Parish Council Minutes 2025

Minutes of the Meeting Monday 13th January 2025

Wainfleet St Mary Parish Council

St Michaels Lane, Wainfleet St Mary,

Lincs. PE24 4HB

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting of Wainfleet St Mary which took place on Monday 13th January 2025 at 18.10 in the Community Hall, St Michaels Lane, Wainfleet St Mary, PE24 4HB, preceded by the Public Forum at 18.00

These are draft minutes and are subject to amendment until approved at the next Council Meeting Monday February 10th, 2025, at 18.10.

Public Three members of the public including 1 Hall committee member and LCC Councillor W Bowkett

Chair I Hyde invited LCC/ELDC Councillor Wendy Bowkett to make her monthly report detailed as under.

Lincolnshire County Council and ELDC report -

Lincolnshire County Council are asking for your views on their recent decision to set the council tax for next year at 2.99 % increase. The consultation is now live, and you can access it by searching budgetconsultation@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

The net budget for next year is £690 million, the settlement was £20million less than last year.

The consultation sets out 3 different figures, 2.99%, 3.99% and 4.99%. Government would like us to go for the highest figure, but councillors feel that is too much for residents to find when things are tough already.

Last Monday 6th Jan, saw another storm hit us, 65mm of rain fell in a short period of time all over Lincolnshire. This caused many flooding events, there was a further 129 homes reported with internal flooding. We are expecting the numbers to rise.

In Wainfleet we went onto high alert late afternoon, with the community resilience plan being actioned at around 6.45pm. Iain Hyde, Joe Taylor and I met on Spilsby Road to look at the main road where we had had reports of overtopping. I contacted the LRF centre in Lincoln and they sent a fire officer to assess the situation We agreed that Wainfleet fire service would attend, and then later Skegness Fire Service came to assist with the pumping. The sandbagging team acted off the A52 and filled around 500 bags which were deployed on Spilsby Road, houses and the riverbank to avert the water away from the road. The fire service left at 3am, no houses were flooded on Spilsby Road. Further over topping occurred on Boston Road from river water coming through the drain covers and a little from the river itself. Iain called for WSM councillors to help monitor the area.

Unfortunately, Batemans had 2 houses flooded again when the water came over the banks and from the rear.

£1million has been made available by East Lindsey for community projects across the district this will be administered by Lincolnshire community foundation again.

A reminder that the sixth round of the household support fund is finishing March 2025 - application forms are now live, households in financial hardship can apply for a voucher to help with food, clothes or other essentials. Contact hsf@limcolnshireecf.co.uk or phone 01529 572575.

Chair I Hyde thanked Cllr WB and opened the meeting at 18.10hrs and welcomed the members of the public to the meeting and introduced the Council.

1. Members present 

Chair Cllr I Hyde (IH) Cllr Dr C Shrubsole – Vice Chair Dr C Shrubsole (Dr CS), Cllr M Rust (MR), Cllr P Garrard;(PG), Cllr P A Proctor (AP), Cllr C Alexander (CA), Cllr T Ward (TW), Cllr Mike Rendall (MRL) Hall Committee Chair Jan Ward, (JW) - Also present – Clerk M Clarke

2. Apologies for Absence – Full Council present thus no Apologies

3. Declarations of Interest - Cllr T W declared an interest in agenda item 6 and would withdraw from the discussion and vote.

4. Approval of the Minutes of the Council Meeting on Monday December 9th 2024.

The minutes of the meeting held Monday December 9th, 2024, were presented as a true record. Proposed Cllr TW; Seconded Cllr MR; – unanimous resolution to accept.

5. Community Hall Report

Chair of the Committee JW gave a full report of the Committee actions to date which are contained in the Hall Minutes and available on the web and in the Notice Boards.

6. Co-option of Councillor to WSM Parish Council

Letters of interest received from 2 interested parties. Both parties were invited to add to their initial letter of interest. This was taken up and further information and reasons for wishing to join the Council shared with the Council. Chair IH thanked both candidates and invited proposer and seconders for the 2 candidates – Mr DW: Proposed Cllr MR and Seconded Cllr MLR,: Mrs JW: Proposed Cllr AP and Seconded Cllr PG. A paper ballot was conducted in line with standing orders with Mrs JW receiving the majority of the vote. Cllr IH thanked all and formally invited Mrs JW to join the Council which was accepted. Formal documentation to be completed.

