2025 Minutes

THESE ARE DRAFT NOTES OF THE MEETING AND WILL BE RATIFIED AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING

DRAFT Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 6 October 2025 at 7.30pm at North Thoresby Village Hall, The Square, North Thoresby, DN36 5QL

Present:                              Chair                                Cllr Colin Goodwin

                                                                                      Cllr Emily Bakes

                                                                                      Cllr Paul Rickett (appointed)

                                                                                      Cllr Terry Aldridge (appointed)

Also Present:                    Acting Clerk                   Mrs Binal Sawjani

                                             Members of Public      15

                                             District/County             Cllr Terry Aldridge

                                             Apologises:                    Cllr Keith Butters (accepted)

Item 0725/28 Welcome to the meeting: Chair opened meeting at 18.59 and welcomed councillors, public and district councillor. Council.

Meeting opened to the public:

• Parishioner asked about the drainage report that was undertaken by Lincolnshire County Council for the  investigation (S19-979) following flooding in January this year. Could the council make this available. Also let the private homeowners know to check their drains to ensure that homes are not at risk of flooding. Council proposed to make the report available and to do a Facebook post and poster for the noticeboard. Seconded and RESOLVED
• Parishioner asked for the update on the Bridge chair explained that it is on the agenda
• Parishioner asked about the flagpole and knows that this is on the agenda but wanted to ensure that there is a flagpole policy which would cover when it flown.

Public Session 7 mins

Item 0725/29 To receive declarations of interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011 and to consider any requests for dispensations: None

Item 0725/30 Apologies for absence: Apologise received for Cllr Keith Butters and accepted

Item 0725/31 To approve the draft notes as minutes of the last meeting held on the 3 September 2025: RESOLVED to adopt and sign the notes as accurate minutes. They were dated and signed by the Chair.

Chair invited Cllr Alridge to speak

1. Spoke about the planning meeting has the role of vice chair and would be happy to share the agenda with council

Chair invited Cllr Ricketts to speak:

Nothing to report

Item 0725/32 Chair’s Report:

1. Phone box in the village needs to be repaired. BT has been informed and will be repainted and refurbished in the summer.
2. Chair has tried on numerous occasion to call Stagecoach regarding the village bus but has not been successful and will defer to the next meeting
3. Energy suppliers – electricity in the village toilets changed suppliers to Your Energy from £1,040 to £36.00. Chair would like to propose we accept the three year deal rather than two years this was seconded and RESOLVED
4. Chair proposed to seek permission to speak to the local Children home on Church Lane on behalf of some parishioners that complained about children being a nuisance and unsupervised. This was seconded and RESOLVED report back next meeting.
5. Park inspection has been carried out on the play park and there4 are some minor repairs need to be completed this was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED
6. Solar panel public meeting on 14 October and 21 October. Chair would like to propose use of village hall for a meeting if necessary seconded and RESOLVED
7. Chair would like to extend his condolences to the Cooper family on the passing away of Dave Cooper and propose a plaque for the memorial garden seconded and RESOLVED.

Item 0725/33 Training:  Training available to all Staff and elected Members and clerk recommends councillors to view training schedule. Clerk explained that we had not paid into the training schedule for the current financial year and was to advise for next meeting if this is necessary. Proposed, seconded and RESOLVED.

Chair invited Cllr Alridge to speak: 19.04

• Will be attending the planning meeting on behalf of his ward in September

Chair asked if Cllr Ricketts had any comments: 19.04

• No comments – explained that this is a time for training for the councillors

Item 0725/34 Parish Councillors Reports: None

Item 0725/35 Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) 2024/25: Forms: Internal audit complete and forms need to be signed and sent to the external auditors. It was RESOLVED to adopt and forms signed by chair and clerk/RFO. Sent to the external auditor 4 September 2025. Internal auditor has recommended and interim audit to ensure council meets AGAR deadlines 2025/26. Clerk proposed we used the same auditor from LALC proposed, seconded and RESOLVED.

Item 0725/36 Parish Matters To receive updates from in respect of:

1. BT Phone box in the village square - Chair asked to register phone box with historic England so BT cannot remove it this was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED
2. Update on grant applications - Grant application on behalf of North Thoresby  Community Events Association (NTCEA)  – Chair of the association was invited to speak regarding the extensive project. Phase one community groups website to help promote local businesses with computers and touch screen. Screen will give village information. Computer are available for parishioners use.

Phase two located around the village in 10 planters to give information

Phases three is an upgrade to the village archive to make it accessible to the villagers.

Phase four is framed artwork of archive photos around the village in public spaces

Project will be circa. £18,000 and proposal is that it will be fully funded with a grant that needs a letter of support from the parish it was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED that the chair could support the application.

3. Children Ninja trial  – The Ninja trail grant application has been submitted.  and the deeds for the land states that the land will be used for the purposes of a playing field children’s playground and recreation ground. Cllr read out a statement.

19.35 Cllr Ricketts left the room – meeting paused

19.41 Cllr Rickett returned

The Mapletoft Trust deed will be published on website. This was seconded and RESOLVED.

