2021 Town Council Minutes of Meetings

Minutes of the Full Council Meeting of Market Deeping Town Council held on Wednesday 23rd June 2021 at 8pm at the Deepings Community Centre

Present:
Cllr Yarham (Chair)
Cllr Miss Collins
Cllr Miss Moran
Cllr Mrs Sked
Cllr Mrs Redshaw
Cllr Brookes
Cllr Dolan
Cllr Shelton
Cllr Broughton
Cllr Hembrow
    
LCC Cllr Baxter, Tony Plunkett from Deepings Lions, the Clerk and the Deputy clerk were also in attendance.

Cllr Yarham welcomed everyone to the meeting and the Open Session commenced:

Tony Plunkett from Deepings Lions was invited to speak regarding their application for £500 grant aid towards developing a sensory area within the community centre garden in Market Deeping. This is a joint project between Lions, Sense and the Community Centre.  They are developing a sensory activity area using reclaimed materials and making it suitable for wheelchairs.  It will be available to be used by other local children and will be maintained by The Lions in future.  They will be approaching Round Table, Rotary, DSJ Parish Council and Deepings United Charity for extra funding also.

Cllr Baxter reported the following: -

• Tattershall Meadow (rewilding area) was looking great and that SKDC had put a wide path through it.  He stated that he was encouraging SKDC and LCC to talk to each other about the leisure centre but there was no land agreement yet. 
• He had met with Cllr Miss Moran and Police to discuss anti-social behaviour on Industrial Estate to consider preventative measures.
• He had attended a meeting with Highways to discuss unfit road surfaces in the Deepings.
• Drug dealing on Wellington Way has been reported to Police.
• He had a meeting planned with Mid UK Recycling to discuss concerns re vermin, smell, noise and traffic.
• Management of flood and water meeting to see if flooding can be resolved.  Particularly concerned with regular flooding in the High Street.
• He had attended an Environment Economic Development and planning Committee meeting on 22nd June

Cllr Yarham suggested that anyone should email Cllr Baxter directly with any questions regarding his report.  

Cllr Broughton, for SKDC, had done 6 hours licensing training.  He is concerned re disabled parking markings in the Town Centre which have faded and needed reporting.

Cllr Miss Moran, for SKDC, then advised members that she had attended a meeting regarding Anti-Social behaviour on Northfield Industrial area with the Police.  The loud bangs are caused by removing the catalytic convertors and revving whilst stationary.  Police can only take action if they witness it happening. Police are looking at preventative measures and dispersal order.

23.  Chairman’s Welcome & Introductions

Cllr Yarham again welcomed members to the meeting.  He welcomed Gail Darnes as the new Town Clerk and hoped she was settling in well. 

24.   Apologies for Absence 

Apologies were received from Cllr Davis and Cllr Lester.

25.  Declarations of Interest under the Localism Act 2011 

None were declared.

26.  Acceptance of the minutes of a meeting held on 12th May 2021.
 
Cllr Yarham asked members if they were to accept the minutes of the meeting of 12th May 2021.  It was proposed by Cllr Yarham and seconded by Cllr Broughton and RESOLVED unanimously to accept the notes of the meeting as a true and accurate record.  The chairman will sign the minutes. 

27.  Reports: Including reports from Deepings Neighbourhood plan, Planning and Highways, Amenities and Open Spaces, Town Hall and Cemetery, Mayoral Diary and the Clerk 

Deepings Neighbourhood plan

Cllr Shelton reported that the plan will be legally adopted by SKDC on 24th June 2021.  It will then be legally part of SKDC’s planning considerations.   The committee will now focus on implementation, monitoring and review and have a constitution in place.  
Cllr Shelton and Deeping St James representative are going to reinstate regular meetings with SKDC. 

Planning & Highways

Cllr Shelton has been in discussion with Persimmon (Towngate East/ Godsey Lane development) and is close to finalising a Section 106 agreement agreeing an amount of money to be paid to Market Deeping Town Council (MDTC) for maintaining 5/6 pieces of land.  Cllr Shelton assured Cllr Sked that he will ensure that the park is in a good state of repair before it is handed over to MDTC.
  
Amenities and Open Spaces

Cllr Broughton was keen to go ahead with the planned Fair on 9th July 2021 providing it is still legal to do so. The fair owners have reassured that they are Covid friendly and will follow correct procedures.  Cllr Yarham stated that current guidance should be checked and followed.

