April 2021 Minutes Dunston Annual Parish Meeting (5th)
Minutes of the Dunston Annual Parish Meeting
Held on Monday 5 April 2021.
Conventional Parish Council Meetings are prohibited under the Covid-19 restrictions. Until the 7 May 2021 any Parish Council Meetings will be held on the Zoom Platform.
Russ welcomed everybody to the meeting and introduced the Councillors and their roles within the Council.
Apologies from Ross Churchwood.
Dunston Village Hall – Roger Hall.
Thanks went to Russ for inviting the Chair of the Village Hall to the meeting. It was felt that looking forward was more important than looking back. They welcomed Rowena Boden as their manager about a year ago and since then the hall had been closed for most of the year but there had been a lot of managing the changes to the rules.
They have been helped by a variety of grants from North Kesteven and have spent the funds refurbishing the hall internally and ensuring for the preparation of reopening.
The hall has a Covid Safe accreditation and they have kept the Post Office open throughout the year on Monday afternoons (apart from a few technical issues).
The hall can reopen for children’s activities from the 12 April and for the remaining classes as from the 17 May. Going forward they have 3 comedy nights booked, children’s parties and a couple of wedding weekends, the first one being in July.
For the future they have a schedule of repairs and maintenance, they will purchase new tables and kitchen equipment.
Thanks went to the Silver Sound Band with them being able to purchase a large gazebo for external events, giving them a new amenity. This will be great for outside events and for people that are cautious of being indoors.
Roger thanked Jean Ford for her secretarial and financial work over the last 5/6 years. They now have a new secretary Jackie Lloyd Davies and will welcome new members to the committee. The specific need at the present time is for a Treasurer, who will help oversee the accounts, and a bit of financial help would be appreciated.
They are a registered charity and have all the required policies in place and they are looking forward to working together with Linda on the community garden and seeing Incredible Edible being a great success. Also, in working with the Parish Council and having a joint and positive journey together. In having many opportunities to work with the Red Lion and having a licensed bar, there is even the possibility to re-open the Social Club. They can offer both churches car parking space and look forward to working together in the joint activities.
The main thing is onward and upward with the committee’s objectives being to make sure that the hall is available to all parishioners and it being in a good condition. Parishioner’s suggestions for improvements/ activities would be welcomed. 129/21
District Councillor – Nick Byatt
With there being an election on the 6th of May Nick is in a period of purdah and cannot say anything about what he has done in the last two years.
The NK News should have been delivered through everybody’s doors recently and published in it is the District Council plans for the future and the budget for what the council want to achieve in the next three years and what they have achieved recently.
The District Council have provided a first-class service over the last year, only losing 10 days of refuse collection, when many of the staff based at Metheringham depot came down Covid-19 and had to isolate. Most of the Council staff are working from home with only a slight delay in responding to queries and they will continue to work from home until the 20th of June. At this point agile working will be considered with staff working 2-3 days in the office and the rest of the time from home as it has proved highly successful.
The Council have also given out grants to businesses and users. Please read your NK news and send any questions over to Nick at your leisure. Cllr Nick Byatt cllr_nick_byatt@n-kesteven.gov.uk 130/21
County Councillor – Rob Kendrick
Rob is also in the same situation as Nick over purdah. Everybody should have also received a copy of County News through their door. In the last 12 months Covid-19 has had a big impact, but the County Council have managed to keep its key services open such as Social Care Centres and SEND schools. They have supported businesses with funds of over £12 million. The Eastern Bypass has been completed and opened and the planning is well under way for the North Hykeham Relief Road, this when complete will give a complete ring road around Lincoln.
A role out of new fire appliances have been delivered, including one based at Metheringham. The Council have unveiled the Green Master Plan to reduce the CO2 emissions and are looking at a reduction within Lincolnshire. Also, they have carried out many flood improvements works around the County.
