July 2024 Minutes
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF SUDBROOKE PARISH COUNCIL HELD AT 7.30PM ON THURSDAY 11 JULY 2024 IN SUDBROOKE VILLAGE HALL
PRESENT: Councillors Mrs Tracey Bowman (Chair), Simon Crampton, Paul Fido, Mrs Pauline Loven, Bhikhu Mistry, Mrs Cathryn Nicoll
County Councillor Sue Rawlins, District Councillor Baptiste Velan
Clerk Mrs Christine Myers, Treasurer Mrs Bridget Solly
12 residents
56 – 24/25 PARISHIONERS ITEMS
• A resident had mentioned that he thought the map board on Scothern Lane had been re-sited too high. Members agreed no action to be taken regarding this.
• Request for an additional dog bin on St Edwards Drive. Councillor Simon Crampton to check for a suitable location.
• The shrubs had been cut back near to the former tennis court but ivy remained. Councillor Paul Fido to take a look at this.
• A resident had asked if the area around the Park Gates could be tidied up. The resident had also suggested that as the gates were Listed and an asset to the parish that an appropriate sign depicting ‘Private Road’ be purchased to supersede all the home-made ones. Discussion took place regarding this but it was felt that the cost may be too high during this financial year. Councillor Mrs Tracey Bowman offered to arrange a tidy up of the area between members.
• A resident had pointed out that the footpath behind the shop and land to the rear of a property on Maple Drive was overgrown. It was noted that the footpath had now been cut. Members agreed that the land to the rear of the property on Maple Drive could be brought into next years shrub cutting contract.
• A resident had reported that cones and notices indicating ‘No parking’ had been placed on the road on Park Close – the resident had been advised to report this on Fix My Street.
• Attention had been drawn to what appeared to be a resident claiming some highway land on Wragby Road – this to be reported on Fix My Street.
• Comments received from a resident about the Northfield Park play area being a mess, with nothing exciting to climb on or explore. Members pointed out the cost of play equipment but noted that this equipment is visually checked weekly, has a technical inspection monthly and an annual RoSPA inspection and any works recommended by the Play Equipment Inspector are carried out.
• Councillor Mrs Tracey Bowman and the Clerk offered to fix cable ties to the top swing pole to deter birds sitting on it.
57 – 24/25 CO-OPTION TO VACANCY OF PARISH COUNCILLOR AND SIGNATURE OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE
Mrs Cathryn Nicoll had requested co-option to the Parish Council. That Mrs Nicoll be co-opted to the Council proposed by Councillor Mrs Tracey Bowman, seconded by Councillor Simon Crampton and unanimously Resolved.
Councillor Mrs Cathryn Nicoll was welcomed to the Council and duly signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
58 – 24/25 TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES AND REASONS GIVEN
Councillors Peter Heath and Mrs Sandra Clayton had sent apologies. That apologies be accepted proposed by Councillor Mrs Tracey Bowman, seconded by Councillor Simon Crampton.
59 – 24/25 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST ON ANY ITEMS ON THE AGENDA
None declared.
60 – 24/25 COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS REPORTS
• CC Mrs Sue Rawlins reported that a big issue for LCC was renewable energy and the County Council had received five applications for solar panel sites.
• That the audit of the County Council finances was in hand and the accounts would be published.
• That it would be County Council elections next year and many senior members would be retiring.
61 – 24/25 DISTRICT COUNCILLORS REPORT
• DC Baptiste Velan was awaiting a response from the government regarding the Scampton scheme for immigrants.
• That he had met residents of the Northfield Park/Broad Dale Close Gardening Group regarding consideration of their grant application.
• A resident in the village who had experienced garden flooding had been visited by LCC representatives.
62 – 24/25 REPORTS ON MATTERS OUTSTANDING
A Section 106 Agreement, Church Lane – Nothing further to report on this – CC Sue Rawlins asked for copies of previous emails regarding this matter.
B Resurfacing of footway on Wragby Road – CC Sue Rawlins said she was chasing this matter up with LCC Highways.
C Resurfacing of footway on Scothern Lane and St Edward’s Drive – CC Sue Rawlins said she was chasing this matter up with LCC Highways.
D Millennium Stone lighting - quotation received for raising lights - However there would still be a problem with drainage around the stone and standing water, the surrounding area having been raised after footpaths works in 2023. Councillor Simon Crampton agreed to look into a drainage scheme for that area and report back to a future Parish Council meeting.
