2024 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

Minutes of the meeting of Scredington Parish Council held on Monday 2nd September 2024 starting at 7.30pm

Present: Councillors R. Johnson Chairman, Councillors J. Johnson and K. Sweeny, P. Griffiths (parish clerk).

Also in attendance were District Cllr R. Jackson and County Cllr A Hagues.

Two members of the public were also present.

During a ten-minute public forum, the Chairman gave a brief overview of the current status of the new play equipment. He said that the equipment had been bought and semi-constructed. We are now waiting for site clearance and basic preparation by the contractor, Adam Cope. It is hoped that this will take place during the next four weeks or so.

1.         Chairman’s welcome

Councillor R. Johnson Chairman welcomed everyone.

2.         Apologies for Absence

Apologies were received from Councillor A. Pyewell.

3.         Minutes of the previous meetings

3.1       The minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held 20th May 2024 were agreed and signed.

3.2       The minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held on 17th June 2024 were agreed and signed.

4.         Matters arising from the Minutes

            Nothing was raised.

5.         Report from District Councillor and County Councillor

            5.1       District Councillor Jackson’s report is attached. The highlights were

                        Parking in Sleaford

                        The council is looking for a partner for the cinema in Sleaford

            5.2       County Councillor Hagues said

Lincolnshire County Council had reduced its carbon emissions by 75% which is 55,000 tonnes per year.

The Woodland Trust and the County Council aim to plant around 200,000 trees by 2026.

The County Council had withdrawn funding for the southern section of the Lincoln Ring Road

6.         Planning Applications

            There were none.

7.         Finance

            The current bank balance was £54,025.87

            On-line access to the council bank account for the Clerk was discussed, the Chairman saying that the paper copy of the forms had not yet been received from Lloyds Bank.

            It was noted that capital grants are available to community groups (for example for solar panels on the roof of the Community Centre).

8.         Highway Matters

            8.1       The fencing on Poor Garden Lane had been reported.

            8.2       The footpath from Church Lane to the church needs a cut back

            8.3       The stile opposite Mrs Agnew’s has been fixed.

8.4       A complaint about a potential blockage of the footpath in Northbeck had been passed on to the Highways Department.

8.5       There was a discussion about ownership of the beech tree near Mr Bird’s house (Aswarby Estate or the County Council) following a letter from Mr Bird’s insurers.

9.         Matters Affecting the Village / Correspondence

A letter from Mrs Clark of Northbeck had been received asking for more transparency and information on any discussions about the reservoir. It was agreed that information from the existing community liason group meetings with Anglia Water would be made available on the Parish Council website.

10.       Vacancy on the Parish Council

There was a brief discussion about potential candidates for co-option and the councillors agreed to sound out several people.

11.       Date of the next meeting has been set for 2nd December 2024

The Meeting closed at 8.22pm.

District Councillors Report – Scredington Sept 2024

Parking in Sleaford

With the Market Place closing the subject of car parking in Sleaford has been raised with me at several Parish Council meetings, the link below explains the situation.

https://www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/council-news/2024/07/new-plan-car-park-sent-back-applicant?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

One thing to note is that Lafford Terrace (NDKC car park) can be used for free in the evenings and at weekends.

A cinema for Sleaford - update

With it being five years since the Council announced plans to bring a cinema to Sleaford, the media has this last week been asking what happens next.

Shortly after the scheme was announced and received unanimous support from Members in 2019, the Covid pandemic changed the operating realities of cinemas and the leisure industry generally and the potential operator was no longer able to partner the scheme going forward.

