2025 Minutes

KIRTON PARISH COUNCIL 
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL 
HELD ON TUESDAY 5th AUGUST 2025

Present: Councillors:     Cllr M Sohail, Chair, Cllr A Bowen, Vice Chair, Cllr C. Astill, Cllr M Elston, Cllr T Hartfil-Algood, Cllr F Huggins and Cllr Pryke.
                
Also Present:                         Clerk D. Fairweather.
    Borough Cllrs Middleton and Rylott.
County Cllrs Lock and Daish

PUBLIC FORUM
Residents of King Street complaining of speed and parking, accidents have been happening and on contacting LCC were advised to bring to PC. Speed reduction cannot happen as 30 mph. Details to be given to County Councillor after meeting.
Resident has a neighbouring tree overgrowing in her garden. Unfortunately, as on private land nothing the PC can assist with. 
Chair welcomed to Cllr Daish to his first meeting.
 
REPORTS FROM ELECTED COUNTY COUNCILLORS & BOROUGH COUNCILLORS
Cllr Daish – advising if anything to report on please contact him via email.
Cllr Middleton advised of the reports of anti-social behaviour which the clerk had forwarded to Councillors, in Swift Gardens. Known to the Police and ASBO’s have been issued.  Peter Hunn is now anti-social behaviour officer, Clerk to speak to Mr Hunn to ascertain if contact should also be made to him as well as Police.
Cllr Rylott – Pylons, Walpole to Grimsby - advised, whilst the development will go ahead, people should still voice their concerns, Deadline 12 midnight 6th August. Clerk requested if Council wished to make any further comments as they will have a massive impact on Kirton Holme. Agreed letter of concerns to be submitted.
Now have a new leader of BBC and have been offered a place on the new cabinet following the changes. Is hopeful for good things for the future of Boston Borough and Parishes and learned of funding opportunities available. Pleasantly surprised funding available for Boston. Cllr Rylott left the meeting.
Cllr Pryke reiterated remarks from Cllr Rylott on the future of BBC. Has also asked questions of the Pylons but has not been furnished with replies.
Requesting that speed reactive signs be on Agenda. Required in various areas particularly a couple that are share with Frampton.
Received complaints of speeding tractors through village.
Live and Vocal, an organisation that performs in and around the County has reformed again after Covid. No sponsors for events, nowhere for them to perform. Cllr Pryke suggests Kirton Parish Council advise of Town Hall.
Cllr Middleton left the meeting.

Cllrs Head and Rylott have resigned from the Council. Before the meeting, the Chair thanked them for their work whilst on the Parish Council.
93-25 TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE were received from Cllrs Baillie, Jarvis, and O’Connor. All resolved to accept reasons given.

94-25 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST UNDER THE LOCALISM ACT 2011
Cllr Astill declared an interest as Chair of the Town Hall Management Committee.

95-25 TO APPROVE NOTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING OF 1ST JULY 2025.
Proposed Cllr Bowen seconded Cllr Hartfil-Allgood these be accepted as a true copy to be called minutes. Unanimous.

96-25 TO RECEIVE UPDATES FROM CLERK
•    UKSP grant application – additional information required. Advised there were many applications and board to be meeting imminently to discuss.
•    Circular tree – awaiting update from Ann, but invoice may not be available until September. As tree work required, to delay installation.
•    Grev Bray, the arborist, has confirmed the silver birch in the Rec is diseased and dying and should be felled for safety. Awaiting quotation at it is a large tree.
•    War memorial tree – Grev Bray moved his men from another job to deal with the broken branch and did the complete work of crown reducing whilst there. Was a little agitated to be advised by a Councillor that it had taken far too long to get works done.
•    Banners purchased and on show. Flyers went in schoolbook bags.
•    Spoken with Fr Paul regarding bollards on Church footpath. There is no need for one at High Street end, but there was originally two at Willington Road End. We do not believe it requires a faculty as on a public footpath, he is to check on that. 
•    New litter bin in Rec. Complaints of overflowing. There is a procedure and policy for BBC for emptying new bins. Written application had been sent to BBC.

97-25 TO ADOPT CIVILITY AND RESPECT POLICY
Requested this be approved by Cllr O’Connor. Cllr Elston proposed Agenda items 5 & 6 be deferred to another meeting as Cllr Hartfil-Allgood felt it inappropriate the policy had not been approved by the HR committee before bringing to full Council. Seconded Cllr Astill. Date for meeting of HR had not yet been arranged, and both policies are written by the legal team at NALC, our Governing body, which are usually acceptable.
 
