HICKLING PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 3 rd October 2023 in the Village Hall commencing at 7.00pm.
Councillors present: Playle (Chair), Green, Lamb (arrived at 7.15pm), and Rowe.
Also in attendance: 1 parishioner, Cllr Combellack (RBC), and Julie Holland, Parish Clerk.
93. Election of Chair (rotating) – declaration of acceptance of office by Cllr Playle.
Reply received from NALC regarding a rotating chair, further clarity to be sought, Clerk will email NALC.
94. Apologies: Cllr Prosser and Cllr Cottee (Notts CC).
95. Declarations of Interest: None
96. Minutes of Meeting
It was proposed by Cllr Playle that the minutes of the meeting held on 5 th September 2023 were taken as a true record, seconded by Cllr Green and agreed by all.
97. Open Session
Dates of meetings – parishioner stated that she could not find the agendas or minutes on the website, also that they had not seen a Facebook notification, however, they were on the notice board. The Clerk explained that they are circulated to the distribution list the week prior to the meeting and put on the website (clerk asked parishioner for email address so could ensure she is notified). Cllr Combellack said that she could not see them on the website. Cllr Green explained that we were transitioning from the old website to the new website which would be up and running soon.
Action Point: Clerk to check the website for the agendas and minutes.
Cllr Combellack expressed a concern that the information that she supplied prior to the last meeting (as she had given her apologies), had not been mentioned at the meeting and that the Borough Councillor / County Councillor section on the minutes said no information from the Borough Councillor. Clerk apologised and explained that she was in hospital with a relative and that Cllr Prosser had kindly stepped in at very short notice – therefore, Cllr Prosser did not have any of the Clerk notes to convey at the meeting.
Cllr Combellack mentioned the previously discussed Lengthsman Scheme and felt it would be beneficial to the Hickling Parish, as the Lengthsman scheme would mean that there would be someone in the parish that could do all the maintenance jobs that arise, such as removal of grass growing in cracks in pavements, cleaning street signs etc.
Cllr Lamb explained that this had been discussed in length in a previous meeting, and the PC decided not to pursue this. Cllr Combellack said that it was funded by the County Council, (however, the information that had been circulated previously had mentioned matched funding), as this is the way the Government are funding minor works via grants.
Action Point: Clerk to re-circulate the Lengthsman Associated paper that was discussed at the meeting on the 5th September.
Cllr Combellack advised that Langer Parish Council have obtained £400,000 of grant monies to build a new village hall.
She wished to comment on the priority traffic calming matter that was discussed at that last meeting – the minutes state that this would urbanise the village – she did not agree with this assertion, as this been used successfully in other local villages. Cllr Lamb advised that is had been discussed at the last meeting and agreed not to pursue.
Cllr Combellack left the meeting at 7.25pm.
Cllr Playle was concerned about the speeding traffic around the basin and the speed that he has seen school buses going along the road by the basin. He suggested that the PC write to the bus companies and schools to raise this concern.
It was agreed that letters should be sent to the following school/bus companies that offer transport to Kinoulton Primary School, the Beckett School, Loughborough Grammar School, Grantham Grammar School, and Toot Hill School.
Action Point: Cllr Playle to draft letter to schools / bus companies and circulate to the PC.
Open session closed at 7.30pm.
98. Planning Matters
WITHDRAWN APPLICATION Reference Number: 23/01411/FUL
Development: Erection of detached timber frame garage building.
Location: Glebe Farm Cottage Main Street Hickling Nottinghamshire LE14 3AQ
Application withdrawn on 18th September 2023.
99. Decision Notices
Reference No: 22/01989/FUL
Development: Venari Land Limited
Location: Erection of Roadside Service Area (RSA), including a single storey RSA building, four island petrol filling station forecourt and canopy, and parking, a drive thru/coffee until and associated development, including car parking, circulation space and new access fromA606, on-site and perimeter landscaping, draining infrastructure including attenuation ponds and swales and boundary treatment.
Location: Land at Junction of A606, Widmerpool and Fosse Way, Hickling Pastures, Nottinghamshire.
