February 2024 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 February 2024
Harlaxton Village Hall, 3 Church Street, Harlaxton, NG32 1HU
Minutes
1. Meeting Opened @ 19:30
2. In Attendance: Cllrs Wicks, Smith, Phillips & Cartlidge
3. Apologies (Non-Attendance):
Cllr Gabriel, District Cllr Leadenham and County Cllr Vernon [ all pre-advised and accepted]
4. Co-option: With two current Councillor places available, one application has been received. In the public meeting, Councillors voted unanimously to co-opt Steve Clawson onto the Parish Council. Cllr Clawson completed the Declarations of Acceptance of Office and joined Councillors and was warmly welcomed by all. The Localism Act 2011 form will be completed and returned.
5. Resolution to approve minutes of Parish Council Meetings: PCM of 24 January 2024: Agreed and signed
6. Public Forum (15 Minute Presentation/Discussion): Not required
7. Updates - County Councillor, District Councillor, Police & Crime: None
8. Updates and Discussions
8.1. Harlaxton PC Standing Orders (Standing Orders Working Party – Cllrs Gabriel, Wicks, Phillips & Cartlidge)
Standing Orders, Regulations, Policies, Procedures and Risk Register have been reviewed and updated. It was agreed that they all remain current.
8.2. Telephone Box (Cllr Wicks)
Information from various village businesses and organisations will be developed into an illustrated map with contact details, laminated and installed over the next few weeks.
8.3. Traffic and SID (Speed Indicator Device)
Recently, SID has been towards the bottom of the High Street facing south. The recorded data shows that the majority of traffic passes at 30mph or below, although there were several passing at over 35mph, and 8 at over 40mph. On Saturday, 24 February, SID was turned to face north up the High Street. It has already been noticed that some traffic is passing in excess of 35mph. The current proposal is to move SID to The Drift in about a month's time.
8.4. Proposed Development off Swine Hill (Cllr Gabriel): No further update. Cllr Gabriel to write to SKDC.
8.5. Harlaxton Twinning with Pontmain: The Village Hall Committee is continuing to consider options.
8.6. Invoices Received
8.6.1. LALC. Yearly subscription of £269.10 no VAT. Discussed and approved for payment.
8.6.2. Scribe. Yearly subscription of £331.20 inc VAT. The benefits of up-to-date bookkeeping, financial planning, AGAR production, VAT return collation and form, ease of use and good user support were discussed. Approved for payment. [Post-meeting note: Scribe have reviewed our finance date in preparation for 2023/2024 year-end and has verbally confirmed that all is in order, and that we are using Scribe correctly and are on the correct subscription package].
8.6.3. Village Link [for Village Voice March delivery]. £19.76 inc VAT. Village Link has reported that they’ve improved their delivery to some previously missed properties. Approved for payment.
8.7. Councillor Expenses: Expenses forms are pending and to be discussed at the next PCM.
9. Flooding
9.1. Trotters Lane, High Street and Manor Drive: Several emails of concern have been received from villagers in the High Street; these have been forwarded to Lincolnshire County Council [LCC] along with further explanations of the prevailing blocked gulley issues and photographs. Cllr Vernon has replied to confirm receipt. No response from LCC Highways. It was agreed that a working party of Councillors will walk the village and A607 on Saturday, 16 March, from 10:30, to record the many long-standing congested gullies and report back to LCC to request that urgent corrective action be taken.
10. Village Events
10.1. Annual Meeting of the Parish, 7pm on Monday, 15 April 2024: The wording of the email to the various village organisations and businesses has been agreed. The invitations will now be sent out. All villagers are encouraged to attend.
10.2. D-Day 80th Anniversary, Thursday, 6 June 2024: Harlaxton History Society informally advised that they are preparing information in support of the day. HSSC [the Club] have agreed to open and will be organising the lighting of the beacon. Contact with Harlaxton Manor to be followed up.
10.3. Village Fayre: Saturday, 31 August 2024 (Cllr Smith): This event is being organised by HSSC [the Club]. Various events/attractions have been contacted, including the Fun Dog Show, The Falconry Display, Honey Pot Delights, and The Pizza Company. There will also be children’s games, a barbeque, a villager car boot sale and various craft stands. This year, there will be a Decorated Bike/Scooter Competition, and the usual raffle and tombola.
11. Village hall
11.1. Licence Agreement: The committee are considering this at their next meeting.
12. HSSC
12.1. Car Park and Manor Drive Flooding: The contractor has acknowledged receipt of the previously agreed £7,500 + VAT part payment towards the work, with the balance pending the completion of the grass reinstatement. However, the contractor has requested an increase to the part payment, stating that the work to reinstate the grass is less than the current retention. It was agreed to make a further payment of £2,000 + VAT, leaving a retention of £2,426.75 + VAT.
