May 2026 OPEN Meeting Minutes
MINUTES of
RAUCEBY PARISH OPEN MEETING
Held at Rauceby Village Hall, Main Street, South Rauceby
20 May 2026
The meeting opened at 7.00pm.
Present: Chairman Mr S Enstone, Cllr J Clarke for NKDC, 7 Parish Councillors, 7 Members of the public, Clerk.
1. Apologies were received from Cllr A Hagues of NKDC, Cllrs M Ireland and J Hoare and Mrs J Waite, a member of the public.
2. Minutes of the last (May 2025) Parish Open Meeting were distributed, approved by those who were present at that meeting and signed by the Chairman.
3. Matters arising from the minutes: None were raised.
4. Reports from visiting representatives were given:
Ms Kimberley Pickett, the Community Resilience Officer of the Lincolnshire Emergency Planning & Business Continuity Service gave a video and slide presentation of the status of the village emergency plan designed by the village CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), the role the village community plays in the plan and gave examples of the types of emergency likely to invoke the plan.
Mrs Sue Clark, President of the Rauceby Women’s Institute, made a short presentation regarding the activities of the WI in the community. There are currently about 26 members, mainly from the village and they are involved in various community events such as school events, Remembrance Day, Christmas market, spring fayre. An invitation was extended to any like-minded women who would like to participate in such activities. The Rauceby WI “does not do posh”.
5. The Chairman gave his report of Parish Council activities since the last Open Meeting which is attached to these minutes.
6. The Financial Report for 2025/26 was distributed but not discussed. No questions were asked. A copy of the report is attached to these minutes.
7. Matters of local interest. None were raised.
8. The meeting was concluded at 7.50pm
Chair’s Report for Year 2025/26
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to present my Annual Report as Chair of Rauceby Parish Council, covering a year in which the Council has again met on six occasions and has dealt with the usual wide range of parish matters, including finance, highways, village assets, planning consultations, safety, and general village business.
This marks the end of my second year as Chair, and I would like to begin by thanking my fellow councillors for their continued support, good humour and willingness to give their time freely for the benefit of the parish, and our Vice-Chair, Mark Ireland for his wise counsel. Parish Councils are small bodies, but they often deal with a surprisingly wide range of issues, and the work is only possible because people are prepared to contribute their time and experience.
One of the most significant matters during the year has been our continued work on traffic speed and road safety. This builds on significant work carried out over previous years and by previous chairs. Speeding through the village has been a long-standing concern, and this year the Council worked with the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership to obtain survey data. That information helped us to identify the most appropriate location for a new speed monitoring device, which has now been installed on Rauceby Drove, just inside the 30 mile-an-hour zone. The device has been funded largely by a Community Infrastructure Levy grant from North Kesteven District Council, and I hope it will provide a useful and visible reminder to drivers entering the village.
Another important development this year has been the work on a Rauceby Emergency Plan. Councillor Geoff Hall has led the development of the Community Emergency Response Team, and good progress has been made. The plan has been drafted, shared with the Lincolnshire Emergency Planning Team, and has now been signed off. The Village Hall has agreed to act as the primary safe haven, with other community facilities being considered as part of the plan. This work will certainly help the parish be better prepared should a serious incident ever arise.
The Council has also continued to maintain and improve village assets. The village entrance sheep signs have been refreshed and look much the better for it. We annually review the condition of Parish Council assets, considered maintenance priorities, and have identified the roof on the bus shelter in Main Street, South Rauceby, as the most significant item now requiring attention. A quotation has been obtained, and we were yesterday informed that we have been successful in securing a £3000 grant towards the cost of the repair, so will aim to complete this work as soon as possible. Work has also continued cleaning the War Memorial, which is being approached carefully and sensitively because of its age and importance. We continue to use the services of Jeff Earle to cut the grass in various locations and keep the bus shelters tidy over the winter months and I would like to thank him for his excellent service which is always looked on positively by parishioners.
Litter has again been a recurring subject. The Council purchased additional litter-picking equipment and a new dog waste bin, and the regular community litter-pick remains an important village activity for which I would again like to thank Councillor Gillian Enstone for organising. Unfortunately, the autumn litter-pick had to be cancelled because of bad weather, but another was arranged for March. The Council is now discussing whether an anti-litter campaign or additional signs would be useful. I would like to take the opportunity thank everyone who gives up time to help keep the village tidy.
There has also been important administrative and financial work during the year. The Council reviewed and adopted updated Standing Orders and Financial Regulations, reviewed its policies and procedures, and completed the annual governance and accounting returns. The Council also introduced online banking arrangements, while retaining proper controls over authorisation of payments.
The Parish Council is funded via an annual precept, which for the 2025/26 financial year was £6344. Administrative costs including salaries, insurances and hire of facilities amounted to 59% of the budget, with 20% allocated to general village maintenance such as grass cutting. The remaining budget was allocated to specific maintenance of parish assets and capital such as litter picking equipment. The precept for the coming year was set at a modest 3% increase to account for inflation.
We have continued to respond to planning consultations when required, but the Council's role is to comment on planning matters in the public interest rather than to determine them. I will not go into the details of individual applications this evening, but I would like to thank those councillors who have helped with the planning sub-committee's work during the year.
The Council has also kept in contact with our District and County Councillors, and I thank Andrew Hagues, Jim Clarke and Richard Wright for their time, advice and ongoing support. We have particularly valued updates on local government reorganisation, council budgets, highways matters, waste collection and other district and county issues affecting the parish.
Finally, I would like to thank our Parish Clerk, Ian Grady, for his continued professionalism, attention to detail and guidance throughout the year. The range of work involved in administering even a small Parish Council should not be underestimated, and we are very grateful for the care and diligence he brings to the role.
Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes my report for the year.
Rauceby Parish Council
