoint a great 'Advisor' - we were a bit late realising this but this person will be key to your success. The Royal Town Planning Institute can help with names of advisors. A government grant (via Locality) of up to £10,000 was available to us to help with everything. Above all and to quote the late, great Roy Castle..."Dedication's what you need!"

Patrick Buckley Chairman of Ropsley & District Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee & Chairman of Ropsley & District Parish Council

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Welton-by-Lincoln Neighbourhood Plan

In June 2013, a working group of volunteers came together to start a discussion regarding the Neighbourhood Plan. These included residents, local businesses, the headteachers of both schools, the Health Centre and representatives from other groups and organisations in the village. Eventually the volunteer group became a group of three, consisting of Stephen , Alan Freeman and Geoff Dunn who worked through the processes to produce a plan and documentation to satisfy the external examiner. Consultation events took place anda questionnaire asking for views on a vision for the future of the village was sent out to every household. After many years of hard work putting together all the required documents including a Sustainability Assessment Scoping Report, a Sustainability Appraisal, Basic Conditions Statement and Village Character Assessment to name a few. The draft document was sent for external appraisal and then to the examiner for final approval. A village referendum took place on 28th July 2016 and the plan received a resounding YES vote. The last stage of the Plan was the adoption by WLDC as a statutory planning document.

Unfortunately for Welton, the three main sites that had been identified for development received outline planning consent before the ink was dry on the first page; so there was little input from the Parish Council concerning the types of housing etc. that were eventually built, apart from Beal Homes who the council has had an ongoing dialogue with working in partnership to meet the housing needs of the village.

The plan is quoted by WLDC in their planning decisions and permission has on occasion been refused including not being in accordance with the Neighbourhood Plan polices; and by the Planning Inspectorate in appeals.

Make sure that from the start you have people dedicated to producing the plan, know your aims and don’t rush it. Take your time and work through each process, making sure that you have consulted with your parishioners and have the evidence to back your plan.

Depending on the issues you identify you might need the involvement or advice from a professional planning consultant.

The Parish Council used grant funding from Locality for the entire plan and WLDC funded the cost of the referendum.

It is now 5 years since the Plan was adopted and the council is considering re-writing it so that it fits in with the National Planning Policy Framework and the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan which is also currently under review.

Julie Murray, PSLCC Clerk/RFO to Welton-by-Lincoln Parish Council

7 Holton le Clay Parish Council

There are templates and guidance available for writing an NDP on the Gov.UK website and other useful advice and resources, including information about grants, can be found https://locality.org.uk. Our advice would be to establish what funding is available from ELDC and explore any other grants available from the beginning.

It is crucial to involve the community as much and often as possible to gather and collate evidence to ascertain the wishes and aspirations of all the community; thereby ensuring the plan embodies the wishes of the community that it serves.

On reflection, even though we were enthusiastic volunteers who wrote the Green Plan, Village Character Assessment and the Neighbourhood Development Plan, the hiring of a professional who provided technical and statutory guidance was essential and should have been done at the earliest opportunity.

We were surprised by the obstacles that legislation throws up, limiting the scope of the plan. For example, just because the villagers don’t want green fields to be built on, if the land owner wants to sell to developers the plan does not stop this. We hope that the NDP will provide a practical tool that Parish Councillors can use when they are assessing any development proposals; providing guidance and a bench mark.

Furthermore, we hope that by applying policies and aspirations which have been approved by the community, their decisions will be objective and transparent. In this respect we hope that Parish Councillors will gain reassurance and confidence in what can be a challenging task.

We trust that ELDC will use the NDP in any early discussions with anyone who wants advice about development in Holton Le Clay.

We understand that the NDP and its accompanying documents, the Village Character Assessment and the Green Plan, are now a formal part of the legal planning process. Consequently, we expect ELDC to use it to ensure that the views of the Community, as expressed in the NDP, are taken into consideration in any planning proposals.

