September 2023 Minutes
Minutes of the Annual Parish Council meeting of Cowbit Parish Council, held on Monday 18th of September 2023 at 7:30pm at the Cowbit Village Hall
Present: Trevor Tyrell, Janet Barnes, Eric Fragale, Daniel Sandhu and Peter Simpson,
Clerk: Mrs Harrison
District Councillor: T Sneath, A Woolf and A Casson
5 members of the public.
In the Chair: Trevor Tyrell
34. Chairman’s welcome and Public Forum.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and opened the floor to the public.
• Cllr Casson advised that the new bin had been ordered and delivered to the depot.
Installation will take place soon, next to the bus shelter, next to the Church.
• Members asked whether the old bin could be recycled and sited somewhere else within the Parish.
ACTION: Cllr Casson to find out.
• Is the income from Spalding FC going towards updating the Sports field?
This is an ongoing project.
Spoken to Seagate regarding contribution from their Station Yard development.
Building up the funds from the football hire charges, but not specified.
Precept has not been raised.
• Certificate of employer’s liability insurance displayed in the Hall entrance, is 3 years out of date.
This is a Village Hall issue and will be looked at by the Chair of that committee, Daniel.
• Issue with parking on the road opposite driveways, rather than St Mary’s Gardens or the field car park.
Spalding United home team and parents park here. Away team and supporters should use the car park.
Parkin Road affects visibility.
Parish Council Meeting
35. To receive and approve apologies for absence.
Apologies had been received from Cllr N Pepper, Carol Clark and James Stamp.
It was resolved to approve the apologies.
36. To receive Declarations of Interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011 and to consider any requests for dispensations.
There were none.
37. Notes on the last PC meeting held on the 10th of July 2023 to be approved as the minutes.
PS moved that the Minutes be approved.
JB seconded.
It was resolved to approve the Minutes as a true record and for the Chairman to sign them as such.
38. Matters arising from the minutes, (not covered on this agenda).
There were none.
39. LCC Website: To resolve whether to use the webmaster at LALC to populate the free, accessible website with past documents in order to bring it up-to-date.
Members had received a copy of the following email from the webmaster, (below), prior to the meeting :
‘Once the go ahead is given by the council, my first task would be to gather all the information on the existing Cowbit website using the link that you provided earlier. Once gathered, it will have to be made ready for the LCC-provided Cowbit website and then uploaded. Finally, depending upon what was gathered from the older site, you may have to send me any missing items.
Under normal circumstances, it takes around 4 to 7 hours to reset a website. In this case, there’s also the gathering of data to include so I would offer the following:
Initially purchase the 10 hour option at £170 +VAT. This will cover the data gathering and uploading to the new website, and there might be a little time left.
Thereafter, should you and the council wish to continue using the Website Maintenance Service (WMS), further time can be purchased as required; the minimum is 5 hours @ £85 +VAT. We have to be careful because under current plans, any time remaining on 31 March 2024 will be zeroed and parishes will have to decide upon their next level of cover for the FY 2024-25. ‘
PS stated that this was a very good price and moved that the Parish Council go ahead with the proposal as outlined above.
JB seconded the proposal.
It was resolved to purchase the 10 hours from the webmaster at LALC at a cost of £170 +VAT.
ACTION: Clerk.
40. Parish Online: To consider and resolve using the Parish Online mapping system. Invoice pending payment of £86.40 for 2023/24.
• The Clerk stated that she had looked at the Parish Online mapping system and described the amount of detail accessible, at street level. The system can be used to locate the PC’s assets such as bus shelters, litter bins, play equipment, etc., along with their value and date purchased.
DS had also looked at the site and felt it would be a really useful tool for the PC.
TT moved that the PC continue with Parish Online and pay the £86.40 for 2023-24.
PS seconded the motion.
It was resolved to pay the invoice and to use the Parish Online mapping system.
ACTION: Clerk
41. Police matters: Online crime report distributed by the Clerk.
• The Clerk had circulated information gathered from the Police website.
Of the listed crimes within the Cowbit area, it was noted that 6 were either on or near Croft Close.
42. Highways matters and to receive the CSW report.
The following report had been circulated prior to the meeting :
Thursday 13th July
Following our session on Barrier Bank outside the village hall which is a 30mph zone, we recorded 11 speeders.
We spent one hour between 4.30 & 5.30pm on our site which is 30mph .
33 vehicles checked.
Speeds varied between 37mph, (where the driver will have around 40mph on the speedo), and 48mph, (that driver would have had around 51mph on their speedo).
The driver of the vehicle logged doing 48mph still managed to give us the ‘V’ sign which is also logged and sent off to CSW Lincoln. That type of offence really is not acceptable and it’s possible an officer will call and speak to the driver, providing they live in Lincolnshire.
Tuesday July 25th
Following our session on Backgate, we reported 6 drivers for breaking the 30 mph limit despite the new yellow signs being in place,
26 vehicles checked.
Speeds ranged from 37mph to 58 mph over the limit.
The same driver drove twice in excess of 50mph, we have asked Lincoln if this driver can receive a personal visit from an officer.
Tuesday 1st August
Following our session on Barrier Bank in the 40mph area we reported 5 being over the limit.
40+ cars/vans checked.
Excess speeds ranged from 46 to 53mph.
Sept 1st 2023
Barrier Bank within the 40mph zone.
25 cars/vans checked for speed.
1 reported to Lincoln for driving over the limit, recorded at 52mph.
Sept 13th 2023.
Barrier Bank within the 30mph zone near the school.
21 cars/ vans checked for speed, 3 reported to Lincoln for driving over the limit.