The Chair suspended Standing Orders at 8.20pm to allow questions from residents regarding how the funds for the lights were allocated. The Treasurer responded to the questions and Standing Orders resumed at 8.25pm.
E Church Lane near to Two Corners – provision of passing place – CC Sue Rawlins would pursue this.
F To receive report of meeting with Project Manager, Parklands Development – Councillor Mrs Tracey Bowman -
• Building update- The strategy for building had been changed and more money has been injected so that phases 1 and 2 will be completely finished by the Autumn even if not enough houses have been sold. It is also planned to ensure that the roads are finished off in both phases with block paving. The developers are also in the process of installing 'wildlife friendly' curb stones at great expense. They've started this and have a little indentation so that the newts can cross the road and climb to safety. Phase 3 will be shelved for the time being. It's probable that it will be changed and planning resubmitted depending on the market. In the meantime when phase 1 and 2 are completed they will lock up and contractors will move off site. The pub is being looked at as a community pub but this will not be until phase 3 is built.
• Bollard - planning permission has been applied for to adopt part of the road so they can install a bollard but adjustments are required. If permission is granted the next step will be obtaining residents agreement.
• Speed humps - LCC Highways will eventually adopt the road and it will be their decision whether speed humps should be installed.
• Dispute with the woods management company – There are complaints from residents about the management company and the Project Manager has supported the communication problem.
• Map update - A map of the current development (phases 1 and 2) could be supplied but the Project Manager felt it may be better to wait until phase 3 has been sorted.
G Area of land Northfield Avenue/Broad Dale Close - The Chair suspended Standing Orders at 20.29 to allow residents to speak.
i Update on work carried out to date – A member of the Gardening Group reported that all shrubbery had been stripped by the Group and disposed of in a skip provided by a resident. A suggestion of placing a TPO on a tree thought to be an American Red Oak was suggested.
The Parish Council had no objections to this and the Clerk would make enquiries with the Trees Officer, WLDC.
ii To receive quotation for the removal of tree roots and cutting back of trees – it was noted that the trees had been cut back by the Group and only tree root removal was required. Quotation for tree roots removal had been received in the sum of £90.00. This sum was agreed by the Parish Council but work could not be carried out until the grant from the District Councillors Community Fund was approved.
iii To consider Risk Assessment – The circulated Risk Assessment was discussed, proposed that it be adopted by Councillor Paul Fido, seconded by Councillor Mrs Pauline Loven and Resolved.
Standing Orders resumed at 20.51.
H Drain to rear of Wragby Road/Fox Covert - update from Councillor Mrs Pauline Loven re proposed summer clear out – Report as follows:-.
‘Many residents on the Wragby Road and Fox Covert who share a boundary marked by the ditch were concerned that it remained over full of water for months last winter, something that had not been witnessed before, and there were concerns about flooding and the risk of trees falling due to waterlogged ground.
With the help from the Clerk of the Parish Council, we were able to establish that the ditch is outside the area managed by Witham Third Drainage Board and is under riparian ownership, which, in the case of this ditch, means it is owned by householders on the Wragby Road. Fox Covert boundaries are marked by their garden fences which stand on the bank. However, the ownership of the woods doesn’t exactly match the house plots on the Wragby Road.
Maps old and new as well as Google Earth images and LIDAR maps have been searched to try and understand the nature of the ditch. It is hard to pinpoint when it was put in, but it does seem to pre-date the building of Fox Covert housing. Prior to the building of Fox Covert, the area was a pasture, and before that the field housed a chicken farm and buildings accessed by a track from Main Drive which is now the ‘jitty’ footpath into Fox Covert.
The drain has, with permission from residents on Wragby Road, been walked to see if there were any obvious problems. One owner was reluctant to offer access, but was happy to check the condition themselves; otherwise everyone was very helpful and accommodating.
A resident on Main Drive has provided some useful information. Nettleham beck runs through his land, making an abrupt turn before heading under the (1907) bridge on Main Drive and away towards Langworth eventually draining into Barlings Eau. Rainwater drainage from Fox Covert discharges into the beck on his land. It was pointed out that there is another drain pipe that was put in to service the chicken farm (now Fox Covert). It may be that the drain was also put in around the same time to collect water and divert it away from the chicken farm, and it may be that the drain pipe into the beck originated in the ditch. It is also still functioning.