Ultimately our hopes are that the NDP helps to achieve the Vision for the Village as outlined in Paragraph One:

1.1 Where new development addresses the aspirations of the community without impacting on the valued rural character of the village. 1.2 Where there is an opportunity for residents to enjoy a good quality environment in a rural setting where (in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework - NPPF) new development does not significantly harm the character and appearance of the settlement. 1.3 Where residents can enjoy a good quality of life that provides an opportunity for a variety of high-quality leisure and sports facilities for all ages. 1.4 Where employment and economic growth are supported without impacting on the character of the village. 1.5 Where new or improved infrastructure is provided to meet the needs generated by and mitigate the impact of new development (NPPF paras 34 & 57).

Emma Harris, Clerk to Holton-le-Clay Parish Council

8 Bishop Norton and Atterby Parish Council

Reason for producing a Neighbourhood Plan

Generally, if correctly produced the Plan can give the Parish more of a say in future development within the area covered. Some specifics that the residents want can be put into the Plan provided they don’t contradict the County Council Local Plans

Process to start out on a Neighbourhood Plan

Originally, we had a very enthusiastic Parish Councillor who took on Project Lead in 2016 and with a number of residents making up a steering group. Originally the Project Lead didn’t think we needed a consultant as he had the required knowledge. After a while, the steering group started dropping out leaving the Lead to continue solo with my limited knowledge and assistance. After around two years the project Lead had to move location, having to resign from the PC, he handed over the information already processed to myself as Chairman and the progress stopped. After a while I approached the other councillors with a bid to pick up and continue to progress the Neighbourhood plan. This was agreed subject to getting a consultant to complete the plan using the information already gained.

We secured the assistance of a Planning Consultant, who agreed to continue with what we had started and take the Plan to the referendum stage. We then secured a grant from ‘Groundworks’ to cover his costs and other various costs which amounted to around £7000. As Chairman I reluctantly took the lead (as I did not want to waste the original work already done) and with the rest of the Council worked together alongside the consultant. With a lot of back-and-forth discussion, over 2 or more years, with public displays and consultations we finally reached examination stage in late 2020, in which the District Council have to accept the content of the plan and instigate an inspection carried out by an independent examiner. With a number of corrections required by the examiner, some that we didn’t agree with, but had to be agreed to bring the plan into line with the existing County Council Local plan, the Parish Council had to reluctantly change some of the content we wanted left in but our hands were tied.

Advice on setting up

Set up a willing and interested steering group of residents, (hopefully ensure the group will stay with it to the finish) ideally separate to, but answerable to, the Parish Council. They need to be prepared for about 3 or 4 years duration if all goes well.

Consult with the residents with the ideas for content of the plan and their wishes, use the first consultation to ensure that the Parish actually want a plan produced.

Try to sort out what is required of the Plan along with public consultations with the residents, then start putting together your requirements with the advice of your consultant.

Utilise and be guided by the consultant as much as possible, they will have the knowledge to keep things accurate within the developing plan.

Mick Haslam, Bishop Norton and Atterby Parish Council

9 Morton Parish Council

Neighbourhood planning was introduced by the Localism Act and brought into effect in April 2012. The local planning authority for Morton Parish is District Council (WLDC) and to date approximately 50% of Parishes in the District have yet to initiate the process to develop a Neighbourhood Plan (NP).

The Morton NP was designated in September 2016 following some initial publicity and promotional work by WLDC, however the catalyst that spurred some local people to engage with the plan was the submission of a planning application that proposed to build additional housing on a green field site on the northern outskirts of the village. A small group of residents who lived near the proposed development set up a committee to develop the plan and whilst they engaged with the Parish Council, they were not closely aligned to it. Once the planning application was refused because of the risk of flooding the motivation to continue with the NP declined and eventually the process stalled.