They realise that tourism is a big industry for Lincolnshire, being worth £1 billion, and a new website ‘Visit Lincolnshire’ has been launched. 131/21
Dunston Parish Council – Russ Mc Luckie
Russ apologised for the issues and inconvenience with the stability of Zoom. As he had already introduced all the Councillors and briefly talked about their roles. If anybody that joined late would like any information, then please contact the clerk. Rowena dunstonparishclerk@gmail.com
It is a very new council with almost all joining within the last year, including the clerk. This means that they are also very keen. Already they are in the process of replacing the benches in the playing field and on the Green. The village has had its first Christmas tree with positive comments.
Maintenance work is being carried on the Village Hall building and plans are being investigated to improve the car parking. The council are also in the process of trying to find allotments for those who want one.
With the work and developments that are being carried out on Dunston Road the council are looking to introduce traffic calming for the village as traffic volume may be an issue in the future. 132/21
Village Keeper- Helen Barbour.
Helen had been invited but could not attend and so Russ read out her report.
Helen does a fantastic job in keeping the village clean and litter free. She does occasionally get littering problems around the village and so if everybody can be aware and vigilant, as sometimes this is in large amounts.
She also checks they play park equipment to make sure it is safe for the children to play on. 133/21
Dunston Community Gardens – Linda Scrutton.
Linda had responded to a call out by Rowena for ideas for the village hall and its grounds. She has contacted Incredible Edible and the Lincoln Food Partnership who were particularly good at giving help in the setting up of the group. The Parish Council and the Village Hall Committee have given their support as well.
Beeswax has very kindly donated raised beds that are to go in front of the kitchen window, two planters for the front of the hall and raised trugs that will be provided near to the entrance to the Lamyman room. They will be both sized for children and for those that need to stand and cannot bend down. All will be kindly filled with topsoil by Beeswax.
Though newly formed the group has 19 members, both young and old, and they have been tidying, digging, and planting donated plants along the long hedgerow. They are using their own tools and using water out of the stream to fill their watering cans so any donations of tools or water containers will be appreciated. Also, they are having to find ways to keep the ducks off the newly planted plants.
Looking forward they need a water supply and are considering water harvesting from the village hall roof. They would also like some seating and benches in the future so people can come and enjoy the grounds; they are applying for grants.
Many of the aims have already been met and they have found that many new friendships have started with different groups of people turning up to work on the grounds. They have contacted the school to help provide educational needs and are hoping to work with the churches by selling excess plants at the plant sale. 134/21
LIVES – Becky Wilford.
Becky was unfortunately on a call-out, so in her place Russ reminded people of the Defib on the corner of the Village Hall with a light above it. If the ambulance service has been contacted and the Defib is needed, then they will give you the access code. Once lockdown has been lifted then the village has been offered training from LIVES on how to use the machine. The training will be open to all. LIVES provide a completely voluntary service to the community funded mainly by donations from the public.135/21
Red Lion – Sam Morrow.
The Red Lion has been closed for 9 months out of the last 12 months, but they have used this time to make lots of changes and to refurb many parts of the pub. There is a new sign that will be hung shortly.
They will be opening on the 12th of April at midday and on that day the car park will be closed as they are unsure of the take up and people having to be seated outside. No advertising has been done outside the village and it will be on a first come basis as last time they found that people were booking tables and then not turning up.
Food will be available when they open but it will be on a reduced menu to make sure everyone can be served. People will be allowed in to use the toilets and to pay via the card machine. Hand sanitiser and Track and Trace will be in operation.
Once they can have customers back inside on the 17th May then there will be the restrictions, one way system and hand sanitising stations as before. They will be opening 12-2 and then 5-closing with all day Friday/Saturday and Sunday opening.
The Bed and Breakfast side is starting to fill up as before, with many bookings coming from people who are visiting family.
Moving forward there are plans to continue with both the takeaway and food delivery service, as these have proven popular, and they have the added pizza oven so that they can serve fresh pizzas. A weekly quiz has been run online and this will continue outside but with people being able to access it via zoom if they do not feel safe to visit the pub. Once everyone is allowed back inside then the quiz nights will go to fortnightly with a bridge school being introduced and games afternoons for the people of the village – such as scrabble. Odlings van is also going to be parked in the car-park on a Wednesday afternoon.
