July 2024 DRAFT Minutes STILL TO BE APPROVED
Langworth Group Parish Council
Serving the grouped parishes of Barlings, Newball, Stainton by Langworth and Reasby
E:mail: langworthgroupparishcouncil@gmail.com
Draft Minutes of the Meeting of Langworth Group Parish Council held at
Langworth Memorial Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday 2 July 2024
Present: Cllrs M Herbert (Chairman), K Tyrrell, H Stilgoe-McCombe, A Hyatt, J Jarvis, C/Cllr I Fleetwood, D/Cllr M Palmer. There was one member of the public.
Meeting began at 7.30pm
Cllr J Jarvis was welcomed, being the newly appointed Member to the Newball Parish vacancy.
Public Forum: No matters were raised.
1. Apologies: Cllr R Waite, Cllr A Curtis, Cllr P Bowser, Cllr S Taylor.
2. Declarations of Interest: Cllr H Stilgoe-McCombe in respect of item 14.
3. To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 4 June 2024:
Item 1: Public forum – amend the point relating to increased traffic bringing materials into Barlings Lane Park to show that the suggestion had been for the resident to speak to the developer, and not to the lorry drivers.
Noted that Cllr H Stilgoe-McCombe has since approached the developer herself, who advised that they would speak with the drivers, but that the situation has not improved as a result. Action: Cllr M Herbert to speak with the developer.
C/Cllr I Fleetwood advised that with a development or operation, generally vehicles are not restricted, and that only a planning condition, or a schedule submitted as part of a planning application would affect matters.
Item 5 – amend the item so it reads ‘Witham Third Drainage map’
Item 10 – amend the item on grass cutting so it reads ‘Langworth’ and not ‘Barlings’.
With the above amendments, RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 4 June 2024 as a true record, and these were duly signed. Action: Clerk.
Proposed: Cllr H Stilgoe-McCombe, seconded: Cllr K Tyrrell. All in favour.
4. Comments from County Councillor, District Councillors and Chairman:
D/Cllr M Palmer: Problems with WLDC’s Planning Portal on mobile devices have now been fixed.
However, Cllr M Herbert noted that he continues to experience issues.
C/Cllr I Fleetwood: No matters to report.
Chairman:
o He advised the meeting of one potential ‘permitted development’ (often connected with agricultural land/properties). The Parish Council had not been informed of it by WLDC as the latter is under no obligation to do so under these circumstances. WLDC only needs to inform the Highway Authority, Environment Agency and immediate neighbours. The Chairman is researching the matter further, and D/Cllr T Bridgwood has had some involvement in this matter.
Such planning applications also circumvent Neighbourhood Plans and are controlled at Local Plan level.
C/Cllr I Fleetwood explained that the Planning Policy Guidance Notes which reference Agriculture; allow for farmers to put in a simplified planning application, and provided this does not affect the siting of a listed building, electricity line, or similar, it is generally granted within 42 days.
He also explained how Neighbourhood Plans, the Central Lincs Local Plan; and the National Planning Policy Framework affect planning.
Action: Cllr A Hyatt to check what the impact is of permitted development orders on a Neighbourhood Plan.
o The Parish Council mobile phone requires replacement. Action: Clerk
o Councillors were reminded about WLDC’s upcoming training sessions on the Code of Conduct, with several councillors to attend.
o The Chairman has not received any outcomes of the findings of the investigations of the Lead Flood Authority ie. LCC. This is concerning as nothing has changed and, should the weather replicate what it was in Autumn 2023, then Langworth and surrounds will experience the same flooding problems. Action: Clerk to write to LCC requesting an update.
Anglian Water - when the water level is high on Nettleham Beck and the sewerage tanks are full, sewerage exits from the manhole covers onto the road. Flood waters then move this raw sewage to houses, gardens and fields. A pumping system with holding tanks has been installed but the engineers who installed the system considered that it is insufficient for what is needed. A letter will be written to Anglian Water asking what they will do to prevent this from reoccurring. As Anglian Water do not reply, a letter will also be sent to OFWAT. Action: Clerk
RESOLVED to write the aforementioned three letters. Action: Cllr M Herbert, Clerk
Proposed: Cllr M Herbert, seconded: Cllr K Tyrrell. All in favour.