The direction of the drain has been determined by putting a stick into it and measuring the trajectory. On walking the drain we looked at the area that the direction of the drain pipe pointed to.
The bench mark in the Lodge wall on the Wragby Road is 16.5 metres above sea level and the bed of the beck at the bridge is 8.8 metres, that is roughly an eight-metre fall from the road to the beck, with the drain being about two thirds of the way down. The drain seems to be a catchwater for the run off from the Wragby Road above, holding the water so that it can percolate through the limestone bedrock and join the beck water. Historically, this has been largely effective, and indeed the ditch is normally dry for most of the summer months, and the gardens and houses protected from flooding in the winter. The drain also provides a breeding habitat for frogs and toads and is an important part of the Old Fox Covert woodland wildlife corridor.
However, the changes in weather patterns and the frequency of severe storms are testing water management systems. In October last year (2023) Storm Babet hit the UK. It was an intense extratropical cyclone which affected large parts of northern and western Europe and caused widespread flooding. This was followed by a very wet winter and the high ground water levels resulted in saturated ground in many places.
Conclusion
There is no evidence of a pipe from the drain leading to the beck. The drain appears to be as it is on the map, closed at both ends, and acts like a soakaway. It is also in pretty good condition, though a little degraded in parts and shallow at the eastern end. The dumping of garden waste is also fairly insignificant in comparison to the natural deposition of twigs and leaves, but there are no big blockages. It would benefit from a tidy and most households are willing to do that. It was clear from the bowl left by the roots of a fallen tree some metres from the ditch, that was full of water, that the problem is the high ground water levels and that the water is struggling to drain away.
In the long term, the drain would benefit from a storm overflow system. It may even be possible to find the end of the pipe which drains into the beck, which seems likely now to have terminated in the yard of the chicken farm, not the drain, and connect an overflow drain to that – though it is uncertain where in Fox Covert it is. A simpler option would be to improve the water holding capacity of the drain. This would take a professional to see what could be done. Also, taking any action, however small, would be costly, and the drain is on land which is in private, not public, ownership.
From May (2024) with the warmer dry weather, the drain water began to drop. Once the trees and plants were in full leaf they were actively drawing water from the land. We hope that the risk of flooding is over, at least for the summer, but the risk remains and it is hard to say if the drain is resilient enough to cope with future severe weather events. An annual summer clearing of the ditch when it is dry, which I know is already undertaken by some owners, would probably help too.’
Councillor Mrs Pauline Loven was thanked for producing this report. That all households on Wragby Road and Fox Covert whose properties were on the boundary of the drain be supplied with a copy of the report. Unanimously Resolved. It was noted that residents were independently organising a summer clear out of the drain and Councillor Mrs Pauline Loven was co-ordinating.
63 – 24/25 PLAY EQUIPMENT AT VILLAGE HALL AND NORTHFIELD PARK SITES – TO CONSIDER FURTHER QUOTATONS FOR WORKS REQUIRED
The Play Equipment Inspector had reported that he was awaiting costs from Wicksteed for some prices of parts but had submitted a quotation for the replacement of the loose posts and rotting timbers on the tower at the Village hall site in the sum of £340.00.
Painting of rusty spring on equipment at Northfield Park - £80.00.
That the above prices be accepted unanimously Resolved.
It was also noted that cable ties need replacing on the swing poles on Northfield Park to prevent birds perching on them. Councillor Mrs Tracey Bowman and the Clerk would fit these.
64 – 24/25 TO CONSIDER REQUEST FROM HIRER OF VILLAGE HALL TO ALLOW CAMPER VANS TO PARK ON THE CAR PARK OVERNIGHT
That this request be granted on condition that no litter be left, no liquids discharged into the drains or grounds and that the hall would be locked at midnight and therefore be unavailable for facilities - unanimously Resolved.
65 – 24/25 TO CONSIDER THE COMMUNITY BECOMING INVOLVED WITH THE EAST MERCIA RIVER TRUST PROJECT ‘BRINGING THE LIMESTONE BECKS BACK TO LIFE’
The Parish Council had been invited to become involved with this project which aimed to improve and prevent the deterioration of Limestone Becks across Lincolnshire, the beck in Sudbrooke being identified as a priority.
That the Parish Council be involved with this project and Councillor Mrs Pauline Loven be the co-ordinator unanimously Resolved.
