2023 Rauceby PC Minutes of Meetings

Minutes
Rauceby Parish Council
email: raucebypc@gmail.com, website: https://rauceby.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk
Minutes from the Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday, 5 July 2023 at 7.30 pm at the Village Hall, South Rauceby. 

Present:      Cllr M Ireland (in the Chair), Cllrs J Malloch, G Hall, S Enstone, G Enstone, B Balderston, P Ireland; Cllrs J Clarke and A Hagues of NKDC and the Clerk, Mr I Grady. 

Public speaking time: There were no members of the public present. 
1. Apologies for absence: Apologies were received from Cllrs J Hoare and M Froggatt.
2. To receive any Declarations of Interest: None were received.
3. To decide on any items to be carried out in Closed Session: None required. 
4. To approve as a correct record the notes of the meetings held on 17 May 2023: Unanimously approved; the Chairman signed the minutes. 
5. Rauceby Gigabit Project: An update was given by Cllr S Enstone. In early June an open meeting was held in the village hall which was well supported by the village. Since that time Openreach have been finalising the planning phase of the project and some advanced work had commenced on the installation of the fibre cables in the village.
Cllr S Enstone was thanked for his sterling work in seeing this project through to this stage.
6. Reports from Visiting Representatives and Police Matters if any: 
NKDC – Cllr Hagues referred the meeting to an emailed newsletter he had previously circulated. 
LCC – Nothing to report. 
Police – Nothing to report. 
7. Planning Applications Received from NKDC (This may include plans received since the agenda was circulated):
i. 23/0484/FUL | Proposed extension to and change of use of existing garage to cattery | 72 Main Street South Rauceby Sleaford Lincolnshire NG34 8QQ. Objection submitted by full Parish Council by majority 5:1. 
ii. 23/0414/HOUS (Amended) | Erection of single storey extension | Ermine Street Farm High Dike Byard's Leap Cranwell Lincolnshire No Objections by Planning Sub-Committee of Rauceby Parish Council. 
iii. 23/0414/HOUS | Erection of single storey extension | Ermine Street Farm, High Dike, Byard's Leap, Cranwell, Lincolnshire. No Objections by Planning Sub-Committee of Rauceby Parish Council. 
Plans decided by NKDC since the last meeting
iv. 23/0646/TCA | T1 Viburnum - Reduction in height to 12ft from approximately 25ft T2 Cherry - Fell | 63 Main Street South Rauceby Sleaford Lincolnshire NG34 8QQ No Objections by Planning Sub-Committee of Rauceby Parish Council. Decided by NKDC; TPO not issued.
v. 23/0615/TCA | Remove pollarded Willow trunk and dying Dawn Redwood | Applegarth 28 Main Street North Rauceby Sleaford Lincolnshire NG34 8QP. No submission made as Tree Officer stated no input was required by Council for this instance of a safety issue. Decided by NKDC; TPO not issued.
vi. 23/0349/HOUS | Garage extension and alterations including new gable roof and solar panels. | 17 Southgate Spinneys, South Rauceby, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 8QF. No Objections by Planning Sub-Committee of Rauceby Parish Council. Approved by NKDC.
8. Matters Arising and New Business Notified to Clerk prior to meeting
i. Matters Arising from the May Open Meeting. The rewilding of verges and spare grassland has been raised with the Rauceby Foundation and they are in agreement with the proposal regarding the patch of land owned by the Foundation along Main Street, near Rauceby Drove.
Cllr Wright of LCC has not yet responded to the request for information about the ownership of the Rauceby Drove-to-Sleaford Road verge. This is not critical as the information will be stored until it is decided that the rewilding project can expand.
ii. Neighbourhood Plan. After considering the presentation given at the last meeting by NKDC the Council decided that the benefit of such a plan for the village would not be worth the effort required to generate the plan. So therefore the Parish Council will not be taking the lead on this project. No parishioner has indicated any interest in a Neighbourhood Plan to this point but if any other bodies or individuals wish to do so, the Council will be able to give whatever support it is able. 
Action Jul (1): Clerk to notify NKDC of its decision.
iii. Tree Works Planning Applications. In item 7(v) above the Council was informed by the Tree Officer that an input was not required as the decision to act on the application had already been made, apparently for safety reasons. 
iv. Safety Audit follow-up. The safety audit carried out by the Chairman before the last meeting highlighted a couple of potential hazards that should be addressed as part of an action plan to remove the hazard. The only serious hazard (a rotten bench) has already been removed, but there are a few situations that whilst they are OK now, they will deteriorate in the foreseeable future.
Action Jul (2): Chairman to propose an action plan to resolve certain safety issues.
v. Village Litter Pick. The successful litter pick carried out by volunteers in May is to be repeated. A date in early October (Saturday 7th) has been proposed. Cllr G Enstone has volunteered to organise and the Clerk will ask LCC for a supply of litter picking equipment which has been recently offered.
Action Jul (3): Cllr G Enstone to organise event
Action Jul (4): Clerk to arrange a supply of equipment
vi. Rauceby Drove flooding. An email from Mr D Spurrier of the Rauceby Estate explains that he will be able to carry out work to alleviate the periodic flooding problems on Rauceby Drove.
Action Jul (5): Clerk to write to Mr Spurrier supporting his efforts.
vii. Primary School Car Parking. In the same email Mr Spurrier explains he has had little success in getting planning permission to provide extra, off-road, car parking at the Primary School. The Parish Council believes that safety of children and parents at dropping off/collecting times is compromised because of the congestion the street parking causes. 
It was proposed that the Chairman meet with Mr Spurrier to formulate an action plan regarding the parking issues at the school.
Action Jul (6): Clerk to write to Mr Spurrier supporting his efforts. 
9. Update on Outstanding Matters 
i. Actions from the last meeting: 

