2024 Annual Parish Meeting

Minutes of the Cowbit Annual Parish Meeting on Monday the 11th of March in the Village Hall, Barrier Bank, Cowbit.   

Present:

District Councillors: Cllr Anthony Casson, Cllr Thomas Sneath, County Councillor: Cllr Nigel Pepper, Parish Council Members: James Stamp, Peter Simpson, Janet Barnes, Eric Fragale and Trevor Tyrrell (Chairman).
5 Parishioners.

Clerk:         Angela Harrison

•    Welcome by Trevor Tyrrell, Chairman of Cowbit Parish Council.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

•    Introductions.

The Chairman introduced the District and County Councilors and explained that Cllr Tom Sneath, was newly elected this year, replacing Rodney Grocock.

•    Apologies. 

District Councilor Andrew Woolf sent his apologies and wished to forward his thanks for the hire of the Village Hall for his Chairman’s quiz night.  It was well attended and raised a lot of funds for his designated charities.

•    Chairman’s opening remarks and report on the current year and aspirations for 2024/25. 

The Chairman gave a review of the Parish Council’s achievements for the current year and spoke about the aspirations for the new financial year.  Some of the things he mentioned were as follows: -

    Increased the number of Members from 5 to 7
    Angela Harrison – new Clerk who is also a District Councilor.
    We have started sending out letters to homeowners regarding overgrown hedges, which have worked on some occasions.
    Trying to tackle illegal parking, especially at the top of Back Gate.
    Replaced the litter bin outside the Church with donations from the District Cllrs
    Erected a commemorative bench and stone in memory of the late Queen.
    New bus shelter which cost a lot of money, plus hefty legal expenses, which have depleted our funds and necessitated the use of some of the PC’s reserves.
    Community Speed Watch team are trying their best under the leadership of Ralph, and doing a great job in reporting speeding vehicles through the village.
    Project underway to put up maps of interest and heritage around the village.
    One will be sited on the main road, and they will be partly financed by a grant which was successfully applied for by the village hall committee.
    New signs for the village hall and playing field have been erected, and were supplied by Spalding Signs.
    2 pieces of adult outdoor gym equipment will be added to the playing field.  There will be a rower and a bicycle that were included in the grant funding and the PC will pay for delivery and installation.
    Welcome gates have been purchased and we are currently awaiting authorization from LCC to site them and they will be erected in the new financial year.
    The PC is also looking to plant some trees and shrubs on the playing field, to give it more of a park feel.
    The cost of fuel and utilities have risen substantially, so we have had to raise the precept for 24/25 to £20K in order to balance the books and to achieve the aspirations of the Parish. This equates to just £10 per year or 19 pence per week for properties in Bands C and D.

•    Brief reports from County and District Councilors.

Cllr Anthony Casson 

    Reported 2 fly tips last week which seem to be more frequent.
    Enviro-crime setup just over a year.  Go round the towns and villages and fine people for littering and fly tipping.
o    500 fines last month.
o    Kingdom are the company contracted to carry out this work, and the District Council keep 10% of the fines.
    Public Protection Portfolio
o    Lots of meetings – 5 today
    Officers deal with the bigger fines, whereas Kingdom deal with the everyday fines.
o    Lincolnshire legal take them to court.
o    More difficult to track down the culprits out in the villages.
o    Hidden cameras need permission through the courts.
o    Kingdom hire out cameras to put up in areas such as Sainsbury’s car park in Spalding, but they are very expensive and are used more as a deterrent.
o    Need to be able to provide evidence and stand up in Court.
    Kingdom go where a need has been identified and Cllr Casson goes out with them at least once a month.
    Main problems are not in the small villages, although it’s good for people to see them about.
    South Holland is a huge area but if you let Cllr Casson know that there is a need, he will ensure they come.
    Report overflowing bin online, as they may have been missed by the refuse collection lorries.

A question was asked regarding the revised refuse collection routes, has it been a success?

    The trial hasn’t worked, but it is going to be looked at.
    Cllr Sneath stated that at some point we will all get wheelie bins, which will restrict the amount of rubbish that households can put out.
Cllr T Sneath
    Opposition – no portfolio but here to ask the awkward questions that the leading party can’t.
    Work really well with Cllrs Woolf and Casson.
    3 District Cllrs each with Ward Budgets, so we can club together and help the PC and other local groups to achieve their goals.
    Cllr Casson is often out on a Sunday picking up litter around Cowbit.
    Quietly working in the background, reporting things around the village, to get things fixed.

Cllr Nigel Pepper

    Covers one of the largest divisions in Lincoln and with the furthest to travel to the Council offices.
    Recently dealing with reports of bullying on the school busses.
    Chairman of Public Protection
    Objecting to Pylons from Grimsby to Walpole near Wisbech and Solar Panel Farms. These applications will be decided by the Secretary Of State, not the County or District Councils.
    Cloot Drove patch is bigger than Crowland and on arable land. We are considered the ‘bread basket’ of England.
    Any problems just get in touch
    There are over 500 Parishes in Lincoln.
    Money from HS2 will be given to Highways.

•    Brief reports from other local bodies and organizations.

Darren – Village Hall

    Chairman of the Village Hall Committee.
    2009 elected as Chairman.
    Looking for more people to come along and help.
    Big achievement last year gaining funding from the levelling up fund for various projects; signage, information boards, new chairs, new doors (to be fitted) with help from the 3 DC’s as well, car park lighting, new porch built and some repairs.
    Bookings are good.
    New booking secretary who is doing a great job.
    School, brownies, exercise classes, tea for two and seniors club and the Post Office.
    Purchased a bowls mat and we are looking to setup a bowls club.
    District Council Chairman’s quiz night, Cllr Woolf C£850 raised that night.
    8th of June Race Night - £10 per ticket and £5 for a horse. Village Hall and St Mary’s Church to benefit.

•    Questions from the public.

    The bus shelter on Backgate is being used as a toilet.  Parishioner witnessed a van pull up and both the driver and passenger got out and used it as a toilet.

The Chairman advised that this needs to be reported to the Police.

If we are successful with funding we can look to replace it.

There is an option to pull it down if it’s unsafe.

    Land for future cemetery?

The Chairman advised that there is no land available at the moment, but we are still looking.

    Community Speed Watch have made a request to the Road Safety Partnership to send a Police unit with a speed gun, could the PC help with this?

ACTION: Write to the RSP to see if they can send someone out junction of Barrier Bank and Backgate.

•    Close of meeting.

The meeting ended at 20:30