5. To review the Action Log:
Many jobs have been completed. Updates were provided as follows:
Neighbourhood Plan – Cllr A Hyatt is to update WLDC on progress and seek advice on the next steps. A resident with relevant knowledge is to be approached to join the NP Group.
New Station – WLDC Enforcement are not interested in being involved. The Parish Council will continue to act where it can.
Emergency Plan – this has been taken to the Memorial Hall Committee (MHC) meeting, where the MHC Chair advised that it would be taken away for names to be allocated against roles, before being returned.
Play Area - Cllr J Jarvis agreed to take on the vacant role of Parish Champion for the Play Area.
6. Clerks Report
a) To receive the financial report for June 2024: as previously circulated:
RESOLVED to approve the financial report. Action: Clerk
Proposed: Cllr H Stilgoe-McCombe, seconded: Cllr K Tyrrell. All in favour
b) Approval of any non-regular payments for July/Aug 2024: None.
c) Clerk’s Annual Leave w/c 26 Aug & w/c 2 Sept 2024: Noted.
d) New NALC Model Financial Regulations: Item deferred.
7. Consider quotes for replacement noticeboard (Barlings Lane):
Three quotes had been considered at the June 2024 meeting for noticeboards in man-made, metal, and wood materials. An additional, local quote has since been obtained for a wooden noticeboard, which also includes removal of the existing noticeboard.
RESOLVED to accept the additional, local quote from Knights of Langworth for the wooden noticeboard, including removal of existing noticeboard. Action: Clerk.
Proposed: Cllr M Herbert, seconded: Cllr H Stilgoe-McCombe. All in favour.
8. Community Emergency Plan:
Discussed above under item 6.
9. Planning:
a) WL/2024/00460: erect timber-framed garden room: Cornfields, Station Road, Langworth:
RESOLVED to support the application. Action: Clerk.
Proposed: Cllr M Herbert, seconded: Cllr A Hyatt. All in favour.
b) Note information via D/Cllr T Bridgwood ref WL/2024/00036: formerly 147131: BESS Land South of Barlings Lane:
Noted. Confirmed that this should read Barfield Lane, and that the site is in a neighbouring parish.
10. Correspondence:
To note:
a) Police crime stats for May 2024: Noted.
Action Required:
a. Police: Parish Council Engagement sessions, rescheduled to 16th July 2024, 6 – 8pm, (from 4th July), Teams - appoint attendee: Cllr M Herbert will attend.
b. LCC Rights of Way Survey to refresh Improvement Plan in 2025 - closes 28th July: Noted.
11. Date of the next meeting: Tuesday 10th September 2024, 7.30pm, Memorial Hall
12. Resolve to move into Closed Session as the following items contains information of a confidential or sensitive nature:
RESOLVED to move into Closed Session.
At 8.24pm, C/Cllr I Fleetwood, D/Cllr M Palmer and the resident left the meeting.
13. Langworth Local:
A history of the magazine was provided. Noted that other local parish councils do not run their community magazines, and that there is no legal requirement for a parish council to produce a magazine.
Therefore, it was considered that Langworth Group Parish Council should now operate as other local parish councils do and allow Langworth Local to stand alone; operate independently of; and be produced independently of the parish council.
To ensure that Langworth Local will stay afloat, the parish council will pay a grant, as it knows that many parishioners do want a magazine, and that advertising revenue is insufficient to cover production costs.
RESOLVED to accept the principles that:
a) the parish council removes itself from involvement with Langworth Local,
b) the magazine be produced independently,
c) that the Editor makes their own autonomous decisions about how it is operated and run,
d) that the parish council pays a grant for this to happen as it knows parishioners want a magazine so it will support the magazine to enable this,
e) and if there are any issues about the magazine and people complain to the parish council, they need to be directed to the Editor.
Proposed: Cllr M Herbert, seconded: Cllr A Hyatt. Majority in favour. Cllr H Stilgoe-McCombe abstained.
Action: Clerk to write to resident.
Meeting ended at 8.56pm.
Michelle Vail – Clerk/RFO to the Council Dated: 9 August 2024