September 2023 Minutes
KIRTON PARISH COUNCIL
NOTES OF A MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL
HELD ON TUESDAY 10th October 2023, being the delayed September meeting.
Present: Cllr D Jarvis Vice Chair, Cllr C. Astill, Cllr C. Crisford, Cllr M Elston
and Cllr M Sohail.
Clerk D. Fairweather.
Also Present: Borough Cllr Rylott
County Cllr Brookes and twelve members of the public.
PUBLIC FORUM
Many public here for update of parking situation at Town Hall. Member of public asking of policing of wash road traffic which appears to have increased significantly. Registration number noted. Cllr Jarvis had asked MP M Warman of number of Police but was told figure could not be disclosed.
Ann Booth, Town Hall Management Committee, gave update on Town Hall licence, to assistance with discussions later. The Town Hall Committee was established in 2007 when the Clerk Geoff Sharp obtained the licence for the premises. The Black Bull landlord has offered this facility, and the Town Hall are happy with situation. He is helpful when events require a bar and gives a donation every time it is used. Replacement up to date certificate awaited from Licensing Office for display in the bar.
POLICE REPORT – Clerk has spoken with probation service. Offenders to attend, supervised, to clean graffiti off play equipment at Town Hall.
REPORTS FROM ELECTED BOROUGH AND COUNTY COUNCILLORS
Cllr Brookes – Boston Road update on 30mph speed reduction signs. Delay has occurred due to delay with contractor on required electrical work.
Request for Blackjack to have speed limit reduction, following assessment, does not meet LCC speed limits policy requirements so no further action.
Request for Kirton End speed limit reduction to 30mph, initial assessment complete, awaiting traffic count and accident data.
Bungley Lane final resurfacing to be completed by end of fiscal year.
Cllr Pryke – submitted a report which was sent on to members by the Chairman covering the Old Leake lighting letter, the Kirton Marsh proposed travellers' site, cannabis, the Everest bar/restaurant, bus timetables, Hubberts Bridge footpaths and planning matters.
Cllr Rylott – Afghan settlement plan has come to fruition with houses in Kirton. Boston Borough pleased with result.
Numerous Scrutiny meetings being held with BBC SHDC and SKDC. Consensus is the public are not being kept up to date. Clerk advised this is also the case for clerk’s and assistance in various fields is poor now with loss of contact in many cases. Cllr Rylott agreed situation was not good at present.
Announcement that of the £60m available from Government, £30m would possibly go to Boston but over a period of the next 10 years.
Cllr P Watson – Chair – had submitted a report which had been passed to the Councillors.
90-23 TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE To receive and accept apologies for absence as given to the Clerk prior to the meeting by Cllrs Baillie, Pryke, P & S Watson, Borough Cllr Middleton and County Cllr Austin. All resolved to accept reasons given.
91-23 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST UNDER THE LOCALISM ACT 2011
Cllr Rylott declared an interest as member of Boston Borough Council Planning.
92-23 TO APPROVE NOTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING 22ND AUGUST 2023.
Proposed Cllr Astill seconded Cllr Elston that these be accepted as a true copy to be called minutes. Clerk had received communication from Borough Cllr Middleton saying his comment was not correct and he had said he had a good feel for the mood of the meeting and had not commented on any of the discussion that took place. Much of what was talked about was about who was going to pay for stone and the repair of a leaking septic tank, plus the dimensions of the site. This communication had been passed to the Councillors who agreed unanimously the minutes were a true copy of the meeting and Cllr Middleton’s comments were not agreed to.
93-23 TO CO-OPT NEW COUNCILLOR – Proposed Cllr Crisford seconded Cllr Sohail, Lorraine O’Connor rejoins the Council. Cllr O’Connor accepted and signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office Form.
94-23 TO RECEIVE UPDATES FROM CLERK
SUBJECT MEETING DISCUSSED UPDATES
Debt of Contractor Pre DF Awaiting quotation to pursue debt
Car Park CCTV April 2022 Not happy to cancel contract but will if we can agree on a new contract for 3 years, once agreed this end. Suggest 3 hr max with the option of paying for more. Other options given
Recording meetings August 2022 No reason not to use zoom. Putting access to meeting on agenda
Notice Board November 2022 Handyperson ill. To be erected week commencing 23rd
CCTV for village Spoken with local business who is happy to house CCTV. Will try initially but the dead tree at the memorial will need to be trimmed back if not removed. Not keen. Suggestion from another business owner that BBC are made to put the cameras back to the standard that they replaced some years ago.
Solar Panels Trouble contacting Lee, for third quotation. left message again
Orthodox Chapel Meeting held with Flora Buda and father. They are aware of all the issues and request our help to correct them. We advised that is not our task. He receives abuse from many of the people attending. They are not all local now and are coming from far afield but not giving anything back to the church. Advised they have outgrown the property and they advised they have found a church building in Peterborough and are going through the legal aspects to purchase that now. Advised PC will not sell. Ask if PC can see if there notices on cars will have an effect and to see if when Peterborough is available, it alleviates the problem. Advised there will be a rent review.
A Boards & office sign July 2023 Received and in action
Travellers site planning August 2022 No updates on BBC site
Cleaning of William Dennis Statue June 2023 No further progress, waiting for Mr Dennis
95-23 TO DISCUSS STREETLIGHT FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS
Old Leake Parish Council has written to all Parish Councils within Boston Borough regarding the cost of streetlights in the parishes.
