May 2025 Minutes (Annual Parish Council Meeting)
Minutes of the Annual Meeting of Cowbit Parish Council, held on Monday the 19th of May 2025 at 7:30pm in Cowbit Village Hall, Barrier Bank, Cowbit.
Present
Members: Trevor Tyrrell, Eric Fragale, Chris Elliott, Peter Simpson, Janet Barnes and Daniel Sandhu
Clerk: Angela Harrison
District Cllrs: Andrew Woolf and Anthony Casson
Parishioners: 9
1. Election of Chairman and signing of the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
Trevor Tyrrell was nominated by Mr Elliott, seconded by Mr Simpson and all agreed. It was resolved that Mr Trevor Tyrrell be elected as Chair for the ensuing year.
Tyrrell thanked everyone and signed the Declaration.
2. Election of Vice Chairman and signing of the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
Eric Fragale was nominated by Mr Sandhu, seconded by Mr Elliott and all agreed. It was resolved that Eric Fragale be elected as Vice Chair for the ensuing year.
Mr Fragale thanked everyone and signed the Declaration.
3. Co-option to the vacant seat.
Jake Mason was nominated Mr Tyrrell, seconded by Mr Fragale and all were in favour.
Mr Mason was duly co-opted onto the Council and signed the Declaration.
4. Chairman’s welcome and Public Forum.
A lady asked about extending the 30mph limit to the rest of the village.
CE explained that when it was requested before, it didn’t meet the criteria as the average speed of the vehicles was quite low and there have not been enough accidents.
It was agreed that the Clerk will write to the new County Councillor.
Meridian Solar Park
Jane Thompson from MAG spoke to say that the whole community need to stand up as Meridian are trying to keep information from the public.
MAG are uncovering fundamental errors which appear to be made to keep information from the public.
Traffic, site increased by 200 hectares for battery storage and pylons.
Feedback by the 21st of May for PCs
Backgate and Stonegate traffic significant impact on residents of 170% - possibly more
HGV restriction doesn’t matter.
Cloot Drove is part of the flood reservoir yet Meridian are proposing to use it.
Spread the word.
Residents need to feedback by the 8th of June.
MAG will be holding 2 public awareness meetings on Thursday 29th May 7pm – 9pm at the Crowland Pavilion and Tuesday the 3rd of June, same times, in the Elizabethan Centre in Whaplode Drove.
Cllr Woolf stressed that it needs to be a collective fight.
This will be second largest solar farm in the country.
Western Marsh Power Plant is the key – without that there is nowhere for the power to connect to the Grid.
MAG are looking to do a leaflet drop with the dates of meetings.
The Chair confirmed to Jane Thompson that the PC will be putting in a strongly worded objection to Meridian.
5. To receive and approve apologies for absence.
There were none.
6. To receive Declarations of Interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011 and to consider any requests for dispensations.
There were none.
7. Minutes of the March meetings to be approved and signed as a correct record.
The Minutes were proposed by CE, seconded by EF and all agreed.
The Chair signed the Minutes as a true record.
8. Matters arising from the Minutes, (not covered on this agenda).
Wildflowers
As requested, an email was sent to SHDC asking that they didn’t mow the strip of land but it was cut the very next day. Hopefully it will be left next time.
Welcome Gates
The request originally sent to Cllr Pepper to chase up the signs for the gates, has been forwarded to the new County Cllr Raymond Condell.
Playing Field & Pavilion
The Chair gave a brief update regarding an upgrade of the Playing Field and Pavilion. The PC has bold plans to upgrade the field with a MUGA, (Multi-Use Play Area), improvements to the Pavilion along with new play equipment. There will be more planting to give more of a ‘park’ feel but the football pitch for the younger and SEN teams will be preserved.
Commemorative Bench
The Vice Chair gave an update regarding the commemorative bench for Jackie. The family will be providing the bench. Approval to site the bench on the grass verge outside the shop has been given by LCC. The PC would like to provide a bin adjacent to the bench and asked the District Cllrs for a donation towards the cost of the bin, to which they verbally agreed.
9. To review and resolve PC representation on the following Committees and outside bodies:
a. Playing Field/Pavilion
Members were confirmed as JM, DS, JB and EF
b. SHPVCS (South Holland Private Voluntary Car Scheme)
It was agreed that JB would be the PC’s representative.
c. Village Hall Committee
PS and TT will sit on this Committee.
D. Notice Board
JB and PS will put up Notices.
10. To review and resolve the Council’s Register of Assets.
A copy of the Asset Register had been circulated prior to the meeting. CE moved and TT seconded that it was a true record and all agreed.