66 – 24/25 FINANCE
Accounts to be paid:-
Mrs C Myers – purchase of high viz vests – Net £22.00, VAT £4.40, Gross £26.40
AKO Groundworks Ltd – siting of repaired noticeboards – Scothern Lane and Church Lane – Net 125.00, VAT £25.00, Gross £150.00
Glendale Countryside Ltd – June cut – Net £639.25, VAT £127.85, Gross £767.10
Mrs C Myers Expenses July - £52.15
Tesco Mobile – Parish Council Phone bill - £8.09
Stop Dead Pest Control – eradication of moles on football pitch - £230.00
Dominic Picksley – Management of Sudbrooke News June 2023 – July 2024 - £300.00
Sudbrooke Village Hall Committee – Hire of Hall (Parish Plan meeting x 1, Extraordinary meeting x 1) - £26.00
West Lindsey District Council – Defibrillator Maintenance Service (annual charge) – Net £88.33, VAT £17.67, Gross £106.00
Staffing costs July - Total £1,146.87
Staffing costs August - Total £1,146.87
Bank Balances Thursday 11.7.2024
Current Account – £53,483.11
Instant Deposit Account (earmarked reserved) – £12,361.05
Fox Covert Account – £2,205.21
Northfield Park Account – £18,688.87
Sportsfield Account – £4,007.08
Total in bank accounts - £90,745.32
67 – 24/25 PLANNING – NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN REVIEW CONSULTATION – UPDATE FROM MEETING WITH CONSULTANT
Councillor Simon Crampton and the Clerk had met with the Consultant to discuss the Review going forward. The Draft Plan and updated Character Appraisal for The Park had now been completed and was ready for Councillors to review, following which it would be an agenda item for September’s Parish Council meeting to note any amendments. It was hoped that a Consultation could be held on 16th October 2024 with a view for a Referendum in February 2025.
Additional funding would be required from Groundwork UK and this would be applied for.
68 – 24/25 CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED SINCE LAST MEETING , *Sent to residents
31.5.2024 - LALC E News
*31.5.2024 - Scothern News
2.6.2024 - Website Management Service outline
6.6.2024 - LCC Rights of Way Survey
11.6.2024 - LCC Rights of ay Grass cutting programme
14.6.2024 - LALC E News
*14.6.2024 - West Lindsey Business Brief
21.6.2024 - LCC Notification of Temporary Road Closure – Church Lane – 20.6.2024 – 26.6.2024
26.6.2024 – Further information - WL/2024/00036 Formerly 147131 BESS Land South of Barlings Lane
27.6.2024 - LCC Town and Parish Newsletter
27.6.2024 - LALC Weekly News
5.7.2024 – Police Crime Stats June 2024
69 – 24/25 CLERKS REPORT
The Clerk reported as follows:-
• That the Life Saving Event had been well attended.
• That the notice board at the church had been repaired and also the map board on Scothern Lane.
• The notice board at the Park Gates required some work carrying out to it to prevent water getting in and replacement of a new back board. The Clerk was authorised to arrange for this to be done.
• Scothern Football Club had declined the use of the Stuart Curtis field for use during the oncoming season.
• The grit bin on the junction of Holme Drive/Scothern Lane had been knocked over. LCC had stated that this could not be lifted until the autumn.
• A further report had been received on the BESS Battery storage planning application and circulated to Councillors for information.
• That a Policy for the use of Bouncey Castles on the playing field had been devised and this would be for consideration at the September meeting of the Parish Council.
• That two cherry trees on Manor Drive required cutting back due to increased growth and overhang onto the footway and highway. A resident had offered to do this work but members felt that it would be preferable for this to be carried out by an Arborist. The Clerk was given authority to give instructions for the work to be carried out.
• The Village Hall Committee had reported that they were to have remedial electrical work carried out during the summer to bring the electrics in line with current legislation.
The Committee had also engaged a company to replace the gas boiler and radiators in the hall.
70 – 24/25 CHAIR’S REPORT
The Chair stated that the Parish Council had to work within its budget and had a responsibility to ensure that activities on land owned by the Parish Council are carried out safely and within the boundaries of its public liability insurance to prevent accidents and dangers to other residents of the village.
71 – 24/25 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Thursday 5 September 2024, 7.30pm, Bramham Lounge of the Village Hall.