That initial failure to develop the plan was mainly due to a lack of effective communication at Parish and District Level which should have been able to tell the local community what the NP process really meant for them. After the process stalled there was little intervention from the District Council to help restart it and the burden of doing so was placed very solidly in the hands of the Parish Council who did not have the skills to manage such a project.

To re-start the process, it was essential that the community understood why it needed to have a Neighbourhood Plan. Many residents were under the misapprehension that it was a way to stop all development, and once the threat of development had passed, they were not sufficiently engaged with the process to understand why it needed to continue. Once they became aware that the object of the plan was to determine a vision for how the village was going to develop in the future and once the Parish Council acquired the skills and confidence to promote the need for a plan, the process was back on track.

Another Steering group was formed in May 2018 with the assistance of residents but more closely aligned to the Parish Council who acted as overseer to the process and Terms of Reference were established to determine the necessary roles, responsibilities and actions that were needed by the various parties to progress the plan. The Terms of Reference were made by utilising a template found on the internet and tailored to suit the needs of the local Parish.

The next step was to communicate what the plan meant for local people but also to ask them what their vision of the village was and what the plan meant for them. This was done by engaging with the local school and parents who held a Neighbourhood Plan project day, a survey was delivered to each household and business in the village and the results of this were collated. Once the results of the survey were analysed the information from that and the exercise at the school were then presented to the community in the form of two exhibitions held at the village hall where again; feedback was gathered from local residents onwhat type of development they would be happy with.

10 Morton Parish Council

The biggest question was at what point should the Neighbourhood Plan employ a consultant. To build the NP into a document it was obvious that a professional would need to be found who could manage this part of the project. Up to this point the Steering Committee had managed to run the community engagement process and had analysed the data themselves and compiled the results to it at zero cost. WLDC assisted in the process to recruit a consultant and from that point the Steering Committee were very much guided by him to build the Character Assessment and the develop the resulting policies that would form the bedrock of the NP.for download on the Parish Web page and in hard copy if requested.

Once funding had been secured through the grant process a work program was developed to ensure the money was spent to achieve results in a timely manner, the result of which was a draft document which again went through a process of public engagement before a final draft was submitted for independent examination. At all times, the community were given access to the information by ensuring it wasmade available for download on the Parish Web page and in hard copy if requested.

Once the plan had reached the examination stage most of the work was undertaken by the Consultant and the District Council. The Steering Committee still had to ensure that sufficient financial reserves were made available for any last minute work that the consultant needed to do, which is why it was so important to perform as many of the tasks in the early stages themselves but overall, the Steering Groups job was done.

In relation to the amount of time it took to complete the NP, the Pandemic did slow the process to some degree and the initial false start lengthened it unnecessarily, however Morton did not determine any potential development sites because of the risk posed by flooding which saved time. So, after the restart we managed to achieve a Neighbourhood Plan in four years which would be a reasonable timescale for any Parish or Town Council to achieve.

The Neighbourhood Planning process across the UK will be subject to a review and in relation to the Lincolnshire Local Plan that review has already begun with Morton’s NP only remaining effective until 2036. However, Morton now has a plan which gives it a vision which states that whilst it recognises that some de- velopment will occur in the next 15 years many of its residents have said that they do not want Morton to be absorbed into a greater Gainsborough. Also because of its geographical situation on the banks of England’s third longest river and bordering open countryside to the north the people of Morton want greater respect shown to the environment which borders the village, and they wish to preserve it as a medium sized village with a rural aspect. It is unlikely that this vision will change in the future and whilst over the past 40 years several bad planning decisions have been made in relation to Morton and it is understood that the Neighbourhood Plan cannot turn the clock back it can make sure that future planning decisions are subject to better scrutiny.

The process at first may seem a daunting one but if a Parish or Town Council takes the lead to find local people who have knowledge of how to run a project, manage finances, apply for grants, understand some of the planning system and liaise with the local authority it is possible in a reasonably short period of time and at a minimal cost to build a vision that sets out how they want their community to look over the next 20 years which must be a worthwhile objective because without a Neighbourhood Plan it is possible that a vision will be imposed upon them by local or national government.

