June 2023 Minutes
Harlaxton Parish Council
Chair: Andrew Cartlidge
Email: harlaxtonpc@gmail.com
Address: 3 Church Street, Harlaxton, Lincs, NG32 1HB
Website: http://parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk/Harlaxton/
Parish Council Meeting
7:30pm on Wednesday 28 June 2023
Harlaxton Village Hall, 3 Church Street, Harlaxton, NG32 1HU
Minutes
1. Meeting Opened at 1930.
The chair thanks everyone for attending
2. In Attendance:
Cllrs Wicks, Gabriel and Cartlidge
3. Apologies (Non-Attendance):
Cllr Smith, apologies accepted.
4. Resolution to approve minutes of Parish Council Meetings: AMC & PCM of 15 May 2023
These were agreed and signed.
5. Public Forum (15 Minute Presentation/Discussion)
Three villagers were present.
5.1 The Parish Council was thanked for their efforts in dealing with recent concerns of speeding down The Drift, and for promptly moving SID in response to the ongoing excessive speeding. It was noted that while there has been a positive improvement of drivers speed leading up to SID, drivers then proceeded to speed up again afterwards. It was questioned whether further of the yellow Community Speed Watch [CSW] 30mph repeater signs could be put up, and on the same pole as SID to more clearly remind drivers of the 30mph speed limit.
5.2 It was reported that Sue Flindall would like to receive a new request from the Council, to continue looking after the plantings that they had previously started by the Obelisk.
6. Updates - County Councillor, District Councillor, Police & Crime
Cllrs Vernon [LCC] & Leadenham [SKDC] were present and thanked for attending.
No representative or report from the Police.
Cllr Vernon: LCC are making efforts to deal with potholes across the County. LCC is carrying out a survey of where people are going for help with Wellbeing Services etc. With an increasing incident of injury by fire, LCC wished to remind everyone not to try and tackle fires ourselves, but to call the dial 999 for help. In light of villager concerns with speeding in the village, and notably on The Drift, Rowan Smith of LCC Highways will be asked to attend to observe matters first hand and discuss with Councillors and Villagers.
Cllr Leadenham: Has requested additional CSW 30mph signs for Harlaxton. Would like to arrange a forum/meeting of Parish, County and District Councillors to enable improved communication and discuss matters of concern. Would like all Parish Councillors to have an induction at SKDC, for example the Planning processes. Streetlights are to be changed to LED units by 2024, and he will be canvasing for them to stay on until dawn or be otherwise triggered to illuminate if activity is detected, whereas often many turn off at midnight. SKDC received only three applications for the Community Grant fund. The next round of applications must be in by 30 August.
7. Updates and Discussions
7.1. Co-Option
There are currently three spaces available on the Parish Council. The request for Villagers to join as Parish Councillors in on the PC noticeboard, website, and Facebook page, and is regularly promoted in the Village Voice.
7.2. Job description and person specification for Parish Clerk/Administrator (Employment Committee)
The person specification has been completed. Cllr Vernon will email the Council to suggest further places this can be promoted, which will include Indeed, Job Centres and the local Facebook pages – possibly with paying ads.
7.3. Harlaxton PC Standing Orders (Standing Orders Working Party – Cllrs Gabriel and Wicks)
This is a work in progress
7.4. Insurance Renewal
Gallagher [the insurance broker] were unable to provide an improved premium from the previous insurer, HISCOX. Broker BHIB had confirmed that their proposal remained current, even through the Council is still within the claim period for the Manor Drive Flooding with insurer AXA. HPC insurance is now with AVIVA through BHIB.
7.5. LALC Training
LALC have provided training dates and Councillors are encouraged to either sign up themselves or revert back to the PC to arrange attendance.
7.6. Telephone Box (Cllr Wicks)
Cllr Wicks reports that the glass is now back in the box. The backboard is ready to install. The replacement top window signs are a work in progress.
7.7. Village Voice
Villager Jane Brown, who has volunteered to continue looking after the Village Voice, has provided the schedule of dates for the PC to provide text, and when the printed sheets need to be delivered to Village Link for delivery. Councillors were asked to provide a paragraph or so of text to be worked into the introduction.