98-25 TO ADOPT EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION POLICY
Postponed as above.

99-25 TO DISCUSS UPDATES TO STANDING ORDER
Small amendments make as per proposals from LALC. Proposed Cllr Hartfil-Allgood, to approve amendments, seconded Cllr Huggins.

100-25 TO RECEIVE EVENTS UPDATES.
Picnic in the Park - Everything in hand, Clerk distributed a form for details of who would be able to assist on the day, for what periods of time. Cllr Astill requested the missing boards from the play equipment be replaced before the event.
Clerk advised bingo for August had been postponed as, to continue in September. Cllr Pryke advised Peter Head was to put forward proposals for the future of the bingo for another meeting.
Cllr Pryke had received request if anything occurring in Kirton for VJ day. Nothing arranged as RBL representatives not in the village on the day. One is being held in Boston.
Cllr Astill requested details of capital input for a machine as at present it is borrowed. Costings to be investigated.

101-25 FINANCE
a)    To Approve Payment of Accounts as per schedule
Proposed Cllr Astill, seconded Cllr Hartfil-Allgood.
Proposal for work in Town Hall Rec for area to boundary to be cleared, sprayed for weeds, topped with soil, and reseeded with grass. Total of works £3455. Work to commence once school restarts.
All agreed work required to alleviate anti-social behaviour in the overgrown area. Diseased silver birch with bracket fungus to be removed also, awaiting quotation.
Cllr Elston advised the work to clear to the boundary was not being done regularly now. Clerk to speak with contractors.
Cllr Astill believes the PC will exceed the budget for maintenance works. Clerk advised there is a large amount of VAT to be refunded, so figures at present look false.

101-25 PLANNING – To Discuss Applications Received Since Last Meeting
B/25/0294 London Road, Ashwood vary conditions for material.
B/25/0295 Baytree Yard – Application for certificate of lawfulness to confirm existing use of land is Class B8 – Storage & Distribution

102 – 25 TO RECEIVE CORRESPONCE
BSH – Parish Council Briefing Session – next meeting 18th September, questions to be submitted by 15th September.
Greater Lincolnshire for all – details of an online seminar to layout proposals directly with the leaders of E Lindsey and S Holland to ask questions. 20th August.
BBC – Community Governance Review – public consultation from 14th July to 26th August.
Parish Council Liaison Meeting, next meeting 23rd October.
Cllr Hartfil-Allgood has put together a Health & Safety document which Clerk distributed for Councillors to observe as will be an agenda item for next meeting.

103-25 MEMBERS REPORTS
CA – Tree at war memorial has dead branches, can this be looked at. Highways responsible. Cllr Bowen to declare on Fix My Street.
AB - Logs are successful in Rec and if another can be salvaged from the silver birch it would be agreeable.
ME – Boston Story Tellers are attending in Kirton Church. They are requesting stories from locals in the area. First time they have attended a Parish. Two new Community Safety Officers employed recently by BBC for rural areas. Requesting updates of damage to floor in store cupboard. Awaiting asbestos check result for lagging around pipes. Although once again this is the area of ‘is it TH or PC’ Cllr Hartfil-Allgood advised if no asbestos register held, we are in breach of the Asbestos Regulations 2012.
RP – PC Liaison meeting advised, some time ago a community skip would be made available, and a rota would be available. Nothing happening yet.
THA – banners removed from roundabout on A16, owners would like them back. PC not aware of the removal.
Dennis Estate, reports of potholes. Concerned residents regarding cars parked on bend near church and is dangerous. Reported to Fix My Street who advised requires to be reported to PC. To pass to LCC as not PC issue.
Multi streetlights which have not been lit for most of the year. Despite LHP confirming work will be done, no bulbs have been replaced. Advised of a resident tripping and anti-social behaviour has increased because of the darkness, with two properties having been burgled. Cllr Hartfil-Allgood requesting contact be made now by the PC directly. Suggestions to also be reported to Peter Hunn. 

103-25 TO ELECT TO MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS:
a)    Updates from Finance Meeting of 29th May 2025
Proposed Cllr Hartfil-Allgood seconded Cllr Astill.
Cllr Astill requested this in closed session as details of the finance meeting touched on staffing and HR. He gave a summary of finance meeting. It was felt maintenance and staff expenditure is high and were putting forward to HR to investigate staff contracts with a review of reducing hours. Disagreeable discussions took place, and it was agreed no further discussions tale place until HR committee met.  Cllr Hartfil-Allgood to offer dates for first meeting.
 
Date of next meeting 2nd September 2025

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