May 2025 Minutes
Fulbeck Parish Council
Minutes for Annual Parish Council Meeting held on 8 May 2025 at 7.00 PM
Location: Village Hall, Lincoln Road, Fulbeck, NG32 3JW
MINUTES
Welcome and open the meeting.
- The meeting was reminded that under Standing Order 3.x. the meeting shall not exceed 2 hours and so must conclude by 9pm.
- The meeting was opened at 7.00pm.
25/26/001 Agree the Chair for the forthcoming year.
- Two nominations were received and following a majority vote of 4:3 Cllr Ollie Crowder was RESOLVED as Chair for the current year.
25/26/002 Agree the Vice Chair for the forthcoming year.
- It was RESOLVED by a majority (5:2) that Cllr Rosie Siddans be Vice Chair for the current year
25/26/003 Receive and approve any apologies for absence.
- There were no apologies received.
25/26/004 Receive disclosures of interests from Councillors on matters at this meeting.
- Cllr Alix Fane declared interest in planning item S25/0640.
25/26/005 Suspend Standing Orders for this item to allow for Public Comment and hear reports from County and District Councillors.
- Standing Orders were suspended for this item.
- It was reported that the track leading to the planning application site is only one vehicle wide track, has narrow verges and one verge with large tree roots; there is a risk to ecology; and increased traffic may cause risks to pedestrians.
- Nothing to report from District Councillor Penny Milnes. Ken Bamford is the new County Councillor.
ANNUAL POLICY & PROCESS
25/26/006 Adopt updated Standing Orders.
- It was RESOLVED by a majority (6:1) that the updated Standing Orders be adopted.
25/26/007 Adopt updated Financial Regulations.
- It was RESOLVED by a majority (6:1) that the updated Financial Regulations be adopted.
25/26/008 Review and agree the current asset list.
- It was agreed that the asset list should have the play equipment added (despite it being insured by VH&PF Committee); the Village Hall should be on it (despite it being insured by VH&PF Committee); the memorial at Fulbeck airfield entrance needs to be on it.
- Action: The Clerk to investigate the lease on the Fulbeck airfield lease, terminating in 2026.
- Action: The Clerk to investigate the ownership of the buildings on the Playing Field.
- It was RESOLVED to defer this item to a later meeting.
25/26/009 Review and approve the Risk Management Policy together with the Risk Log.
- Cllr Rosie Siddans offered to assist where relevant on health and safety matters.
- The Clerk reported that the Grounds Maintenance contractor has supplied a Public Liability Insurance certificate.
- Action: Clerk to chase through Cllr Rosie Siddans for a risk assessment from Grounds Maintenance contractor.
25/26/010 Review and agree the current insurance cover and policy renewal.
- Action: The Clerk to seek two further quotes for insurance based on current schedule and bring back to a meeting for approval prior to the deadline of 1st June.
25/26/011 Review and agree the annual subscriptions, contracts, standing orders, and direct debits.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to approve the list as circulated.
25/26/012 Agree the terms of reference, and the members of the staffing committee.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to disband the Staffing Committee.
25/26/013 Approve the recommended Dignity at Work Policy which is aligned to the previously approved Code of Conduct and based on the national template.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to approve the policy as circulated.
25/26/014 Approve the Grant Policy together with the included Grant Application Form.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to adopt the policy as circulated with the address changed to the Village Hall and to remove the bullet point referring to religious organisations.
25/26/015 Approve the Freedom of Information Policy.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to defer this item to a later meeting.
25/26/016 Agree that the policies relating to employment are deferred to a later meeting on the basis that most have been approved over the last year.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to defer this item to a later meeting.
MEETINGS
25/26/017 Approve the confidential Minutes for the Parish Council Staffing Committee meeting held on 5th December 2024.
- It was RESOLVED as a majority (6:1) to approve the minutes as circulated.
25/26/018 Approve the Minutes for the Parish Council meeting held on 9th January 2025.
- It was RESOLVED as a majority (6:1) to approve the minutes as circulated.
25/26/019 Approve the Minutes for the Parish Council meeting held on 23rd January 2025.
- It was RESOLVED as a majority (6:1) to approve the minutes as circulated.
25/26/020 Approve the Minutes for the Parish Council meeting held on 13th March 2025.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to approve the minutes as circulated with the following changes - remove Councillor's initials from item 163; To change wording regarding the provision of the areas to be mown for future tender (last action on item 151) to "Action: Cllr Peter Hughes to provide description of mowing areas for tender for next season.Action: the Clerk to provide Cllr Peter Hughes with any contract information provided by the contractor.".
25/26/021 Agree meeting schedule for the next year.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to agree the meeting dates.
FINANCE
25/26/022 Present and accept the year-end financial reporting for 2024-25.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to accept the presentation of the year-end accounts.