A planning application will be going in for a village shop, in the corner part of the building. They already know that access will be tight but are sure that with advice and maybe the removal of some trees then it can happen for the village. Sam wants to bring in Gelato ice cream as they are finding that the area is gaining many more walkers. A new Notice Board will be installed in the hallway for people to either advertise local services or local events.
Finally, dogs have been welcomed in the pub since they took over. 136/21
Twinning – Jenny Hutchinson.
The French visit that should have happened last October was cancelled and this was the first time since the twinning was set up that there had been no visit. Some fund-raising events have taken place and it is hoped that the French will be able to visit in October this year but nothing has been finalised.
It is hoped that the duck race can be organised for this summer but again it is dependent on lockdown rules being relaxed on larger numbers gathering.
The group is however going from strength to strength with individuals and families joining the group both over here and in France. 137/21
Sewing Bee – Jean Ford.
Jean Ford had been invited to attend but could not and sent her apologies and a report through Sue Glaister.
Sewing Bee started in 2015 with the aim to share the love of sewing and encourage young and old to learn new skills. Normally they meet on Thursday evening between 7-9pm in the Lamyman Room of the village hall and can meet as a group of six to maintain social distancing. Requests by new members have been coming in but can not be dealt with and invited until restrictions are eased.
Members have been making scrub bags for the NHS and face masks and are presently being active in the Yarn Bombing project.
They are looking to start back on the 20th of May but with restrictions this may still be only 6 members and not the usual numbers. 138/21
Dunston Churches Together – Sue Glaister.
Members of the Methodist Chapel and St. Peters Church have worked on many things together over the last 20 years in supporting the school and the community and worshipping together.
They usually worship together twice a month in the alternate buildings but from Easter Sunday last year they have had to worship via zoom. This has brought in more people than they expected, and they have seen a growth.
Since Palm Sunday this year they have been able to meet in person and will be going back to worshipping twice a month but will be also having 2/3 meetings a month on zoom. The hybrid approach is working really well.
They also have a dedicated Family Service via zoom and things are incredibly positive. They want to transfer this to the Chapel as it is about messy church, and they cannot get messy on zoom as they can in Chapel.
St Peter’s have had the roof repaired since the theft of the lead last year, but they still have the issues with the dry rot.
The Chapel has a very well-maintained building. As with many churches across the country they are rewilding the Chapel gardens, behind the chapel and are allowing nature to reclaim the land. 139/21
CHIPS – Beth McLuckie
This was established in 2012 as part of Churches Together. The name stands for Community Help in Particular Situations and was named by John Curry. It is run with three co-ordinators, Pauline Moore, Sue Glaister and Beth McLuckie.
People can contact a co-ordinator who will put them in touch with a volunteer. Though available it is not for regular maintenance and activities and only in particular circumstances when help is needed. When they started, they recruited around 12-15 volunteers. This put them in an ace position when Covid hit.
A contribution from the Rev Ian Brown made it possible for them to have cards printed and delivered to every home in the village. They had a deluge of new volunteers and now have over 50 volunteers join meaning that they could collect prescriptions, shop and carry out anything that was needed by people shielding. Through the generosity of the community they were able to deliver a meal and drink to everybody living alone and even some homemade cakes that were made by the daughter of the previous clerk. One of the most successful things is the friendships links that were formed, and these have carried on throughout lockdown. 140/21
HUB- Sue Glaister
Churches Together took over the running of the Hub that meets monthly in the in the village hall in January 2020 and managed to open three times before having to close due to lockdown. They have received a grant of £500 from NKDC’s Response and Recovery fund which was gratefully received.
They are looking at providing a digital hub where people can learn new skills and access information in areas that they struggle. They are looking at new stalls and ways that they can re-energise the hub when they can open. They are thinking of having a school uniform table to try and encourage families into the hub and have changed the times appropriately.
Post pandemic they are going to provide information and support on mental health needs/ issues as they realise that many people have spent so much time at home.141/21
Lunch Club – Sue Glaister
It is a very successful enterprise and has been running from The Chapel for over 20 years where they run the lunch club where they provide a two-course hot meal to the community, once a month. They have not been able to meet February and are aware that post pandemic there will be lots of new rules regarding social distancing, numbers allowed and food in a smaller environment. 142/21
Knit & Natter- Beth McLuckie
This is usually held on a Thursday afternoon twice a month in the Chapel. The group mainly knit for charity and wool is provided to knit blankets, jumpers, hats and toys, with funds being raised through refreshment sales. These items are then sent down to London to the charity ‘Knit for Peace’ who distribute them to Women’s Refuges.
