2025 Minutes

Great Hale Parish Council

Notes taken at Parish Council Meeting held on

Monday, 7th April 2025 at 7pm at Hale Magna Village Hall

Present:        
            Councillor G Cooke MBE (Vice-Chairman)
            Councillor M Barnatt        
Councillor A Broom
Councillor J Cope
Councillor N Dady

District Councillor C Collard (North Kesteven District Council)
District Councillor S Tarry (North Kesteven District Council)
                        
Apologies:        Councillor N Turner    (Chairman)
Councillor L Mountain

County Councillor A Key (Lincolnshire County Council)

In attendance:    Mrs Tracy Cooke – (Parish Clerk & RFO)
            

Public Forum

The Public Forum Opened at 7.00pm

There was 1 member of the public present.

The member of the public wished to bring up the various areas of responsibility for grass cutting in Orchard Close. He asks that the area outside of numbers 29-33 Orchard Close are checked, and if they are Parish Council responsibility, that they are cut.
    
Chairman closed the Public open forum at 7.04pm

Chairman opened the Parish Council meeting at 7.04pm

Official Business of the Council

1.    Chairman’s Welcome (25/01)  

Cllr Cooke, Vice Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.  Cllr Cooke was standing in for the Chairman, who was unable to attend the meeting due to ill health.
2.    Apologies (25/02)

Apologies were received and accepted from Cllrs Turner and Mountain.
Apologies were noted from CC Key

3    Previous meeting held on Monday 3rd March 2024 (25/03)

It was unanimously agreed that the draft minutes from the meeting held on 3rd March 2025 were a true record. The Vice Chairman duly signed the minutes.

4    Clerk’s Report (25/04)

Contacted LCC re grass cutting maps
Contacted Church trees contractor
Emails to Highways & Anglian Water re Orchard Close flooding
Submitted and received VAT return
Booked Internal Audit – Wed 16th April
Completed and returned Insurance form for new Insurance premium
Communication with ICO regarding new certificate
Purchased, and collected new printer ink
Taken laptop for new battery (collected and will be completed when new battery is in stock)
Closed down 2024/25 HMRC and opened 2025/26
Printed spreadsheets for Audit and AGAR

5.    To receive declarations of interests (25/05)
    
Cllr Cooke made a declaration of interests on Item 8

6.    To receive reports from County and District councillors (25/06)
    
DC Tarry addressed Item 11.2 regarding  the Council tax enquiry for Great Hale / Heckington.  This had been an error from Cllr Turner comparing Council Tax bills from different years.

There is a small fund to support VE / VJ Day events from NKDC. Whilst it might not be an option for the Parish Council, it might be useful for a smaller group within the village.  The Clerk will circulate this information.

DC Collard said that NKDC have purchased the site of the derelict former ambulance station on Kesteven street in Sleaford.  This will allow the creation of a new car park providing additional free and low cost parking.  The first hour will be free with a charge of £1.50 for up to 3 hours.  NKDC will keep the current freeze on parking charges which have not increased since 2019 and will continue unchanged into the coming year.

7    Planning Applications (25/07)

(7.1)    Planning Application Reference: 25/0233/VARCON
Proposal: Application to vary conditions 12 (domestic curtilage) and 13 (approved plans) attached to planning permission 19/0359/FUL - Change of use of agricultural buildings to form 1 no dwelling.
Location: Hall Farm, Boston Road, East Heckington, Sleaford, Lincolnshire

Planning Application Reference: 25/0284/HOUS
Proposal: Removal of existing PVCU framed conservatory and erection of a single storey extension linking main dwelling to existing annexe. New extension will form part of the annexe. New timber framed garage to side of annexe.
Location: 6 Hall Road, Great Hale, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 9LJ

There were no objections from any Councillors on these planning applications.

8    Finance matters 

(8.1)    To approve the March 2025 bank reconciliation and spend to date. (25/08)
    
Council approved the March 2025 bank reconciliation and acknowledged the spend to date.

(8.2)    To approve accounts for payment (25/09)
    
It was unanimously resolved to approve all accounts for payment.
     
9    Highway matters for discussion and resolution 

(9.1)    Highways – any other issues (25/10)

    There is an area of grass on the corner of Church Street / Little Hale Road.  Paving slabs have been placed on the grass, which is maintained by the Parish Council grass cutter.  The area is Highways land and the public have the right to walk over it. The slabs are an obstruction and inhibit the grass cutter.    

    Action:  To write to the resident and ask them to clear the area to allow the grass to be cut unhindered.

(9.2)    Update on Leas Road footpath (25/11)

    The County Councillor was not in attendance; there was no update.
     
10    Orchard Green for discussion and resolution

(10.1)    To receive an update on Orchard Green Inspections (25/12)

    Cllr Turner undertook the inspections this month.  He reported by email that there were no problems with the park and that the grass had been cut twice and was done satisfactorily both times.  It was agreed that the standard of grass cutting is good throughout the village.

Action:  Next month’s inspections:  Cllr Barnatt

11    Other matters 

(11.1)     Orchard Close Trees (25/13)
    
    Cllr Cooke said that he had contacted BT and followed up his Fix My Street.  BT were aware of the wires and the tree.
 
 (11.2) Great Hale Council Tax (25/14)

    Discussed in Item 6.

(11.3) Asset Register (25/15)

    All Councillors had a printed copy of the Assets Register.  Each item was gone through and amounts agreed upon / changed accordingly.
        
    Action:  Clerk to update the Assets register for the file and include the new total on the AGAR form.

(11.4) Orchard Close Flooding  (25/16)

    Cllr Cooke asked if all Councillors had read the Drainage Statement report regarding the development at the Gables, sent from Highways.  All  Councillors said that they had read it.  There is a question of responsibility for Orchard Close and the Gables.

The Vice Chairman closed the Parish Council meeting at 7.30pm and re-opened the Public open forum.    

    A Member of Public spoke regarding flooding on Orchard Close.  He said that the County Council had closed his complaint and were taking no further action. He asked for clarification that the drainage system on The Gables / Orchard Close had not been adopted by Anglian Water.  The Clerk was able to confirm this based on a WhatsApp conversation with Anglian Water.

    The Vice Chairman closed the Public open forum and re-opened the Parish Council meeting at 7.32pm.

(11.5) Churchyard Trees (25/17)
    
    We have received authority from the Diocese and accepted a quote with authorised tree surgeons to undertake the work on some trees in the Churchyard. It is now nesting season. The tree surgeons are happy to proceed with the work as long as there are no nests.  They are also happy to wait until the nesting season is over.

    Action:  To contact the Contractor and ask them to undertake the work in May / June, after the nesting season.

(11.6)     New grass cutting maps (25/18)

The new grass cutting maps were scrutinised at the previous meeting (3rd March 2025).  Some anomalies were identified.  The Clerk has emailed the grass cutting department twice saying that the new contract cannot be signed until the maps are altered.  There has been no response so far and the Clerk will continue to ask for the changes before signing.    

12    Future agenda items (25/19)
 
(12.1) AGAR 
(12.2) Play park equipment siting
(12.3) 
(12.4) 
(12.5) 
(12.6) 
     
14    Date and place of next meeting (25/20)

Monday 12th May 2025 @ 7.00pm in Hale Magna Village Hall.

The Chairman thanked all for attending and closed the Parish Council meeting at 7.40pm