Meeting Minutes: 19th May 2022

KIMBOLTON & STONELY PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES of the annual Council meeting held at 7 p.m. on Thursday 19 May 2022 in the Youth Hall at the Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton.

PRESENT  Councillors P Seabrook; K Hutchinson; R Gooderham;  Ms S Mugglestone;  Mrs D Hellett.;Ms C Jessup and Mrs E Milne.

IN ATTENDANCE  County Councillor I Gardener; District Councillor Jonathan Gray; Lionel Thatcher, Clerk to the Council and 1 member of the public.

66/22  ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN  Councillor Paul Seabrook was proposed as Chairman by Councillor Hutchinson, seconded by Councillor Gooderham and unanimously elected..

67/22      APOLOGIES  were received from Councillors Mrs R Lloyd; L Farrer and Mrs J Stainer.

68/22     PUBLIC FORUM  was not used.

69/22     DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST.   

  None were reported..

70/22     COUNTY COUNCILLOR Ian Gardener said that he expected the pedestrian crossing to be installed during the school summer holidays.    The increased cost of around £10000 which this council will be required to pay could be covered by a bid to the Community Capital Fund.  The process for this will be agreed in June with applications being taken at the earliest in September.

The Transport Strategy Engagement Survey closes in June.

Councillor Stephen Ferguson has been elected Chairman of the County Council and Councillor Sebastian Kindersley Vice Chairman.

From July all council meetings will be held at the new Shire Hall.

The elected Mayor of the combined authority has returned to government £22million of the Green Homes Grant as it had not been spent.

Extensive road closures will take place during June and July on the A1 in the Buckden area.

Councillor Gardener left the meeting

71/22    MINUTES of the Council meeting of 28 April 2022 were read, approved and signed as a true record of that meeting.

72/22     MATTERS ARISING

• Neighbourhood Watch. No report
• Hearse House.  The decision on the planning application is awaited.
• Pound Lane  The pln has been amended and the application has gone to the Planning Authority.
• Pedestrian Crossing.  As stated above, it is expected that the crossing will be installed during the summer holidays and the increase in cost found either from a rant or from the 2023/24 precept.
• Cemetery Wall repairs.  No action as yet
• Twinning.   No action to be taken during the pandemic.
• MVAS signs         The signs are now with the Chairman and will be erected in due course.

h)    Street Market.  Councillor Mrs Hellett is arranging for a street market to be held on Castle Green and has learned that the 27 August is not suitable for the School.  20 August is a possibility and she is contacting traders.

 i)  Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration.  The programme has been decided upon and leaflets will be distributed to each dwelling in the parish.  It had not been possible to acquire a photographer so was agreed to ask members of the public to provide photographs they have taken for an album.

 Councillor Gooderham said that the fairground operator required £750 to provide both a children’s roundabout and shooting gallery.  It was agreed to engage their services.    It was also agreed to purchase plastic bunting to augment the banners.

      j)  Community Facebook Page   To note any matters arising from the community page.   Councillor Mrs Hellett said that a question had been asked about a beacon to commemorate the Jubilee.

      k) To consider naming the cemetery extension.    The Chairman had asked for this item and explained his thoughts.  He thought that as it was a new cemetery it should be given a name, but members felt that it was purely a new part of the existing cemetery and would simply be known, as a whole, as Kimbolton Cemetery.  It was agreed to take no action.

73/22    PLANNING

a)The following applications were considered –

22/00908  New Sun Inn, High St – illuminated and non-illuminated signs.

It was proposed by Councillor Mrs Milne, seconded by Councillor Ms Mugglestone and agreed to recommend approval.

TP022/002  3 Easton Rd., Stonely – TPO proposed.            Members questioned why we have been consulted on this but, given that we have, Councillor Mrs Hellett proposed and Councillor Mrs Milne seconded that this be approved.

74/22  REPORTS

Allotments.     Councillor Mrs Hellett presented her allotments report.  Clearance has started but plot 7 needs spraying and there is a hole in the hedge on the western boundary which needs closing.

The Playpark gates need latches replacing again and the spring closures fixing properly.    

The Ginnell and other areas, particularly the churchyard and cemetery need weedkilling.

Outside Bodies

Mandeville Hall – no report

Kimbolton Trust.  Next meeting 30 May.

Kimbolton School Governors.  Estates Committee met last week and they considered a possible diversion for the footpath which crosses school grounds.  Repairs to the swimming pool are going ahead.

75/22  ELECTION OF VICE CHAIRMAN Councillor Keith Hutchinson was proposed by Councillor Seabrook, seconded by Councillor Mrs Hellett and unanimously elected.

76/22  CHAIRMAN’S ALLOWANCE  It was agreed to increase the allowance to £500.  This was proposed by Councillor Ms Mugglestone, seconded by Councillor Ms Jessup and agreed.

