9 Harmston Parish Council

Clerk to the Parish Council Mrs G. Dixon, Bumble Bee Cottage, Vicarage Lane, Harmston, Lincoln LN5 9SL E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.harmston.info

MINUTES OF HARMSTON PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD AT HARMSTON MEMORIAL HALL.

Tuesday 23RD JANUARY 2018 at 7.30 pm

Meeting 5 of the 2017/18 year

Present Frances Mannsåker, Chair Jonathan Chaplin Iain Edgar Anita Fox Gail Dixon, Clerk to the Council

CC Cllr Ron Oxby

1 Open Forum (15 mins)

No residents present.

2 Apologies

Apologies had been sent by Cllr J Martin-Hoyes, Cllr B Hamilton for January and March meetings, Cllr C Mills.

3 Police Report

PC Hanson sent a report by email. No crimes had been reported. He noted that he is in dialogue with the Chair regarding the parking of the flat-bed truck on the junction of School Lane and the High Street and PCSO Kennedy-Sharp had spoken with the owner.

4 Reports from County and District Councillors

Cllr R Oxby reported:  The County Council has officially ended its contract with Carillion for the Eastern by- pass and is pleased that Galliford Try is on site to make the necessary arrangements for carrying on work as soon as possible. Cllr M Jones queried if the route affecting Harmston could be looked at again as he was concerned about safety with the likely extra traffic going through the village. Cllr Oxby said the feasibility study had already been done and was unlikely to be revisited.  A Council Tax increase of 2.9% is predicted  The Chief Executive of the Council has announced his retirement, to the surprise of the Council. He is the second longest serving CE in the country.  A food waste pilot has begun in DC and a planning application is being prepared for an anaerobic digester in Washingborough.  has been asked to re-home more refugees, mainly children. The Council has agreed to this only if the Government will fund it.  The Council is looking at home to school transport, which currently costs over £20M a year, to identify any wastage and improve efficiency.  Cllr F Mannsåker thanked Cllr Oxby for his report.

Cllr C Mills was not able to attend the meeting but has subsequently emailed her report. It is appended to these minutes.

5 Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The notes of the previous meeting (21st November 2017) had been distributed to Council members. Cllr J Chaplin, seconded by Cllr A Fox, proposed that they be accepted as Minutes. Agreed.

6 Actions undertaken since the previous meeting .  Cllr Mannsaker has written to reassure Mrs Hanney over her concerns of the traffic issues on School lane, detailing the work the Parish Council has been carrying out to try and alleviate ongoing problems of traffic travelling through the village  PC Hanson has been contacted about current parking issues on the High Street, and is looking into the matter.  The poor condition of the layby on Hill Top has been reported. LCC Highways has reported that all necessary work has now been carried out  Cllr Mannsaker has written to Action Play and Leisure again to further discuss the time table for installation and to firm up costings  The Clerk has discussed with the litter picker Dean West about extending his duties by adding the weekly check of the new play area to his route. He is happy to do this as he does this for Coleby play area. He is attending an appropriate training day in February and will make sure he has the correct insurance.  The 6 week moratorium period to allow community groups to bid for the Thorold Arms has now ended, and the owners are able to sell to whomever they wish. The community-based TAPco (the limited Company formed by members of the Friends of the Thorold Arms) are now also able to purchase the Thorold Arms. TAPco have put in an offer according to the independent valuation but this has been turned down, without negotiation. As the Thorold Arms is registered as an Asset of Community Value, the Parish Council will be able to comment of any move by the owners to apply for a change of use of the building and the Planning Authority will take its status into account in any decision.  The clerk has written to Lalc to ask for recommendations of companies who can do the independent check on the new play area equipment after it has been installed  A formal letter requesting a grant from the Margaret Brown Trust with details of the preferred Defibrillator with outside box has been sent to Mark Foster  The Annual Christmas Lights Switch On was well attended and was well received by residents.  The website has been updated.

