June 2020 Minutes
Corringham Parish Council
Clerk to the Council: Mrs A Hayward
Lindale Villa, Gringley Rd, Walkeringham DN10 4HT
Tel: 01427 891118, email: angela@lindalevilla.com
Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 2nd June 2020 at 7.30 pm held remotely via Zoom
Present: Cllrs. P Hardwick (Chair), D Semley, P Arthy, S Blades, J Sims, J Stanser, M Parr and A Hayward (Clerk) Members of the Public: 0
01.06.20 Chairman’s Remarks
Cllr. Hardwick welcomed everyone to the meeting. There was a one-minute silence to remember the late Cllr. Strange who have served the Ward for many years.
02.06.20 Apologies for absence and reasons given
Dist. Cllr. Councillor Howitt-Cowan (another meeting)
Cllr. Watson - absent
It was resolved to accept the apologies
03.06.20 Declarations of interest
The following declarations of interest were made:
Cllrs. M Parr & P Hardwick – allotment matters
Cllrs. J Sims, J Stanser & P Hardwick – village hall matters
04.06.20 Public Discussion
None
05.06.20 Notes of the last meeting of the Council
The minutes of the meeting held on 3 March 2020 were discussed and resolved as being a true record.
06.06.20 Reports from Outside Agencies and Sub-Committees
Corringham Village Hall
Cllr. Hardwick reported that there had been very little activity due to the Covid-19 restrictions; only the Post Office is running at the moment. On the positive side, the village hall has received a grant of £10K from WLDC as part of the Central Government’s ‘Leisure Grant’.
Neighbourhood Plan
Cllr. Semley confirmed she had now applied for a grant of £6,500 from Locality. The Character Assessment still required finalisation and this would be chased up. The next stage is to start preparing for the consultation re. the results of the Call for Sites exercise. Consultees will include statutory consultees such as local authorities.
07.06.20 Matters for Consideration
2019/20 AGAR
The Clerk presented the 2019/20 annual return for approval. After review the Parish Council resolved to approve the following
i. Certificate of Exemption
ii. Annual Governance Statement
iii. Accounting Statement
Details would be posted on the Parish Council website along with supporting schedules including a notice of public rights.
08.06.20 Financial Matters
Financial Report:
Income to date: £10,200.00
Outgoings to date: £ 2,193.92
Funds available: £14,868.34
The following payments were proposed, seconded, voted and agreed.
X
09.06.20 District and County Councillors’ reports
County Councillor
Cty. Cllr. Perraton-Williams reported as follows:
• Highways have commenced some maintenance work and were looking to ‘tidy up’ some of the villages. Resurfacing work is to take place in the vicinity of Corringham including the road into Scotter.
• Work on the Gainsborough junction is planned to start September 2020.
• County Councillors have each been given a £5K fund to give out to communities. Applications can be made on-line.
District Councillor
Dist. Cllr. Howitt-Cowan had sent the following report:
LCC Elections are in May 2021 and Police Commissioner elections transferred to May 2021
Political Landscape at WLDC ever changing:
There are 36 cllrs
Independents 6
Conservative 17 however 3 Independents are aligned to the leading group giving a majority of 7 [there is to be district council election at some point due to the death of Cllr Strange]
Liberal 13
Corringham Junction which is with the parish of Corringham – that is on course for re modelling at a cost of over £1 million met by LCC & WLDC.And on course to be carried out this year
Car Parking Charges to recommence 15 of June or thereabouts
Public Toilets – exploring re opening them in Gainsborough which present challenges
Southern Extension in Gainsborough:
This is for 2,500 houses start may be in the summer
Coronvirus leads to extra monetary cost :
This has cost WLDC to date £3 million, so far central government has contributed £1 million and we are asking Westminster to pay the remainder, as its quite a ‘hit ‘for us to take, in the light of budget restraints.
Mayflower 400:
The programme came to a sudden halt due to the virus, it is hoped to rescue some of the programme for 2021.It is doubtful if our American visitors will be crossing the Atlantic in the wake of Covid – 19 with their economic recession!
RAF Scampton:
The base is on the very edge of WLD and Lincoln.
The Red Arrows are to be re located to RAF Waddington in 2022.They shall continue to use the air space in WLD.600 staff are on the base
This will have a significant effect on the budget for WLDC and possibly reduce our cultural heritage offer
Half the original site was sold off as a private housing estate. The military base is now for sale, it has sport facilities, it has 4 listed hangers, an aviation museum [celebrating Guy Gibson], the majority of the quarters are derelict, and some of the land appears to be seriously contaminated
Its advantage it is proximity to Lincoln, which has challenges for housing growth, therefore the general idea is for the site to accommodate housing, light industry and leisure facilities It is important to rescue its aviation museum and sport facilities. It has a school on site and there is a village school.
Here is an opportunity to cultivate improved relations between the base and Scampton village to bring them together and allow them to grow as one village.
Crematoria – Lea Fields:
Opened: 03/02/2020
Services: 157
Gross Income Realised: £121.500k and well on track according to the Business Model
Comments: majority are complimentary esp for its stunning views over the R Trent!
