2021 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

 Minutes of the Dunston Parish Council Meeting

Held on Monday 7 June 2021.

PRESENT: P.Cllrs R. McLuckie (RM)(Chair), P. Moore (PM)(Vice Chair), L. Phillipson (LP), P. Duncan (PD), G. Armstrong (GA), R. Churchwood (RC), Clerk R. Boden (RB) and guests P. Donnelly (Lincolnshire Rivers Trust) and David Hutchinson (Environment Agency).

1. Apologies. C. Cllr R. Kendrick, D. Cllr N. Brant, D. Cllr L. Pearson and Cllr W Haggerty

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST: None.

3. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES: The minutes were held to be a true and accurate record for the previous meeting held on the 3 May 2021.

4. DUNSTON BECK HABITAT:

Paige Donnelly from Lincolnshire Rivers Trust and David Hutchinson (Catchment Co-ordinator) from the Environmental Agency attended to give an overview. Money has been held by the Parish Council for a number of years in a separate account. It was originally given from the EA as a partnership grant to create environment enhancement along Dunston Beck.

DH has recently been working with Beeswax as the Project Officer recreating a better environment and will be introducing flood plains further downstream towards Cardyke to join up as part of their habitat project.

They would like to run a community led project at a couple of points in the village that would provide a better sloping edging with various natural plants and pools, encouraging wildlife. They have recently led projects in Welton, Nettleham and Scopwick.

RM pointed out that with all the new houses being built on the outskirts of Metheringham the run off water will end up in Dunston Beck creating a greater of flooding.

It was decided that PD would write an article for The Limespring Hundred and an Event Day providing Information boards would be looked into. This may go hand in hand with the annual duck race. The home owners that border the beck would be kept informed.

PD and DH would look into further ideas and ways to move forward to work with the community. PD to liaise with Matt Parr regarding funding and RB to contact The Twinning Association regarding the date for the duck race. 193/21

PD and DH then left the meeting

5. REPORTS:

COUNTY COUNCILLOR R. Kendrick

• See attached report 210/21

DISTRICT COUNCILLOR Laura Pearson

• See attached report 194/21

6. DUNSTON PC REQUIREMENTS:

a.CHAIRMAN’S REPORT, Russ McLuckie:

RM reported that it was good to be back having face to face meetings. The benches have been completed and there have been many complementary remarks and are very much appreciated by the villagers. The financial audit is very near completion and will make the deadline for PKF Littlejohn at the end of the month. 195/21

b.CLERK’S REPORT, Rowena Boden:

The reclaimed VAT of £3,021.68 has been deposited into the bank account and the credit held by WAVE is being chased. All staff payments and P60’s have been finalised with HMRC and a reference number given for auditing purposes. 196/21

7.HIGHWAYS:

The condition of Front Street has already been reported on Fix my Street due to the clerk receiving a complaint from a resident. PD has also reported a pothole outside his home and has counted 23 other problems one this section of road since the resurfacing. ACTION: RB to report the problems again and collate answers then hand back to RK.

The potholes along Back Lane are getting bigger, especially around the section where the water has been running across the road. ACTION: RB to report and chase. 197/21

SPEED GATES

ACTION: RC and RB to work together to look at the best places of the gates and find prices of gates. Bring to next meeting. 198/21

8.PLANNING:

Application: 21/0853/TCA – Tree Works, The Old Vicarage Dunton. Approved. 199/21

Planning Appeal: 19/1482/OUT- Demolition of Potato Store. No update at present. Due to Covid planning decisions are at present about 18 weeks. 200/21

9.ENVIRONMENT ISSUES:

a. Blocked Culvert Back Lane – It has been found that Beeswax own the ditch and it has now been cleared. Any further issues can be reported back to Paul Carrot. 201/21

b. Glendale- grass maintenance – LCC cut the three areas of grass outside the village church at the beginning of May but due to the amount of rain and sun the grass has gown really well and LCC are not due to cut again until the end of June / beginning of July.

PD has spoken to Pat Wright at Glendale and they have the capacity to carry out an extra cut.

It was proposed that PD enquires about costing and if a sensible amount to book the work. Proposed GA/ Sec PM.

