January 2026 Minutes
Great Hale Parish Council
Notes taken at Parish Council Meeting held on
Monday, 5th January 2026 at 7pm at Hale Magna Village Hall
Present: Councillor N Turner (Chairman)
Councillor G Cooke MBE (Vice-Chairman)
Councillor M Barnatt
Councillor A Broom
Councillor N Dady
Councillor L Mountain
Apologies: County Councillor D East (Lincolnshire County Council)
District Councillor S Tarry (North Kesteven District Council)
District Councillor C Collard (North Kesteven District Council)
In attendance: Mrs Tracy Cooke – (Parish Clerk & RFO)
Public Forum
The Public Forum Opened at 7.00pm
There was 0 members of the public present.
Official Business of the Council
- Chairman’s Welcome (25/165)
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and wished them a happy New Year.
- Apologies (25/166)
Apologies were noted from CC East and D Cllrs Tarry and Collard.
3 Previous meeting held on Monday 1st December 2025 (25/167)
It was unanimously agreed that the draft minutes from the meeting held on 1st December 2025 were a true record. The Chairman duly signed the minutes.
4. To receive declarations of interests (25/168)
Cllr Cooke - Item 10
Cllrs Broom & Barnatt – Item 9
5 Clerk’s Report (25/169)
Emails and meeting with NKDC re village bins – type and siting
Emails and meeting with tree contractor re Churchyard hedge line
Emails to LCC Highways re Church Walk
Grant paid to HAVCS and poster displayed
6. To receive reports from County and District councillors (25/170)
No Councillors present
7 Planning Applications (25/171)
(7.1) Planning Application Reference:
None received
8 Highway matters for discussion and resolution
(8.1) Highways – Update on Leas Road footpath (25/172)
No development.
(8.2) Highways - any other issues (25/173)
Chapel Lane flooded during the heavy rains. Cllr Turner submitted a Fix my Street. The information received said that the drain clearing is on their regular schedule.
Action: Clerk to email CC East
(9) Burial Board Update (25/174)
Cllr Broom discussed the Burial Board terms of reference. Cllr Turner had made some comments on the document. Cllr Broom said that some minor adjustments would be made. The value of the land is £2 which is £1 for Great Hale Parish Council and £1 for Little Hale Parish Council. The LALC have provided legal advice.
Cllr Broom proposes that items 3d and 10a are amended.
Cllr Cooke proposed, Cllr Dady seconded and there was a unanimous agreement to adopt the terms of reference with amendments.
10 Finance matters
(10.1) To approve the December 2025 bank reconciliation and spend to date. (25/175)
Council approved the December 2025 bank reconciliations and acknowledged the spend to date.
(10.2) To approve accounts for payment (25/176)
It was unanimously resolved to approve all accounts for payment.
11 Orchard Green for discussion and resolution
(11.1) To receive an update on Orchard Green Inspections (25/177)
Cllr Turner said that everything is fine and the park has hardly been used. There was a small amount of litter, which he picked up.
Action: Next month – Cllr Dady
12 Other matters
(12.1) Budget (25/178)
Following last month’s meeting, NKDC sent the Precept calculator. Small adjustments were made to the Budget. The Clerk recapped the amounts for each line.
Cllr Broom proposed and Cllr Mountain seconded accepting the Budget with the rest of the Councillors agreeing unanimously.
Action: Clerk to submit the Precept request to NKDC
(12.2) Litter Bins (25/179)
The Chair and Clerk met with NKDC last month to discuss siting of new litter bins. One will be placed at the end of Bedlam Lane / Heckington Road. The second siting close to the bench on Church Street will be examined this month.
Action: Clerk to discuss siting with NKDC
(12.3) Hedges in the Churchyard (25/180)
The Chair and Clerk met with a Contractor regarding the hedge and self seeded trees along the Church boundary with a resident. This quote has been received. Another Contractor has agreed to quote but has not visited. It was proposed by Cllr Broom that we accept
Action: Chase other contractor for comparable quote. Contact Contractor and accept the quote.
(12.4) Noticeboards (25/181)
Cllr Cooke proposed that the village only really needs one notice board. The one on the corner of Little Hale Road / Church Street leaks and is rusting and the one on Orchard Park is misted and difficult to read. Cllr Cooke suggested a larger noticeboard that would replace the one on Little Hale Road / Church Street. Cllr Turner wanted more research into the size of noticeboard that would accommodate more sheets of A4.
Action: To research the size, cost and material of noticeboard for February
(12.5) Meeting Dates 2026 (25/182)
Meeting dates for 2026 are: Monday 5th January, Monday 2nd February, Monday 2nd March, Monday 13th April, Monday 11th May, Monday 6th July, Monday 7th September, Monday 5th October, Monday 2nd November and Monday 7th December.
Cllr Turner proposed to drop June meeting as it is so soon after mid May’s meeting. This was unanimously agreed upon.
Action: Clerk to put these onto the website
(12.6) HR Committee (25/183)
The HR Committee currently has 2 Councillors. Cllr Mountain volunteered to become the 3rd Councillor.
(12.7) Parish Resilience (25/184)
This is deferred to February’s meeting.
(12.8) Church clock contract (25/185)
The Church clock has recently been serviced. Time Assured have written to say that we are now out of contract (signed in 2016) and have sent a new contract and amount. The servicing cost has risen from £135 plus VAT to £185 plus VAT from this year. This is still significantly lower than a quote from Smiths of Derby. The new contract was unanimously agreed upon.
Action: Clerk to accept the quote
(12.9) Donation to St Barnabus Hospice / Marie Curie in memory of Cllr John Cope (25/186)
Cllr Turner has looked into the rules into donating to charities. Cllr Broom suggested £25 to each charity in memory of Cllr Cope.
The amount and the charities were unanimously agreed upon.
Action: Clerk to pay £25 each to St Barnabus Hospice and Marie Curie
13 Future agenda items (25/187)
(12.1) Parish resilience
(12.2) Notice board
(12.3) Parish Councillor vacancy
13 Date and place of next meeting (25/188)
Monday 2nd February 2026 @ 7.00pm in Hale Magna Village Hall.
The Chairman thanked all for attending. He closed the Parish Council meeting at 8.16pm