2020 February
WEST DEEPING PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2020
PRESENT:
Parish Council: Cllr Colin Blagrove – Chair; Cllr Maggie Ashcroft; Cllr Sue Latham; Cllr Stephen Snell; Cllr David Ward; Mr Ian Coles – Clerk
Mrs Nicky Bowling, Mr Paul Bragg, Ms Anne Davison, Mr Andy Hunter, Mrs Alison Ireland, Mr Peter Ireland, Mrs Melanie James, Mr Jim Mooney, Mr Matthew Moore (Customer Liaison Manager, Anglian Water), Mrs Moira Small, Mr Iain Stowe, Mrs Jean Stowe, Mrs June Thomas, Ms Anna Thompson, Mrs Rachel Wild
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Cllr Ashley Baxter, Ms Anne-Marie Coulthard, Head of Environmental, South Kesteven District Council, Cllr Rosemary Trollope-Bellew
2. OPEN FORUM Mrs June Thomas mentioned that there is a problem with the surface of Back Lane, which runs parallel with King Street along the back of properties between the Boaty and the cemetery, which has been caused by the constant use of it from Anglian Water tankers. There was also a question as to the permission Anglian Water has for accessing this area and Matthew Moore confirmed that he will investigate this so that ownership and right of way can be clarified. Cllr David Ward mentioned that Paul Geeves, Breedon had agreed to supply more gravel to this area which will alleviate the problem of potholes and provide a better surface. Several residents requested that they would like us to have a Christmas tree in the village this year. Whilst we have been fortunate in previous years that this has been supplied to us free of charge, it was agreed that we will purchase one, if necessary.
3. DECLARATION OF INTERESTS None
4. MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 18 NOVEMBER 2019 The minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2019, previously circulated, were agreed unanimously as a correct record. They were proposed by Cllr Maggie Ashcroft, seconded by Cllr Stephen Snell and signed by the Chairperson.
5. ACTIONS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES NOT ON THE AGENDA Cllr Maggie Ashcroft and Mr Ian Coles will liaise regarding the purchase of additional dog bin bags and Cllr Stephen Snell and Mr Ian Coles will liaise regarding risk assessments for tasks carried out by residents on behalf of the Parish Council. Mr Ian Coles confirmed that all the documentation that was agreed at the last Meeting is now available to view on our website.
6. REPORTS FROM OUTSIDE THE PARISH COUNCIL Mr Ian Coles confirmed that a report had been received from PCSO Rowena Everitt confirming that the priorities during this quarter were tackling groups of youths, adults causing a nuisance and cyclists riding with no lights. There are also reports of hare coursing and break ins and thefts although no offences have been reported in our village.
7. SEWAGE PROBLEMS The Chair introduced the topic of residents’ concerns about the sewage problems in the village by summarising the investigation by AW as reported at the parish council meeting in April 2019. Reflecting residents’ concerns, the Chair stated that problems in particular in recent months had been unpleasant and stressful.
The Chair invited residents to summarise their concerns, then for Matthew to offer comments for residents to ask questions of clarification. Resident’s Concerns and Questions With additional input from residents present at the Meeting, Alison Ireland provided an extensive summary of the problems that the village has had to endure over many years. More recently, these concern the noise of the tanker which has been present in the village since November, particularly at night / early morning, odour, blockages, contamination and overflow which is present both inside and outside of residents properties and effluent present in gardens.
A discussion took place regarding the possibility of using a bigger pump in the system. There were mixed views on the likely benefits, or otherwise, of doing so. Matthew Moore confirmed that the existing pump is sufficient to deal with foul water at all times and that the problems occur when ground water enters the system. This is exacerbated by the nearby quarries and extreme weather. A resident asked if Anglian Water could investigate the possibility of inserting a link pipe connected to our system in the village so that sewage coming from Barholm and Tallington Lakes bypasses West Deeping and goes straight down to Market Deeping. Another resident mentioned that she has contacted John Hayes, our local MP, to raise her concerns on the problem and has asked for his intervention into how we might solve or improve the issue for us in the future.
AW Response Matthew Moore, Customer Liaison Manager of Anglian Water, attended the Meeting and in response to questions from residents stated the following:-
a) Anglian Water undertakes regular flow and pressure monitoring to identify issues and areas which are most affected.
b) There are small holes in the sewer system which allows ground water to enter when there is excessive rainfall.
c) Misconnections as a result of building work which is undertaken can also aggravate the problem as many 'deposits' find their way into the sewer system.
d) Our sewage system is connected to Tallington Lakes but our own system still pumps out water.
e) Whilst the development of additional properties will result in greater strain on the system, Anglian Water is not allowed to prevent them from accessing it.
f) Anglian Water's priority is to try and prevent ingress into resident's properties and will act immediately on report of internal flooding.
