November 2021 Minutes
Kettlethorpe Parish Council
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 9th November 2021 at 7.30 pm in Kettlethorpe
Village Hall
Present
Cllr Richard Elliott, Chairman,
Cllr. Richard Barnard,
Cllr. Tim O’Callaghan,
Cllr Catherine Turner,
Mr R. Gee, Clerk. D/Cllr Jane Ellis
- 1. APOLOGIES
Cllr Jez Willis, Cllr Lizzie Smith.
In opening the meeting, the Chairman welcomed District Councillor, Jane Ellis and thanked her for attending.
MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
The minutes of the October meeting had been circulated to all members and were proposed, seconded, and approved by the Meeting.
3. MATTERS ARISING
3.1 Local Policing issues – The Police Crime Report for October was circulated to all members and listed the following crimes: - 5 burglaries, 4 thefts, 10 vehicle crimes and no criminal damages. No offences were listed for this Parish.
3.2 Jubilee Park i. Tarmac – The Chairman had met an Abacus representative about the wet pour, who sent an estimate of £2,169 + VAT to carry out the repair but also warned that remedial work might be needed to the sub-base. The Chairman and members arranged meet to check the problem.
ii. New Springies - It was suggested that the springs, and foundation of the Springies are fine but suffer from general shabbiness, with a split seat and a coat of white paint, provided at some time in the past that is now flaking. It was said if we can get the grant, all the work can be done properly. We could even have a total revamp of the play area but would have to find 10% of any grant.
The next meeting of the FCC is expected to be in December. It was asked if we repaired a Springie and a child was injured because of the repair, would we be covered by the Parish insurance. Clerk to check with Came & Co.
ii. Park Trees - A start has been made on the tree pruning which should be completed in next 2 weeks.
3.3 Highways.
i. Speed limit request – The clerk had referred a request for a speed limit on Kettlethorpe Lane, to Lincs Road Safety which responded that Cllr Butroid's support had been received for this and will forward it for investigation to the Minor Works and Traffic Team in Highways. D/Cllr Ellis said that Councillor Butroid was also looking into a joint approach by Fenton and Torksey Lock on a similar topic. Mention was made of the need for a limit on Kettlethorpe Road, between Laughterton and Kettlethorpe or alternatively, as was said, we could do with a footpath, particularly as children must walk the route in the dark after being dropped off from the school bus.
It was mentioned that the grass verges have been allowed to encroach up to 18 inches into the road and trenches are to be dug to find the original edge of the tarmac and photograph it. It is likely that the road could be 3 foot wider. Cllr Ellis asked to be copied into any e-mails on this subject so that she could bombard LCC with information.
Chicken Farm –– Speaking of this application, members said they couldn’t understand why the numerous critical comments on the West Lindsey Planning website (68 were mentioned) and the Parish Council reports have been ignored. Construction work should not have started until the new access road was built, yet despite this, heavy lorries used Marsh Lane instead, with Andrew Arden in full knowledge that he was blatantly contravening the planning conditions.
Kettlethorpe PC sent an e-mail and photograph of site under construction to the Planning Officer concerned, and Planning Enforcement, asking them to formally give the order to stop work, until the completion of the new access road, but there was no response and as usual, the PC comments were apparently totally ignored.
It was further asked what action will be taken for this flagrant disregard of planning conditions, but so far as is known, none was taken as there was no response from West Lindsey. Instead, Mr Arden chose to invite one or two senior residents to look at his project, and then chose to use the District Councillor to offer an invitation to neighbours and this Council to visit the site, giving the impression that she was in his pocket.
Cllr Ellis responded that she was in no-one’s pocket, she is Ward member for Mr Arden as well as Kettlethorpe and was trying to act as mediator, but, she was asked, why didn’t you mediate by telling him he should have come to us? She denied manipulation by Mr Arden and said that she had advised him to build bridges with the Parish Council, but as was said, sorry, but that’s not how it looks. It was pointed out that we are trying to get answers from West Lindsey.
Accepting all that has been said, we need to be able to go back to the residents who have complained and say that your objections have been put forward, and these are the reasons why it was still approved. If an application is rejected, the applicant will be given the reasons why, but if it has been accepted despite many objections, we don’t get information.. Why is it one thing way and not the other. Cllr Ellis answered that you could look online at the minutes of the planning meeting, but it seems that you want something more specific.
It is strongly believed that some form of consultation should have taken place in the early stages of this contentious application. Mr Arden should have attended a Kettlethorpe Parish Council meeting to explain the application, so that Laughterton residents could be given full information i.e., why is he building the chicken farm in this Parish, and not his own, where there is plenty of space. As stated by the Chairman, it’s not our job to put explanatory fliers through doors, it’s his.
