2025 Parish Council Minutes

25.01.01 Councillor (Cllr) Lyons welcomed everyone to the meeting and opened the floor to the public.

25.01.02 Public Time - 3 members of the public in attendance.

A member of the public asked if the Parish Council would consider taking part in the celebrations to mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day and work alongside other groups in the village.  All those present agreed that this was an idea for consideration and Cllr Lyons asked for this to be put on the agenda for discussion at the next meeting. Action Parish Clerk

A member of the public asked about the external lighting on the village hall.  The Parish Clerk advised that she was aware of the issue and was addressing it. Action Parish Clerk

25.01.03 District/County Council Updates  

Apologies were received from County Councillor Briggs and District Councillor Elliott.

District Councillor Overton discussed the local government devolution project and advised that NKDC would be going ahead with their elections this year.

He also advised that at the forthcoming full meeting of the District Council the 2025/26 would be debated and it was hoped that there would not be a rise in the Council Tax despite government recommendations.

25.01.04 Formal Session Commenced at 19:15

Councillor Lyons proposed agenda item 8 regarding the co-option of a new Parish Councillor be brought forward to the first item on the agenda.  This was agreed by all, show of hands.

25.01.05 Co-option of Parish Councillor.

Councillor Lyons advised that the Parish Council had received an application to fill the current Parish Councillor vacancy from Carl Koenen and introduced Carl to the meeting.  Carl advised the Councillors that he was due to retire shortly and had time to devote to the role.  He has been active in the Fosse Green Action Group and has good connections with people in the village.  He also has previous experience of being a member of a parish council.

As Carl fulfilled all the criteria, Cllr Lyons proposed that he be co-opted with immediate effect.  This was agreed by all, by a show of hands.

The Parish Councillor’s welcomed Carl who then joined the formal session of the meeting.

25.01.06 Parish Council – Members, present, apologies for absence, declarations of interest, declarations of gifts/hospitality, training.

1. Membership: Councillors (Cllrs) Jason Bramford (Vice Chair), Zoe Ives, Carl Koenen, Nick Lyons (Chair), Charlotte Owen, Bob Sheldon MBE, Neville Williams.

2. Present: 1. Councillors (Cllrs) Bramford (Vice Chair), Ives, Koenen, Lyons, Sheldon MBE. Also in attendance Kerrie Vickers (parish clerk)

3. Apologies: Cllr’s Owen and Williams

4. Declaration of interest: None

5. Declaration of gifts and hospitality over £25: None

25.01.07 - The minutes of the Parish Council meeting held 04 December 2024 were unanimously agreed as a true record by the members by a show of hands and signed by the Chair.

25.01.08- To consider whether the Council will move any items on the agenda to the closed session in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 as per Standing Order 7h.

Councillor Lyons proposed that item 12 regarding the Parish Clerks salary be moved to a closed session.  This was agreed by all, by a show of hands and was moved to the end of the meeting.

25.01.09. Financial matters

i. The list of payments and income were authorised and noted.  Appendix A

It was agreed to have an update on the village hall bookings added to the next agenda. Action Parish Clerk

ii. The financial report for the financial year to date was noted with no queries.  Appendix B

25.01.10 Parish Precept 2025/26

The proposal for the 2025/26 precept had been previously circulated.  Following a brief discussion, Cllr Lyons proposed the precept request be set at £24350 which is the same amount as the current financial year so no increase this year.  This was agreed by all by a show of hands.  Action Parish Clerk

25.01.11.  Discuss and review the Parish Clerk report on ongoing/outstanding actions. Appendix C      

Cllr’s Ives and Owen were due to meet with the Parish Clerk later in the week to discuss the décor in the hall.  It was agreed that quotes would be sought for the painting plus a solution sought to provide some form of protection from the chairs marking the walls in the way of a bumper rail.  Photographs of Thorpe on the Hill in days gone by would be incorporated into the decoration. Action Cllr Ives and Owen and Parish Clerk.

25.01.12. Moved to closed session at the end on the meeting.                                                       

25.01.13 Planning Applications – none

25.01.14 Fosse Green Energy Update

Cllr Lyons gave an update of the current position of the Fosse Green Energy project and advised that the Stop Fosse Green group had attended the presentation held at the village hall and an agreement had been made to keep the lines of communication open in the form of a forum.

It remains clear that the prerequisite for the project relies upon the substation application being successful.

25.01.15 Meeting closed at 19:33

Cllr Lyons closed the meeting at 19:33 to enable the members of the public to participate in the conversation and ask questions.

