1st July 2026
Thorpe on the Hill Parish Council Minutes of the meeting held 1st July 2026 at 19:00 at The Oliver Roper Village Hall
Please be advised that these are notes of the meeting taken by the Parish Clerk and cannot in any way be regarded as official minutes of Council proceedings until approved and signed at the next meeting.
26.07.01 Councillor Lyons welcomed everyone to the meeting and advised that Councillor Koenen would be representing the Parish Council next week when a party of the Fosse Green Action Group members will be presenting a petition against the proposal to 10 Downing Street. Councillor Koenen was thanked by all.
26.07.02 Public Time. 6 Members of the public in attendance.
A member of the public asked about the progress of installing a seat on Clay Lane. Councillor Sheldon advised that he hadn’t managed to speak to the landowner as yet and would do so at his earliest convenience.
Comments were received offering support for the proposal to the agenda item to allow Umbrella’s to have the use of the hall free of charge and concerns heard regarding the item proposing to amend the bowls club licence fee.
It was agreed that when the item 11 was discussed, the meeting would be closed to allow the bowls club an opportunity to speak.
The poor surface of the A46 slip road was raised and County Councillor Woodruff advised that he had previously requested that this be addressed and he would follow this up.
The parish council were asked if there was any update on the Fosse Green Energy application. Councillor Lyons advised that the examination period had been extended. The application for the substation at Navenby has been submitted but was invalid and will need to be resubmitted.
26.07.03 District/County Council Update
North Kesteven District Councillors Peter Overton and Mitch Elliott advised that with a change of leadership in the government imminent, the Council it would be reiterating its position on the solar farm projects in the district.
Regarding the Local Government Reorganisation, the Council is pushing for North and South Kesteven and South Holland to be treated as 1.
Lincolnshire County Council
County Councillor Alan Woodruff advised that some new public consultations relevant to the district have been added to the Let’s Talk Lincolnshire website including SEND Hubs; Short Break Respite Services and the Minerals and Waste Local Plan.
He also advised that Lincoln with host the start and the finish of the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men’s competition for the first time on Wednesday 2nd September 2026. Details can be found on the County Council Website.
Locally, Councillor Woodruff advised that some patching work had been carried out on Middle Lane and Little Thorpe Lane and Fosse Lane was scheduled for a road closure in August 2026 for resurfacing.
Councillor Woodruff finished by advising that plans are on the cards to upgrade the Skellingthorpe roundabout in 2029 it has recently been inferred that this could include an upgrade to the existing A46.
26.07.04 Formal session commenced at 19:25
26.07.05 Parish Council. Members, present, apologies for absence, declarations of interest, declarations of gifts/hospitality, training.
1. Members: Councillors (Cllrs) Jason Bramford, Zoe Ives, Carl Koenen (Vice Chair), Nick Lyons (Chair), Bob Sheldon MBE, Neville Williams.
2. Present: Jason Bramford, Zoe Ives, Carl Koenen, Nick Lyons, Bob Sheldon MBE.
3. Apologies: Apologies were received and accepted from Councillor Williams.
4. Declaration of interest: Councillor Ives declared an interest in item 11 regarding Umbrella’s and would not be included in any vote on this item.
5. Declaration of gifts and hospitality over £25: None
26.07.06 – Co-option of Parish Councillor. A resident of Thorpe on the Hill, Brian Kirk has applied to fill the vacancy to join the parish council. Brian had previously confirmed that he met the criteria to become a parish councillor, and it was unanimously agreed that he should be co-opted onto the parish council. Brian was welcomed by all.
26.07.07
The minutes of the Parish Council meeting held 8th April 2026 were unanimously agreed as a true record by the members and signed by the Chair.
26.07.08 - Financial matters
8.1. The list of payments and income were authorised and noted. Appendix A
8.2. The financial report for the financial year to date was noted. Appendix B
26.07.09. Planning Applications. No items at the time of posting the agenda. Any items received that are not discussed in a parish council meeting are handled in accordance with the council’s delegation policy.
26.07.10. Policies
10.1. Grant Policy.
Councillor Lyons gave some context behind the proposals. Faced with a higher volume of applications and requests for higher sums, the following proposals were put to the parish council for discussion and the decisions taken noted.
i. Should the grants budget be covered by the precept rather than reserves. This may require increases to the precept to cover this expenditure.
