Notes on a meeting held on the 8th June 2017
The monthly meeting of Bassingham Parish Council was held in the Hammond Tower, on Thursday the 8th of June 2017, at 7:30pm. Councillors Baker (Chair), Wall, Brown, Woodward, Vickers,Green, Finch, Bell, Barnett, District Councillor Howe and 2 members of the public were present.
Public Session.No points were raised by the public.
District Councillor Howe updated the meeting on the works of NKDC.
JUNE 17:1. The minutes of the May 2017 meeting were confirmed as a correct record and duly signed.
JUNE17:2.Councillor Brown gave a financial report and assured the council that there were sufficient current and expected funds to meet all known and expected payments.
JUNE 17:3.After due discussion and careful consideration.
(a)It was resolved to approve the Annual Governance Statement for year ending 31st March 2017.
(b)It was resolved to approve the Annual Accounting Statement for the year ending 31st March 2016.
JUNE 17:4.The Council commented on the following Planning Applications received from NKDC:
REF: 17/0604/HOUS.
Proposal: Erection of a single storey rear extension.
Location: Blankney Cottage, 4 Hall Wath, Bassingham.
Councillor Baker declared a personal interest in this matter and took no part in the discussion of this application.
The Council supported this application.
REF: 17/0662/HOUS.
Proposal: Erection of external staircase and insertion of new door at first floor level to existing garage.
Location: 42 Water Lane, Bassingham.
The Council supported this application.
REF: 17/0230/ADV
Proposal: Installation of 1 no. illuminated fascia sign and 1 no. illuminated projecting sign.
Location: 21 High Street, Bassingham.
The Council supported the erection of the signs but objected to the illumination of the fascia sign.
REF: 17/0665/FUL.
Proposal: Single storey side extensions to workshop.
Location: The Old Dairy, NavenbyLane , Bassingham.
The Council supported this application, but showed concern that the proposal would generate additional heavy goods vehicle traffic leading to extensive deformation of the road surface on Navenby Lane, NKDC would be asked to seek an arrangement whereby the applicant would make a contribution to remedy the consequential damage of the proposal.
REF: 17/0753/HOUS.
Proposal: Erection of single storey rear extension.
Location: Peartree Lodge, 2 village Farm, Bassingham.
The Council supported this application.
REF: 17/0592/LBC.
Proposal: Retrospective application for retention of external lights, CCTV cameras and colour of external doors. Post-box re-sited and CCTV signs reduced.
Location: The Old Wesleyn Chapel, High Street, Bassingham.
Councillor Baker declared a personal interest in this matter and took no part in the discussion of this application.
The Council supported this application.
JUNE17:5.Speed Indicator Device Update. More frequent allocation of device deployment to Bassingham would be sought. A suitable motion would be prepared for agenda of the July meeting of the Witham Cluster Group.
JUNE 17:6. Health and Safety Update/ Inspections and risk assessments continued to be carried out. The fence enclosing the Toddlers’ Play Area needed to be trimmed and the general neatness restored to the facilty.
JUNE 17:7.Marketing Committee Update. Work continued on the joint venture with the Bassingham Village and Playing Field Charity to build an all-inclusive website for Bassingham. A proposal had been prepared for the agenda of the meeting of the Charity due on 3 July 2017, which, if agreed, would have the effect of the Charity promoting its clubs etc. to the village and the Council would use this as a vehicle in which to promote itself. The proposal was,
That the initial website design would be done by tender (paid for by the Council).
That the content be managed in conjunction with representatives of the village charity and the Parish Council Marketing Committee.
JUNE 17:8.Personnel Committee Update. There had been a pause in the programme of regular proceedings of the committee. A meeting would be held shortly to recover the position and ensure that obligations would continue to be met.
JUNE 17:9.The Manager of the Hammond Hall gave a report (attached) on the Hammond Hall Complex for the month of May.
JUNE 17:10.Legionella Risk Assessment. Quotes were being sought for the remedial work identified in the risk assessment report delivered by Guardian.
JUNE 17:11.Date and Time of judging for the Best Kept Garden and Best Allotment Competition. The judges would assemble at 6pm on Wednesday, 28th June 2017 at the Community car park.
JUNE 17:12.New Village Signs proposal. It was agreed that as the new village signs would be sited at the entrances to the village, the two-post design would be adopted and therefore the signs would be in landscape format.
JUNE 17:13. It was resolved to sign the orders for payment (attached).
JUNE 17:14. Clerks Report:
At the Annual Parish Meeting that took place on 12th May 2017 the meeting passed the following resolution for consideration by the Parish Council.
“The electors of Bassingham, here gathered at the AnnualParish Meeting, earnestly request the Parish Council, by means of precept to maintain the community clock, presently mounted in the church of St Michael and All Angels, in full working order, showing standard time according to the season, and correctly striking the hours and quarters, for as long as is practical in terms of materials and engineering.”
The meeting agreed to take note of the resolution and also noted that the Bassingham Village and Playing Field Charity had resolved that any profit earned by the Bassingham Annual Show would be earmarked for the clock project.
JUNE 17:15. Correspondence:
A letter from Mr John Rowland, the Church Warden and Secretary to St Michael and All Angels Church VCC thanking the Council for arranging for the churchyard boundary wall to be re-built. He further drew attention to the exceptional craftsmanship and care that Mr Paul Richardson of SEBCO had brought to the work. The Council thanked Mr Richardson and observed that the whole community could be proud of the outcome. The state of high satisfaction would be reflected in the minutes and a letter of appreciation would be sent to Mr Richardson.
JUNE 17:16. Information from Councillors:
Footway seating in the village. An elector living in the Ash Tree Way/Manor Paddocks Area had asked for a seat to be provided around the halfway point on her way to the shops as she needed to rest. The implications of siting a seat on the Carlton/Bassingham pathway would be considered.
Overgrown Hedges. A number of overgrown hedges associated with Torgate Lane had been noted. The Clerk would be asked to contact the grounds maintenance contractor about the boundary hedge of the playing field. He would also be asked to contact NKDC to discover, in the case of NKDC tenanted properties, who was responsible for hedge cutting and tidiness of the property boundaries. The overgrown hedge on the school boundary along Torgate Lane continued to infuriate electors.
Potholes on Footways. Potholes on the footways along Torgate Lane leading to Lincoln Road were undermining the agreeable walking experience in the area.
Cemetery. Overgrowing of Grave Kerbs. The curtilage of a number of graves was defined by kerbs on which the names of the grave occupant and other information had been recorded. Owing to the growth of herbage, the words had become obscured and visitors had difficultly in interpreting the inscriptions although they had been directed to the correct grave. Careful attention with a spade had been shown to overcome this difficulty but this was outside the sensible use of the contractor’s publicly funded service. Grave owners might be encouraged to purchase a grave tidying service if they were unable to carry out this for themselves.
Highways Repair Policy. An informal meeting with Mr Richard Wills, a LCC Highways official accompanied by County Councillor Marianne Overton M.B.E. had taken place in Bassingham. It was acknowledged that the system of dealing with potholes was understood and seemed to be working, although satisfaction with response times and repair quality was uneven. Difficulty remained in reporting defects that were not pothole related and getting priority action for repairs.A way forward being considered was for Parishes or groups of Parishes ton decide priorities through devolution of some funds to local level.
The meeting closed at 9:08pm