September 2020 Minutes
Rauceby Parish Council
Minutes from the Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday, 16th September 2020 at 7.30pm.
The meeting was held virtually, using Zoom hosting.
Present: Cllr M Ireland (in the Chair), Cllr B Balderston, Cllr K Colehouse, Cllr G Enstone, Cllr R Enstone, Cllr M Froggatt, Cllr J Malloch, Cllr S Waring (NKDC), Cllr A Hagues (LCC) after item 8, the Clerk, Mrs P Ireland. Mr S Enstone (Rauceby Gigabit) was present up to and including item 5.
1. Apologies for Absence: Cllr I Graham and Cllr S Waite.
2. To Receive any Declarations of Interest: None
3. To decide on any items to be carried out in Closed Session: None
4. To approve as a correct record the notes of the meetings held on 8th July 2020. The Chairman signed the minutes.
5. Rauceby Gigabit Project: Update given by Mr S Enstone. The project now exists as two schemes – North and South Rauceby and Ermine Street Farm. Once the final quote has been received, this is the point that the project will need final confirmation from those wanting to be included. In order to reduce the final cost the project may consider some element of self digging.
The time and input from Mr Enstone is appreciated by the Parish Council.
6. Reports from Visiting Representatives and Police Matters if any:
•NKDC – Boundary Commission - Cllr Waring reported that the current recommendation was to include Rauceby with Cranwell, Culverthorpe, Wilsford and several other villages. The ward would be covered by two district councillors. This is the crucial time to forward comments.
•LCC – Drainage work and low level kerbing on Thorpe Drove
Speed reduction scheme – red tarmac road markings
Cllr Hagues still waiting for feedback on these matters. He gave a general update on LCC matters in the county.
•Police – A member of the public had reported a horse lorry parked on Main Street, South Rauceby It had been in the same position for several weeks. Cllrs noted that this is a bus route and the lorry is parked on the narrowest part of the street. The Clerk had reported it to the Rural Police Team but not received a reply.
7. Planning Applications:
a) Woodland Cottage, Main Street, SR – Fell Sycamore and remove dead wood from lime tree. No objections had been raised.
8. Road Safety at the A17 / Rauceby Crossroads – Cllr Colehouse raised concerns about the safety of the crossroads as he himself had experienced a near miss incident and he knew of others. Cllr Hagues to approach LCC Highways to request a site survey.
9. New Parish Council Websites – The Clerk gave an update and explained that all public body websites are required to become accessible for all. LCC have provided, free of charge, the template to build an accessible for all website but the online training the Clerk had attended was very poor and there has been much discussion since on the Clerk’s forum as the procedures required to add the information to the new websites are not straightforward. LALC had promised to publish a help guide but as yet nothing has been received. Some councils are seeking professional IT help. To archive anything pre 2018, such as minutes, it will be necessary to purchase software that will convert pdfs to pdf/a’s. Approx cost £135 plus VAT. Cllr G Enstone reminded the PC that an IT grant had been obtained from LALC several years ago, some of which remained unspent. Cllr Colehouse suggested contacting the schools to see if a student would take it on as a project.
Cllr Hagues will ask a member of the IT department to contact the Clerk.
10. Correspondence:
a) Request from a parishioner for a footpath from Rauceby Drove to the shop on Grantham Road – A footpath exists but is not direct and on foot takes approx. an extra 7 minutes. Cllr Hagues to put in a request to LCC but commented that he has been trying, unsuccessfully, for a similar path in a different village for several years.
b) Request to make Rauceby Station a request stop – Currently there are four trains a day to Skegness and three to Nottingham. The Clerk to look into this.
c) Letter from LIVES – Thank you letter for the recent donation.
d) Enquiry from a parishioner about the drain smell on Main Street, South Rauceby – This has been an ongoing problem for many years. Currently surface water and sewage flow in the same drain and periodically, usually after a spell of dry weather the odour can be smelt at the lowest part of the village.
11. Update on Outstanding Matters:
a) Position of Post Box, South Rauceby – The Chairman reported that the County Council had resurfaced the footpath on the ramp up to the post box which had improved the general approach. However, location is still an issue. He will write and ask the MP if she will take a look when she visits the village for another matter, the following week.
b) Benches on Church Lane and St Peter’s Close – an offer had been received from Mr F Waite to repair these at cost. All in agreement.
12. Financial Matters: (circulated)
a) Financial report – for approval and signing
Current account - £18,597.35 28/8/2020
b) Cheques for signing / expenditure approval – see table below
i. J Earl – Groundworks £168.00
ii. P Ireland- Salary and expenses £675.74
13. Items of Urgency – None
14. Date of next meeting – The next meeting will be Wednesday, 18th November 2020 on Zoom.
There being no other business the meeting closed at 8.58pm.