7 Financial Matters

a) The current statement of account Together with up to date bank statements was noted. All Agreed

b) List of payments paid in-between meetings All Agreed

28.11.17 SO Gail Dixon Clerks Wages - November £227.42 28.12.17 SO Gail Dixon Clerks Wages - December £227.42 05.12.17 Ch. 819 EON Maint.repair of streetlight £37.52 07.12.17 Ch. 820 EON Maint. quarter £138.02 09.12.17 Ch. 821 Salvation Army Band Donation for switch on £100 19.12.17 Ch.822 Dean West Litter picking £60 19.12.17 Ch. 823 HMRC Clerks PAYE Q3 £39.80 11.01.18 Ch 824 Dean West Litter picking £60 11.01.18 Ch. 825 EON Supply quarter £377.51

All Saints Church had requested its annual donation from the Parish Council of £420 for grass- cutting. All Agreed

The annual donation towards the upkeep of Harmston Park was discussed. All Agreed the contribution would be paid this year, but should be reviewed in subsequent years in the light of predicted running costs of the new play area.

b) The Petty Cash report: November-January. The Clerk produced a Petty Cash report and requested that it be refreshed by £191.91 to bring it up to the agreed £200. All Agreed

c) Precept for 2018/19 The Clerk had prepared a report following from November’s budget paper, which summarised the implications of various scenarios and itemised known future and extra costs the Council was facing. The Council also needed to build up its reserves, which would be depleted following the installation of the play area, to remain within the auditors’ recommended boundaries.

Figures were produced to show the effect of stepped increases of between 0% and 10%. It was noted that as both the tax base and the NKDC grant were reduced, no increase in precept would mean the actual loss of nearly 3% of the current income. Given the rising costs and extra responsibilities, this was unfeasible, so some increase was regrettably necessary. After a long and careful discussion, Cllr I Edgar, seconded by Cllr A Fox, proposed an increase of 5.22%, which would yield an annual precept of £12,900. All Agreed

d) The annual review of effectiveness of the internal audit The Council is required to annually review the effectiveness of both its systems of internal control and internal audit. Following discussion and assessment of the current internal control systems, Cllrs are satisfied that the systems in place are effective and meet requirements of the new audit procedures for 2017/18

8 Matters for consideration

a) New internal auditor A new internal auditor needs to be in place by the next meeting. Clerk and Cllrs have had no success in identifying a willing auditor from their contacts. Cllr R Oxby recommended an auditor he uses and offered to raise the matter with him immediately. This was agreed as a fruitful way forward. Cllr A Fox was also able to recommend an accounting firm, whom the Clerk will contact as a back up.

b) Traffic Matters Cllr J Chaplin stated that this matter had been on the agenda for at least the last six years, which highlighted the difficulty Council faces in trying to alleviate the complications that the amount and weight of traffic, difficulty in parking and speeding through the village has now created. Cllrs also noted that there have been more instances of aggressive motorists over the last year.

Cllr A Fox stated this was an emotive issue that is causing division between residents and motorists. She produced a copy of an anonymous letter which had recently been sent to an elderly resident on Church lane and was very offensive. It had apparently been sent by a resident motorist and had severely upset the receiver of the letter. Cllrs I Edgar and M Jones were concerned that that a safe crossing for pedestrians on Church Lane was made all the more necessary by the opening of the new play area. They were also concerned about the potential increase in traffic after the completion of the Lincoln eastern by-pass.

It was noted that the various issues needed distinguishing: those created by non-resident motorists passing through the village and those created within the village itself were different and needed differing responses. As the LCC Highways had recently gone through a major re-organisation and the personnel in charge were new, another formal approach to the Department about possible traffic calming measures and the installation of a crossing point, all previously ruled out, would be timely. The Chair agreed to take this forward. It was noted that the Police, with the RAF Police, had agreed to do further checking on motorists using the village lanes as a rat run in the spring.

Within the village, an open letter to be distributed to all residents, detailing the issues and asking for co-operation and courtesy while driving around the village and when parking, was agreed to be a useful first step.

c) Play Area The litter picker has confirmed he is happy to do the weekly checks when the play area opens. He is attending the appropriate training and has confirmed he will take out the correct insurance. The Clerk has had recommendations of companies to do the independent check after the play area has been installed and will get three quotations from these for Councillors to consider. This must be agreed by correspondence before the next meeting, as the play area is scheduled to be erected in March.

Cllrs discussed how to celebrate the opening of the new play area. The Clerk has already got plaques, banners, balloons etc from the Heritage Lottery. On balance a low-key, family event was preferred, perhaps with a “come and have a picnic” and Easter egg hunt, weather permitting. Cllrs were asked to give it more thought and suggest ideas on an event and who to invite to open the play area.