Recently a random email was received from a lady in Italy, who is running a project called Viva Victoria where knitted blankets will be hung from buildings around the town squares to draw attention to the needs of people that are in an abusive relationship.
As Dunston does not have any town squares, they are going to Yarn Bomb areas around the village instead, during July/ August. It can be classed as Street Art rather than graffiti as they have the permission of the property owners. At the moment there are 24 people involved in the project including 1 lady that has suffered being in an abusive relationship herself. Dunston Sewing Bee is also getting involved. 143/21
LIVES – Becky joined the meeting as she had been on a call and added to the Lives report.
There is only Becky and one medic based in Metheringham. They are terribly busy at the moment with her attending three calls in the one day and are seeing a rise in people using the service as they come out of lockdown.
For the training, on the Defib, that has been offered it has been suggested that it is run over several evenings with people booking appointments so that numbers can be managed, and equipment cleaned down. Now it is a case of waiting guidance from the government as lockdown eases. 144/21
Croquet Club- Ralph Timms
They started playing in May last year and continued through to end of October but there were no league matches. With people staying at home and looking for exercise it has proven very popular and is a great game for social distancing. With the high turnout they managed to arrange and play three friendlies with other clubs.
The finances have held up very well over the pandemic and thanks must go to the parish council for waving the license fee and the bowls club for waving the water bill.
At the beginning of March, they filled in the gaps in the hedge and have extended the hedge further round to provide a better environment and shelter. The plants were donated by Beeswax.
They started playing again on the 1st of April and though some Covid restrictions are in place they are looking forward to being able to play tournaments again as part of East Midlands league. They usually travel to Sheffield, Darley Dale and Bakewell.
They usually play twice a week on a Monday and Tuesday but with the game proving popular they have had to revise the sessions and are now holding sessions in the morning and afternoon on these days.
A request was asked for the Parish Council to look at the driveway into the car-parking area as it is full of potholes. Members are willing to help lay the surface. 145/21
Bowls Club- Russ McLuckie
They share the same ground with the Croquet club and maintain it whilst paying a small rent to the Parish Council. They have a new water collection system in place, and this should reduce the water bill.
The Bowls season starts as normal this year on the 27th of April and all league matches are the same as last year just one day later. They play Monday and Tuesday evenings and are happy to welcome new members to come along to one of the arranged introduction session on the 20th & 21st April. It is a very friendly and active club. 146/21
Book Exchange/ Club
The club look after the phone box and have been so successful in the take up that they have been able to help Martin set one up as well. They meet once a month and also have a children’s book club to encourage reading. They have a rota for looking after the box and do have signs up asking people not to leave bags of books in the box, as people have a clear out during lockdown, but to ring them to donate. It is very well used.
A generous gift from Beeswax was given to refurbish the phone box and recently they have planted bulbs around the box to make the area attractive, after asking neighbours near the box. 147/21
Art Club – Russ McLuckie
Russ gave a quick report about the Art Club. It started in Nocton but then moved to Heighington whilst Nocton village hall was rebuilt, and to Dunston Chapel during 2020 when possible. They meet on a Tuesday afternoon for a few hours and any subs that they have saved goes towards them being able to attend a class in Horncastle to progress their knowledge. The location for future meetings is to be decided. 148/21
Russ then asked if anybody had any questions before the meeting was finished.
Nick Byatt questioned as to how the extra land around the village hall had been missed, especially with the work that the Community Gardens are doing now, when the owner decided to sell the land.
Russ McLuckie said that on the original application it was discussed by the Chair of the Parish Council, the Village Hall Committee and Parish Council Chair. The original planning application was refused by NKDC and he was not sure if that offer was still there on the second application.
Roger Hall said that the land/ trees on the land were seen as a liability rather than an asset. 149/21
Russ closed the meeting by thanking everyone for attending as there were no further question.