PD is overseeing the work by Glendale and marrying it up to the work schedule and invoices. The application of weedkiller scheduled for May has not yet been carried out. 202/21

10.PLAYING FIELD:

a. Litter Bin – RB had sent the brochure out to councillors after the previous meeting. A discussion was held and no particular bin stood out. ACTION: RB to select a few and email across to RM. 203/21

b. Dog Walk Track – RM had been approached by a resident to say that some of the perimeter fencing around the dog walk track has started to rot out. RM has inspected it and around 40 of the top rails are rotting and need replacing.

A discussion was had over a number of options as to replacing them like for like, replacing the fencing with plastic or to take the fence down altogether and try to re-educate people. It was suggested that before a final decision was taken costings were obtained. ACTION: RB to get quotes on prices. 204/21

c. Cars on Playing Field – PD and RM have put posts on either side of the gate to stop cars driving onto the field once the gate is closed for the night. There has been no further reports of disturbance. 205/21

11. VILLAGE HALL:

a. Management Committee update.

The Annual General Meeting was held on the 24th May and a number of trustees stepped down. At the moment it is not sure that the VH will stay as a charity. A letter has been sent to the Charity Commission but there has been no reply at the moment.

It has been established that there is no need for a Treasurer. RB has taken on lots of the roles to cover this. The hall has opened up for all the exercise classes and plans for the future is to use some of the grant money to have a celebration towards the end of the year with a Hog Roast. 206/21

12. FINANCE:

a. AGAR 2019-2020.

This has been completed and the paperwork has been sent to PKF Littlejohn. The necessary files have been uploaded to the website to give the notice for the period for the exercise of public rights commencing on the 1 June 21 and ending on the 12 July 21. 207/21

b. Accounts

The Parish Council also curate an account holding funds allocated to preservation work on behalf of the Trout Project. The current balance is £9,300.45. 208/21

c. Internal Audit for AGAR 2020-2021

The accounts are with R Gawne and should be finished by the weekend. A financial sub committee will have to meet to enable the accounts to be signed off for the AGAR 2020-2021 to meet time deadlines.

ACTION: A sub committee of PM, GA and PD will meet on Monday 14 June at 6.30pm, along with RB as the clerk. 209/21

13. DATE OF NEXT MEETING:

Monday 5 July at 7.30pm in the Lamyman Room of the Village Hall.

The meeting closed at 8.45pm

Attached report from D.Councillor L. Pearson: Ref 194/21

DISTRICT COUNCIL UPDATE

7 June 2021

Latest Covid-19 case rates

Overall headlines for North Kesteven:

• No deaths recorded from Covid (within 28 days of a positive test) in NK for April, or for May as reported so far.

• Cases in the older age groups remain at either zero or very low levels

• Overall cases in NK stand at 5.1 per 100,000 based on a two-day reporting lag; the lowest in Lincolnshire and within the lowest 20 council areas in England.

• Genomic surveillance had picked up two cases of the DELTA (first reported in India) variant of concern – B1.617.2 – in NK; but none further in the following four weeks.

DELTA variant (first reported in India)

The frequency of occurrence has increased, although a small of number of council areas account for a large percentage of cases. Nevertheless the total number of councils where the B1.617.2 variant has been identified has increased further with 255 council areas now having had at least one case identified through standard surveillance testing. Cases now identified in six of the seven Lincolnshire districts, although no district has had more than three cases identified. Boston has not had a case identified as yet.

National level: Plateau in deaths; although the seven-day average remains at the lowest levels seen during the pandemic. There has been a marginal increase in admissions, largely driven by the north-west. Hospitalisations are similarly showing a slight increase. Overall case numbers have increased by 40% as compared to a week ago, again largely driven by parts of the north-west. Sixteen council areas now have a rate in excess of 100 per 100,000. Highest current rates remain in the secondary school age groups, although almost every age band has seen an increase over the past week.

The outbreak in Bolton looks to be falling back slightly although rates are still around the 350 per 100,000 mark, with Blackburn now approaching 500 per 100,000. The majority of Lancashire councils and Greater Manchester councils have seen a rapid increase in rates over the past week with many past 100 cases per 100,000. Sixteen council areas now have rates over 100 per 100,000 as compared to six last week, and 43 have a rate above 50 per 100,000 as compared with eight, ten, ten, and 20 in the four preceding weeks.

