May 2025 Minutes Annual Parish Meeting

Fulbeck Annual Parish Meeting
Held on Thursday 29th May 2025 at 6.45pm at the Village Hall.

Refreshments were available from 6.30pm.

1
Chair's welcome.
The meeting was commenced at 6.38pm.
The Chair warmly welcomed everyone for attending the meeting and extended an invitation to stay for the Extraordinary Parish Council meeting that follows.
There were 29 in attendance.
2
Presentation: "Soldiers from the sky - an airborne heritage trail" Debbie Nicholls, SKDC's Armed Forces and Communications Officer.
A significant heritage presentation was given with in-depth knowledge and history relating to Fulbeck and the surrounding area. Our thanks to Debbie Nicholls.
3
Approve Minutes of Annual Parish Meeting from 15th May 2024.
Approved.
4
Report from Chair of the Parish Council - Cllr Ollie Crowder.
The Chair provided a background to a Parish Council. He explained the voting in of the Chair for the year in the May of each year.
The Chair aimed to be more productive and reduce costs to the community.
5
Report on local biodiversity: Verges and Greens - Cllr Rosie Siddans.
Applied for a grant of £2,500 from SKDC. Achieved a licence to manage the biodiversity of some of the verges to the main road. Purchased wildflower seeds, bird boxes, bee/insect hotels, hedgehog hotels, and bat boxes to be positioned in the most appropriate areas.
6
Report on Road Safety and Community Speed Watch - Cllr Ollie Crowder.
New fluorescent signs and bin stickers. Locations chosen for Community Speed Watch and a call went out for more volunteers. Investigating speed limit to be painted on the road and for the limit area to be extended.
7
Report on the Village Hall and Playing Field - Cllr Peter Hughes.
There is a complex relationship between the Parish Council and the Village Hall and Playing Field (VH&PF) Committee. The latter is a separate charity. The Parish Council purely hold the title deeds for the land and property on behalf of the community. The VH&PF Committee is run primarily by volunteers. Events in the Village Hall have included an art group, mothers and toddlers, Pilates, tai chi, Thursday Club, art exhibition, children’s parties, etc. Thanks to those involved as volunteers and the collections in aid of charity and local concerns to the tune of £1,000. Income is supplemented by the car boot events.
Future projects: direct broadband connection; village fete; safety aspects of play equipment.
AGM is on 5th June 2025 at 7pm in the Village Hall.
A separate report has been provided.
8
Report from the Parochial Church Council - Mr Tony Kingston.
Grateful for support from the Parish Council. Part of a group of 12 churches. Classified as a Community Church. Reach out into the community through provision of bibles to school children. The Church is open every day.
The building requires a detailed inspection every five years and is Grade I listed. Approval is required for any changes, even repairs. The Churchyard comes under similar constraints. A ‘no mow May’ has been adopted to support biodiversity.
The PCC is an Accepted Charity and all members are Trustees and volunteers – the PCC meets four times a year. There are significant policies and procedures that need to be heeded. A Legacy donation is invested to provide an annual income but this does not cover the expenses. 50% of the expenses are toward the building costs, 25% towards the provision of a priest, and 25% for the Churchyard.
9
Report from the Sports & Social Club. – Mr Jeff Hewitt
Highly successful sports facility covering multiple football, cricket teams, pool, and darts. A good venue for social events. The Committee is working hard at making the club as a social facility of choice for the village.
There are an average of 100 users a day for the various facilities provided.
Overall, the Committee is a non-profit organisation that re-invests income into the facilities, mainly through maintenance costs. A significant reserve is held to replace machinery failures and replacement.
Grants in excess of £50,000 have been sought to improve the facilities for visitors including a less-abled toilet. Solar energy is being employed.

The playing field has been in the conservation area since 2014; There is a village cricket match – this fun event was pushed; Hours are being extended driven by demand.
10
Items to be discussed from the floor.

Path on side of main road is overgrown causing pedestrians to have to step into the road; drains overflow which cause a muddy path; reporting on FixMyStreet does not seem to get any action.

A request for volunteers to set-up for the Village Fete; village magazine and Facebook will be the source of information.

There is now a welcome pack for visitors and new residents.

The Beck is in a bad state – a call will be going out to landowners who border the Beck (along the lines of the Riparian rights); also a call to volunteers to assist with the work working in coordination with the relevant landowners; there may be a need to look at the effects on hydrology over a wider area.

Can there be a request for police speed trap. There is not enough accident information to warrant this.

Problems with vehicles parking close to junction with the main road. This should be reported to the Police.

Has there been any contact with the new County Councillor.
11
Close meeting.
The meeting was closed at 8.28pm.