9 Planning Applications during the period September-November

Applications for planning: Tree Works

17/1744/TPO 10 Thorold way, Harmston PC No Comments 17/1638/TCA Lindum House, Approved

Planning

17/1711/LBC Bleak Outlook, High St PC No Comment/Approved

05/1923/LBC 2 Club Yard, Blacksmiths Lane – Erection of Summerhouse Approved 97/1291/LBC Harmston Hall – Demolish Section of wall for access Approved

17/1823/FUL Land Adjacent to 5 Ridge View After discussion PC No Comments

10 Correspondence received

A schedule of correspondence received from November- January had been distributed to Cllrs. Two items were of note:

New General Data Protection Regulations come into force on 25th May 2018. Cllr Mannsåker has looked at the information and stated that the Parish Council needs to re write its policy. She will do this and bring a draft to the March meeting for revision or approval. The new regulations also indicate a conflict of interest between the roles of the clerk/RFO and the Data Protection Officer and therefore the Council must appoint a Councillor to act as its DPO in the future.

The Clerk has received a request for a donation from the Citizens Advice Bureau. Previously the Council has contributed a modest donation in the light of the necessary service the CAB offers to all. After a discussion Cllrs Agreed a donation of £50.

Cllr I Edgar asked if the Parish Council could ring Anglian Water to ask if the verges on the top road could be levelled out again as it will make it impossible to cut them. The Clerk will take this up with Anglia Water.

11 Matters to be raised at the next meeting

12 Date for the next meeting

Tuesday 27th March 2018 and Tuesday 22nd May (to include APM)

Proposed meeting dates for the rest of the year: 17th July, 18th September,20th November,22nd January 2019, 26th March, 21st May. All Agreed The clerk will finalise dates with HMH

The Chair thanked all who attended and closed the meeting at 8.45 pm

Chair Date

REPORT FROM Cllr C Mills - JANUARY 2018

Memorial service

A memorial service for former Lord-Lieutenant, Tony Worth CVO, was held in Lincoln Cathedral on Friday 12 January 2018, at 11am.Mr Worth died last month after a short illness. He was the driving force behind the development of the International Bomber Command Centre. His passion and commitment encouraged tremendous backing for the project locally and nationally.

Social mobility

North Kesteven ranked first in for Social Mobility. Children in have a better start in life than other areas of the county after a recent survey ranked the area the best in the East Midlands and 29th in the country for children's potential to do well and move beyond any social disadvantage. The survey recognises that NK is one of the ‘pockets of good performers’ in the Midlands – with above-average outcomes at Key Stages 2 and 4 and excellent access to quality schools.

The District Council has strong connections within its communities, and works to improve what is on offer for children and their families. This is achieved through initiatives that help to overcome isolation, advice and support offered for neighbourhood plans to the NK Youth Council, YouthNK – all with a focus on reducing social mobility within the district. Building on a legacy of excellent work locally, North Kesteven rose 30 places to 29th; the highest in Lincolnshire and the only East Midlands location in the top 30, a region that fares worst overall. The Social Mobility Commission’s survey 'State of the Nation: Social Mobility in Great Britain' looks at how a ‘stark social mobility postcode lottery exists in Britain today, where the chances of being successful if you come from a disadvantaged background are linked to where you live’.

It ranks all 324 local authorities in in terms of the life chances of someone born into a disadvantaged background, destroying the notion of a simple North-South divide but instead identifying a so-called Postcode lottery where local circumstances – in part affected by the quality of local council services and provision prove to be critical. Factors include good education, employment opportunities and housing for their most disadvantaged residents.

Need help getting online?

Residents in North Kesteven are turning to online services more than ever, but not everyone out there knows how to access it or use it for what they need. Getting people online is one of North Kesteven District Council’s priorities moving forward – making services more accessible. In partnership with Osbournby Parish Council it has been possible to introduce a new, free digital hub for the New Year.

If you are looking for some help or support with a tablet, laptop or smartphone you’ve received for Christmas you can get help and support by popping into a FREE Digital Hub in Osbournby - every Wednesday between 11am - 12.30pmin the Village Hall (from January 3rd 2018). The hub will be run by volunteers who have varying levels and areas of expertise; some can use laptops/desktops, some prefer iPads, tablets or smartphones. If you would like to volunteer and are able to explain how to send an email, search the internet or simply shop online that is what many people want to learn. Whether you can come for two hours each week, an hour a week in term-time or once a month – all help is appreciated. Supported by North Kesteven District Council, you can call 07816 294739 or come along to Osbournby Village Hall on Wednesday’s from January 3rd 2018 between 11am – 12:30pm where you’ll be most welcome.