7.8. Traffic and SID (Speed Indicator Device)
• Villagers have written in to express concern at speeding in the village, notably The Drift and Swine Hill. The Parish Council owned Speed Indicator Device [SID] was promptly moved back to The Drift, and the first week of data shows that there is excessive speed beyond 30mph. LCC have been engaged and in response carried out their own monitoring on Monday 19 June [time and position currently unknown, but this has been requested], which confirmed that 15% of drivers are doing 35mph and above. LCC remarked that this was unacceptable. LCC have now raised the excessive speeding with the Community Speed Watch team, who will carry out further monitoring. Concerns were raised [per the public forum item 5.1 above], that SID may currently be artificially lowering the real speeding figure during the LCC monitoring period, and it was agreed that SID should be re-sited in the meantime.
• Cllr Leadenham reports that Denton PC is considering organising a village led community speed watch group, and purchasing the speed camera. It was noted that Harlaxton village has currently been unable to raise sufficient individuals to form their own group, despite promotions in the Village voice and calls for engagement at PC meetings.
7.9. Saltby Airfield
Cllr Leadenham reports that a complaint is being drafted at Melton BC’s handling of the application
7.10. Proposed Development off Swine Hill (Cllr Gabriel)
• The PC has received an email from SKDC with regard to the re-allocation of land as that suitable for housing, however this was considered to be confusing and unclear. HPC to write to SKDC to ask for clarity on the allocation of land in Harlaxton, and specifically on Swine Hill.
• The email from SKDC is to be sent to Cllr Leadenham, who will also follow this up with them, and express resistance to such development in Harlaxton.
7.11. RFO Financial Report (Cllr Cartlidge)
The Parish Council finances are healthy, with no currently unforeseen expenditures.
It was noted that Environment SK / SKDC had not yet raised invoices for their grass cutting activities.
8. Village Hall
8.1. Damp treatment (Cllrs Cartlidge)
This will be carried out shortly.
8.2. Line markings (Cllr Cartlidge)
The contractor recently returned to re-apply the white and yellow lines on the Village Hall car park, and the contractor was thanked for re-doing these works.
8.3. Improvements to WC’s, sinks and Flooring (Cllr Wicks & Smith]
The status of the current licence agreement needs to be confirmed. It was agreed that the Licence agreement makes the Parish Council responsible for the fabric and structure of the building, together with external drainage, and gives the committee responsibility for the internal finishes, pipes and plumbing. The Parish Council will confirm to the HVH committee that it has no objection to them making internal improvements.
9. HSSC
9.1. Defibrillator (Cllr Wicks)
Quotes are being followed up for the installation of the heated box on the HSSC wall.
9.2. CCTV (Cllr Wicks & Gabriel)
Quotes are being followed up for installation of the additional two cameras.
9.3. Solar Lighting (Cllr Wicks & Gabriel)
The position of these will be considered once the cameras are in place, to avoid glare in the recorded images.
9.4. Accessible Toilets (Cllr Cartlidge)
Quotes have been sought for these works. As yet there have been no responses.
9.5. Car Park and Manor Drive Flooding. (Cllrs Cartlidge, Wicks)
• Crawford Loss Adjusters have provided a replacement Loss Adjuster, who has attended and is now re-considering how to proceed with the claim.
• Gallagher have made a complaint to AXA with regard to the handling of the Legal Pursuit excess, and will report back in due course.
• Councillors recently found the end of the pipe in The Manor Lake, and made and effort to clear this, and noted a marked improvement of flow from the pipe. It was noted that, while the recent flash rain storms still produced eruptions of water through the Sports Field car park [which seemed to have moved closer to the hedge and noticeboard], the resulting flooding had cleared within an hour. It was considered that the clearing of the pipe in The Manor Lake has improved flow in the pipe from Coopers Plantation.
• Councillors have asked The Manor if they can carry out a CCTV survey up the pipe from their pipe in The Lake. The Manor has kindly offered to assist with their circa 100m CCTV equipment. If the pipe is then found to be sufficiently free flowing, the Parish Council will then consider whether to commission a CCTV survey [hire cost circa £1000] of the camera survey the circa 250m of pipe from The Lake, up to Manor Drive, to try and determine how this connects with the known pipework downstream of the chamber in Coopers Plantation.