Regional and county level: The rate in the East Midlands has risen slightly but sits below the overall England rate. Rates in the county however have fallen by almost 40% and are now below both the overall level and the median in England.

District level: As noted above rates in NK continue to be at very low levels.67 out of 88 Lincolnshire MSOAs had a suppressed figure in the last week (e.g. between zero and two cases in each). 11 of the 13 MSOAs in North Kesteven had a suppressed figure in the most recent week.

Vaccinations update

The figures below are the latest position as published by the NHS on Thursday. These cover cumulative first and second dose vaccinations up to and including Sunday 30 May.

Over 80s

- 1st DOSE: 97.4%; 4th highest in Lincs (NB 4 Lincs LAs are between 97.44 NK and 97.58 SK; ranking on 2nd decimal place!); 45th highest in England (top 15%)

- 2nd DOSE: 96.1%; highest in Lincs; 17th highest in England (top 10%)

75-79s

- 1st DOSE: 97.7%; highest in Lincs; 20th highest in England (top 10%)

- 2nd DOSE: 96.4%; highest in Lincs; 19th in England (top 10%)

70-74s

- 1st DOSE: 97.4%; highest in Lincs; 6th highest in England

- 2nd DOSE: 95.8%; Highest in Lincs; 11th highest in England

65-69s

- 1st DOSE: 96.0%; highest in Lincs; 11th highest in England

- 2nd DOSE: 93.1%; 2nd highest in Lincs; 11th highest in England

60-64s

- 1st DOSE: 95.1%; highest in Lincs; 2nd highest in England

- 2nd DOSE: 84.4%; highest in Lincs; 24th highest in England (top 10% now)

55-59s

- 1st DOSE: 93.7%; highest in Lincs; 9th highest in England

- 2nd DOSE: 60.0%; 3rd highest in Lincs; 95th in England (top third)

50 to 54s

- 1st DOSE: 90.2%; 3rd highest in Lincs; 71st highest in England (top quartile)

- 2nd DOSE: 53.3% ; 3rd highest in Lincs; 146th in England

45-49s

- 1st DOSE: 89.1%; highest in Lincs; 6th highest in England

- 2nd DOSE: 29.7%; 4th highest in Lincs; 189th in England

40-44s

- 1st DOSE: 84.4%; Highest in Lincs; 10th highest in England

- 2nd DOSE: 23.5%; 3rd highest in Lincs; 184th in England

35-39s (NEW)

- 1st DOSE: 74.5%; Highest in Lincs; 9th highest in England

- 2nd DOSE: 22.1%; 3rd highest in Lincs; 89th in England

30-34s (NEW)

- 1st DOSE: 57.0%; 2nd highest in Lincs; 21st highest in England, top 10%

- 2nd DOSE: 19.4%; 2nd highest in Lincs; 75th in England (top quartile)

All aged 30+

- 1st DOSE: 88.4%; 2nd highest in Lincs; 12th highest in England

- 2nd DOSE: 60.4%; 3rd highest in Lincs; 75th in England (top quartile)

Under 30s

- 1st DOSE: 23.8%; Highest in Lincs; 74th highest in England (top quartile)

- 2nd DOSE: 14.4%; highest in Lincs; 39th in England (top 15%)

All aged 16+

- 1st DOSE: 76.7%; 3rd highest in Lincs; 39th highest in England (top 15%)

- 2nd DOSE: 52.1%; 3rd highest in Lincs; 71st in England (top quartile)

Fixed testing sites reducing across Lincolnshire

The four large community testing sites across Lincolnshire are ending their testing provision and are now closed.

Testing sites at Sleaford Town Football Club, Skirbeck Community Centre in Boston, Four Seasons House in Pinchbeck, and Sudbrooke Drive Community Centre were all closed by Friday 21 May, and there is no longer need for a testing centre based at Eslaforde Park in Sleaford.

"There is no longer the need for the larger testing facilities across Lincolnshire, as the numbers using these sites are very low" explained Derek Ward, Director of Public Health. "People are tending to use home testing kits rather than the fixed testing sites and we'd encourage individuals to pick up test kits from their nearest collection point, which is likely to be a local pharmacy.

