Minutes of meeting July 2025
Kettlethorpe Parish Council
Minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held on Tuesday 15th July 2025
in Kettlethorpe Village Hall
PRESENT:
Cllr C Turner
Cllr R Elliott,
Cllr C McGowan
Cllr R Barnard
Cllr P Bussoopun
Cllr T O’Callaghan
D/Cllr R Pilgrim
Mr G Cleworth, Clerk
MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
The Minutes of the meeting held on 10h June 2025 had been circulated to all councillors and were proposed, seconded and approved by the meeting.
PROGRESS REPORTS
Emergency plan
The need to appoint a co-ordinator was again stressed. The meeting felt that issues were arising due to the relatively small number of responses to the original questionnaire.
Cemetery
Rewilding: Cllr Barnard and Mrs Brownlow were gathering seeds. Due to the exceptionally dry weather over the previous two months, it was felt that we must defer planting until the autumn.
Treatment of Fenton residents:
The Chair had received a list of questions from Fenton PC and in collaboration with the Clerk confirmed the answers. An email will be composed for FPC detailing the various options available in order that they can choose which to accept. At that point, the regulations will be reviewed and a new set adopted.
Village Hall
Mr Straw had advised that there was some painting work required in the Hall. This will be included in our next leaflet drop.
Flower troughs
Cllr Bussoopun had completed the treatment of the troughs. Cllr Elliott will obtain the plants when the weather is cooler and soil wetter.
CORRESPONDENCE
Correspondence for June/July to date had been circulated to all councillors
copy of Clerks & Councils Direct had been received by post
PLANNING
WLDC ref 144120:
The Clerk had been obtained an update from WLDC. There was no enforcement currently in operation. The Clerk had asked WLDC to copy him into any future updates. This will be monitored.
The question of water supply and sewerage services was raised. The Clerk will ask WLDC about this.
WLDC ref WLDC/2025/00263
Mr A Straw updated the meeting on current development. A total of seven caravans had appeared on the site in the last few months and the suspicion was that these were being used for storage, not as dwellings. The Clerk will enquire with WLDC and copy D/Cllr Pilgrim in on his email.
WLDC/2025/00646
The meeting considered this application and decided it had no comment to make.
WLDC/2025/00686
Mr M Hill addressed the meeting with details of the updated application and the meeting considered this along with his remarks. One element was that what had previously been an interior staircase to the upper floor was now outside the building and whilst not touching the ground would breach the boundary with a paddock. This is designated agricultural land. Additionally, the height of the roof presenting to neighbouring properties had been increased and would present a gable end. The Clerk will place these comments on the application.
FINANCE
The payment of the following invoices for April were agreed by the Council:
already paid: HSBC monthly charge £8.00; All Round Gardens £262; F5 Computing £42.88
Clerk – PAYE AND SALARY for June
Accounts to the end of June: income £12960.21; expenditure £5635.45; balance £18011.52
These were agreed and accepted by the meeting
There had been no progress on the Clerk’s salary for 2025/26.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
(a) Mr C Smith detailed to the meeting a dossier of instances of shortcomings he believed to be the responsibility of the Parish Council. These included the length of time taken to progress the rewilding of the cemetery; the reinstatement of loose bricks in Jubilee Park, the apparent lack of interest in solving the problem of speeding through Laughterton and the lack of warning notices about the heat generated by the metal play items in the playground. There were further issues.
He was asked to email his file to the Clerk, who will forward to the Chair for investigation. The Clerk will contact RoSPA for guidance on the lettering of warning signs and a future meeting will review the status of the existing signage in the park.
(b) It was reported that all the posters in the Laughterton bus shelter had been removed, including the current bus timetable. Cllr McGowan has a spare copy, which can be laminated.
(c) Cllr Elliott had been visited by Mr A Ardern, who advised that he was constructing a shelter at the entry to his land in order to sell eggs. This was noted.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next Meeting will take place in Kettlethorpe Village Hall on 9th September 2025 at 7pm.
The Chair closed the meeting at 8.50pm.