Minutes, 21 March 2024

Minutes of the full council meeting held on Thursday 21st March 2024 at 19:30 at Hougham & Marston Village Hall
Cllrs Present:-  Phil Cartwright, Simon Brown, Rob Duckett, Stuart Vickers
 
AGENDA ITEM -
1. WELCOME AND ATTENDANCE REGISTER-
Chair welcomed all.
 
2. MEMBERS AND APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE (VALID BEFORE 12 ON DAY OF MEETING)-
Cllrs Chris Stephens, Andy Watson, Kevin O’Sullivan
County Councillor – Alexander Maughan, District Councillor Paul Wood
Proposed Cllr Cartwright Seconded Cllr Brown
 
3. DECLARATIONS OF MEMBER INTERESTS -
None recorded.
 
4. PUBLIC QUESTION TIME -
No members present; no questions sent in.
 
5. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING -
Questions arising.
None 
Proposed by – Cllr Cartwright
 Seconded by – Cllr Duckett
Resolution Accepted
 
6. COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLOR REPORTS-
County Councillor Maughan’s report was read through by Chair– discussed and circulated around Councillors. – Devolution seemed positive with a healthy number received from area residents. Report to be forwarded to all Councillors.
 
7. UPDATES FOR THE COMMUNITY
7.1 – Adult Education Courses – Two interested parties. Cllr Brown asked if the booklet could be PDF’d to try to promote again. Clerk to look into and liaise with Grantham College
 
7.2 – EV Chargers – It was discussed as per agenda as to whether the village had any locations where EV chargers could be placed. It was motioned to let the Thorold know and the H&M Village Hall – Clerk to forward.
 
7.3 – Safer Together – Update on recruitment 
 
7.4 – Crime Prevention – Residents can also find out about local issues & information, Community Safety & Crime Prevention by signing up to www.lincolnshirealert.co.uk as well as HAMES
 
7.5 – Village Hall Grants of up to £5,000 towards toilet or Kitchen upgrades / net zero or Capital Replacement schemes – Forwarded to Village Hall on 14th February and again on 15th March
 
7.6 – Flooding Chair gave update on Stonepit Lane, Tollbar Road and whether we’d heard back from The Old Mill resident. We had forwarded the grant that was available from South Kesteven Council. 
 
7.7 – Councillors visited areas with Lincolnshire Highways officer on the 8th February to outline some of the issues that were affecting the village.
 
7.8 – Clerk updated that Anglian Water were very quick regarding the complaint lodged about flooding in Stonepit Lane and Westfield Lodge – Call taken at several points the following day regarding progress and it was volumes of water due to rain but pumping station was functioning normally.
 
7.9 – SK Recycling No further updates after initial confusion and inflexibility of SK on first visits
 
8. PROJECTS AND UPDATES 
 
8.1 – How to engage with local Community. Cllr Duckett expressed some concern that no new people seemed to want to become Parish Councilors and how we could reach out to more. Could we attract more Female representation? Younger people? Streets aren’t well lit to Village Hall for meetings! Could this affect it? Discussed about approaching the Thorold about a notice board. Where would it go? Is it a viable option? Several ideas were discussed and elected to revisit after the AGM in May.
 
8.2 - New Bench – Amenity Area – Cllr Brown to look at position and build and potentially make one for near the gate.
 
8.3 – Resilient Communities Programme – Clerk asked whether we would be interested. Chair & Councillors wondered difference of ‘Emergency Plan’ is it doubling up? Clerk has asked for more info.
 
9. PLANNING
S23 – 1761 - The Solar Farm – condition 4 regarding Archeological Survey - APPROVED
 
10. FINANCE -
Chair Signed off January and February Monthly transactions
Proposed: Cllr Cartwright Seconded Cllr Vickers
RESOLUTION CARRIED-
 
11. DATE OF NEXT MEETING -
Date of next meeting – 16th May – 19:30
 
MEETING CLOSED AT 21:25
 
CHAIR: Philip Cartwright DATE 21st March 2024