2021 Town Council Minutes of Meetings

Minutes of a Meeting of Market Deeping Town Council

Held on Wednesday 13th January at 7.30pm

Zoom meeting code 835 6513 9507

Password 672193

Present:    Cllr Yarham (Chair), Cllr Miss Moran, Cllr Brookes, Cllr Broughton, Cllr Hembrow, Cllr Mrs Redshaw, Cllr Shelton, Cllr Davis, Cllr Mrs Sked, Cllr Miss Collins, Cllr Dolan                                                              

The clerk and the deputy clerk were also in attendance. 

Cllr Yarham welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked the District Councillors present if they wished to speak.  Cllr Miss Moran, for SKDC, advised that she had attended the budget meeting at Grantham and that the council tax increase for the district had been agreed at £5pa for a band D property.  She had also attended a productive meeting with the head of Leisure and the Swimming club, who will recalculate their financial spreadsheets as a result.

Cllr Broughton, for SKDC, had nothing to report.

Cllr Mrs Sked, as a member of the public, reported that the little ‘Big Clean’ had completed requests for tidying/cleaning on drains and paths in the area.  It was agreed that Cllr Yarham will write to Cllr Peter Mosely to thank the team for their work.

Cllr Davis asked that the clerk write to Cllr Trollope-Bellew to find out why she had not attended recent Full Council meetings. 

There being no other public speakers, the meeting commenced at 7.35pm.

147. Chairman’s Welcome & Introductions

Cllr Yarham welcomed members to the meeting.

148.  Apologies for Absence

Apologies were received from Cllr Lester and Cllr Neilson.

149.  Declarations of Interest under the Localism Act 2011

None were declared.

150. Acceptance of minutes of a meeting held on 9th December 2020

Cllr Yarham asked that minute 139 regarding the Tier 3 restrictions be amended to show that Sir John Hayes supported the tiers on condition that South Lincs would be considered separately from 16/12/20. 

7.37 SKDC Cllr Baxter entered the meeting.

It was then proposed by Cllr Yarham, seconded by Cllr Shelton and resolved with10 in favour and 1 against to accept the notes of the meeting as a true and accurate record, subject to the above amendment.  The Clerk will sign the minutes on behalf of the chairman.

151.  Reports: Including reports from Deepings First, Committees (Planning and Highways), Mayor’s Diary and the Clerk

Deepings First

Cllr Shelton advised that the plan had now received full approval.  It had been fact checked and will be published on 14th January.  All amendments will be incorporated into the report and submitted to SKDC, however, as it already approved it will be ‘Referendum ready’.  Cllr Shelton advised that the referendum may now take place in July or even October but that the plan will be as powerful as it will become post referendum.  Once implemented, the team will move on to monitor and review.

Planning & Highways

Cllr Brookes advised members that there were no points to ratify and no new issues to report.  Cllr Miss Moran advised that the applicant who had applied to move the Rectory wall was now not doing so.

Mayor’s diary

The Mayor and deputy Mayor had attended no events due to the current restrictions.

Clerk’s Report 

SKDC had advised that the public toilets can remain open during the current lockdown.

The clerk has been informed by a resident that he collects on average 39 bags of rubbish a month from the town and surrounding areas.

A thank you letter has been received from LIVES for the council’s support during 2020.  In 83% of cases, LIVES volunteers reach the scene of an emergency before the ambulance service.

The Town Hall cleaner and window cleaner have been cancelled until further notice.

The Christmas Tree is due to be taken down on the 9th or 10th January.

The precept request has been submitted.

Cllr Yarham thanked Cllr Broughton on behalf of the council for his assistance with taking down the tree.  Cllr Mrs Redshaw and Cllr Mrs Sked also thanked Cllr Broughton for his actions as flood warden on Christmas Day. 

152.  Correspondence to be noted and resolved upon

Correspondence to be noted

Correspondence to be resolved upon:

153.  Council Finances

a)  Income and expenditure by budget cost centre

Members had received a copy of the Council Finances and Omega report prior to the meeting. Cllr Yarham asked if there were any questions.  There were none. 

b) Accounts to be paid

Cllr Broughton queried 2 items on the previous month’s accounts and was directed to Financial regulation 4.1.  It was then proposed by Cllr Yarham, seconded by Cllr Davis and resolved with 9 in favour, 1 against and 1 abstention that the council pay its bills for January.  See appendix A. 