9.6. Rainwater goods and repointing (Cllr Wicks & Gabriel)
These works are now complete and thanks were given to Cllrs Wicks and Gabriel.
9.7. Drainage of patio area to south side of HSSC building (Cllr Wicks & Gabriel)
Quotes are being followed up with contractors.
10. Sports Field
10.1. Playing Area Equipment. Latest inspection report (Cllr Wicks)
• Some posts on the balance beam are loose due to the soil drying out, but then found to be solid in the ground after rainfall.
• The RoSPA inspection is pending.
10.2. Damage to Bowls Club fence and hedging
• The PFA have provided the Bowls Club with some potted Leylandi, instead of Beech saplings requested. It is understood that the Bowls club have no objection to this.
• The chain link fence still needs to be made good, for where the Beech trees were cut out. Cllr Gabriel and Cartlidge to resolve.
10.3. Football Pitch Hire – Portuguese Football Academy
Following the EGM in April, Cllrs Gabriel and Cartlidge are to meet on Sunday 2 July to consider a new contract with the PFA
11. Pearson Gregory Field
11.1. Dead tree removal
The appointed contractor is due to attend on Friday 30 June. Cllr Gabriel to attend.
11.2. Consider a working party to make proposals to develop and improve
While the Council would like to see the area developed, there are currently insufficient Parish Councillors to take this on amongst other activities.
12. Grass Cutting, Hedges, etc
12.1. Grass Cutting and Hedges
• The condition of the Playing Field grass cutting by the new contractor [Harlaxton Cricket Club] was noted to be an improvement on previous years. Regular invoices are being received for these works.
• However, villagers and Councillors have written to the Parish Council to express concern about the works by the contractor responsible for the other grass cutting around the village [ EnviromentSK/SKDC]; specifically, the apparent elapsed times between cuts, and then extent of cuttings left behind. Requests have been sent to SKDC to clarify the dates of previous cuts, and to confirm the schedule for ongoing cuts, however as yet no further information has been provided. It was noted that SKDC have not put in any invoices for the general grass cutting. It is currently unclear if SKDC will continue to offer grass cutting services beyond 2023, and the Parish Council should be going out for quotations for 2024 as soon as possible.
• It was agreed that quotations should also be sought for Hedge Cutting, so that these works can be completed by the end of September 2023.
12.2. Coffin Walk
It was noted that there are a number of areas that are beyond current contractors’ scope of works, e.g., Coffin Walk, the High Street footpath to the Manor land, and around the Sports Field Car Park. A villager suggested that the Council could consider inviting involvement from villagers [similar to the Handsome Harlaxton initiative in previous years]. It was agreed that the initiative will be promoted again to Villagers, and those who have recently expressed an interest will be directly invited to join in.
12.3. LCC verges, e.g., The Drift
Villager Martin Goodson, of Strood Close, recently organised a working party to cut back the LCC verge overhanging and obstructing the footpath at the top of The Drift. The PC will write to thank Martin for his generous efforts.
13. Planning Applications
13.1. S23/0916 15 West End, Harlaxton, Lincolnshire, NG32 1HE. Two storey side and rear extension.
13.2. S23/0788 & 0789 4 Manor Drive, Harlaxton, Lincolnshire, NG32 1HU. Erection of detached dwelling including changes to grade II listed boundary wall and formation of access
It was noted that the Council had received objections to this proposal and had made appropriate representation back to SKDC.
14. Correspondence
14.1. 09/05/23 Harlaxton Cricket Club – request to use the field on 2 July
14.2. 09/05/23 Harlaxton Cricket Club – updated fixtures
14.3. 17/05/23 BHIB Insurance – confirmation that their premium remains current with the previous claim
14.4. 17/05/23 JB – confirm that their offer to look after the Village Voice and SID is current
14.5. 19/05/23 CM – Confirms the changing rooms will be empty by the end of May, and that they are not using the football pitches on other day than they have booked.