Matthew urged customers to submit complaints on their helpline - 03457 145145. Matthew Moore agreed to meet with his directors (who were taking interest in the meeting this evening) to discuss this matter further and to try and find an acceptable solution for the long term. Details of current flow levels and how they compare with the levels in the past were requested so that we can ascertain whether or not the addition of homes in Tallington Lakes in recent years has caused the problem that we are now experiencing.
Summary of Action Points for Anglian Water
1) To confirm whether or not a bigger pump would be beneficial in helping to solve the problem.
2) To investigate installing an additional pipe(s) to allow our system to be bypassed so that sewage from Barholm and Tallington Lakes goes directly to Market Deeping.
3) To provide details of current and historic flow levels so that we know the extent to which continued development at Tallington Lakes has added to our current problems.
4) To update us on the outcome of discussions and meetings with directors about this issue and to keep us regularly informed.
Our next Parish Council Meeting takes place on Wednesday 13th May 2020 and it would be helpful if our residents can be provided with further information at this time. The Chair summarised the wide-ranging discussion by stating that it was unacceptable in this day and age to expect residents to put up with such unpleasantness and inconvenience without a clear understanding of the cause or what AW was doing about it to provide adequate sewage services to the village. The Chair thanked Matthew for his participation, frankness and offer to follow-up and provide feedback to the parish council. The Chair also thanked Mrs Alison Ireland for taking the initiative to encourage residents to report concerns to AW and share information. All residents are strongly encouraged to report future sewage problems to AW on their helpline number - 03457 145145 so that these can be investigated directly. The Chair also acknowledged the support from Cllr Ashley Baxter since the last meeting in liaison with AW.
8. POTHOLES Mrs Ruth Hutchinson had previously contacted us to express her dissatisfaction with the potholes at the entrance to the Boaty near her home. She has reported this to Highways at Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) but they have not dealt with this. Mr Ian Coles confirmed that he had contacted them on her behalf and they had agreed to send someone to look at this. Independently, Cllr David Ward discussed the problem with Paul Geeves at Breedon who agreed to put down gravel to fill them in. Whilst this may not resolve this over the long term, councillors agreed that this was the cheapest practical solution. Cllr David Ward will confirm to Mr Ian Coles when this has been done and he will contact both Paul Geeves to thank him for his assistance and also Highways at LCC to let them know that this has been done. The Chair reminded councillors that, in general, it was good practice and common courtesy when taking action on behalf of the Parish Council to consult with fellow councillors. Cllr Ward replied in strongly worded terms that such an approach was bureaucratic and ineffectual. The Chair commented that it was not the action that Cllr Ward had taken in this recent case that was the issue but the fact that other councillors had not been consulted which, contrary to Cllr Ward’s views, need not cause any administrative delay.
9. HIGHWAYS AND FOOTPATHS Following discussions at previous meetings, Cllr Colin Blagrove confirmed that he had spoken to Graeme Butler at Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP) again regarding the A1175 junction with King Street. Our present concerns are the damage to signage and lighting following previous accidents and he will come back to us and advise on this as soon as possible. Cllr Sue Latham also mentioned that she believes that the reactive speed at the junction has been set at a lower level which we requested at a meeting with Graeme in October 2019. Mr David Ward advised that a meeting is being held in the Village Hall at 6.30 p.m. on Friday 13th March 2020, independently of the Parish Council, to discuss this junction and that all residents will be invited to attend and provide their views on how safety could be improved. Cllr Ashcroft raised the observation that Cllr Ward had replied to an email addressed to all parish councillors about an accident at the King Street junction expressing his personal views but not those of the Parish Council. The Chair reminded councillors that, if they are expressing a personal view on Parish Council matters, they should ensure that they make that clear and that the Parish Clerk is kept informed of all correspondence. A resident had mentioned to Cllr Colin Blagrove that turning onto The Lane in the village can be hazardous and that the installation of mirrors may improve this. He contacted Graeme Butler of LRSP for his thoughts on this but Graeme felt this could create additional problems by motorists misjudging speed and distance. Consequently, no further action will be taken at present. Initials: Page 4 of 5 Mr Ian Coles contacted the Footpaths Officer at LCC regarding the footpath to Tallington which still needs attention. The Definitive Map Team is dealing with this and has met with Network Rail but they require technical information from them before taking this matter further. Mr Ian Coles confirmed that Public Footpath No 8 had been cleared of debris after a resident, Charlie Mason, reported problems near his property.