Decision Notice: Grant planning permission.
Portfolio Group Reports.
Finance and Administration – Cllr Prosser
100. ACV – the Plough Inn – carry forward to November meeting in Cllr Prosser’s absence.
101. Conservation Area Appraisal – carry over to November meeting.
102. Parish Council 2 x vacancies – posters have been put up.
103. Correspondence – letter of thanks received from the Hickling Standard for the grant of £500 from the Parish Council.
104. Risk Assessment – estimate has been requested for the re-setting of headstones.
A quotation has been received for the work that needs to be done on the benches around the village – carry over to Novembers’ meeting.
Action Point: Clerk to put on agenda for November’s meeting.
105. HGVs in Hickling – associated paper with information from Cllr John Cottee, which states HGVs are temporarily being diverted through Hickling due to a road closure.
Highways and Street Furniture – Cllr Rowe
106. Noticeboard Relocation
Estimated date for noticeboard to be positioned in Hickling Pastures is 6 th October TBC – it will be positioned by the A606 bus stop (northbound) in Hickling Pastures. RBC permit had been received enabling the works to proceed and a final cost of £200 had been quoted for the relocation works.
Action Point: Clerk to contact supplier to confirm date.
107. Works to be carried out – information from Cllr John Cottee: Draining issue works outside the Orchard are booked to take place 08:00am 26/9/23 – 17:00 28/9/23 by Severn Trent Water.
Environment – Cllr Green & Cllr Playle
108. RBC Community Tree Scheme
No interest from landowners, so no application has been submitted this year.
109. Cllr Playle has contacted Laura Trussler at RBC as the roadside verges should have been cut in September, but there is a problem accessing the machinery.
Assets – Cllr Prosser
110. Parish Cemetery
Cllr Playle reported that there is a shortage of stone in the local suppliers, he will try and source stone that can be used to mark out the boundary of the unconsecrated part of the parish cemetery.
Action point: Cllr Playle to provide update at next meeting.
Terms and Conditions for items put on graves such as planters/vases
Clerk had recently attended a cemetery training session and circulated the suggested terms and conditions of Memorial Permit Conditions to be supplied when a plot is reserved, this was proposed by Cllr Playle and seconded by Cllr Lane, agreed by all.
Black Poplar tree (WI) – Cllr Playle advised that the tree should be available from mid-November.
111. Walkers’ Green
October’s inspection to be carried out by Cllr Lamb
Action Point: Clerk to forward the monthly inspection sheet to Cllr Lamb.
Community Engagement – Cllr Green & Cllr Lamb
112. Website
Cllr Green advised that the old website had been paid for by a parishioner, this will be suspended from middle of 2024. A re-direction can be put on the old website to connect to the new website once the invoice has been paid.
Access rights can be given to local groups, it was mentioned previously that the History Group did not want access, however, it could possibly be linked to their website.
Proposed by Cllr Playle and seconded by Cllr Green agreed by all.
113. Ward Members Reports, see above agenda items and comments.
114. Finance
Balance of accounts – 30.08.2023
Current Account £15,467.77
Reserve Account £ 3,861.19
Payments due:
Cheque Number Payee Description Amount
Bacs payment Julie Holland Diary 2024 £1.99
Bacs payment Julie Holland Postage to return faulty defib battery £8.95
Bacs Payment NetWise Website Domain setup £132.00
Bacs payment Julie Holland Clerk’s expenses:01.09.23 – 30.09.23 £26.00
Bacs payment Julie Holland Clerk’s salary 01.09.23 -30.09.23 Addendum
Bacs payment Julie Holland Postage Stamps £6.00
000860 HMRC Income tax and NIC for Clerk – Sept 23 £86.60
Bacs payment Fairfield Services Clear path at side of Village Hall £75.00
Invoice yet to be supplied. NALC Cemetery Training £40.00
115. Items from members for the next agenda. As above.
116. Date of next meeting, 14 th November. Cllr Lamb is not available, Cllrs Rowe, Green and Playle are available for the meeting in November and the following meeting in December.
No further business – meeting closed at 8.15pm