14.6. 22/05/23 VK – request that the HSSC signs are removed
14.7. 22/05/23 VK – reports that the grass cutting contractor has left grass cutting on the pavements
14.8. 22/05/23 SKDC – confirms Co-Option procedure with example wording
14.9. 23/05/23 Crawford Loss Adjuster – confirm meeting for 7 June
14.10. 25/05/23 JR – Advises that they may not be available for the internal audit
14.11. 26/05/23 LALC – quote for carrying out an internal audit
14.12. 26/05/23 Gallagher [Insurance Broker] – provides policy wording for 1/6/2020 to 31/05/21
14.13. 28/05/23 AC – reporting a stuck hedgehog at the Bowls Club
14.14. 29/05/23 Harlaxton Cricket Club – invoice for cutting the Manor Drive Sports Field
14.15. 30/05/23 JC – request to use the Football pitch
14.16. 30/05/23 LCC Highways – advises that generally do not like advertising on street furniture but confirm they are realistic that this does happen. Advises that adverts shouldn’t be put up too far before the event, and should be removed promptly after the event.
14.17. 30/05/23 BHIB – confirms instruction to cover insurance
14.18. 30/05/23 LP – reports a vehicle at the top of The Drift
14.19. 31/05/23 SKDC – confirms receipt of Councillor acceptance, declaration and expenses documents
14.20. 31/05/23 SKDC – confirms that they have asked for the dates of previous grass cutting [this period]
14.21. 01/06/23 Inland Drainage Board – Confirm that any drainage pipe/conduit below a landowner’s land, is the landowner’s responsibility
14.22. 02/06/23 JR – confirm can carry out the internal audit w/c 26 June.
14.23. 05/06/23 Tyrrell Surfacing – confirm that they will make good the HVH white lining on 9 June
14.24. 05/06/23 PC M Barr – confirm the reported vehicle has gone and asked for future PC meeting dates
14.25. 06/06/23 LCC Highways – notification of temporary traffic restriction TTR004403 Gorse Lane (Between 1300m & 1700m Northeast of Gorse Lane) 01/07/2023 - 03/07/2023
14.26. 06/06/23 JG of Melton Building Society – confirms they’re sending the interest notification
14.27. 06/06/23 Gallagher [Insurance Broker] – confirms there is a case for PEN/AXA to answer ref the legal pursuit excess, and they will progress with the complaint
14.28. 07/06/23 Harlaxton Manor – confirm no objection to HPC carrying out a camera survey of the [Manor Drive] pipe from The Lake
14.29. 08/06/23 Crawford Loss Adjuster – confirms that they are undertaking a through review of the claim
14.30. 08/06/23 Harlaxton History Society – requests access to the Electoral Register
14.31. 08/06/23 SKDC – confirm that HPC can only be used to establish the entitlement of a person, or for election purposes
14.32. 12/06/23 PC M Hillson – confirms that The Drift vehicle matter has been resolved.
14.33. 12/06/23 CA – expresses concerns over speeding along The Drift
14.34. 13/06/23 ROSPA – confirms that the Play Area inspection has been booked for August 2023
14.35. 13/06/23 SKDC – requests information on Parish Council CCTV cameras
14.36. 13/06/23 MC - expresses concerns over speeding along The Drift
14.37. 13/06/23 PC M Barr – responds to the concerns of speeding that the village should consider The Community Speed Watch programme which will allow residents to monitor speeding.
14.38. 13/06/23 GE - expresses concerns over speeding along The Drift
14.39. 14/06/23 PP – write to object to planning application 23/0788 & 0789 4 Manor Drive
14.40. 14/06/23 CM – expresses concerns over speeding along The Drift
14.41. 14/06/23 PC M Barr – advises that he will not be able to attend the PCM on 28 June, and that no one else is available to attend, but a report of incidents will be sent.
14.42. 14/06/23 JB – confirm that SID data for the Hight Street had been downloaded. Around 8% of vehicles are travelling over 30mph, with the fastest travelling at 50mph
14.43. 15/06/23 LCC Highways – advises that LCC will be carrying out speed checks along The Drift in a few weeks, and would like to coordinate this with HPC’s SID placement
14.44. 16/06/26 Belvoir Tree Services – confirms that the dead Pearson Gregory tree will be removed on 30 June
15. Closed Session (If required)
16. Any other business
17. Next scheduled Parish Council Meeting: 7:30pm Wednesday 26 July 2023.
18. Meeting close
19. Closed Session (If required)
None Required.
20. Any other business
None
21. Next scheduled Parish Council Meeting: 7:30pm Wednesday 26 July 2023.
22. Meeting close at 2130.
