HICKLING PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 5th September 2023 in the Village Hall commencing at 7.00pm.
Councillors present: Green (Chair), Lamb (arrived at 7.13pm), Playle and Prosser
Also in attendance: 4 parishioners
66. Election of Chair (rotating) – declaration of acceptance of office by Cllr Green – form to be signed
once the Clerk returns to duty.
Update from NALC regarding collaborative meetings, with reference to Legal Topic Note 5.
Councillors discussed the advice received from NALC, as they wished to find a way in which the public could be involved in a collaborative manner during agenda item discussions.
Agreed to put together proposals for future meetings which could be referred to NALC for legal comment.
With regard to this meeting, Cllr Green asked that parishioners who wished to talk, add content or ask a question, once the open session was closed and the formal meeting opened, raise their hand and he would invite them to contribute.
Action Point: Proposals for future meetings to be put to NALC for legal comment.
67. Apologies: Cllr Rowe, Cllr Cottee (Notts CC), Cllr Combellack (RBC) and Julie Holland, Parish Clerk
68. Declarations of Interest: None
69. Minutes of Meeting
It was proposed by Cllr Prosser that the minutes of the meeting held on 25 th July 2023 were taken as a true record, seconded by Cllr Playle and agreed by all.
70. Open Session
Dates of meetings – parishioner requested clearer communication from the Parish Council when meetings were cancelled, postponed and/or rearranged. This had not happened when the earlier August meeting had been cancelled at short notice and rearranged for September.
Cllrs agreed that meeting dates and any changes should be publicised at the very earliest opportunity on the Parish Council noticeboard and website in good time so that the public are fully informed.
Priority ‘Give Way’ Bridegate Lane (speed reducing measure) – muted by Cllr Combellack at the last meeting. Parishioner who resided on Bridegate Lane (Hickling) had mentioned this idea to neighbours after the last meeting and had had a positive response. Discussed by councillors later as an agenda item.
Collaborative meetings – parishioner wished to support the idea of collaborative meetings and the continuation of open discussions between councillors and the public. Councillors would look into the feasibility of longer open pubic sessions and/or collaborative agenda items, formally closed post-discussion to allow for councillors’ official decision making.
Open session closed at 7.27pm.
71. Planning Matters.
Reference Number: 23/01411/FUL
Development: Erection of detached timber frame garage building
Location: Glebe Farm Cottage, Main Street, Hickling, Nottinghamshire LE14 3AQ
Discussed by councillors and unanimously agreed to OBJECT, as follows:
Hickling Parish Council OBJECT to the application 23/01411/FUL Erection of detached timber framed garage at Glebe Farm Cottage, Main St , Hickling.
The proposed building’s size and position would impact negatively on the street scene, being set forward of the main house and adjacent to the highway. Most other neighbouring properties, farms, buildings and the church are set back from the road.
Councillors are particularly concerned about the harm caused to the setting of the Grade 1 listed St Luke’s Church. From the south, the approach to St Luke’s is currently enhanced by substantial trees. Planning permission has been granted to remove the largest of these trees . The prominence of this large mature lime tree is obvious in the picture on page 27 of the draft Hickling Conservation Area Appraisal.
The massing of the proposed garage from the south would largely obscure the other remaining trees which would result in the street scene of trees within the curtilage of the church being replaced by a new dominant building.
Furthermore the proposed building being timber clad is not in keeping with the character of local buildings. The Hickling Neighbourhood Plan design guide and the Conservation Area Appraisal give details on the local vernacular and preferred style of construction and choice of materials.
The Design and Access Statement lacks detail. For example, there is no information on materials for the bifold doors. The Parish Council does not think that bifold doors are a sympathetic choice and would prefer barn style timber doors.
The Design and Access Statement claims that the building sits comfortably without looking cramped, and yet it sits as tight as possible to the northern boundary.
Although the Design and Access Statement also claims that existing trees and hedges will not be affected, councillors are concerned about the impact to the root zone of the important remaining trees close to the boundary and close to the new building. Councillors would prefer to see a smaller garage or outbuilding located further away from the highway and
for it to be subservient to the main house. The Parish Council do not believe that this proposal enhances or preserves the character of the
Conservation Area and does cause significant harm.
Action Point: Clerk to submit planning objection.
72. Decision Notices
Reference No: 23/01323/FUL
Development: Proposed two storey front and side extension and single storey rear extension, extend existing raised rear patio. Existing roof to be replaced and ridge height raised includes 4 no. front dormers. Alterations to existing eves. Alteration of existing front box dormers to ridged dormers. Existing side extension to be demolished. Application of cedral cladding and render. Air source unit to side elevation.