11. To review and resolve to accept the quote to renew the Council’s insurance policy.
The quote of £933.47 + Tax was moved by TT seconded by CE and all agreed.
It was resolved to pay a total of £1,095.48 to Clear Councils.
12. To review and adopt Council Policies
Equality & Diversity Policy
Moved by EF seconded by CE and all agreed.
Safeguarding Policy
It was agreed that Chris Elliott would be the Council’s designated Safeguarding. Officer and the Policy was moved by CE seconded by EF and all agreed.
Model Standing Orders
Due to changes to the Model Standing Orders, changes have been made and the new standing orders were moved by TT seconded by EF and all agreed.
13. 2024/25 External Audit:
a. To approve and sign Section 1 – Annual Governance Statement
The Annual Governance Statement was proposed by CE seconded by PS
and all agreed.
The Chair and the Clerk signed the document.
b. To approve and sign Section 2 – Accounting Statements
The Accounting Statements had been prepared and signed by the Clerk prior to the meeting.
They were proposed by JM seconded by CE and all agreed.
The Chair signed the document.
14. To receive the bank reconciliations and Budget Report.
The reports were received and the Chair signed the bank reconciliations for March and April 2025.
15. To review and approve list of invoices for payment received after the last meeting.
Payments totalling £2937.55 were moved by CE seconded by TT and all agreed. Along with general running costs, this included the insurance renewal payment of £933.47 and £833.34 for a feasibility study required to obtain funding for the plans to improve the playing field and pavilion.
The Chair signed the Clerk’s expense sheet.
16. Police matters and to receive the online Police report.
A report for March had been prepared by the Clerk prior to the meeting, being the latest figures available from the Police website, they were read out as follows:
On or near Barrier Bank, (by Tollbar Drove)
1 x Theft
On or near Brownlow’s Drove, (Barrier Bank)
1 x Theft
On or near Croft Close
3 x Violence and Sexual Offence (appears to be related to one property)
17. To discuss Highway matters and to receive the CSW report.
Overgrown footpath on the corner of Backgate and Stonegate – the Clerk wrote to the homeowner but has not received a response.
It was requested that Stonegate be added to the next meeting agenda.
CSW Report
17.03.2025
Following our 1 hr session this afternoon outside the village hall, we checked the speed of 16 vehicles, 4 of which exceeded the 30mph limit and have been reported to Lincoln.
16 Checked: 2 x 37mph, 1 x 38, 1 x 41
14.03.2025
Following our session outside the village school between 3.30 and 4.30pm we checked the speed of 36 drivers within the 30mph zone.
7 were subsequently reported to Lincoln for exceeding the 30mph limit.
36 Checked: 2 x37mph, 1 x3 8, 3 x 39, 1 x 49
03.04.2025
Barrier Bank 40mph 21 checked 1 over limit fastest 65mph
11.04.2025
Backgate 30mph 26 checked 6 over limit fastest 60mph
25.04.2025
Barrier Bank 40mph 29 checked 1 over limit fastest 47mph
01.05.2025
Barrier Bank 40mph 27 checked 1 over limit fastest 50mph
09.05.2025
Backgate 30mph 30 checked 6 over limit fastest 50mph
14.05.2025
Barrier Bank 40mph 27 checked 3 over limit fastest 51mph
18. To discuss any Planning matters and agree a response to any new applications.
TT and JM declared an interest in application H01-0299-25 at 72 Backgate and didn’t take part in the discussion.
H01-0395-25 72 Backgate – Use of area to store building materials
The remaining members raised no concerns with this application.
H01-0299-25 The Old Packing Shed – Conversion of office space and annexes into a single dwelling including the erection of an ancillary building, a carport and a new access
It was agreed that the PC had no concerns with this application.
19. To discuss playing field usage and future plans.
CE raised an issue regarding dogs being let off leash in the children’s play area and when young children are training.
EF advised that 4 signs are being manufactured to be put up at all the entrances to the park, advising owners to keep their dogs on a leash and to the perimeter of the field only.
20. Items to be included on the next meeting’s agenda.
Cow statue for the roundabout.
Pavilion and Playing Field
21. To confirm the date of the next meeting, provisionally set as Monday the 14th July 2025.
The date was agreed
21:00 DS left the meeting.
“In Committee”
The Public & Press to be excluded from the meeting in accordance with the provision of Section 1 (2) of the Public Bodies (admission to meetings Act 1960). The items to be discussed being of a confidential nature.
22. Clerk’s Annual Salary Review.
It was resolved to move the Clerk up 3 scale points to SCP 16 and to increase her hours from 8 to 10 per week.
Meeting ended at 21:17