Bruce ALLISON Vice Chair Morton Parish Council & Chair of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee.

11

Our surveys: General Power of Competence

This power comes from the Localism Act 2011 sections 1-8. It gives your council “the power to do anything that individuals generally may do” as long as you don’t break other laws. It is a ‘power of first resort’; this means that when searching for a power to act, the first question you ask is whether you can use the GPC. The GPC should give your council the confidence in their legal capacity to act for you community. You can use this power to work with others in providing cost‐effective services and facilities in innovative ways to meet the needs of local people. If another authority has a statutory duty, then it remains their duty to provide that service (eg education, waste collection, social services) but your council can still help out.

Is my council eligible?

 You need a clerk with CiLCA or a Community Governance qualification.  2/3 of your council need to have been elected at a scheduled election or subsequent - by elections. Councillors elected in uncontested elections count towards this total. What you do then is affirm in a council meeting that you are eligible to hold the GPC. You don’t need to write to anyone to let them know, you don’t need to contact the MHCLG. We’d quite like to know at LALC, of course, but there is no requirement to let us know. Reaffirm following subsequent scheduled elections if you are still eligible. If you are no longer eligible, you can continue with projects already started. However, you cannot start anything new.

What have you told us? What is apparent from the comments that have come back to us is a misunderstanding of this power. We were disappointed to find that some councillors told us that their clerk didn’t need to achieve qualifications to get a certificate to prove they were competent. Sorry, but that’s not what GPC is about. GPC is a possible pathway after a clerk achieves a qualification, but isn’t the primary reason why the qualification is pursued.

We have had responses from councils that do have the GPC. Very few could tell us of specific achievements directly attributable to holding this power. Some that don’t have it told us that they couldn’t see situations for their own councils where it would be used. Some that have GPC haven’t used it yet but like the flexibility it gives and not having to think about other powers. Some have projects they are interested in which can actually be done using other legislation.

Clearly there is a need for education about this power across the county. It is covered in our courses for new and experienced clerks and councillors; if you haven’t attended any recent training sessions, perhaps it’s time to do so? Fortunately, we do have some examples on the following pages. Thank you to everyone who shared their current status with us. It’s helping us update our Parish Online map showing what is happening across the county.

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Using the GPC: Town Council

Skegness Town Council, having all elected members and a qualified Town Clerk decided to adopt the General Power of Competence. The Council is in the fortunate position that it also has a qualified Deputy Clerk. This position can of course change, and the Council could become ineligible to use these powers in the future so whenever Council is looking at a longer-term project, for sustainability and assurance the Council looks first at using existing powers.

So why hold the General Power of Competence? The General Power of Competence can give Councils a greater confidence to work in new ways and help overcome barriers, enabling a more innovative and entrepreneurial approach. That said it still needs to be accompanied with members and officers that are willing to take managed risks and tackle new ways of working.

What has Skegness Town Council used the General Power of Competence for? Skegness Town Council has the original John Hassell paintings of the Jolly Fisherman and used to issue licenses for the use of the image. In 2016 the Council decided to Trademark the Jolly Fisherman image to ensure ownership remains for the benefit of the Town and to protect the image from abuse. The Trademark application was successful, but this left the Council with the issue of how it would deal with any Commercial applications to use the Trademark.

The Council used the General Power of Competence to set up Skegness Trading Company Ltd (Company No 10402245). The Council delegated authority to the Company to use the image for commercial purposes and to deal with all commercial use applications. Skegness Town Council owns 100% of the shares and the Directors are made up of Councillors and officers. The Trading Company created a charging mechanism and rate for the Commercial use of the Jolly Fisherman image and deals with commercial applications. Enquiries from a Jewellers, a magazine, a soap company and a Gin maker has been received so far.

So, what’s next?