Since then it has remained an aspiration of the Council to deliver a cinema within its broader vision for revitalising the Heart of Sleaford – and still is – and we know how much public support there is for a cinema scheme. The statement issued to the media about ongoing discussions to make this a reality  A press release from NKDC can be found below,

https://www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/council-news/2024/07/enthusiasm-cinema-unchanged

Planning reform

In her first speech as Chancellor, the Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP, outlined her requirement for the immediate reform of the planning system to assist in the new Government’s national mission for growth, including the building of 1.5 million homes in the next five years. Amongst the proposals for the planning system are:

• To consult on an updated version of the National Planning Policy Framework with a focus on growth, including the restoration of housing targets, by the end of the month
• To remove the NPPF constraints relating to onshore wind energy development, and which indeed was delivered on 8 July through a policy statement - Policy statement on onshore wind - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• To consult on bringing onshore wind energy back into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime such that developments generating over 50MW will be determined nationally
• To ensure energy projects in the system are progressed swiftly
• To introduce a task force to accelerate stalled housing sites
• To support local authorities with 300 new planning officers
• To modify the intervention in planning decisions around the economic benefits of the development proposed, and to ensure the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor have sight of any important investment opportunity with important planning considerations
• To prioritise the use of brownfield and ‘grey belt’ land – the latter not being relevant to a Lincolnshire context where there is no designated green belt
• To deliver more affordable homes including those for social rent
• To prioritise decisions on infrastructure
• To set out new policy intentions for critical infrastructure in the coming months ahead of revising National Policy Statements within the year

It is evident that there will be a number of changes to the planning system over the coming months, and indeed the changes are already happening in terms of the policy statement on onshore wind which is now a material planning consideration.

The consultation on the update to the NPPF later this month will be a key change in how the District Council determines planning applications and Officers will review the updated document carefully.

In terms of some of the other initiatives, the Council already seeks to prioritise brownfield land over greenfield through our work across Central Lincolnshire and the joint Local Plan as well as through our own Brownfield Land Register. It remains the case that much of the brownfield land in the District is unsuitable for development being unsustainable and/or incapable of being realistically served by infrastructure. The Council has a good track record of resolving issues on stalled sites to ensure their implementation, and Officer time and resources are focused on the delivery of sustainable urban extensions.

Officers will continue to monitor and engage in the planning reforms proposed. In the meantime, Officers will continue to determine planning applications in accordance with the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan and have regard to other material considerations.

New mosaic and works to Monument Gardens *

A new mosaic dedicated to the River Slea will flow through Sleaford’s Monument Gardens following a refresh of the space starting soon – and your help is needed now on another important aspect of the works. The Monument Gardens project is expected to start in early September and take around seven weeks to complete, with the works including:

• The creation of a floor mosaic which will reflect the shape and colours of the River Slea. A local artist (Vikki Buss of PIX Glass Design, Navigation Yard) has been commissioned to create it, and it will be in keeping with the existing Les Gostick Memorial on the exterior wall of Sleaford Museum.
• Separating two of the existing Monument Gardens flower beds into four new hexagonal flower beds, adding low maintenance planting while retaining the large lime tree and two silver birch trees that are already there and the one remaining flowerbed to the north. There’ll also be feature lighting to highlight this new planting scheme.
• Repaving some of the area around the new planters and floor mosaic and giving the rest of the surrounding paving a good clean.
• A flagpole installed within the gardens, so that flags may be flown.
• Installation of new seating, which will also increase the number of benches at the gardens from two to four.
• Wall lights to highlight the museum and help its signage stand out.
• Repainting of the exterior walls of the museum and its shutter.
• As a final flourish, a salvaged heritage Sleaford town sign will be installed as a new feature for Monument Gardens.

As the project gets underway, there’s a survey asking for people to choose which colours they think the Wyvern Barrier should be repainted as part of it. There are four choices in keeping with the gardens and the wider area – the barrier’s original turquoise with the head highlighted in silver; the heritage green used throughout Sleaford town centre with the head highlighted in gold; black with the head highlighted in gold; and black with the head highlighted in silver. Fill in the survey at https://online1.snapsurveys.com/theWyvern by Sunday September 15 to select your preferred option, or go to Sleaford Museum and choose via the board on display there. 

The re-painting of the Wyvern Barrier will be done as a final touch to complement the completed public realm improvements at Monument Gardens.

For more information please see the full story on our website.

Also taking place at Southgate is a refresh of the space around Handley Monument. For more on UKSPF projects in Sleaford and across North Kesteven, visit www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/ukspf