Minutes of meeting April 2025
Kettlethorpe Parish Council
Minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held on Tuesday 8th April 2025
in Kettlethorpe Village Hall
PRESENT:
Cllr C Turner Chair
Cllr R Elliott,
Cllr R Barnard
Cllr T O’Callaghan
Mr G Cleworth, Clerk
Apologies Cllr C McGowan
MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
The Minutes of the meeting held on 11th March 2025 had been circulated to all councillors and were proposed, seconded and approved by the meeting after correction regarding the notes with the section on the cemetery.
PROGRESS REPORTS
Emergency plan
Around 15 completed questionnaires had been received, which was considered a little disappointing. The Clerk would now analyse the returns and report to the next meeting. Cllr Barnard has a spreadsheet which he will supply to the Clerk.
Jubilee Park
The Clerk had met Mr Bean regarding the replacement of the loose bricks and painting. He had not provided quotations due to the uncertainty surrounding the details of what was required for the brickwork. The meeting agreed to ask for a quotation based on the replacement of the missing bricks and new pointing on the top of all the columns. The \Clerk will approach him.
Cemetery
Rewilding:
This was discussed. Cllr Barnard reported that the hire of a turf cutter would cost £45 per day, £60 for two days. The seed mixture to be used was discussed. The new wild areas will be covered with hay after seeding. Mrs A Brownlow had expressed an interest in being involved. The Clerk will contact her and Cllr Barnard will follow up when progress is planned.
Treatment of Fenton residents:
The Chair had not attended the latest meeting of Fenton PC as the date had been rearranged and the new date not advertised. She will attend the next meeting.
Regulations revision:
Following the discussion at the March meeting, there had been some confusion as to what had been decided, due to several conversions taking place simultaneously. Consequently, the Minutes of the March meeting were not entirely accurate. The council reconsidered he current regulations and agreed the following amendments:
(a) the new rules regarding cremation interments being offered in half size plots, multiple interments will be side by side and ashes interments one on top of the other will be discontinued.
(b) for ashes interments, the balance will be payable at each interment was retained.
These amendment will apply only to new plot requests made after the revision is agreed by the Council. Existing grants will be subject to the regulations at the time of the grant.
Village Hall event 23/3/2025
The attendance at this was slightly disappointing regarding numbers attending and few or no new faces had been seen. A list on the Village Hall’s table for volunteers to assist the hall had gathered no names. There had been an expression of interest in using the hall from Torksey History Group and Mrs E Cleworth had expressed an interest in starting a craft group based at the hall.
C/llr Elliott had a specimen questionnaire which is dedicated to recruitment relating to the Village Hall and this will be included in our next leaflet drop.
Community activities
Easter house decorations were starting to be displayed. The Friendship Inn had handed over the prize. The Clerk will ask D/Cllr Pilgrim to judge the competition.
Flooding at three way junction of roads into our villages and Fenton
The Clerk had been advised that this issue was not the responsibility of LCC, rather the Parish Council. Cllr Barnard had contacted Claire Davis of Lindsey Marsh drainage board to ask what further action should be taken. He had diarised to follow up if no reply was received within a month (i.e. 21st April).
Condition of roads
there had been no progress.
CORRESPONDENCE
Correspondence for March/ April to date had been circulated to all councillors
PLANNING
WLDC ref 144120:
WLDC had advised that the landowner was in breach of the planning permission by installing a static caravan on the site, the hardstanding on which it is situated and pipework installed for drainage. He has been given 28 days to remove the caravan or apply for change of use. It was decided to monitor events.
WLDC references
WL/2025/00262, WL/2025/00263, WL/2025/00303 & WL/2025/00304:
these were discussed and the meeting decided the Council had no comments to make on any of them.
FINANCE
The payment of the following invoices for November were agreed by the Council:
already paid: HSBC monthly charge £8.00; All Round Gardens £262; SS Peter & Paul Kettlethorpe contribution to grass cutting costs for 2024 £663.00;
The precept payment of £12,500 had been received from WLDC. Following receipt of the precept, it was decided to add £1000 to each of the Council’s contingency funds.
Clerk – PAYE AND SALARY for March
PARISH ACCOUNTS
end of January: income £13080.20; expenditure £12953.55; balance £10686.76
These were agreed and accepted by the meeting
Following the year end, the Clerk presented the AGAR report to the meeting and the appropriate sheets were signed. He had also revised the Asset Register, compiled a variances report and the bank reconciliation.
The Clerk presented his expenses for 2024/25. This was agreed.
There had been no progress on the Clerk’s salary for 2025/26.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
(a) the Clerk reminded that the May meeting would be the annual Parish Meeting, followed by the Council AGM. The Chair would need to report on the year’s activities.
(b) it was felt that it would beneficial to prepare a pack for newcomers to the village to include an emergency plan questionnaire and advise of whereabouts of the emergency plan, plus a list of local clubs/activities.
(c) although the Council is not staging any official events for the VE Day celebrations, it was more than happy for residents to put up bunting and have a party in \jubilee Park if they wished. The \Council would be happy to provide a small grant for incidental expenses. The Clerk would publicise on Facebook. Cllr Barnard asked if the Council has any bunting left over from earlier Royal celebrations.
The flag will be flown for the week encompassing the commemoration day and the historic date of the victory.
(d) The flag will be flown on St George’s Day.
(e) Mr D Blades, the former co-ordinator, had mentioned Neighbourhood Watch and why he wasn’t kept informed. This lapsed in the village some years ago and we are no longer registered on the website. Cllr Elliott had spoken to him about the a few months earlier.
The Clerk was ask D/Cllr Pilgrim re how this is set up in Newton on Trent.
(f) Cllr Elliott sought advice on what the Council will do regarding the various flower boxes. It was decided to plant them up for this year and re-evaluate in Autumn.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The Parish Meeting will take place in Kettlethorpe Village Hall on 18h April 2025 at 7pm, to be followed by the Council AGM.
The Chair closed the meeting at 8.40pm.