Minutes 2025

MINUTES

of a Meeting held on 25 September 2025 at 7 pm

 

1. WELCOME by the Parish Council Chairman.   

 

2. APOLOGIES – County Cllr Ken Bamford – Solar Farm Meeting, 

 

3. PRESENT – Cllrs: Cartwright, O’Sullivan, Brown (7:30), Duckett, Watson (7:45), Stephens, Vickers. District Cllr Paul Wood

 

4. DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTERESTS

 

None declared

 

5. PUBLIC QUESTION TIME 

 

None received up to meeting start

 

6. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING: 17th July 2025

 

Proposed by: Cllr O’Sullivan Seconded:   Cllr Vickers

 

7. PLANNING MATTERS:

 

a) S25 / 1458 - Proposed Industrial development at Gonerby Moor – raised by Parishioner. Concerns include – destruction of the local rural area, detrimental effect on house prices, why was it not raised on HAMES or in the Together Magazine (Councillors see emails starting Sunday 31st August)

Comments: 

Many Cllrs agreed that as it is located outside the Parish borders our comment could only be as a member of the public. Many Cllrs believe that the area isn’t suitable, and it will create more lorries and general traffic to the A1 and surrounding areas and promote the parishioner to lodging an objection and working with the designated Parish Council where impact is most felt to object as a statutory consultee. It was decided that we would object on height and Highways as any objection is always based on Material Planning Matters. It was noted that the Parishioner had already contacted District Cllr Wood. Should also contact County Cllr Ken Bamford CllrK.Bamford@lincolnshire.gov.uk 

 

b) S25/0890 – Thaddeus Farm – outline planning amendments – 9 buildings

Comments:

Overall it was noted that the outline development had been reduced but that Anglian Water still objected to the planning. Noted that a large contribution under CIL arrangements for Education was sought as was a substantial sum of money of money towards a road crossing. It was resolved that Clerk would look at other reasonable size projects to conclude whether these requests were consistent with others in the area before MPC comment further. 

 

8. COUNTY & DISTRICT COUNCILLOR REPORTS

 

a) An opportunity for updates from our County Cllr, Ken Bamford and District Cllr, Paul Wood

Clerk read out report from County Cllr Bamford. Lots of useful email and contact tips that rather than send out to all. Clerk is available to signpost Cllrs and residents in the direction required. Repeater 30mph signs to be asked for as although the speed has reduced coming from Hougham to Marston it was noted by a Cllr that drivers have overtaken leading out of the village towards the village hall so in general it has worked on reducing speeds into Marston but created a slightly new issue. Clerk to contact County Cllr

 

b) District Cllr Wood gave an update on Bin collections which seem to be going reasonably well. Food waste bins are coming next year. These have been imposed on District by National Government but not fully funded. Twelve RCVs will be required for the project but SKDC have received funding for only nine and will have to self-fund the other three.                                                                            Local Government Reorganisation – plans continue to be submitted for varying ideas of combination councils of 500,000 in each Unitary Authority. November 28th for final submission to National Government. Talk about whether the plan will be initiated by April 2028. The notion is that it will save a lot of money in the long term, but costs could be substantial in the short term. More information will be sent when available

 

9. COMMUNITY MATTERS

 

a) Request from Marston PCC for a grant towards cost of churchyard maintenance. 

Granted

b) Marston Village Green – Xmas tree this year  

Resolved to order via Clerk

c) Request from Clerk for Cllrs to audit Marstons Hedges and overhanging paths, roads and corners now bird nesting season is over. Highways act 1980 requires hedges, sightlines and paths to have clear sight and no overhanging growth

Cllrs to monitor on an ongoing basis and collate to Cllr Duckett

d) New dates for MPC meetings – 23rd October – cancelled. 6th instead of 27th November, 4th instead of 18th December, 5th February 2026, 5th March 2026, 9th April 2026, 21st May 2026 

e) Moor Bio Energy – Community Funding initiative – passed to Village hall

f) Proposal from Chair of Great Gonerby PC to set up a local communication network for Chairs and Vice Chairs, District & County Cllrs. Interest only at this stage.

Interest flagged 

g) WhatsApp group set up for Cllrs and Clerk to get information or questions over quickly opposed to using email (non resolution & information only)

Clerk to set up – now set up

h) Electrical Safety funding available for Community programmes up to October 12th 

Forward to Chair Village Hall – complete 

 

Proposed by: Cllr Cartwright Seconded by: Cllr Duckett

 

For information and update

 

o Defib registered on ‘The Circuit’ Clerk. For information. Info given to Clerk

 

o Update on UKSPF for the Thorold from the Clerk – District Cllr Wood has asked the Clerk to contact SKDC to see if funding may still be available – UKSPF have confirmed that funding is over subscribed and no funding is available at present

 

 

10. PROPOSAL TO MOVE WITH ASSERTION 10 BY JANUARY 2026

 

a) Clerk seeks resolution to act on Assertion 10 during the last part of 2025 (see attached correspondence delivered to Cllrs before meeting) this is part of the ‘Good Practitioners Guide and Nolan Principles’ that we must look at and formalise 2026 with code of practice

Clerk explained the data ownership implications of Gmail and other email addresses and councillors storing information that is council business but in a domain owned by Google or Yahoo and these are based outside of the UK. GDPR implications etc. Clerk to investigate packages for email domains and report back to Council in November

 

Proposed by: Cllr Cartwright Seconded by: Cllr Brown 

 

11. FINANCIAL MATTERS: 

 

a) Signing of monthly reconciliations for July and August 2025

b) Review of charges from SKDC for grass maintenance 

c) Further comments on grass cutting on behalf of MPC 

Clerk to contact SKDC and District Cllr Wood about street cleaning 

 

Proposed by: Cllr O’Sullivan Seconded by: Cllr Duckett

 

DATE OF NEXT MEETING – Thursday 6th November 2025 – 7:00pm 

 

MEETING CLOSED AT:  21:05