December 2024 DRAFT Minutes
Parish Council Meeting
7:30pm on Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Harlaxton Village Hall, 3 Church Street, Harlaxton, NG32 1HU
Minutes
1. Meeting Opened at 7.30pm. Cllr Susan Wilson was warmly welcomed as a new councillor.
2. In Attendance: Cllr Smith, Clawson, Phillips, Gabriel, Wickes, Cartlidge & Wilson
3. Apologies (Non-Attendance): none
4. Declarations of Pecuniary Interests: Cllrs Cartlidge, Wicks, Smith and Wilson acknowledged membership of the Sports and Social Club, and Cllr Cartlidge advised that they’re one of the sponsors of the Harlaxton Cricket Club.
5. Resolution to approve minutes of Parish Council Meetings: PCM of 27 November 2024: Unanimously approved.
6. Public Forum (15 Minute Presentation/Discussion): None present. Cllr Cartlidge took the opportunity to advise that they’d been approached by a villager concerned by vehicles passing too close and too fast past horses being ridden around the village. Councillors advised that this is a Lincolnshire County Council/Police matter and the individual should write to both and the PC so that representation can be made. Cllr Cartlidge also advised that the PC had received confirmation from Sports and Social Club to advise that they were proceeding with the installation of Solar Panels and had included the Structural Report requested as part of the terms. Questions had been raised concerning the validity of the provided structural statements, and a response is now required from the HSSC’s chosen contractor before works can proceed. HPC to write to HSSC.
7. Updates - County Councillor, District Councillor, Police & Crime: None present. No update.
8. Updates and Discussions
8.1. PCM Dates for 2025/2026 [new dates after May 2025]: Agreed to defer until January 2025
8.2. Defibrillators: Cllr Wilson volunteered to take on the regular maintenance of the two units. Cllrs Cartlidge and Wilson to review and hand over on Monday, 23 December.
8.3. Financials/invoices/expenses: No changes from the 27 November meeting.
9. HSSC
9.1. Car Park and Manor Drive Flooding: AXA has upheld the PC’s further complaint regarding the handling of the claim, offering a further £150 compensation. Crawford has made a further settlement offer, but AXA’s Solicitors have withdrawn this pending an explanation letter. The PC’s appointed Loss Adjuster has been sent the various emails and is proceeding with representation to AXA and the underwriter, PEN, in support of the Claim.
9.2. Channel Drain to the rear/south of HSSC: Cllr Cartlidge apologised that they had not followed this up with the contractor but would do by the next meeting.
10. Sports Field
10.1. Drainage/Maintenance: The chosen contractor has not returned calls. A letter to be sent to ask whether the contractor can proceed early in 2025.
11. Grass Cutting, Hedges, etc
11.1. Village Tree Survey & Tree Work [Cllr Gabriel]: Quotes had been received for work to the trees adjacent to No’s 25 and 27 Parklands, these being £80 and £300 respectively. These works were approved unanimously. It was noted that someone has already removed and cut up the fallen branches adjacent to No 27. Missing from the quote was the removal of the deteriorating overhanging branch on the verge between No's 25 and 27. It was agreed that a budget of up to £100 could be set aside for this extra work if the contactor could accommodate this during a single site visit.
Cllr Gabriel is preparing a schedule of work from the MapleBeck tree survey, and will report back at the January PCM. In the meantime, it was agreed to remove the two long-standing dead trees towards the top of Coopers Plantation.
11.2. Gregory Close Trees: The contractor has postponed these works until early 2025.
[Continued…]
11.3. HPC Grass Cutting, Coffin Walk & LCC Verge on A607: Three quotations were received for the wider village cutting, including the A607 verges adjacent to the bus shelter, and coffin walk. Quote 1: £250/cut, quote 2:£275/cut, quote 3: £255 per cut. It was unanimously agreed to adopt Quote 1. Three quotes were received for the Manor Drive Sports Field, grass adjacent to the Sports & Social Club and the Play area. Quote A, £495 for 1 year, or £495, £510 and £520 for 3 years [being yrs 1, 2 and 3 respectively]. Quote B, £220 for 1 year, or £220, £220 and £225 for 3 years. Quote C, £137 for 1 year, or £137, £137 and £137 for 3 years. It was unanimously agreed to adopt quote C for three years.
12. Any other business: Cllr Wicks advised that they had not received a response regarding the damage to the Bowls Club fencing, and was following up with the adjacent landowner.
13. Next scheduled Meeting of the Council: Wednesday, 28 January 2025, at 7:30pm in the Village Hall
14. Meeting close: 8:15pm