7. Clerk’s Report:

The Friendship Club continues to meet every 2nd and 4th Wednesday.

The Digi Club have further meetings for the New Year – first one was the 6th Jan.

Grant applied for by the Funding Buddies for VE Day has been approved – thank you Wendy....£500 towards the celebrations gives a budget of £2000 - £1500 from the Committee and £500 from the Councillor Community Fund.

Outer Dowsing funding – fences to be painted – Dr C and Clerk to put a project together for the Community Payback scheme.

No further contact from Anglian Water re monitoring of the meter.

Contact made to find a replacement heating engineer – Connor from ACS contacted – follow up call to be made.

Contact has been made with Mark Eldin re repairs of Play Area liaising with Cllr TW – quote has been forwarded round.

LIVES have been contacted (Elaine) for a defib training session in January....to follow up for a date.

LCC and ELDC have been contacted and will visit and review the safety and recommended actions for the tree on Wainfleet Bank....contact has been received and a date of inspection to be agreed.

Annual Leave – 21 hours outstanding – will book time in January, February and March to ensure all used up....

8. Working Group Reports.

a) Allotments – A start date for the new drains to assist in draining the land on Sea Lane had been agreed as Jan 13th and work is currently being undertaken. Review to be undertaken of allotments with a view to a name change and formal strategic working policy to be adopted. Date agreed Monday 20th January 10.00 with attendance by working group plus any other councillor who wishes to join and be involved. Tenant would like to attend the next council meeting to discuss drainage in individual plots – Cllr Mr will confirm and invite to public session on Feb 10th.

b) Grass Cutting, Trees and Hedges – Arrangements made to trim ivy from trees on Boston Road. Trees in Jubilee Orchard to be trimmed back along with the Play Area.

c) Play Area – Quote received for repairs – all in agreement to accept – Proposer Cllr TW, Seconder Cllr MLR – all resolved to approve. Cllr TW suggested benches require an oil-based protection – cost to be explored and alternatives to preserve joints etc. Tree requires coppicing – date agreed for Friday at 09.00 to be trimmed back. New Inspection company to be appointed with inspection in August following completion of repairs. Working group to formulate an 8-month plan for repairs and a 2-year plan for improving the equipment/introduction of new equipment.

d) Community Hall –

All checks completed and in good order. Mole Control to be undertaken with purchase of traps – Cllrs IH and MLR to oversee. Proposed Cllr IH, and seconded Cllr PG – resolved to approve purchase – clerk to arrange. Two gas bottles to be ordered – clerk to arrange.

e) Planning – No applications received. Webinar on future planning regulations to be attended by Cllr TW and new incumbent Cllr JW. All in agreement. No cost to the Council.

f) Open Spaces – Wainfleet Bank cracked willow awaiting inspection and guidance advice from LCC and ELDC Inspectors. To be followed up by clerk.

7. Finance and Bank Accounts

Cheque payments were presented for approval – one cheque for clerks’ salary. PAYE is now paid under direct debit quarterly. Online payment for Haines Watts to be actioned following registration of approvers – all payments in future will be online with 3 approvers as per financial regulations.

Bank reconciliations presented for approval - all agreed and signed to confirm.

The Budget report had been circulated prior to the meeting for approval – all agreed.

All payments and reconciliations approved, and cheque signed.

Agreement of precept of £17,000 (to cover drainage installation costs and protect the Council income and Play Area improvements) proposed Cllr CA, Seconded Cllr Dr CS – all resolved to approve. Clerk to process. Cost to a band D payer is £6.00 per month.

LALC Training scheme and membership – invoice due in April but confirmation required of agreement – proposed Cllr TW, Seconded Cllr AP – all agreed to resolve. Clerk to action.

Clerk requested transfer of £1000 from Business Savings to cover future payments in February. Proposed Cllr CA, Seconded Cllr DR CS – all resolved to approve.

10. Correspondence –

LCC Budget and tax proposal – covered in report from LCC WB in the public session.

10. Items for Inclusion in the next meeting Agenda.

Policies for review - Standing orders

13. Date of Next meeting: - Date agreed for the next meeting Monday February 10th @ 18.00.     

Chair I Hyde thanked everyone for a productive evening and closed the meeting @ 20.20

I certify these are a true record of the meeting held Monday 13th January 2025

 Signed                

                                                                                                                        Date

Chair WSM Parish Council.