Business rates retention pilot supported

Greater Lincolnshire has been approved to be a pilot for a business rates retention scheme, meaning the local economy could be boosted by a projected £14 million in 2018/19. The Local Government Finance Settlement announced by Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid MP, confirmed ten pilots nationally. The North Kesteven share is estimated to boost the District Council’s finances by £600,000 over the next financial year.

Councillor Richard Wright, Leader, said: “This is fantastic outcome following a tremendous amount of work undertaken by senior officers, chief finance officers and senior members across the partnership in recent months. “It will bring investment into the local economy which will then support infrastructure and services, and is another step on the road to greater devolution and local decision making. “This extra money will support our already positive financial outlook, with our ten-year £130 million investment programme in supporting our District of flourishing communities well under way. “Our recent consultation on the NK Plan has generated some positive feedback on what we’re doing and what matters to people in NK. This will be incorporated into the plan, which will go before Full Council in the new year.”

Sleaford Signage Strategy consultation

A vision for how signage in could be improved and implemented in the future will be consulted on in the new year.

Signage plays a crucial role in making any place accessible for residents, businesses and visitors, whether they are travelling on foot, bicycle, public transport or car. North Kesteven District Council has worked with Sleaford Town Council and Lincolnshire County Council to review all signs currently in place in the town, from directional signage to finger posts and way markers. This initial piece of work has concluded that there could be a more consistent and uniform approach, which would result in changes to existing signage to make it more informative and coherent.

The Sleaford Signage Strategy sets out a future framework for all signage in the town, aiming to achieve a standard format for all existing and future pieces. Its vision is: “For signage to be clear, simple and relevant to a modern town and which supports a thriving service centre for its residents, businesses and visitors.”

Given the proposed growth planned for Sleaford, it is important to reach an agreement on how signage can be used to support the integration of the town. Once approved, the Signage Strategy will be delivered in a number of ways, including replacement of out of date or duplicated signs, a reduction in the number of types of signage and refusal of applications that do not meet the guidelines set out. It could also include the new brand for Sleaford, showcasing its place in the heart of Lincolnshire.

The consultation will run from January 2 to February 16. Copies of the Signage Strategy will be available to be downloaded from www.n-kesteven.gov.uk. Responses can be made via email to [email protected] or in writing to North Kesteven District Council, District Council Offices, Kesteven Street, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 7EF.

Injunction to stop unauthorised camping

North Kesteven District Council has taken firm action to stop travellers using land in the district following a number of unauthorised encampments. An injunction has been granted by the High Court in Birmingham to stop travellers using a stretch of land off the High Dike between Temple Heath and Byard’s Leap at the A17. Since April 2017 there has been persistent unauthorised caravan camping on this stretch of the High Dike, and at least two encampments on the land each year. District Council Officers have found this year has been worse than most for fly tipping, littering, human waste and caravans left behind on the site. Enforcement action has been taken on the site before, both by Lincolnshire County Council and North Kesteven District Council, and this injunction will prohibit any future unauthorised camping on this part of the High Dike.

Lincoln Energy Switch Scheme

One way to save on your fuel costs in 2018 might be to investigate switching electricity and gas providers. Check out the Lincolnshire Energy Switch scheme - you could save a substantial amount. Registration opens December 5, but does not commit you to anything. The last day to register is Monday, February 12.

An auction for energy providers to put in their best bids for your business will take place on February 13 and beginning on February 26 you will then find out whether or not you can make savings by switching. You still will not have committed to anything. You then have until March 27 to decide whether you want to switch.

Anyone can register, whether residents own their home or rent it. All you need is your annual gas or electric statement or bills covering the last 12 months to hand. The scheme is organised by Boston Borough Council, South Kesteven District Council, City of Lincoln Council, District Council, Lincolnshire County Council, North Kesteven District Council and District Council and is administered by the UK’s leading collective switching expert, iChoosr Ltd.

If residents are not able to register online, a friend or family members can do this on their behalf, or, they can register offline at their local council or by calling 0800 048 8439.

Lincolnshire Energy Switch scheme is open to all energy users, whether they are on dual fuel, electric only, pay monthly or quarterly or have a prepayment meter.

NKDC Budget 2018/19

The planning and budget process is well underway, following briefings of political groups in December 2017, The Executive Board starts the ball rolling this year with budget reports, followed by scrutiny meetings. Ultimately, the Full Council will receive final reports on the NK Plan and Financial Plans on 1 March. NKDC starts 2018 in a strong place, with clarity of purpose and a balanced financial position for the next three years. NKDC have a clear view of the challenges that the council faces, particularly the financial challenges likely to emerge at the start of the next decade.