Another issue was put to D/Cllr Ellis regarding the delivery and usage of animal waste in this Parish rendered in Bassetlaw – See Matters arising item 7.3
Solar Farms - D/Cllr Ellis referred the meeting to a recently circulated e-mail about a solar farm consultation. She said it is possible that nearby power stations could be converted to this method and some of the detrimental aspects of using solar panels to generate electricity were pointed out.
3.6 Flower Troughs – Some of the plants are in reasonable condition, but it was suggested that a few bulbs could be planted to supplement those that were provided last year.
3.8 Parish Cemetery i. New seat - A new recycled plastic seat has been ordered from Agri-cycle by the clerk at a cost of £345, plus brackets at £25, delivery costs of £38, all plus VAT. He was advised that delivery could take a few weeks. It was suggested that the existing wooden seat could be installed somewhere along the footpath between Laughterton and Kettlethorpe.
3.10 Queen’s Jubilee event – A member of the W.I. had asked if the Council wished to join in with celebrations being organised by the Kettlethorpe PCC, Newton Parish Council, Newton Church and Newton School. The Chairman offered to have a word with her.
3.11 Kettlethorpe village signs – A request has been received from a parishioner to change the Parish signs for something more picturesque, as they are considered by some to be ‘old hat’. The Chairman was to speak with the resident concerned, as she had offered to investigate designs and costs to change.
3.12 Community Speed watch – A resident has agreed to organise the Speed Watch team and e-mailed the clerk to say he had 4 confirmed members and was waiting for a response from 2 more individuals, as 6 is the minimum number.
3.13 Dog Kennels – Noise, Kettlethorpe resident’s complaint a friendly word is to be had with one of the kennel owners.
3.14 Campers on restricted land – Details of two occupied camper vans and car situated in the unregistered field behind Kettlethorpe Road, Laughterton LN1 2LB have been passed to the Planning Enforcement Office who acknowledged the report with reference No. WLGE_372700216.
3.15 Remembrance Day – 30 large British Legion poppies purchased last year were mounted on lamp posts etc to commemorate November 11th and the clerk offered to purchase a wreath for the Propeller Memorial.
3.17 Creation - of a native woodland in two fields in Kettlethorpe, the organiser has been advised that the Parish Council support his project.
3.18 Christmas Ceremony – The first Sunday in December i.e., 5th had been agreed as a suitable date; Newton school is to be contacted; selection packs to be bought as gifts for the children; the Chairman to check if a certain horse and carriage is available for transport, and a resident is to be invited to be Santa. More baubles are to be obtained for the tree and if possible, the brightness of the lights is to be increased by changing the supply voltage. A resident volunteered to provide the music and a suitable itinerary was created for the event. Food e.g., burgers and hot dogs are to be available at The Friendship.
4. CORRESPONDENCE
A list of e-mails and notices circulated during November will be forwarded at the month end
5. PLANNING
None
6. FINANCE
6.1 MKS - grass cutting October 28th Invoice No 2870 - £157.20, including VAT.
Payment of this item was proposed, seconded, and agreed by the meeting.
6.2 Parish Precept – After some discussion on expected additional expenditure the sum of £9,750 was agreed by the meeting for the Precept estimate. The final figure for 2022 / 2023 must be submitted before Friday 28th January 2022.
6.3 PAYE and Salary – Payment of these items was agreed in accordance with the proposal made for the year at an earlier meeting.
6.4 Parish Accounts – The balance at the bank to month ending 31st October 2021 is £14,833.79 with an expenditure of £6,678.10
7. MATTERS ARISING
7.1 Defibrillator – The Chairman reported that it will be necessary to change the defibrillator battery shortly at a cost of £110 and that he would deal.
7.2 Start time of meetings – It was asked if it would be possible to start future meetings at 7.00 pm. The benefits of starting earlier were discussed and the meeting agreed to the idea. To be implemented at the December meeting.
7.3 Waste rendering A detailed explanation of a long-standing Parish problem was given whereby liquid waste from slaughterhouses is being transported through the Parish for injection into Lincolnshire fields, after being rendered at a Low Marnham factory in Nottinghamshire. The factory takes in and processes heads, guts and other non-edible parts from dead animals and then extracts material from the components. The resultant liquid slurry from which the smell can be horrendous, is then removed from the site by agricultural tractors which transport the substance continuously, Monday to Saturday, across the county border, usually via Dunham Bridge .It is understood that Bassetlaw District Council have refused permission to use the substance on Nottinghamshire fields, possibly because of risk of pollution to watercourses and the River Trent, due to water run-off from the land. Locally last year it was applied to land subsequently sown to a cereal crop with the likelihood it would be used for animal consumption. Waste products, such as this and sewage sludge, must be properly treated before being applied as a fertiliser, and the internet says, the user must have a license from the Environment Agency.
Fuller details are to be passed to D/Councillor Ellis for investigation
8. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
8.1 The next meeting will take place on Tuesday 5th December at 7.00 pm in Kettlethorpe Village Hall.
Meeting closed 9.45 pm