Further information
May (4): Rauceby estate management have taken note of and will accommodate our concerns about visibility through the repaired hedge.
May (5): It appears that the telephone kiosk belongs to the Heartbeat Foundation, not BT. The council has reiterated that it does not wish to take ownership of the kiosk, but that it should be restored to a good level of safety and appearance.
Action Jul (7): Clerk to write to the Heartbeat Foundation to remind them of their ownership duties regarding the safety of the kiosk in respect of its accessibility to the public. 
May (7): the caked footpath has still not been cleaned. However foot traffic over the last few weeks has worn away the mulch so that the path is safe to walk on. However it was pointed out this is an annual effect and that for several months a year there is a definite slipping hazard. Cllr Clarke explained that there was a 6 weekly schedule for a road sweeper to clean gutters. It appears that the footpaths are not included in this schedule.
Action Jul (8): Clerk to write Ms. N Camm at NKDC who can advise on this matter. 
10. Financial report – for approval and signing
i. The financial report was approved and signed off by the Chairman.
The Current account stands at £20,684.61 on 26 May 2023.
ii. This month’s payments were approved and cheques signed:
* HMRC (PAYE clerk)
* Village Hall hire
* I Grady fees (2 months) and expenses (paper)
* D Elmes (Installation of Coronation Bench)
* Hoppers Jewellers (presentation for departing long service councillors)
iii. A correction to the previously reported S.137 expenditure for the last financial year was declared. The actual expenditure was £20 (for the Remembrance Day Wreath), not £1687 as reported. This was not a significant error as the allowance was far in excess of the amount originally reported. 
11. Any Other Business:  Any matters which have arisen after the agenda was published. 
Two councillors, R Enstone and S Waite, have stood down from the council after many years of service. It was agreed to make a presentation to these former members in honour of their achievements.
12. Date of Next Meeting: The meeting closed at 20h45. The next regular meeting will be held on Wednesday, 20 September 2023 at the Rauceby Village Hall starting at 19h30.

Matters which have been raised in meetings and which may be considered further at a future date:
* Flooding and drainage at the junction of Rauceby Drove and A153 (Lincolnshire Highways are aware of this issue and have it on a long term planning strategy.)
* South Rauceby Well refurbishment: deferred until more appropriate.
* Rewilding of Rauceby Drove verge: deferred until results of pilot study on the land by Main Street have been evaluated.