"The test kits allow people to perform their own lateral flow tests, this process is very simple and will give a result in 30 minutes. Two test kits can be picked up from pharmacies or other collection points and each pack contains seven tests. This will give individuals enough supply to perform twice-weekly tests for seven weeks."

EU Settlement scheme

The deadline for the EU Settlement Scheme is fast approaching - applications must be in by 30 June 2021.

Residents who are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and their family can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. They can also apply if they’re the family member of an eligible person of Northern Ireland.

The EEA includes the EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

They may be able to stay in the UK without applying - for example, if they’re an Irish citizen or already have indefinite leave to remain. There's more HERE.

South Lincolnshire Citizen's Advice is providing support across Lincolnshire, including North Kesteven. More details in the leaflet linked below.

Attached report from C.Councillor R Kendrick: Ref 210/21

News from County Councillor Rob Kendrick   

(Feel free to share this information via websites and noticeboards)

Moving ahead 

Just a few words about our priorities for the next few years , as the ruling group, we have a very strong manifesto which is about keeping council tax low, providing good quality services,  and also supporting an ambitious programme of building and development – not only roads but also schools and broadband.

During the election period there was a very strong message from the public that they continue to be concerned with potholes and fly-tipping, so we will be targeting these areas with more support. And we'll continue to provide strong, effective support for our most vulnerable residents of all ages where it is needed.

We'll also be campaigning to secure more funding for the authority. It's essential we get a fairer deal from government to help us fund the services people deserve.

Business – Greater Lincolnshire LEP:

We are promoting the work, benefits & support of the LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) widely through social media and ask that you tag and share them too at @GreaterLincsLEP.   You can follow latest news and updates at www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk and www.businesslincolnshire.com and also follow us on @GreaterLincsLEP and through LinkedIn.

Children's Services gain national recognition:

Congratulations to Children's Services who have got through to the final of the national Management Consultancies Association (MCA) Awards with consultants Impower. Their work in Reframing High Needs and SEND support has seen them shortlisted in the Change and Transformation in the Public Sector category. The winner will be announced in November. Having been re-appointed Chairman of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee  this is of particular interest to me.

Help us to shape the Your Wellbeing Services:

The  County Council want to understand people’s experiences of the services they provide to support a person’s wellbeing. Your views about these services are important whether positive or negative as they will help Lincolnshire County Council plan and deliver services that make a difference to people’s lives.

The services involved are:  Wellbeing Lincs; One You Lincolnshire; Lincolnshire Carers Service and Connect to Support.

There is a short survey that we would like you to complete to tell us if you have heard about these services and if you have used them, what you think about these services and did they meet your needs?

The survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/5WGPKM9

We are particularly interested in the views of people who may have extra needs including Physical and Learning Disabilities, Autism and Mental Health, they are equally interested in family members or carers who support a person with these conditions. 

If you need assistance in completing this survey please contact Tim by email: tim@hwlincs.co.uk or by phone: 07436 581995 who will support and help in sharing your views.

Women's Health Strategy: Call for Evidence

This call for evidence is seeking the collect views on women's health. It will run for a period of 14 weeks but it has already started and is open to everyone aged 16 or over.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/womens-health-strategy-call-for-evidence

County Council heritage sites re-open:

As lockdown restrictions ease, it's great news that our heritage sites have re-opening.

The Collection Museum and Usher Gallery, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Visitor Centre, Museum of Lincolnshire Life and Lincoln Castle are all open. 

Please note that some of the opening days and times have changed. Booking is essential for Lincoln Castle and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Visitor Centre, while pre-booking is strongly advised for the other sites.

For more detailed information, visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/history-heritage

Hybrid meetings!

This is the latest variety of meetings at the County Council. Hybrid means that councillors and a limited number of officers meet in person for committee meetings with some contributions from officers and outside bodies to the meeting will be made via video link, hence the term "hybrid". The meetings are held in the main council chamber which normally can seat 70 councillors, but will have a small number due to covid restrictions. Members of the public can tune into the meetings via the County Council website.

ENDS

Cllr. Rob Kendrick

Member for Metheringham Rural Division

Lincolnshire County Council, County Offices, Newland, Lincoln LN1 1YL