25/26/023 Receive and agree the Internal Audit report and sign-off sheet for 2024-25.
- Feedback was received by Cllr Peter Hughes for the item on the play equipment checking, stating that two members of the VH&PF Committee are qualified to check the equipment as per the RoSPA checklist and it is checked weekly.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to accept the Internal Audit as circulated.
- No further actions were identified.
25/26/024 Approve the External Audit submission for 2024-25, including the Exemption Certificate, Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) reporting requirements, and the Notice to Exercise Public Rights for the viewing of the financial records for the financial year 2024-25 during the period of Tue 3rd June 2025 to Monday 14th July 2025.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to approve the AGAR reports as circulated and the exercise of public rights.
25/26/025 Review the Financial Report for the period.
- The Clerk presented and answered clarifications on the period to date financial position.
25/26/026 Review and approve the Accounts for Payment.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to approve the payments as circulated.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to modify the bank mandate signatures to the new Chair and Vice Chair.
- Action: The Clerk to change the bank mandate.
PLANNING
25/26/027 Review and agree responses to last minute planning applications.S25/0640:
- There appeared to be few details about access to the site, what are the working times of the building work, concerns about how contractors and deliveries will gain access to the site due to the restricted access.
- The tall garage building appears to block daylight from neighbouring properties.
- Any damage to the access lane and Green should be made good immediately after the work is completed.
- There was a query as to whether the tree officer has identified possible impact to major trees and tree roots by construction traffic due to local tree preservation orders and the conservation area.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to respond as: "Fulbeck Parish Council has concerns regarding potential damage to existing trees and the Green by construction traffic and has concerns as to the height of the garage building imposing on neighbouring properties."
GENERAL
25/26/028 Review the Litter Picking contract in relation to grant provided and the recent contract termination.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to defer this item to a later meeting.
25/26/029 Agree £2,500 spend on biodiversity project items, including £419 for wildflower seed; £973 for signage; and £965 for boxes/feeders/hotels previously agreed in principle due to time constraints.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to confirm the previous decision in principle and to approve this spend against the grant awarded.
25/26/030 Agree to the erection of timber bird boxes on Fulbeck Village Greens under the Biodiversity initiative.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to agree the bird box positioning.
REPORTS (for information only)
25/26/031 Update on the Airborne Trail.
- It was reported that the red tulips bred in Holland commemorating battle for Arnhem are now out; the Archaeology findings report has been produced; and that the "Soldiers from the Sky" presentation will be made at the Annual Parish Meeting.
25/26/032 Update on the Village Hall & Playing Fields Committee.
- It was reported that the Car Boot has started with £407 taken; the Dolly Parton concert is sold out; a grant has been submitted for children's playground bark refill; and the AGM is on 2nd Wednesday in June.
25/26/033 Update on domain name provision and email setup.
- It was reported that Councillor emails should have been received on 1st May, with actions to be taken by Councillors, and the contractor has already been found to be very helpful.
25/26/034 Update on Community Speed Watch and Road Safety matters.
- It was reported that sites are being surveyed for use of the speed gun; there has been an enquiry made of LRSP about painting speed limit on the road – the response was that we would need to pay for it.
25/26/035 Update on Biodiversity initiative.
- It was reported oof the Greens and Verges initiative that the funding provided had been spent as previously reported and approved; 200m x 5m verge has been scarified and seeded prior to expected rain (through newly created licence to plant and manage); the visibility splay needs to be maintained as per the licence (cut in October and early next spring); lack of rain has not helped.
- Only four other similar verge projects in Lincolnshire.
- The Churchyard has significant positioning of bug hotels, and wildlife boxes.
- Many thanks to all those who have supported this project and to Cllr Rosie Siddans for delivering this project.
25/26/036 Clerk's Report. - Nothing specific to report that has not already been covered at the meeting.
NEXT MEETING
25/26/037 Consider agenda items for the next meeting on Thursday 10th July 2024 commencing 7.00pm.
- Lease for Sports and Social Club – June 2024.
- Social media report.
- Deferred items.
- Extraordinary meeting called by the Chair for 29th May to cover outstanding items.
CLARIFICATIONS
25/26/038 Discuss and agree actions relating to response and distribution to correspondence.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to defer this item to a later meeting.
25/26/039 Discuss and confirm process for setting agenda.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to defer this item to a later meeting.
25/26/040 Discuss and confirm process for agreeing, recording, and resolving actions.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to defer this item to a later meeting.
25/26/041 Discuss and confirm the relationship between the Parish Council and the Village Hall & Playing Field Committee.
- It was RESOLVED unanimously to defer this item to a later meeting.
Close meeting.
- Thanks were given to the outgoing Chair.
- The meeting closed at 9.47pm.
LEGEND
Cllr - Councillor
LRSP - Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership
VH&PF - Village Hall and Playing Fields