Decision. It was proposed by Councillor Koenen and seconded by Councillor Ives and agreed by all that the grants budget should be covered by the precept.
ii. Should View from the Hill magazine will be moved under the financial control of the PC and no longer form part of the grant’s regime? The Clerk will handle payments to suppliers like the printer and produce invoices for advertisers. The production of the magazine will remain with volunteers who will also liaise with advertisers to agree content, layout and timing etc.
Decision. It was proposed by Councillor Koenen and seconded by Councillor Ives and agreed by all that the magazine should be moved under the financial control of the Parish Council.
iii. Should the annual grants budget be set at £2000 maximum, and a revised set of guidelines be applied where preference will be given to applications:
a. Organisations that infrequently apply e.g., previous grant allocations in the last 5 years will be considered.
b. Where there is element of match funding, i.e., a matched contribution from the organisation.
c. Which provide the maximum benefit to the village as a whole.
Decision. It was proposed by Councillor Koenen and seconded by Councillor Ives and agreed by all that the budget should be set at £2000 and points a b and c taken into consideration when assessing applications with point a being applied when there is a high demand.
Action Parish Clerk.
Councillor Sheldon commented that applicants shouldn’t just rely on obtaining grant funding through the Parish Council scheme and should look at other opportunities further afield.
10.2. Lake Management Committee Policy Review.
At the last lake management committee meeting, as the running of the lake and the lake user groups is running smoothly, Councillor Lyons recommended that the policy be amended to change the number of meetings per year from at least 3 to at least 2 It was proposed by Councillor Bramford and seconded by Councillor Ives and agreed by all. An extraordinary meeting may be called at any time. Action Parish Clerk.
10.3. GDRP Compliance. The compliance check sheets were completed by the parish councillors and the clerk.
26.07.11. Use of Village Amenities
Councilllor Lyons referred to appendix D and advised that when looking at the expenditure and income of the main user groups of the parish council facilities, it had become apparent that there isn’t a clear balance between them. The anomalies, particularly in terms of amounts of money different users pay does not stand the test of being fair and reasonable. The anomalies in question relate to the bowls club who currently pay a £5 per year licence fee.
Councillor Lyons added that the aim of the exercise was not an attempt to jeopardise or undermine the bowls club but, as every penny that the parish council spends comes directly from the residents of Thorpe on the Hill via their council tax contributions, and it is the duty of the parish council to oversee how these funds are spent, an attempt to seek a degree of fairness should be made.
Based upon an evaluation of contributions the following changes are proposed to take effect from 01/04/27, or in the case of annual agreements, at the next annual review.
Proposals
1. The Bowls club license fee will increase to £150 p.a., and in addition they will pay for the water used to irrigate the green.
2. Umbrellas Charity will be exempt from charges for use of the village hall for the monthly Community Café whilst it remains free entry for all.
3. Other users with a charitable purpose may be eligible for a review on a case-by-case basis, providing they can demonstrate a benefit to the wider village community.
The meeting was suspended at 19:45 and the members of the bowls club who were present asked if they would like to make any comments to point 1 of the proposals.
The bowls club members expressed their disappointment in the proposals and felt that the parish council did not appreciate their value and the work they put in to maintain the club facilities. They also expressed disappointment that they hadn’t been consulted on the proposals ahead of the meeting or advised that the item was on the agenda for discussion.
It was pointed out that the current licence agreement had a 5-year term with no clause for the parish council to amend or renegotiate the licence. The bowls club members advised that if the licence were to be amended to reflect the proposals, the club would fold.
The members stressed that the green was open to anyone wanting to play bowls on it and extended an invitation to the scout’s leader present.
The meeting resumed at 20:15.
Councillor Lyons advised that the club members were correct and the licence agreement has no provision to change the agreement mid-term and this had been an oversight on the parish council’s behalf but reminded the parish councillors that the current precept was £26220.00 and was becoming increasingly inadequate to deal with the level of demands and a fair and reasonable solution should be sought.
Councillor Koenen asked how many of the members were residents of Thorpe and was told 6 of the 16 members were residents. He added that he found it difficult to accept that the club would fold by the proposals which would equate to £31.25 per member and asked if the green would be compatible with any other sport for instance croquet.