Location: Quorn House, Folly Hall Lane, Hickling Pastures, Nottinghamshire LE14 3QB
Decision: PERMISSION GRANTED
Reference No: 23/01382/NMA
Development: Non material amendment of planning application 22/02005/FUL to amend the wording of Condition 4 tied to the Full Planning Permission, to enable the existing Grain Store to be dismantled, demolished and area cleared BEFORE the condition is formally discharged.
Location: The Lime Farm, Cropwell Road, Langar, Nottinghamshire NG13 9HD
Decision: NMA AGREED
Portfolio Group Reports.
Finance and Administration – Cllr Prosser
73. Assets of Community Value
Cllr. Prosser advised that the Plough Inn Asset of Community Value application / renomination was still under review by RBC. Consultation letters were being sent to relevant parties.
74. Conservation Area Appraisal – Review and Consultation Comment to RBC
Rushcliffe Borough Council had held a drop-in consultation event at the Plough Inn on Monday 4 th September to give parishioners the opportunity to directly ask questions and comment on the draft Hickling Conservation Area appraisal – all residents had previously received notification of the review and an invitation to attend the event
from Rushcliffe BC. Cllr Prosser explained that, since the publication of RBC’s draft / consultation conservation area appraisal, she and Mrs. Jane Fraser, representative of the Hickling Local History Group, who had both been collaboratively involved in the review process, had considered the draft consultation document and felt compelled to produce a
further, amended draft 8 which addressed their fundamental concerns with regard to the introduction of a new ‘Farming Character (both operational and non-operational) Zone’ and the removal of references to wildlife, biodiversity and tranquility in Zone 2, which deals with the Grantham Canal and the Hickling Canal Basin area, including the Wharf Building and Yard.
Councillors considered and discussed both the Rushcliffe Borough Council consultation / revised Hickling Conservation Area appraisal document and the amended ‘draft 8’ document.
The Parish Council considered the alternative ‘draft 8’ document which incorporated the working farms section in to the Main Street character Zone 3 – they preferred this approach as it brought the farming heritage of Hickling into the Main Street character zone and took account of how closely integrated the working farms were in this zone.
The ‘draft 8’ document also reintroduced the wildlife, biodiversity and tranquillity references to Zone 2, which councillors also preferred. With specific regard to this zone, councillors were concerned that the Borough’s draft gave extra prominence to the development / reopening of the canal as a navigable waterway while not reflecting the true character of the area as it is now.
Action point: Clerk to submit councillors’ review and consultation comments to Rushcliffe Borough Council.
75. Co-option of Parish Councillor(s)
No co-option proposals – agreed that Cllr Green would produce a recruitment leaflet for distribution to all households.
Action point: Cllr Green to produce leaflet and organise distribution
76. National Effort to Protect Neighbourhood Development Plans (associated paper)
Request received from a fellow Parish Council to support their campaign and send a letter to the Rushcliffe local MP in support of their national effort to protect Neighbourhood Development Plans with specific reference to a recent planning inspector’s decision to allow a housing development in Staffordshire that is in direct contravention of their NDP (Chapel and Hill Chorlton, Maer and Aston and Whitemore NDP). Councillors agreed to a letter being drafted and sent to the Rushcliffe MP
Action point: Clerk to send letter to Ruth Edwards, Rushcliffe MP
77. Path Clearance, side of Village Hall.
Two quotations had been received by the Clerk, for £75 and £175 respectively.
Councillors agreed that the tender be awarded to contractor who quoted £75.
Action point: Clerk to award contract and arrange for work to be carried out.
78. Lengthsman Scheme (associated paper)
The specifics of the Lengthsman Scheme were discussed in depth and it was agreed that the Parish Council had no capacity currently to administer the scheme efficiently.
Environment – Cllrs Green & Playle
79. RBC Community Tree Scheme
No update – Cllr Playle is aware that the deadline is 30 th September and will deal with the council’s application by the deadline date.
Action point: Cllr Playle to complete and submit application form
80. Footpath between Kinoulton and Hickling (Kinoulton Parish Council)
The Clerk had brought councillors’ attention to an agenda item at the last Kinoulton Parish Council meeting, where discussion had taken place regarding the possibility of creating a pedestrian footpath between Kinoulton & Hickling.
Councillors agreed that there was no action required at this stage as Kinoulton PC had agreed not to currently pursue.