In the future it is hoped that grant funding can be found to create a Skegness Heritage Centre as an extension to the Pavilion building completed in 2020. The Heritage centre will help bring alive the memories, photographs, artefacts and history of the town and through a heritage shop, run by the Trading Company to further contribute to the building’s sustainability. It is hoped the shop will be a place to purchase official Jolly Fisherman merchandise.

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Using the GPC: Hemingby Parish Council car park project

Hemingby is a small village located 3½ miles from . What Hemingby lacks in size it makes up for in community spirit. The village is served by a , a very active Village Hall Committee (pre & post Covid) hosting a whole range of events for the community such as live music, race nights, theatre performances and Christmas lunches as well as regular clubs; and the village also boasts a well-equipped and popular children’s play area which is used by families from the nearby villages and towns. Over the years parking by families visiting the play area and users of the village hall have caused a few concerns to local residents, so in 2019 Hemingby Parish Council decided to work with the Hemingby Village Hall Committee and the Hemingby Play Area Committee to provide a dedicated parking area to serve both facilities.

A piece of land adjacent to the village hall was identified as being suitable for a car park and the land owner was approached and agreed to lease this area of land to the parish council as well as donating a spinney in front of the village hall to enable a safe pedestrian route to be provided. A timber footbridge was installed over the Hemingby Beck and a wildlife area with benches, bird boxes and wildflowers was created to form a picnic area in the spinney.

Having the General Power of Competence made this project much easier as once it had been established that this was something the village wanted, the parish council did not have to worry about the power it was using to provide it, and was able to get on with submitting the planning application, arranging the lease and getting quotes from contractors for the work needed. All contractors and supplies were provided by local companies along with volunteer assistance from the residents.

Both the Village Hall Committee and Play Area Committee provided funding towards the project, along with grant funding accessed by the parish council. Even though the Parish Council does not have a building that requires use of the car park, the lease for the land is in the Parish Council’s name. The insurance of the parking area and footbridge is provided by Hemingby Parish Council because this is something wanted and needed in the village, and the parish council was happy to be the driving force behind providing it.

Covid-19 slowed the project down a little, but with the village hall being closed there was no urgent need for the parking area for much of 2020. Once Covid restrictions relax and the village hall returns to its packed schedule of events, the real benefit of a designated car park will be appreciated by not only the residents of Hemingby, but also the visitors to our village who won’t have to struggle to find a safe and suitable place to park.

14 Around the county

Langtoft Parish Council finally sealed the deal. Penfield is ours!

Pictured above with the £1 which purchased the reclaimed quarry site are from left to right: Andy Hallam vice chairman and Council representative on the management group, Barry Dobson Deputy leader of SKDC and the County Councillor who has supported the village through the last 4 years, Andy Halfhide, Chairman of the Council, Debbie Hallam, Councillor and Yvonne McCulloch, Councillor.

“I am delighted to announce that the Parish Council have now completed on the purchase of the land formerly known as Pocket Park on the outskirts of the village,” said Andy Halfhide, Chairman of the Parish Council who has spent the last 4 years concluding the transaction. “The purchase of the land is probably the longest running saga in the Parish Council history and has been delayed so many times but despite many setbacks we are delighted to say this is now a village asset and I am so proud to be at the helm for this historic purchase. It has been the culmination of many years hard work for me and the many Councillors who have contributed ever since the former farm land was sold for mineral extraction. We have the original owners the Peasgood family to thank for their altruism and foresight as it was a part of the original planning that it be turned to a wildlife area and sold to the Parish for £1. The Parish Council at that time played a large role in the plan and we thank them for that.”

The mineral extraction company Hanson have done a superb job landscaping and establishing the area for us to now take forward.