Clerk had distributed information on the transformation programme which began in 2016. Boston Borough Council advised that due to reduced resources, ways of cutting back had been investigated. Streetlights in the Borough being one. They had decided to cut down on costs they would turn off some of the lights completely and reduced the burning times of others. It was a Parish decision to accept this or adopt them themselves. Kirton chose to adopt them and are charged for electricity usage and maintenance which equates to £8500, taken directly from the first instalment of the precept in April. Every three years a survey is done by an independent company with recommendations that you can agree to or not. BBC advised that future budgeted should perhaps be put in place for future events. Green Lane streetlight which was damaged and had to be replaced last year cost £750. Clerk had suggested a contingency be put aside for future expense and gradually over a period change the lights to LED which significantly reduces the cost. Being the second highest parish in the Borough, with A roads bypassing it was agreed that the original decision had been correct, and it was felt that they could not support Old Leake in their request.
96-23 TO DISCUSS TOWN HALL PARKING
Clerk had been speaking regularly with parking company. Following two interruptions from a member
of the public, after one warning, Chair asked person to leave the meeting.
Differing ways of restrictions discussed, particularly repositioning the camera to focus only on the Town Hall Car Park and not the Parish Council side. They again reiterated they had done everything possible to appease the Council and are making no money now. Being advised that they were breaking their part of the contract by not displaying signs, they said signs would be replaced. Will still not allow Council to cancel contract without significant financial payment. Agreed for the contract to run its course.
Cllr Astill advised that despite the contract being signed by Town Hall Management Committee and Paish Council, businesses were not consulted. Having asked the question now fifteen spaces would be used on a regular basis by the businesses. When contract expires, suggest a public meeting to discuss ways forward. Cllr Crisford advised that most people must pay to park whilst they are at work and Parish Council were not obliged to offer free parking for staff of businesses. Agreed a public meeting would be of interest but a replacement contract, once the current contract expires, must work for all. The Town Hall are happy with current situation as are parents of school children. Cllr Elston advised that self-ticketing could be an option. Proposed Cllr Jarvis, seconded Cllr Crisford leave contract to run its course as no fines are being issued without notices. Five for one abstention.
97-23 TO DISCUSS BABY LOSS AWARENESS WEEK
Local resident requesting if during the period in October pink ribbons could be tied to railings to show support for this Charity. Council or Town Hall had no objections.
98-12 TO DISCUSS PARISH COUNCIL EMAIL ADDRESSES
Clerk had circulated confirmation from Internal Auditor’s that a gov.uk is not essential, but an email, solely for the Council and Councillors is. Kirton has its own email with Gmail, and it was agreed Clerk to open emails for individual Councillors for next meeting. Proposed Cllr Jarvis seconded Cllr Elston.
99-23 FINANCE - £60349.05
a) To Approve Payment of Accounts as per schedule. Proposed Cllr Astill, second Cllr Elston
b) To Discuss Donation for Royal British Legion. £40 has been donated for the last two years, it was proposed Cllr Jarvis seconded Cllr Sohail it be increased to £50.
100-23 PLANNING – To Discuss Applications Received Since Last Meeting
Good news that proposed Gypsy site not going to Committee, as has been refused by the case officer on the same grounds of flooding risk.
B/23/0286 – Burton House, Nidds Lane, variation of condition
B/23/0292 – land adjacent to 32 Hemington Way
B/23/0306 – Black Bull, advertisement sign
B/22/0425 – Land off London Road, discharge of condition
No objections
101-23 MEMBERS REPORTS
CA – Gravestone in churchyard has been correct by him and Cllr Elston. Fencing at Town Hall fixed by him and Pete Booth.
Repairs required to Town Hall roof, as witnessed when raining. Agenda item next meeting.
Held meeting with Clerk, Florin Buda, and Father of Orthodox Church at their request with evidence of the parking issues. Highly informative. Outcome being, they are inundated with families from Peterborough who do not adhere to rules and have no respect for anyone including the father. When it was local people, it never caused any problems.
Advised Parish Council are not now willing to sell, and they understood, even advised that it had been an idea from another co-ordinator which was never their wish.
Also advised there would be a rent review as this had not been done since original lease taken out. Again, they agreed to that.
They asked for evidence of the parking which was agreed to forward. They are to make notices to put in cars and would have someone on duty to put in windscreens and to stop people parking in the cemetery gateway. Apologised for the incident on the day of the funeral.
Father did advise that there were in the process of renting a church in Peterborough and the problems will hopefully once again recede.
Advised that the grave areas were not to be used under any circumstances.
Wombles had a very successful Macmillan morning, raising £1400.
Surgeries going well. Couple of items brought to our attention. A broken tree on a footpath which had caused damage to a shed roof, passed to clerk for attention.
CC Events Committee – Race Night had been postponed at Town Hall due to the licensing problem. Discussions had taken place with the Black Bull to no avail. Race evening is now to take place in the Leisure Centre. Duckworth’s had sponsored a race also offered a free winter car check as a raffle prize. Cllr Astill if all of Council could be updated on events as a member of public had asked him why the race night had been cancelled and he was not aware it had been. Taken on board.
ME Clean Up Squad had their first clean up and was very well supported. Previously they had tidied the sheds at the cemetery and come across two metal bench ends. Men Shed would be able to make into seats again if Council would be prepared to purchase the wood. As there are two, could sit at the war memorial. Council all agreed a great idea.
102-23 TO DISCUSS TOWN HALL PREMISE LICENCE – taken in Committee.
Following confirmation from the Clerk and Cllr Astill regarding the ownership of the licence and all agreeing that the Town Hall and Parish Council are working together it was agreed that nothing further be done as the matter was and had been present for many years and is what the Town Hall Committee wanted to continue. The Town Hall felt that it had occurred due to a misunderstanding and the inaugural meeting of Events Group, and it was not the PC’s intention to cause any bad relationships.
The whole purpose for having a bar, was for additional takings to go towards the cost of a senior citizens Christmas lunch, which is why the Race evening had been postponed and was now being held in the Leisure Centre
.
Date of next meeting Tuesday 24th October 2023