District Councillor Overton advised that following the announcement of the Secretary for Energy and Climate Change that applications received after 29th January 2025, which were not already at an advanced stage, would not be considered,  the government body dedicated to the solar applications was currently inundated with new applications, but as the Fosse Green Energy proposal is already in advanced stages, unfortunately, this would not be of any benefit but did perhaps indicate the possibility of changing opinions within the government.

Cllr Overton advised that the local proposals were on a scale of the size of the city of Lincoln.

A question was asked about why NKDC are not putting conditions on planning applications for industrial buildings to ensure that they have solar panels installed and was answered that it is not in the Local Plan.  This was then challenged that just because it is not in the Local Plan, it doesn’t mean this can’t be looked at.

A member of the public commented about the misconception of the public that the solar farms would result in cheap electricity for the residents as this is not the case and added that the sheer scale of the proposal for Thorpe on the Hill was over the top.

The subject of compensation was also discussed and noted that should the application go ahead; it is essential that we are on the ball in negotiations to ensure the funds are directed to the residents of Thorpe on the Hill and not further afield.

25.01.15 The formal session recommenced at 19:50.

25.01.16 Whisby Quarry Floating Solar Farm

Cllr Lyons advised that the Parish Council has received an invitation to a presentation along with Doddington and Whisby Parish Council, Eagle Parish Council and The National Wildlife Trust for a proposed floating solar farm at Whisby Quarry.

The Parish Councillors who are available will attend the presentation and feedback.

The presentation will be circulated to all not able to attend. Action Parish Clerk

25.01.17 To receive and consider correspondence received that has not been circulated to the wider Parish or is not on the agenda.

i.The Parish Clerk advised that the Parish Council has received a Freedom of Information request regarding correspondence received from a company called Bioenergy.  The clerk advised that no correspondence has been received, and the request would be answered accordingly. Action Parish Clerk

ii. Correspondence has been received regarding the VE Day celebrations.  This has been discussed earlier and will be an item on the next agenda. Action Parish Clerk

25.01.18 - Verbal updates from portfolio holders .

Cllr Bramford asked if the tennis court portfolio could be amalgamated with the playpark portfolio.  It was agreed to look at all the portfolios at the annual meeting in May. Action Parish Clerk

25.01.19 – Future meeting dates

Parish Council Meetings                                                                                              

5 March 2025, 16 April 2025, 28 May 2025, 9 July 2025, 3 September 2025, 15 October 2025, 3 December 2025.

Lake Committee Meeting

02 April 2025

25.01.20 – Cllr Lyons closed this section of the meeting at 20:00 for the Parish Council to discuss item 12 in a closed session and members of the public were asked to leave at this stage.

Closed session commenced at 20:05

25.01.21

Cllr Lyons advised that at the Parish Clerk’s appraisal in October 2023, it had been agreed that the clerk’s current salary would be reviewed. 

At the appraisal in October 2024 as the review had not taken place, it was agreed that the staffing committee would meet to look at it.

After consulting the National Association of Local Councils (LALC) salary scales the staffing committee identified that the current salary is in a below substantive range and recommended that the salary be brought into the substantive range to point 24 which is an increase of £1.14 per hour.

This was agreed by all by a show of hands and the increase will begin from 1st January 2025.

25.01.22 Meeting closed at 20:10.

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

Income Budget 2025/26
VAT Refund Estimate 1,500.00
Allotments and lake 1,200.00
ORPMR 5,000.00
Grants / donations 1,500.00
Bank interest 3,000.00
Other income total 12,200.00
Expenditure
Salaries 22,000.00
Insurance 2,100.00
Audit 650.00
Expenses, training 150.00
Fees/Subscriptions 400.00
Eric East Lake - repairs/maintenance 1,000.00
Repairs & maintenance of other assets 2,000.00
ORPMR recreational site - repairs/maintenance/utilities 6,000.00
Stationery/office running costs 250.00
Grants and donations (Section 137/S111) 2,000.00
Total Expenditure 36,550.00
Reserves
Campaigning/planning issues 4000
Election 3,000.00
Legal fees 5,000.00
Purchase of additional/replacement play equipment 20,000.00
Provision of additional recreational equipment 20,000.00
General reserves 25,000.00
Total 77,000.00
Precept 2025/26 no increase this year 24,350.00

Appendix D
Standing Item
Issues arising from hall users.
The walls are already very dirty and marked.
Possible solutions sought, ie buffer at chair height, painting the bottom half grey etc.

Please be advised that these are notes of the meeting taken by the Clerk and cannot in any way be regarded as official minutes of proceedings until approved and signed at the next Annual Parish meeting.