1at 42mph, 1 at 40mph, 1 at 48mph.
The following email, received today, and was read out by the Chairman :
‘Information relating to CSW sessions during August:
August 1st 2023 Barrier Bank (Ash Tree Drive) 4.30-5.30pm
28 cars/ vans checked.
2 reported to Lincoln for exceeding the 40mph limit. 51 & 52 mph respectively.
August 11th 2023 Backgate 4.30-5.30pm
24 cars/vans checked.
4 reported to Lincoln for exceeding the 30mph limit, 36,38,41 &42mph respectively.
August 23rd 2023. Backgate 4.30-5.30pm
30 cars/vans checked, 4 reported for exceeding the 30mph limit,36,38,40&44mph respectively.’
It was noted that a lot of the vehicles caught speeding were those of local residents.
• The Chairman added that at the last meeting, a resident raised an issue regarding a dip in the road outside 91 Backgate, where rainwater gathered and splashed up the front of her property every time a vehicle passed.
This was reported to LCC who have now painted a yellow line around the dip, so hopefully something will be done to rectify the issue.
• Double yellow lines have been requested for the top of Backgate.
• Welcome Gates have been made and are ready to put up.
ACTION: Chairman to advise Clerk of the exact locations in order to request permission from LCC.
43. Financial matters.
a. To receive the financial report and approve outstanding payments.
The Clerk had circulated copies of the finance report and list of payments for approval, prior to the meeting.
PS moved the payment of the outstanding invoices.
DS seconded.
It was resolved to approve the payments as listed above.
ACTION: Clerk
44. Planning matters:
a. H01-0779-23 Land off Stonegate Cowbit Spalding
Details of scheme to deal with contamination (Cond 13 of H01-0823-19) Rec’d 30-08-23
CONDITION COMPLIANCE Undecided
b. H01-0693-23 Land off Stonegate Cowbit Spalding Erection of 5 Dwellings - approved under H01-0820-22. Modification of Condition 1 to allow amendments to previously approved plans. Rec’d 02-08-23
SEC 73 MODIFICATION Undecided
c. H01-0651-23 CROFT HOUSE 98 STONE GATE COWBIT PE12 6AH
Change of Use from Dwelling C3 to Residential Institution C2 Rec’d 20-07-23
FULL Undecided
• Applications a. and b. above both pertain to Conditions, so members resolved that there were no further comments to be added.
• Application c. however, had been discussed at a working party meeting, as the date for comments to be received was before today’s meeting. The comments put forward by the Parish Council were as follows :
‘Cowbit Parish Council objects to this proposal on safety and other grounds.
Croft House is on the corner of two very busy roads; the A16 and Stonegate. The A16 is the main route between Peterborough and Spalding and on to Boston and beyond, and Stonegate is the only road into Cowbit from the A16. Both get very busy, especially in the morning and evening rush hours. There is a 30mph speed limit on Stonegate here, but this is widely ignored.
There is also no footpath between Croft House and Mill Drove/Backgate, meaning any residents wanting to access the village shop, playing field or school, or even to get to the school bus stops at the top of the village, will need to walk in the busy road for a significant distance, and do this at times when Stonegate is busiest.
We are also concerned about the number of car parking spaces, and the number of vehicle movements; there may theoretically be eight parking spaces within the site, but that would be a massive squeeze, is many times more than the number on the site in the past, and parking on the road outside would create a massive traffic hazard. We also have concerns that the home is close to two family homes which are currently under construction in what was the grounds of Croft House.
We understand the need for a facility of this kind but Croft House is totally the wrong place for it.’
45. To receive reports from representatives on outside bodies.
a. To receive an update on Village Hall matters and successful funding bid.
The Chairman read out the following report which had been circulated prior to the meeting :
‘I am very pleased to inform Cowbit Parish Council that we got the full amount that we asked for, however to help with the success we agreed to part-fund the project at 16%.
Below is the breakdown of the money you will receive from the prosperity fund 3,523.70, via the village hall. The parish will need to fund the remaining 16% plus any costs with installation, delivery or increased price for its projects.
I haven’t received the money yet as I had to sign a document agreeing to the terms and conditions; including keeping all receipts of any purchases, only spending on what has been applied for and must be completed by the end of 2024.
Once the Parish is ready to order and go ahead, I can transfer the money so you can reclaim any VAT.
Wild Flowers £ 440.05 (Full Price:£ 527.00) Improve the village surroundings
Information boards £ 668.00 (Full Price£ 800.00)
Playing Field £ 1,096.36 (Full Price £ 1,313.00) New play equipment Bicycle - Adult
Playing Field £ 1,319.30 (Full Price £1,580.00) New play equipment Rower - Adult
Total Grant : £ 3,523.70
Darren, Chair, Cowbit Village Hall
Thanks were given to Darren.
• The Chairman added that there would be more funding coming from Seagate Homes via an S106 Agreement, provided their planning application is approved.
• EF made a request for information to go on the boards, should anyone have any.
Locations are to be confirmed.
• The next Village Hall meeting is due to be held on Monday the 25th of September.
b. To receive an update on the Playing Field/Pavilion.
• DS advised that it had been relatively quiet with the football teams only holding training sessions recently.
• The RoSPA report has been received and is quite detailed.
Needs to be gone through thoroughly.
• The litter pickers are doing a great job.
46. General correspondence for inspection at the meeting not included in the agenda.
Letter from Eon advising about meter readings for the Pavilion. (No action required).
47. Items to be included on the next meeting’s agenda.
There were none.
48. To confirm the date of the next meeting, provisionally set as 13th November 2023.
The above date was confirmed.
Meeting ended at 20:15