May 2024 APM
Great Hale Parish Council
Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting
Held on Monday 13th May 2024 at Hale Magna Village Hall, Great Hale
Present: Cllr N. Turner (Chairman)
Cllr G Cooke MBE (Vice-Chair)
Cllr M. Barnatt
Cllr A Broom
Cllr J. Cope
Cllr N Dady
Cllr L Mountain
District Councillor S Tarry
In attendance: Mrs Tracy Cooke (Clerk & RFO) and members of the public.
- Apologies
County Councillor A Key and District Councillor C Collard
2. Welcome Address by the Chairman of Great Hale Parish Council and report on Parish Council Activities during the past year.
Councillor Turner welcomed all to the Annual Parish Meeting 2024 and thanked them for attending. He welcomed their support, ideas and views. He then continued to report the following:
A year of Great Hale Parish Council 2023-2024
In summary 2023/2024 year has continued to be a busy year and our thanks go to our Clerk for supporting the Parish Council over the last Year. As well as all the volunteers around the village who keep it the community that we all enjoy.
The Parish Council have continued to maintain and improve the Village with relatively modest costs over the Year on the following projects:
- Solar panels bought and installed on speed sign. The interactive speed sign continues to be beneficial in reducing speeds of most drivers going through the village. With the installation of the solar panels this allows it to be up and running all the time without the down time for recharging of the batteries. Also reduces the risk of having to remove the batteries for recharging.
- Orchard Park. Ground levelled and seeded at QE Gardens. 2 new Acer trees have been planted. Table with bench seating to be purchased and installed over the coming months. Climbing wall was installed, which was Lottery funded.
- Litter Pickers. This is a group of volunteers who do a wonderful job of clearing up litter around the Village to whom we are very grateful. The Parish Council received a Grant from NKDC for litter picking services and this has been used to purchase new Hi-Vis vests, grabbers etc. for the litter pickers and a thank you light Christmas lunch for them in recognition for all the hard work that they do.
- Dog fouling continues to be an issue around the village from time to time. Some new signs have been put up around the village which has helped and a new dog poo bin liner has been purchased for health & safety reasons for one of the existing dog bins
- Policies discussed and amended as required over the year and uploaded onto the Parish Council website.
- Poppy wreath for Remembrance Sunday was purchased in remembrance of all those who have gave their lives in the World wars from the Parish.
- Concerns were raised by a Parishioner about the Church wall. This has been looked at and it was agreed that some preventative repointing was required to it. In this respect the Clerk applied for a Grant towards the cost of this work which was successful and has been received. This work is planned to start shortly weather depending.
- Highways meeting - A meeting with the County Councillor and the Highways Maintenance Manager with the Parish Council Chairman and Cllr. Cope discussed several matters of concern as follows:
Work to have a footpath installed – Leas Road. It was agreed that a scheme should be drawn up for this to be done as there are safety concerns for pedestrians along this stretch of Leas Road. Once the scheme is drawn up it will be given to the County Councillor who will then discuss it with the Parish Council.
Flooding on Chapel Lane to be addressed by clearing out the existing gully and drains or installation of a new gully as required.
To have additional signage on Carter Plot and the Fen Road to advise that it is only a single-track road with passing places.
It was also agreed passing places to be levelled up with road chippings to reduce the likely hood of damage to cars when using them along these Road.
We look forward to seeing these items progressed in the near future.
As Chairman of the Parish Council I would to thank all the Councillors for all their contributions and voluntary help over the past Year as well as the Parish Clerk who has also given her time voluntarily as well as doing her Clerk and RFO duties. Thank you everyone.
3. Minutes of the last meeting held on 15th May 2023
Following a vote it was unanimously resolved that the notes of the meeting held on 15th May 2023 be approved and signed as minutes.
4. Presentations and Reports from Community Groups:
- To receive Great Hale Charities Report – Mr T Doyle
See Appendix A - To receive Great Hale & Little Hale Burial Board Report – Cllr A Broom
See Appendix B - To receive Churchwarden’s report – St John the Baptist, Great Hale – Mrs E Huckle
See Appendix C
5. Invitation to public for suggestions on potential projects within Great Hale
There were no suggestions from the member of the public.
6. Open discussion / new ideas
Nothing was forthcoming.
Chairman thanked all for attending and closed the meeting at 7.28pm
Annex A
Great Hale Annual Parish Meeting
Great Hale Charities Secretary’s report May 2024
There were only four Relief in Need grants compared to five last year and at a lower quantum (£1,044.95 compared to £1,343.99). There were nine in 2021. No education grants paid out this year. The Christmas grants were kept the same as 2022 at £225 per application.