10. CEMETERIES We have previously been provided with two quotations to cut back the sycamore tree at the front of the cemetery, prune certain yew trees and for 6 – 8 lime trees to be topped at a total cost of around £2,000 - £2,500. It was agreed that this will be reviewed during the year with consideration to the work being carried out in Autumn / Winter 2020. Cllr Colin Blagrove has previously raised the issue of the church wall which needs to be repaired for which we have obtained 3 quotations from separate sources for consideration. The most competitive one received is from Helpston Masonry who has quoted £2,810 for repairing both sides of the main entrance and £1,730 for work on the wall to the west of the side gate. There is the possibility of grant funding and Cllr Colin Blagrove confirmed that he has made an application for Church of England approval on behalf of the Parish Council. This is also a prerequisite for grant applications. He also had a meeting with Invest SK on this matter but they have no funds available at present. Mr Iain Stowe mentioned that Tesco do provide grants for projects of this nature and he will let Mr Ian Coles have further details of this for investigation. The metal gate at the entrance to the cemetery is in need of repair along with repair and maintenance to the fence. Mr Ian Coles contacted Mr Paul Scoats about this but suggested that it would be preferable if Mr Dick Latham could deal with it. Consequently, Cllr Sue Latham will pursue this to see if a quotation can be provided so that, as a minimum, visitors to the cemetery do not encounter any health and safety issues. Mr Ian Coles advised that he has confirmed details of available plots to the Valuation Office Agency regarding the future re-rating of the cemetery, after liaising with Cllr Sue Latham.
11. GARY’S GARDENS Mr Ian Coles confirmed that Gary’s Gardens had advised that the long grass in the Tinsley Field should now have been cut. There was some doubt as to whether or not this was the case but we will shortly be liaising with Gary on work for 2020 so this will be dealt with in due course if it has not already been attended to.
12. PLANNING There have been two applications since the last meeting:-
S19/1988 – A proposed extension to 40 King Street for which councillors had no comments or objections.
PL/0177/19 – Varying of planning permission by Cemex for new method of working for which councillors had no comments or objections.
Planning permission for both of these applications has now been granted by SKDC / LCC respectively.
13. FINANCE The bank balances in our current and deposit accounts are £443 and £5,945 respectively. Since the last meeting, we have received £100 from Anglian Water for use of the Boaty, £3 in bank interest and £220 from WD Charities in respect of maintenance of the Tinsley Field. We have paid £44 for our annual membership of the Society of Local Council Clerks and £250 for clerk fees. Mr Ian Coles had prepared a budget for 2020/21 which had been provided to councillors prior to the Meeting for consideration. This was approved by all councillors although Cllr Maggie Ashcroft queried the allowance of £150 for hire of the village hall. This was discussed and Mr Iain Stowe, of the Village Hall Committee, advised that he would check when the Parish Council would be invoiced for its use and advise Mr Ian Coles of the position. In the past, no charges have been levied as the Parish Council had paid for the grass cutting at the village hall but this arrangement is now to be changed. A budget projection up to 2024/25 had also been produced by Mr Ian Coles so that councillors could consider how the large capital expenditure we expect to incur in both the cemetery and the churchyard could be met.
14. CORRESPONDENCE TO BE NOTED Mr Ian Coles advised that he had received an e-mail from LCC to advise that there will shortly be an upgrade to both theirs and parish council websites. Training courses are being arranged so that we are informed of the changes and Cllr Maggie Ashcroft will be attending one at Uffington Village Hall on Tuesday 7th April 2020.
15. ANY OTHER BUSINESS Cllr Maggie Ashcroft advised that she had recently attended a Quarry Liaison Meeting which confirmed that a planning application will shortly be submitted on land between West Deeping and Molecey Mill, south of the A1175. Before the application is made, we have the opportunity to put forward suggestions as to how this should be restored once minerals have been extracted in due course and it was agreed that this should be put on the agenda for the next Parish Council Meeting. 1
6. MEETING DATES IN 2020 The next Meeting will be our Annual Parish Council Meeting and will be held on Wednesday 13th May 2020, starting at 7.30 p.m. This will be preceded by the Annual Parish Meeting starting at 7p.m.
The remaining Meeting dates for 2020 are as follows:- Wednesday 22nd July Wednesday 23rd September Wednesday 18th November (changed from Wednesday 25th November) There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.57 p.m.