4. Community room update – work has started on  this project and council will update parishioners at each meeting.
5. Flag pole – proposed that this would be installed in the memorial garden, 6m tall in fibre glass with internal ropes for budget of £500. Chair is keen to erect this by Remembrance Day. Proposed, seconded and RESOLVED.
6. Bridge over Blackleg Drain – the bridge circa £10,000 including installation. The chair requested volunteers to helped with project as this will bring down the cost significantly  . Chair has received permission form one landowner and is seeking permission from second. Chair stressed that this project will only be successful with community support.
7. Village Hall matters
   1. Booking system – chair proposed a software system Hallmaster, to help with bookings. This will enable an efficient way to run the hall bookings. The costs is £264 includes VAT per annum this was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED.
   2. Trees pruning and pollarding of trees at village hall and memorial garden – the pruning of the tress is a task that needs to be undertaken. The survey cost is £400. The chair has been in touch with tree surgeon and will report back at the next meeting. Proposed, seconded and RESOLVED
   3. Play Park Annual inspection – covered in the chairs report
   4. ZK Electrical Services  - chair would like to ratify PAT testing at £425 proposed, seconded and RESOLVED
8. Remembrance Day – 9 November 2025 chair asked for two wreaths at £100 with refreshment after the service and laying the wreath. Proposed, seconded and RESOLVED. Chair also asked for volunteers to help tidy memorial garden and pathway.
9. AGAR Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) 2024/25 – AGAR has been sent and acknowledged with the signed internal report shared with council and will be published.
10. Cyden homes
    1. Street names for the Beanlands development – clerk shared with the council Owl Moor Grove, Poppyhead Close, Morgan Close, Askew Close, Fengate Road, Pinfold Close, Beanlands Lane, George Crescent, Micklemire Gardens and Bluestone Avenue. All street name have been approved. Names proposed, seconded and RESOLVED.
    2. Update on the development – we will have an update from Cyden Homes every meeting we will publicise this as a news piece and take comments from the public. Update from Cyden Homes:

• We have spoken to the Roads and Sewers (R&S) contractor Daniel Charles (DC’s) for an update on Programme They have finished the Attenuation Basin or Lagoon. The Foul Drainage wet well has been formed and the Pumpstation is the be completed this coming month. The aim is to move away from the boundary with Highfield Road and into the site

Main Programme

• Roads and Sewers (R&S) on site ongoing until early 2026 before Cyden start on plot works
• Phase 1 road only and pumping station on current scope of works
• Off-site works (S278 Works)– Awaiting for approved point of connection from North Power Grid (NPG), info has been submitted to LCC Highways for road space booking for off-site works
• However, we are waiting for HV cable Point of Connection (POC) approval to ensure that the work is collaborative under a Single permit, so as to reduce disruption to existing Ludborough Road (obviously don’t want to do the off-site works and then dig it up again to install the HV cables)  
• Drainage connections and water POC will also be under the same scope of works once approved, application for water POC has also been submitted by IUS (Utility service) who are carrying out the on and off site multi utility works.
• DC’s to complete all on-site roads and off-site S278 works

The 278 work will include

• The off-site HV will be installed up to approved POC, water connection to existing Anglian Water main to be made, sewer connections to be made and then S278 works will follow on by DC’s – all under the same permit.
• Anticipating this work to be in January 2026 now because we don’t want to have road closures/traffic management in place over Christmas but this gives us time to get everything in place and reduce disruption.

Chair of the NTCEA wanted to extend his thanks to Cyden for allowing the society to undertake a archeological dig in the area where roman pottery was found.

11. Highways – flooding on Station Road ot be reported to fix my street. Clerk to provide details for noticeboard and website so that parishioners can report this to Highways
12. Emergency Plan –defer to next meeting
13. Christmas Tree – proposed that we plant tree earlier for next year, seconded and RESOLVED
14. Grass cutting LCC Parish Agreement Scheme – opens to be signed defer to next meeting.

Item 0725/37 Correspondence: To receive and dispose of correspondence received since the last meeting:

• Email from Warm Welcome event to help warm places make there spaces better. Online event is 21 October at 7pm. Proposed, seconded and RESOLVED
• Matters regarding the Freedom of Information request has been sent are ongoing and the council is taking advise. The internal review was undertaken and the outcome will be sent to the individual.
• AGAR 2023/24 is still outstanding
• AGAR 2024/25 submitted with initial confirmation, posted and is awaiting the 20 October deadline after which we should receive full signoff. Public have been exercising their right to view parish accounts and clerk has meet with all appointments.
• Sumup card have asked to be renew discussed if we needed the card proposed, that we had not used it and clerk to close the account seconded and RESOLVED.
• History circular will be a permanent News feature on the parish website
• Received Mapletoft playing field tenancy agreement as per discussions in the meeting and will publish for the parishioners pursual
• North Ray solar have sent the public meeting dates as per discussions in the meeting
• The parish is named as a beneficiary in a will of one of our parishioners that has sadly passed away – clerk to make contact and report back next meeting.

Item 0725/38 Dates of next meetings: To note the date of the next meeting: 1 December 2025 at 7pm

Item 0725/39 Financial matters:

1. To note bank balances on bank statements as on September 2025 -£47,011.48
2. To note income – Hall Hire £929.00 Second payment of percept £19,000
3. To authorise the signing of orders for payment for previous months

Meeting ended 21.26