The new tractor is working well.  A digger was hired for 3 days at a cost of £336.00 to repair the play area and repair incomplete works by the contractor.  Cllr Hembrow wanted it to go on record that he was uncomfortable with the contractors used.  Grass has been reseeded by the park keepers, rubber and trip hazards have been removed from the field. 

Town Hall and Cemetery

Cllr Miss Moran reported difficulties obtaining quotes to carry out the Town Hall repairs, she is considering putting the work on hold or extending the net wider for contractors.  Will be discussed at the next Town Hall & Cemetery meeting.

Flowers have been purchased for the cemetery and it is looking really good.

Cllr Miss Collins queried the state of the gravel in the Cemetery and the cost of benches for the Sanctum.  A discussion took place about whether benches would normally be purchased by the bereaved.

Cllr Miss Moran stated that the benches provide 3 areas to sit in the sanctum. The Deputy Clerk stated that there is registered interest in The Sanctum.

Cllr Broughton mentioned a complaint about anti-social behaviour from a concerned resident a discussion took place as to whether seats would encourage Anti-social behaviour. 
 
Cllr Sked pointed out that any anti-social behaviour should be reported via 101.

It was agreed to discuss the issues at the next Town Hall & Cemetery meeting.

Mayoral diary

Cllr Yarham advised that he had attended no meetings due to Covid.

Clerk’s Report

The Clerk had issued members with a report prior to the meeting:

The previous Clerk Sarah Lydford left on 7th June 2021 and I started on 14TH June 2021.  I’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has welcomed me to the role and particularly thank Emily for all her and assistance and hard work. 

28.  Correspondence to be noted and resolved upon

Listed correspondence

Month: June 2021

Correspondence to be noted and sent to all members via email 

Correspondence to be resolved upon:

Correspondence to be resolved upon:

29.  Council Finances

a)  Income and expenditure by 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 

It was proposed by Cllr Yarham and seconded to Cllr Broughton and RESOLVED unanimously that the council pay its bills.  See appendix A.  

30.  Grant Aid – The Deeping Lions Club

It was proposed by Cllr Broughton and seconded by Cllr Miss Collins and RESOLVED unanimously to support the Deeping’s Lions and give them £500.

31. For members to consider arrangements for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

A resident has requested that part of High Street be closed outside The Laurels as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.   Cllr Mrs Redshaw stated that there was a bar, bonfire and picnic for the last Jubilee.

Cllr Yarham proposed that a working party was set up and come back in September with ideas.  Any costs can be met from next year’s budget. Cllr Miss Moran welcomes any ideas from anyone.  Cllrs are to submit any interest in joining a working party to the Clerk as soon as possible.

32.  For members to consider commissioning an arboriculturist

Cllr Miss Moran is concerned that trees are being chopped down unnecessarily and that the planning process is allowing this.  She would like an independent arboriculturist to be commissioned where tree chopping is proposed so that MDTC are able to refer to this when making an argument to reject planning applications to SKDC.

Cllr Shelton expressed the view that we should respond to specific planning applications as they are received. 

Cllr Broughton advised that we are obliged to have a report done on our trees annually for insurance purposes.

The motion was proposed by Cllr Broughton and Seconded by Cllr Yarham and RESOLVED with 9 in favour, 1 abstention and 1 against.  

33. For members to consider Health Centre provision

Cllr Yarham is going to approach The Deepings Health Centre to outline the future arrangements of the practice, he believes there is provision in place to open their doors on a more regular basis.
 
34. For members to agree face to face meeting arrangements 

It was proposed by Cllr Yarham to continue to hold meetings in the community Centre in July and August. 

This was seconded by Cllr Broughton.

There were 8 votes in favour and 2 against.

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

It was agreed to donate £500 to Deepings Lions in support of their Sensory Garden Project.

This was proposed by Cllr Broughton and seconded by Cllr Miss Collins.

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

Staff issues

It was proposed by Cllr Broughton and seconded by Cllr Yarham 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 then proposed by Cllr Yarham and seconded by Cllr Broughton and RESOLVED to come out of Closed Session.

The Chairman thanked all members for attending and declared the meeting closed at 9.10 pm.  The next scheduled meeting of the Full Council will be held on Wednesday 14th July 2021 at 7.30 in the Deepings Community Centre.