Councillor Gray joined the meeting

77/22  WORKING PARTIES

Membership was agreed as follows –

Allotments – Councillors Mrs Hellett and Mrs Lloyd

Burial and Cemeteries – Councillors Hutchinson, Gooderham and Farrer

Dog Fouling – Councillors Gooderham and Farrer

Footpaths – Councillors Mrs Lloyd; Mrs Stainer; Ms Jessup and (co-opted) Mr G Lloyd.

Grounds and Car Parking – all members

Playgrounds – Councillor Mrs Hellett

Planning, Structures and Supervision of Property – all members

Trees – Councillors Gooderham; Ms Stainer and Ms Jessup

Personnel – Councillors Hutchinson, Farrer and Mrs Milne.

Highways – Councillors Farrer and Gooderham

Neighbourhood & Countryside Watch – Councillor Farrer.

Pound Lane – Councillors Hutchinson; Gooderham; Farrer and Ms Mugglestone (co-opted).

The Chairman is an ex officio member of all Working Parties.

78/22  REPRESENTATIVES TO OUTSIDE BODIES

The following were agreed –

Civil Protection – Councillor Gooderham

Mandeville Hall – Councillor Hutchinson

Kimbolton Trust 1986 – Councillors Seabrook and Hutchinson

Kimbolton School Governors – Councillor Mrs Hellett

79/22  VACANCY FOR COUNCILLOR

The Clerk explained that, as insufficient people sought election, there is a vacancy for one councillor.  This can be filled immediately by co-option and he proposed advertising the vacancy with a closing date just before the next meeting.    This was agreed.

Councillor Ms Mugglestone said that with regret she will have to stand down as she has been appointed to a new job and will have no time to undertake the duties of a councillor.  The Chairman said he was very sorry to hear this, but wished Councillor Ms Mugglestone well and thanked her for her service with this council.

The Clerk pointed out that this is a casual vacancy and a period must elapse to give electors an opportunity to request a ballot, following which – if no ballot is requested – co-option can take place. 

80/22  GENERAL POWER OF COMPETENCE

It was agreed that both this Council and the Clerk remain qualified and therefore the General Power of Competence will be adopted for the coming year.

81/22  FEES AND CHARGES

• Allotments.  The rents will increase to £45 per annum for a full plot and £22.50 for a half plot with effect from 1 October 2022.
• Cemetery  It was proposed by Councillor Ms Jessup, seconded by Councillor Ms Mugglestone and agreed to increase cemetery charges by 2%, rounded to the nearest £5, with effect from 1 August 2022.

82/22  WALKABOUT

It was decided to have two walkabouts this year.  The Kimbolton one will commence at 7pm on 23 June, starting at the Mandeville Hall and the Stonely one at 7pm on 27 June, commencing from the Iron Gates on the Causeway.

83/22  CORRESPONDENCE   

• A reply had been received from the Chairman of the Mandeville Hall Committee explaining why it was necessary to commence charging this council for use of the room for meetings and stating that the Youth and Community Hall had always been a drain on the Mandeville Hall’s resources and was not the asset which we thought.  The Clerk was instructed to write and suggest, that being the case, that this council should take back responsibility for the Youth and Community Room and relieve the Mandeville Hall Committee of that burden.
• A letter from Kimbolton Cricket Club had been received in which a request was made that we permit a marquee to be erected on our land (but not on the football pitch) for the period of their Lashings Tour event.  The Club hopes that the School will allow them the use of their land for this, but if that is not possible, they wish to have a ‘back-up’.  It was agreed to permit the Cricket Club to site their marquee on our land, if necessary.  Whilst on the subject, it was mentioned that better traffic control was needed on Pound Lane with a ‘stop’ sign at the junction.  This will be conveyed to the Club.

84/22  ACCOUNTS

• The following were approved for payment –

J D Wright deposit ‘Split Whiskers’  100.00

K & M Lighting    Maintenance        128.15

Scott Walters   deposit                      50.00

MG Recycling   skip hire                 260.40

Lightfoot Design  Pound Lane        669.20

Anglian Water     Allotments rent      63.19

Mandeville Hall    Room hire May     31.50

Payroll costs – pay,NIC;PAYE      2726.79

• 2021/2022 Accounts will be formally presented at the next meeting, but a summary was distributed.

85/22  DISTRICT COUNCILLOR

Councillor Gray said that the Conservatives at Huntingdonshire DC are now in opposition, for the first time since 1976.The Council’s composition is now 10 LibDem; 4 Lab; 1 Green;15 Ind; 22 Con..  As a result,he is no longer a member of the Cabinet.

86/22  HIGH ST CAR PARKING  no report

87/22  MEMBERS’ POINTS OF INFORMATION

No matters were raised..

88/22  NEXT MEETING   

It was agreed that the next normal meeting of Council will be held in the Youth Room at the Mandeville Hall on Thursday 30 June 2022 commencing at 7pm.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2205 hours.