Councillor Bramford apologised on behalf of the parish council for the lack of communication and thanked the bowls club for the work they put in to maintain the facilities. He added that the parish council did not want to see the club fold and it is supported as a community asset, however, the club needs to accept the fact that change happens, and the agreement needs to be working for both parties. At the moment, the agreement is working very well for the bowls club but not for the parish council who have the unenviable task of overseeing the precept and advised the bowls club members to be more proactive in sustaining the club themselves.
Councillor Lyons returned to proposal 1 and the following decision was unanimously agreed.
i. The parish councils agree that the arrangements currently in place do not stand the test of time of being fair and reasonable for all users of parish assets.
ii. The parish does not want to set actions that will jeopardise the bowls club.
iii. Between now and the end of the current agreement period, a more workable arrangement will be negotiated for both parties.
Proposal 2. It was unanimously agreed that Umbrella’s should have the use of the hall for free whilst it remained free entry to all.
Proposal 3. It was unanimously agreed that other users with a charitable purpose may be eligible for a review on a case-by-case basis, providing they can demonstrate a benefit to the wider village community.
26.07.12. Request to sell goods. The request from the mobile cheesemonger/ baker to sell their goods from the village hall grounds on a Sunday on a fortnightly basis was agreed by all apart from any instances when the hall is booked for a function. Action Parish Clerk.
26.07.13. Bench at the end of Sempers Close. The parish clerk advised that the bench was in dire need of cleaning and possibly treating. Councillor Koenen agreed to look at this. Action Councillor Koenen.
26.07.14 Caretaker Salary Review. This was debated but in light of the ongoing discussions regarding the general hall usage and the fact that there was no caretaker in place at the moment, it was agreed to defer this to the next meeting.
26.07.15 Discuss and review the Parish Clerk report on ongoing/outstanding actions. Appendix C
26.07.16 To receive and consider correspondence received that has not been circulated to the wider Parish or is not on the agenda. No items.
26.07.17 To receive verbal updates from portfolio holders
Councillor Sheldon advised that the family of the late Ron Bradford has kindly donated a garden arbour to the parish council, and a suitable location would hopefully be found in the grounds of the hall.
Councillor Lyons advised that he was intending to attend the next meeting of the liaison group in August.
26.07.18 Future meeting dates
Parish Council Meetings
2 September 2026, 14 October 2026,
25 November 2026.
Lake Committee Meeting.
21st October 2026
26.04.19 Councillor Lyons thanked everyone for their attendance and contributions and the meeting concluded at 21:00.
Appendix A Items of expenditure authorised and income noted
Date Payer/Payee Details Amount
Expenditure
30.04.2026 Unity Trust Bank Service charge -7
08.04.2026 BT Group Broadband -53.94
11.05.2026 Lloyds Corporate Credit Card Mobile top up, Microsoft annual fee, antivirus, Microsoft additional space monthly fee -152.98
20.05.2026 EDF Energy Electricity -178.96
20.05.2026 Secure One Intruder sensors upgrade -130.99
20.05.2026 Henry Window Cleaner Village Hall windows -15
20.05.2026 LCC Pension Fund Pension -274.12
20.05.2026 Keith Jackson Salary -87.51
20.05.2026 Zurich Town and Parish Insurance premium -2049.95
20.05.2026 Ms K Vickers Salary -972.82
20.05.2026 HMRC Income tax and national insurance -140.59
29.05.2026 Ms K Vickers cleaning items -13.71
29.05.2026 Harvest Electrical Outside light replacement + rewire to emergency lights -183.89
29.05.2026 MEC Recycling wood chippings for track at lake -174
31.05.2026 Unity Trust Bank Service charge -7
01.06.2026 Anglian Water Water rates -218.19
08.06.2026 BT Group Broadband -53.94
09.06.2026 Lloyds Corporate Credit Card Microsoft subscription -3
09.06.2026 Tanks for Everything Water tank for bowls club -960