The Parish Council formed a management group tapping into local experts and volunteers to take over the day to day running of the site and work with external bodies to create an amazing wildlife area for the village. Some of the large projects that become immediate priorities are the laying out of a large specific dog walking area so that all residents can enjoy the area in comfort and a large viewing platform at the top of the site allowing for as many people as possible to enjoy the beauty of the area with a DDA compliant access route. For more detail please keep an eye on our website and upcoming facebook page. Anyone interested in registering to volunteer please in the first instance contact our clerk by email: [email protected]

15 Around the county

Saxilby Parish Council

With the addition of Skateboarding to the list of sports for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the rise of British 12-year-old skateboarding sensation and medal prospect Sky Brown, it is believed that the popularity of skateboarding and roller sports will only increase in the coming years. The Parish Council is pleased to be able to provide a facility that will benefit users of all abilities and to be installing a facility that will enable residents, and visitors, who may have been cycling more as a result of lockdown a new and exciting way to enjoy wheeled activity in Lincolnshire.

Community Consultation took place over the summer of 2019 to help determine the location and design of the park. Consultation included input from over 200 students at Saxilby C of E Primary School and local residents. Following the consultation, the preferred site of the Memorial field was selected.

£90,000 Investment in Saxilby Funding for the project has come from external sources and grants only and not from resident’s council tax. A significant part of the funding was received from a developer contribution from Lindum Homes, following work carried out by them on council land in relation to their new housing development in the village. £37,000 was received from Sport England’s Community Asset fund. Further funding was received from Stirlin Developments and from funds received from contributions to the Salvation Army clothing bin located at the Memorial field, close to where the wheeled park will be sited. The Council thanks all the parties for their contributions towards this project, which will enable a long held community aspiration to become a reality.

The new Wheeled Park is now available for use by the public. We haven't had an official opening yet due to Covid restrictions and a few cosmetic details needing to be completed but the site has been in use for the past 10 days or so. The build (completed by 'The Freestyle Collective') took five weeks from start to finish and progressed smoothly and without a hitch.

In addition, 19 new trees have been planted in the Saxilby Waterfront area of the village as part of the ongoing Waterfront regeneration project. The trees were kindly sponsored by local residents in memory of loved ones.

16 TRAINING ANNUAL TRAINING SCHEME (ATS)

The Annual Training Scheme runs from April to March each year with a subscription fee in addition to the LALC membership fee. Fees are charged at a sliding scale according to your electorate.

Membership of the Annual Training Scheme allows unlimited core training courses for councillors and clerks during the year. Additional costs may be made for lunch at face to face events.

CORE TRAINING is included in the ATS. This covers essential training that is common to all councils.

Councils that do not subscribe to the Annual Training Scheme may attend any courses at the following rates per training delegate:

• £22.50 +VAT per person for any morning/afternoon/evening session • £55.00 +VAT per person for an all day face to face event including lunch & refreshments • £45.00 +VAT per person for an all day remote training event

NON-CORE TRAINING includes training that does not apply to all councils. It is charged at • £22.50 +VAT per person for any morning/afternoon/evening session • £55.00 +VAT per person for an all day face to face event including lunch & refreshments • £45.00 +VAT per person for an all day remote training event

CiLCA training, Breakthrough Communications, LALC’s Online Councillor e-learning and the Nimble e-learning courses are not included in the annual training scheme.

Bookings should be made by your clerk using the online booking form located on our website. Having difficulties? Please contact Lindsey. Those wishing to pay for their own training may do so by contacting the office.

Face to face events - light refreshments are provided. Councils will be invoiced £10.00 per delegate to cover lunch costs for full day events.

Special Dietary Requirements – your clerk should advise us as soon as possible if a delegate has any special dietary requirements. Please note this does not include personal preferences.

Cancellations Policy - please ensure that we receive: • For part day courses - cancellation at least 48 hours in advance at our office; • For full day events - at least 5 working days cancellation notice. This is because we need to pre-order and pay for lunches.

All members are charged 50% of the training cost when insufficient notice is received for non-attendance at training events. No shows will be charged at 100% of the course fee.