Highways and Street Furniture – Cllr Rowe
81. Noticeboard Relocation
Noticeboard to 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.
Councillors agreed that the tender be awarded and that the works should proceed without delay.
Action Point: Clerk to award contract and arrange for work to be carried out.
82. Priority ‘Give Way’ Bridegate Lane (speed reducing measure, Hickling village)
Councillors discussed this speed reducing measure and agreed that this sort of arrangement was out of keeping / not in character with the village and could be unwanted over-urbanisation.
Assets – Cllr Prosser
83. Parish Cemetery
Cllr Playle to seek an update regarding the denotation of the unconsecrated area of the parish cemetery with large boulders from the village maintenance contractor and to report back at the next meeting.
Action point: Agenda item, next meeting – Cllr Playle to provide update
Damage to a planter on a grave – Cllr Prosser advised that she had asked the Clerk to ascertain a cost to replace the damaged planter. Parishioner asked whether the cemetery terms and conditions allowed for planters to be positioned on the grass around the graves in the cemetery and, if not, suggested that the Parish Council
should not be paying for a replacement.
Action point: Clerk to consider cemetery terms and conditions and advise councillors
Black Poplar tree (WI) – Cllr Playle reported that he had spoken to Naturescape re. the availability / cost of a native black poplar to replace the one that had died. Naturescape advised no availability, although hybrid black poplars were available.
Action point: Cllr Playle to source and plant a replacement Black Poplar in the Autumn
84. Walkers’ Green
Annual Inspection – toddler / cradle swing
Cllr Prosser had reviewed the ROSPA annual report, completed in May 2023, which detailed the following:
cradle support structure was bent – monitor: risk level low, risk score 6
cradle strut cut – monitor and replace if further deterioration: risk level low, risk score 7
Councillors agreed that there appeared to be no requirement from ROSPA for any immediate replacement – the cradle swing seat would be monitored on a monthly basis when the Walkers’ Green monthly inspection took place and any deterioration reported to councillors.
September’s inspection to be carried out by Cllr Green
85. Annual Risk Assessment (associated paper)
Cllr Prosser had completed the parish’s annual risk assessment and had instructed the Clerk to seek quotes for all maintenance identified therein.
Action point: Agenda item, next meeting to consider quotes for village maintenance work.
Community Engagement – Cllr Green & Cllr Lamb
86. D-DAY 80 – 6th June 2024 (associated paper)
Note date in the diary – the Prime Minister is encouraging communities to take part in celebrations by lighting a Beacon at 9.15pm on 6 th June 2024, representing the ‘light of peace’ that emerged from the darkness of war, along with the International Tribute (to be read out as the Beacon is being lit last evening).
Councillors agreed to promote and be involved in the D-Day 80 celebrations – details to be discussed and confirmed in early 2024.
87. Website
Cllr Green proposed that the new website be launched without further delay and that content would be added thereafter.
Official email addresses to be established for all councillors for communication purposes.
Official announcement to be posted on the ‘old’ website and the Parish Council’s socials as soon as the new one is physically launched and to be advertised in the Hickling Standard.
Parish community groups and parishioners wishing to add content should contact Cllrs Green and Lamb (as webmasters).
All parish council archived data (minutes, agendas etc.) to be uploaded in due course.
88. Ward Members Reports
None
89. Finance
Balance of accounts – 30.08.2023:
Current Account £15,467.77
Reserve Account £ 3,861.19
Payments due:
Cheque Number Payee Description Amount
000853 Hickling Village Newsletter Grant: year-end 31.08.2024 £500.00
000854 Rushcliffe BC Election costs £66.79
000855 Julie Holland SLCC membership 2023/24 – cost split with Kinoulton PC. £69.50
000856 Julie Holland Clerk’s expenses: 01.08.23 – 31.08.23 £26.00
000857 Julie Holland Clerk’s salary 01.08.23 -31.08.23 Addendum
000858 HMRC Income tax and NIC for Clerk – Aug 23 £86.60
90. Items from members for the next agenda.
RSA decision notice – missed from this month’s meeting
91. Date of next meeting: 3 rd October, 14 th November, 19 th December
No further business – meeting closed at 8.57pm
Addendum to Minutes.
Clerk’s salary:
Payment from 01.08.2023 to 31.08.2023 – £346.73, cheque 000857
Under the provisions of section 11 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 the right of inspection of any
document that contains personal information about a member of staff was agreed to be removed. Therefore,
details of the Clerk’s salary appear as an Addendum to these minutes.