12.2. Channel Drain to the rear/south of HSSC: Following the Council meeting on 24 January, Harlaxton Manor has written back to acknowledge the water runoff issue from their land but advised that these works are not in their current cost plan over the next few years. Councillors expressed concern about the ongoing ponding of water to the rear/south of the HSSC building. The previous quote in August 2023 for a channel drain was £1,520 no VAT. Subject to changes in the quote, it was agreed to proceed with the work to help protect the building from water ingress and damage.
12.3. Gutters, rainwater pipes and surface water drainage: To help protect the gutters and rainwater pipes from blockage by leaves and moss, a budget of £150 was agreed for parts at the previous council meeting on 24 January. Sourcing costs and items is ongoing.
13. Sports Field
13.1. Playing Area Equipment. Latest inspection report (Cllr Wicks): Minor maintenance matters are in hand.
13.2. Playing Field/Pitches: There has been limited play/use in recent weeks because of the poor weather and saturated playing surface. Cllr Wicks is to do a walkover and report back to the Council.
13.3. Drainage/Maintenance: Requests for quotes to spike and roll the sports field haven’t yielded any quotes as yet. Cllr Clawson to seek quotes for the work to improve drainage and the sports field surfacing.
14. Grass Cutting, Hedges, etc
14.1. Coopers Plantation: Work schedule awaited from the tree surgeon contractor. Cllr Gabriel to request quotations for tree work over the playing field side.
14.2. Main Contractor: Following recent heavy rain and saturated grass areas, the contractor for the main village areas has asked if grass cutting should progress on 4 March [as per the agreement], or if it should be delayed to try and mitigate wheel rut damage to the various grassed areas. It was agreed to ask the contractor to schedule cuts to the Pearson Gregory Field and Gregory Close [avoiding Daffodils] as soon as possible.
14.3. Sports Field Contractor: It was agreed to ask the contractor to cut the grass incrementally to help reduce a build-up of clippings.
14.4. Coffin Walk: Cllr Gabriel was thanked for their ongoing voluntary work to clear and maintain Coffin Walk.
15. Planning Applications:
15.1. S24/0070, Mr James Perry, Proposed residential development of 9No 3 bed houses with associated access off The Drift:
Councillors have exchanged opinions broadly agreeing on the principles of concern. A further draft response to be circulated to Councillors for comment to include concerns regarding surface water and foul drainage issues.
SKDC has issued a temporary Tree Preservation order for the site, and it was agreed that Harlaxton Parish Council should reply to support this action.
15.2. S24/0083, Mr & Mrs J McClean, Single storey rear extension, dormer to rear elevation and porch to front of dwelling, 56 Swine Hill, Harlaxton.
15.3. S23/2374, Mr Nick Bason, Section 211 notice in relation to T1 and T2. Silver Birch. Crown reduce both trees by approximately 30%, 49 High Street, Harlaxton.
15.4. S24/0144 and S24/0145, Mr Steve Frudd, Single storey rear extension, 61 High Street, Harlaxton.
16. Any other business
16.1. Pop-up Pizza Van: HSSC have been approached by Chapel House Pizza Co for permission to use the HSSC car park. This will be further discussed at the PCM on 27 March for a decision. In the meantime, it was agreed to ask the applicant what their proposals are for the waste boxes/cartons and whether they would be prepared to make a contribution to HPC for the use of the car park.
16.2. HSSC Alcohol License: The committee has written to HPC to ask if the Council would support a proposal to extend the licensed area to include the external areas of the site. This will be further discussed at the PCM on 27 March for approval. In the meantime, Councillors had no objection.
16.3. Defibrillator Service: Cllr Phillips and Cartlidge to service the two defibrillators from 11am on Thursday, 7 March. Per approval previously, spare batteries are to be purchased for the unit outside HVH [post meeting notes: PCM 28 Sept 2022, item 8U].
16.4. The Best Kept Village sign on the south side of the A607 from Grantham needs to be updated. Query SKDC/LCC, who is responsible for this.
16.5. Waste Bins: Councillors expressed concern that, with the future development of Harlaxton Manor Gardens into more of a visitor attraction, there would be an increase in waste in the two bins [on either end of the current permissive pedestrian walk from Manor Drive to A607] that HPC pays to have emptied. It was agreed that, in the future, HPC should review the decision to pay for these bin collections.
17. Next scheduled Parish Council Meeting: 7:30pm Wednesday 27 March 2024.
18. Meeting close: 10pm