12th edition of Arnold-Baker on Local Council Administration

The comprehensive and authoritative guide to local government law has been extensively revised for its 12th edition.

List price: £149.99 Price through LALC £119.99, a saving of 20%.

Contact Lindsey to order a copy.

17 CORE TRAINING COURSE OUTLINES

Included within the Annual Training Scheme for all clerks and councillors. These courses are offered regularly. Occasionally the actual course may vary from the outline given here. Courses may be held remotely or face to face and may be split across more than one session. Timing is approximate and may change depending on the format of the course. Please see page 20 for courses currently available.

FINANCE Delivered via Zoom by The Parkinson Partnership LLP

Introduction to VAT for Local Councils 60 minutes Finance for Councillors 90 minutes

Internal controls 90 minutes Budgeting for clerks and finance staff 90 minutes

EMPLOYMENT provided via Zoom by Chris Moses, Personnel Advice and Solutions Ltd

Employment Seminar 2 hours Appraisal 1.5 hours

Employment law and resolving conflict 3 hours

PLANNING provided by Matthew Gleadell, DATA PROTECTION provided by Ewan Robson Angle Community Development Services Freedom of information / Data Protection 3 hours Understanding the planning system 3 hours

EMERGENCY PLANNING provided by Lincs CC RISK MANAGEMENT provided by BHIB A practical look at what we can do to help in times of Risk management & insurance guidance. 2.5 hours. crisis. 3 hours

PREVENT provided by Paul Drury, Lincs CC PLAY AREAS provided by KOMPAN Ltd Raising awareness of the role of local councils in safeguard- Provision, safe managemernt and risk assessment of ing others within their communities with special reference to the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015. 1 hour community play areas 2.5 hours

COURSES PROVIDED DIRECTLY BY LALC Included in the Annual Training Scheme.

New councillor 3 hours New clerk 9-10 hours An introductory session explaining the role of local Building on the basics for anyone who has become councils, powers and duties, policies and procedures. a clerk within the last two years.

Councillor 6 hours Chairman and Clerk 6.5 hours In depth course covering topics such as powers and For clerks and current or prospective council or duties, policy and procedure, employment, meeting committee chairmen. Can attend separately or procedures and planning, financial management. together. Covers working together, agenda and minutes. running meetings, council procedures,

Council procedures and meetings 6 hours Chairman 2 hours Agendas, minutes, meeting, powers, duties and Covers the relationship between the policies. chairman and the vice-chairman, clerk, other councillors and members of the community.

Clerk refresher 2 hours NEW for Autumn 2021 For experienced clerks. Councillor refresher 2 hours Organised in clusters by district. For experienced councillors. Organised in clusters by district.

NEW for Autumn 2021 NEW for Autumn 2021 Website maintenance 5 hours Website maintenance refresher 2.5 hours For clerks without any previous JADU experience who For clerks who are already managing their would like to manage their own Lincolnshire County Lincolnshire County Council website. Council website

18 NON-CORE TRAINING

NOT covered by the Annual Training Scheme and subject to an additional charge per participant per course. Some courses will be arranged when sufficient participants have been identified. Book for scheduled courses or leave an expression of interest on our website.

Allotments First Aid at Work Burials Delivered by Delivered by Delivered by National Allotment Society Medrock Training Institute of Crematorium and Cemetery Management Tenancy agreements and policies Certificated course Site facilities, health and safety 7 hours. Administration and practical Self management by association management of burials. 3 x 1.5 hours 4 hours

Neighbourhood Fire safety awareness Charity Law Development Plans provided by provided by Roger Taylor, provided by Matthew Gleadell, MB Fire and Safety 4 hours Weller’s Law Group 3 hours Angle Community Development Services 3 hours

CiLCA COURSE Delivered by LALC.

This is the recognised level 3 professional qualification for clerks. 5 units with 30 learning outcomes. Candidates need to demonstrate that they meet the assessment criteria to an expected standard, evidenced through a submitted portfolio. Training is provided by accredited trainers at LALC with assessment through SLCC.