154.For members to nominate a council trustee for the Deepings Swimming Club

Following the recent grant aid payment made by the council, the club has agreed that a Cllr should sit on the board as a trustee.  Cllr Yarham proposed that Cllr Miss Moran be nominated as the trustee.  Cllr Miss Collins questioned the charitable status of the club.

8.09pm LCC Cllr Trollope-Bellew entered the meeting.

The clerk confirmed the payment of £3000 already made and the remaining payment of £3000 to be made once the club can produce accounts to show that it is operational and can support galas.  Cllr Miss Collins asked for it to be minuted that she was querying why the council is funding a club that is not a charity.  Cllr Brookes then reminded members that the payment had already been approved and if the organisation invites us to take a role as trustee then that is in order.  Cllr Miss Moran confirmed that the club is a not-for-profit organisation. It was then proposed by Cllr Yarham, seconded by Cllr Mrs Sked and resolved with 7 in favour, one against and 2 abstentions for Cllr Miss Moran to be appointed to represent the council as a committee member of the Deepings Swimming Club.

155.For members to receive an update on Digital Council

Cllr Yarham advised members that he had requested bacs payment details for the new Apple devices and the order can then be made.  Members agreed that the devices would be pre-programmed with the Town Council, District Council and County council websites and that they would use the .gov.uk email addresses.  Cllr Mrs Sked thanked Cllr Yarham for his work on the provision of the new devices.  Cllr Mrs Redshaw reported issues with her current device, and Cllr Broughton advised that he will wait until receiving the new device before changing to the .gov.uk address.

156.Forthcoming events: Councillors’ Training Day 23/24 Feb via zoom 10am – 1.30pm, New Councillors’ Introduction/refresher 16th Feb via zoom, 6-9pm, Financial Training – VAT/Auditing/Year end accounting, ‘A guide to being a good Councillor’ various dates

The clerk had provided Cllrs with details of the training events listed, and Cllr Yarham asked members to attempt at least one course during the coming year.  Cllr Davis asked for confirmation that attendance at courses is logged on member’s records, and the clerk confirmed that this is the case.

157.  For members to consider and discuss any points raised in the public session.

Cllr Yarham asked Cllrs Trollope-Bellew and Baxter if they wished to speak, as they had entered the meeting after the public session has finished.  Cllr Baxter wished members a happy new year.  He confirmed that no public money would be spent on the provision of the statue of Margaret Thatcher in Grantham but that the council would take on any maintenance costs.  He further advised of a debate concerning whether special constables may receive a council tax rebate.

Cllr Trollope-Bellew also wished members a happy new year and advised that she had sent a report to the clerk to be forwarded on.  She advised of an initiative to build a bridge over the Tallington crossing and that the parish council had asked for support with the project.  Members agreed that the clerk should write to the clerk at Tallington in support of the idea.  Cllr Davis advised Cllr Trollope-Bellew of his email to Cllr Davies at LCC regarding the re-siting of the cycle rack and that there had been no reply.  Cllr Trollope-Bellew had similarly been unable to find out any further information.  The removal of the Holbeach cycle rack was discussed and Cllr Trollope-Bellew felt that the only option left was to start a petition.  Members agreed that the nearby rack already sited in the Market Place and in keeping with the conservation area was sufficient.  Cllr Broughton asked that the re-siting of the cycle rack be discussed at the next AOS meeting.

158.Confidential/Personnel Matters: Consideration to go into Closed session to discuss:

 Staff issues

Cllrs Baxter and Trollope-Bellew left the meeting.  It was then proposed, seconded and resolved unanimously to move into Closed Session to members of the press and public in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, for members to discuss items that contained information of a confidential nature:  It was agreed to consider the issue at the next Town Hall and Cemetery meeting.  It was then resolved unanimously to come out of Closed Session.

Cllr Yarham then thanked all members for attending and declared the meeting closed at 8.46pm.  The next scheduled meeting of the Full Council will be held on 10th February 2021.