09.06.2026 View from the Hill Magazine Grant payment -860
15.06.2026 St Michael's Primary School Grant payment -500
15.06.2026 Henry Window Cleaner Village Hall windows -15
15.06.2026 Thornton Landscaping Concrete pad for bowls club tank -970
17.06.2026 EDF Energy Electricity -102.88
19.06.2026 HMRC Income tax and national insurance -148.42
19.06.2026 LCC Pension Fund Pension -278.24
19.06.2026 Keith Jackson Salary -87.51
19.06.2026 Ms K Vickers Salary -985.51
Total expenditure -9625.15
Income
28.04.2026 Peace and Purpose - inv 1080 Hall hire 16
28.04.2026 Mrs A R Peacock - inv 1079 Hall hire 60
08.05.2026 Ashaye AO Hall hire 90
11.05.2026 Deborah & David Hunter Allotment rent 40
11.05.2026 B Bond - inv 1078 Hall hire 16
14.05.2026 Lincoln Featherbenders Annual licence fee 1000
15.05.2026 Richard Fryer Allotment rent 40
26.05.2026 K Cluett Hall hire 45
03.06.2026 Hopma Allotment rent 20
04.06.2026 27th Lincoln Scout Group - 1071 Hall hire 180
04.06.2026 27th Lincoln Scout Group - 1087 Hall hire 24
04.06.2026 K Everatt Allotment rent 40
04.06.2026 Peace and Purpose - 1084 Hall hire 24
08.06.2026 Mrs A R Peacock - 1086 Hall hire 60
08.06.2026 Paul East - 1088 Hall hire 80
15.06.2026 B.Bond - Inv 1085 Hall hire 32
16.06.2026 Hopkinson - tennis Tennis court key access 10
19.06.2026 Ofgem Feed in tariff 211.98
22.06.2026 Benjamin KW - tennis Tennis court key access 10
Total income 1998.98
Appendix B - Budget Position
Income Budget Actual
Precept 26,220.00 26,220.00
VAT Refund 1,500.00 0.00
Village hall 5,000.00 1,278.48
Lake 1,150.00 1,000.00
Allotments 200.00 260.00
Interest from Skipton BC 1,500.00 0.00
Interest from Unity Trust 500.00 0.00
Grants 1,500.00 0.00
Expenditure Budget (Actual)
Salaries 20,000.00 (4,821.68)
Insurance 2,100.00 (2,049.95)
Audit 1,000.00 0.00
Expenses, training 150.00 0.00
Subscriptions 400.00 (389.24)
Eric East Lake - repairs/maintenance 1,000.00 (274.00)
Repairs & maintenance of other assets 1,000.00 (130.64)
ORPMR recreational site - repairs/maintenance 8,000.00 (4,042.87)
Stationery/office running costs 250.00 (126.08)
Grants 3,670.00 (2,870.76)
Total Expenditure 37,570.00 (14,705.22)
Reserves
Campaigning/planning issues 4,000.00
Election 4,000.00
Purchase of additional/replacement play equipment 30,000.00
Provision of additional recreational equipment 30,000.00
General reserves 31,420.00
99,420.00
Balance Sheet
1.Balance Carried Forward 1,029.51
2.Precept 26,220.00
3. Other receipts 2,538.48
4. Staff costs (4,821.68)
6. Other Payments (9,883.54)
7. Carry Forward 15,082.77
Unity Bank Current Account 15,082.77
Unity Trust Instant Access 18106.92
Skipton BS 80284.22
Total 113,473.91
Appendix C - Clerks Report
Date raised Item Position Person/s responsible
July 2025 Bench on Clay Lane Councillor Sheldon has identified the landowner and will put a request forward to them when the opportunity arises. Councillor Sheldon
July 2025 Bowls Club water tank The concrete base has been done and the tank delivered. A quote to install the tank has been received. As the quote is higher than anticipated, the parish council will need to seek alternative quotes. At the meeting the bowls club asked if the parish council would just pay for the parts needed for the installation and they would fit it themselves. The bowls club were asked to provide the relevant information. All
July 2025 Traffic calming The work on the new relief road has commenced in May but the works will not affect Thorpe on the Hill until work commences on Pennels roundabout which is not due to start until early 2027.
The project managers have agreed to notify the Parish Council when traffic calming proposals updates are available.
The parish clerk has signed up for construction updates and will circulate any news relevant to the residents of Thorpe All
February 2026 Village Hall Village hall fees and general use to be reviewed.
The working party has been looking into this and will meet again to discuss what proposals if any to bring to the parish council. Councillor’s Bramford, Ives and Koenen.
Appendix D. This document is in a table format and does not satisfy the accessibility demands and is better viewed on the pdf version.
If you need this document in an alternate format, please contact the Parish Clerk.