An introductory session is available for candidates to decide whether they are ready to pursue this qualification.

Cost • £200 payable to LALC which includes the introduction day, training spread across several sessions and mentoring for six months. • £410 payable to SLCC upon registration

BREAKTHROUGH COMMUNICATIONS REMOTE TRAINING £22.50 plus VAT per participant per course Social media and communication courses. Full list of courses available here. Leave an expression of interest on our website.

INDIVIDUAL E-LEARNING COURSES £22.50 plus VAT per participant per course

A Guide to Being a Good Councillor For clerks– For councillors provided by LALC. provided by NIMBLE provided by NIMBLE  The role of a Councillor  Display Screen Equipment  Equality and Diversity  The Council Assessment Essentials  Being an Employer  Managing and Reducing Stress  Fire Safety Essentials  The Community & Local Councils in  Personal Safety Essentials  Health and Safety the Planning Process  Time Management Essentials  Meeting Procedures Essentials  Leadership Essentials  Council Finances and Risk  Data Protection Essentials  Introduction to Planning for Parish Councils

LALC are also available to book for Council specific training. Please send enquiries via the LALC website.

19 COURSE SCHEDULE SEPTEMBER to DECEMBER 2021 Book for scheduled courses on our website. See pages 18 and 19 for course outlines.

Date, time Course Format and/or location Annual Training Scheme? 1st September Appraisal Zoom Yes 10 -11:30am

7th September CiLCA catch up Face to face By invitation for Council Offices current candidates only 8th September and LCC website maintenance Zoom Yes 14th September for new users 1 10am—12:30pm

8th September Using Facebook to enhance your Breakthrough Communications No 2-4pm council's communications Zoom 14th September Strategies to Identify & Recruit Breakthrough Communications No 2-4pm New Local Councillors Zoom 15th September Chairman and Clerk Face to face Yes 10am – 4:30pm Dunholme Village Hall 21st September, Clerk Zoom Yes 28th September and suitable for new or more 5th October experienced clerks all 6:30 - 9pm 22nd September CiLCA introductory session Zoom 1pm—4pm Find out what is involved before you commit. 29th September and New clerk Face to face Yes 13th October suitable for new clerks only Lalc Office, Dunholme 10am – 3pm 28th September First Aid Face to face No 9.30am—4.30pm Dunholme Old School 4th October Understanding the planning Face to face Yes 1-4pm system Venue tba 5th October LCC website maintenance Zoom Yes 10am—12:30pm refresher 2 6th October LALC AGM Face to face Bentley Hotel, South Hykeham 12th October First Aid Face to face No 9.30am—4.30pm Dunholme Old School

19th October New councillor 3 Zoom Yes 10am – 1pm 19th October New councillor 3 Zoom Yes 6 - 9pm 20th October Councillors’ training day Face to face Yes 10am – 4pm Cranwell Village Hall 27th October Chairman Zoom Yes 7 - 9pm workshop 10th November Council procedures and Face to face Yes 10am - 4pm meetings North Kyme Village Hall

23rd November Understanding the planning Zoom Yes 6-9pm system tba Emergency Planning Yes

3rd November CiLCA full course Face to face Separate fee 17th November See page 19. Lalc Office, Dunholme applies. 1st December LCC website maintenance courses 1 8th and 14th September– suitable for new clerks without any previous Jadu training who would like to manage their own website. Needs an accessible website provided free from Lincolnshire County Council. Course provided over two sessions. 2 5th October—refresher for clerks who are already managing their LCC council website. 3 New councillor– these will be the same sessions repeated morning and evening. Interested participants should sign up for one but not both. Full day face to face courses may involve an additional cost of £10 per participant to cover a buffet lunch.

Some courses are offered across multiple dates. Participants need to attend each session.

Other courses will be added as required. Please check our website and weekly copies of LALC e-news to stay up to date.

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