Payments exceeded income by £ 2,018 compared to £1,799 last year.
The total of all the Charity funds stands at £ 18,037.55 compared to £20,054.74 last year and £21,854.23 at the end of 2021.
The Heff Crofts/Town Grounds and Educational Foundation Accounts have been reviewed and signed off by the auditor. One tenancy will terminate this year (Town Grounds) and the charity is now marketing for a new tenant. There were no dealings with the Charity Commissioners apart from the submission of the annual returns.
In 2022 the charity paid out
1 of Student Grant at £250
2 of book tokens at £50 Total
5 of Relief in Need at a total of £1,343.99
25 of Christmas payments at a total of £5,625.00
In 2023 the charity paid out
3 of book tokens at £90 Total
4 of Relief in Need at a total of £1,045
28 of Christmas payments at a total of £6,300 (About 16 thanks from recipients)
2020 2021 2022 2023
Relief in Need 627 (9) 1930 (9) 1344 (5) 1045 (4)
Christmas Grants 2800 (28) 3625 (29) 5625 (25) 6300 (28)
Educational Grants None 250 (1) 250 (1) 0
Special Covid Grants 2800 (28)
Book Tokens 20 (1) 80 (5) 50 (2) 90 (3)
Totals 6447 (38) 8625 (72) 7269 (33) 7435 (35)
January to May 2024 There have been no grant applications so far this year.
Land rents All paid up to date at present
Thomas Doyle Secretary/Treasurer 9th May 2024
Annex B
Great Hale Annual Parish Meeting
Annual report from Cllr Broom, Chairman of Hale Magna & Hale Parva Burial Committee
The Burial Board’s stated activities are to provide the area and maintain the same for the burials of its present and past inhabitants of the two parishes. The cemetery also provides a place for people to visit the graves of loved ones.
During 2023-24 the Board continued to undertake work parties for seasonal maintenance as required and contracted with PJ Haynes of Waddington for the regular cutting of the grass in the Cemetery during the growing season. Additional cuts were undertaken by Trustees themselves to supplement Mr Haynes’ work.
The Board met twice, in April 2023 and November 2023, at Parva House in Little Hale. During the year the Commonwealth War Graves Commission offered signage for Burial Grounds where there were War Graves and an official sign for the front fence was installed by the Commission during the summer of 2023.
Burials were carried out and paid for during the year by local Funeral Director JE Severs (3), and Dignity - David Holland of Grantham (1) and 4 memorial applications by Wm Kent were approved. In addition, 5 further plots were purchased for future use.
During the year a more favourable fixed rate of 4.7% was secured for investments to increase income. The Board continues to appreciate the support it receives from Great Hale and Little Hale Parish Councils towards its grass-cutting costs.
Annex C
Great Hale Annual Parish Meeting
Annual Report from Mrs E Huckle, Churchwarden of St John the Baptist Church, Great Hale
Mrs Huckle said it was good to be here and announced that she is now a Churchwarden again. There is recognition that no one person can do everything. She is working with Time to Change and works throughout North Kesteven.
She was keen to state that the Rev Stephen Huckle is an invaluable asset and that Retired Clergy are being increasingly used. Christine Newett works extremely hard and has new ideas for the Church.
There are currently 2 Eucharist services a month and Wild Church once a month involving children with their parents. There is a Celtic service once a month which encourages people who don’t necessarily come to Church. It has built up the numbers using the Church.
St John the Baptist, Great Hale have paid their Parish share again this year. There is a need to continue with heating the church for the elderly using the Church, despite the rising costs in recent times of fuel. It may not be possible to pay their full Parish share next year due to heating costs but a local company has offered to help with some heating costs.
The Churchwarden is working to get a cage for the clock weights, but this is currently a slow process.
The bell ringers will be ringing at the Church festival on 23rd June. Singers will perform on 22nd June.
There will be a Jacket potato lunch on the Saturday. She is encouraging people to walk rather than drive.
Schools are involved with the Church festival – Heckington, Helpringham and Little Lockets – to sketch parts of the church. During the festival, children will be invited to stand on the Saxon steps for a photograph. There will be a tour on the Sunday for people to look around historical aspects of the Church and there will be a strawberry tea on the Sunday.
There will be a clothes sale in aid of the British Red Cross.
The Apple tree in the Churchyard is thriving and the Hornbeam for QE Platinum jubilee is too.
The Church Wall repair will start in mid July.
The Church roof leaking and despite many repairs, this can no longer be fixed. Solar panels may be purchased for the South side of the church roof to offset some of the heating costs.
Finally, The Churchwarden asked for anyone to volunteer as Treasurer.