Gainsborough
Townscape Heritage:
5 year Project to restore and reinstate historic features of heritage in the Market Place and Lord St
Jonathan Lee Project Heritage Officer
£1.9 million Heritage Lottery Grant
28 buildings identified
And to encourage accommodation over the shops to create a centre town community
Bowling Green Lane N. West of Gainsborough:
130 houses
Due to start in June
The Council will achieve an uninterrupted Riverside Walk from the Trent Bridge to Morton
Virtual or Remote Council Meetings:
WLDC has remained ‘open for business’ and staff have been working from home and with councillors reverting to virtual meetings on an occasional basis. WLDC use TEAMS.
The first Committee to meet was Planning and this went remarkably well
The Guildhall is open planned and in the light of the virus a remodelling exercise may have to be carried out
Several Parish Councils have also been meeting virtually; Corringham ZOOM, Hemswell village ZOOM & Glentworth SKYPE
Trinity Arts Centre:
Arts Council England has awarded a share of its emergency fund to support the Trinity Arts Centre, Gainsborough.
West Lindsey District Council which operates the centre in Gainsborough has been awarded £35,000 from the fund, which is aimed at supporting venues and theatre companies, who are not in receipt of regular portfolio funding from the Arts Council, and have been hit by the impact of the coronavirus.
This was cited in an article in The Guardian by the Minister of Culture, Oliver Dowden last Sunday [ 24 May 2020]
Whilst the complex has been closed it has received a Spring Clean and internal redecoration.
Leisure Centres:
Gainsborough Leisure Centre is planning to re-open 4 July respecting the distancing regulations, and the centre at Market Rasen is hoping to be finally completed and open sometime in June.
Cinema at Gainsborough:
Savoy, who have won the contract, are still on course to manage the cinema and a planning application is due to be submitted 8 July.
Parish Charter:
This refresh of the current charter will be submitted to Prosperous on 2 June for approval.
Its twofold objective is to reframe the relationship with Parish Councils and to improve communications with the parishes.
It will also recommend the formation of Parish Forums.
I regard the District Cllr as the lynchpin in the two way relationship between WLDC and the Parish Council. And somewhat disappointed that this point failed to feature in the Charter, as it exposes a weakness and I have been given assurances that on election new cllrs will receive on induction, training in regard to their role with their parishes. I am keen to see all District Cllrs attend PC meetings and if they are unable to do so, to send in reports. They should always be available to serve their grass roots as this anchors them in the reality of the parish which elected them in the first place. There are a few colleagues who fail to attend parish meetings or send in reports and this concerns me.
Devolution:
In 2016, the devolution package was scuppered by LCC however less than 4 years on, this is back on the table for discussion. I was one of four colleagues who defied the three lined whip and voted against the package in 2016. All councils in Lincolnshire have agreed to approach the Government on the matter. It is feared that devolution may be imposed and the leaders of their respective Authorities believe they should work out a model or models well ahead to obtain approval. Devolution would lead to a radical reorganisation of local government with the strong possibility of a re united Lincolnshire.
There are considerable obstacles to surmount;
Devolution is accompanied by the creation of a Mayor whose office lends itself to that of a city, whereas Lincolnshire is a huge county spread out and largely rural.
There is a fear that a small district council, such as WLDC, will be swallowed up and the links between the parishes become distanced and remote.
WLDC is solvent, efficient and effective whereas several councils in Lincolnshire are not; they would gain whereas we would not.
It is also felt that funding would be focused on the Humber and industrial areas and WLD would miss out on economic generation. Watch this space!
Village Halls receive a windfall:
Central Government allocated funding under a Leisure Grant due to the virus and I discovered that village halls could apply and according to their rateable value would receive an allocation, for example Ingtham village hall received £25k.In the Hemswell Ward village halls of Corringham, Hemswell Glentworth and Willoughton were able to receive £10k each. I know that Corringham and Willoughton are ring fencing these ‘windfalls’ to refurbish their toilets.I enquired into Springthorpe village hall however as it was privately owned by Thonock and Somerby Estates, it unfortunately missed out. If village halls are contemplating ‘match funding’ and taking up WLDC Community grants please beware that currently that stream has been suspended during Covid-19 and shall not be available until April 2021/22.
Planning Committee Meeting:
The May meeting was cancelled due to lack of business however it will meet [ virtually] on 17 of June and one item in the Hemswell ward will be tabled – Woldgrain at Hemswell Cliff is hoping to expand and its subject to a £750,000 grant on completion of the work next June 2021, a tight timeline!
10.06.20 Planning Matters
New Planning Applications:
None
WLDC Planning Decisions
None
11.06.20 Councillors’ reports and items for inclusion on the next agenda
The following items were reported:
There was a general discussion about Facebook and about whether or not to allow advertisements. It was felt that in general that advertisements should be limited and should be open to locals as much as possible. To help vet new joiners it was suggested it would help if there were a few screening questions in place. To be monitored and reviewed further.
Cllr. Parr reported an overgrown hedge which was now encroaching on to the pavement. Cllr. Perraton-Williams suggested that the Parish Council initially asks the owner to cut it back before Highways are asked to intervene. Cllr. Parr to follow up.
12.06.20 The date of the next meeting was confirmed as Tuesday 7 July 2020 at 7.30pm to take place remotely via Zoom.
Meeting closed at 8.25 pm