Annual Report May 2020
East Keal Parish Council
Annual Report for 2019 - 2020
Written by Grahame Smith, Chair
This report is delayed a few weeks due to the Coronavirus – Covid 19 Pandemic which started in early 2020. Following national guidelines our March meeting was conducted under Social Distancing and the Annual Residents meeting due to be held in April 2020 was cancelled.
Councillors decided that if restrictions continued to the end of May, then the Annual Report should be issued in June without a public meeting.
Councillors
At the start of the year in May 2019 your councillors were:
Grahame Smith, Chair; Lynn Kemp, Deputy Chair; Katie Dromey; Anne- Marie Thornley; Diane White.
In November Diane White stepped down and new councillors were co-opted.
Maxine Crowson and Amanda Ward. In May 2020 Cllr Crowson stepped down and new Councillor Geoff Boxer joined us. There is currently one vacancy.
The Council has continued to be ably aided by our excellent Clerk, Libby Martin.
Other Support
Regular reports and attendance at meetings were received from the County Councillor Bill Aron and our long serving District Councillor Jim Swanson. Both have been very valuable with the information, advice and hard work. We thank them.
We also thank Dawn Keal who continued as Internal Auditor.
1. The ‘Meet the Councillors’ Garden Tea Party held in June 2019 was a great success with over 50 people attending with community groups. It was decided to make this a regular annual event.
2. War Memorial
The grounds are constantly cared for all year round; special thanks go to volunteers Helena, Jane and Sue. In November 70 people attended the memorial service which was conducted by Bishop David Rossdale and displayed the special banner made by Heather Nathan, thanks go to both.
3. New 4 Year Plan.
Effective 2020 – 24, the council have drawn up their new plan for aims and actions in the next four years.
Starting with full consultation and consideration of residents views, we issued a questionnaire to all households in September 2019. These were analysed and formed the basis of the plan. It was issued in January 2020 and is available to all.
Many items have already been implemented and the council has set up a regular review system to assess our progress.
4. Roads.
a) The new system for problem reporting was improved. It is a website: www.FixMyStreet.com Potholes, fly tipping and other aspects can be reported by any member of the public. Councillors have used this many times with success; swift action has occurred on most occasions, but some have taken too long.
b) Speed reductions scheme on A16. Your council has continued to raised the issue for a reduction to 30 mph speed limit on the A16, this is to be officially considered by Lincolnshire CC Highways Committee in a meeting in 2020.
5. Important Work.
1. We continue to have reports from community groups at each meeting: Women’s Institute, Parochial Church Council, Gardening Club, Diners Social Group, Volunteer Workforce and the Village Hall and we also liaise with them.
2. Many of the duties of the PC are legal requirements, and this can be a nightmare to navigate. Many thanks go to our Clerk Libby Martin for her excellent steering of the way through them. Policy documents have to be continuously reviewed and approved. To facilitate this and ensure all are covered effectively; we are now using a programme and time table to conduct these throughout the year.
6. Assets owned by your Parish Council.
a) A regular check and review is carried out each six months of items owned.
It was decided to improved the condition of the benches and modernise them in a deep blue colour. Alan Buckley is thanked immensely for his excellent painting voluntary work on this, with more to come in 2020.
b) We own 11.27 acres of farmland down Fen Lane which is leased out. The rent had not been reviewed for ten years nor increased since 1998. So in agreement with the tenant an increase of £150 was arranged making it £1,000 annual rent.
c) Four new large planters have been made to replace the old rotten ones and located on the A16 at the speed signs by Alan and Sue Buckley. Being a lovely blue and planted with flowers these give bright colourful welcome to our village. Thank you Alan and Sue.
7. Resilience Forum – Coronavirus Pandemic – Covid 19.
Your parish council acted quickly during March 2020 to set up a support system for our community during this crisis. Many enquiry phone calls were made and Cllrs. Kate Dromey and Grahame Smith visited many residents before lockdown and built up information. We liaised with the county resilience forum.
At least three leaflets were delivered within a few weeks to all households giving advice. A database was created so that the needs of people were known and help could be given. Over 20 volunteers came forward.
Assistance was given to people who were ‘self isolating’ with shopping, prescriptions, dog walking, phone calls, advice etc. A temporary ‘food bank’ was set up with many donations received as well as support in the Village Shop. Local families were helped.
The effect has been an increase in neighbours contacting each other, helping and looking after 5-10 nearby households. We welcome this enhanced community spirit and encourage its continuance.
8. Other items dealt with by your Parish Council:
1. Moving of the litter bin in Church Lane.
2. Requesting more frequent emptying of the bottle bank.
3. Supporting the great work of Diane White and the Community Café.
4. Providing the funds for the improvement of benches.
5. Requested an additional barrier for Hall Corner, which was refused.
6. Installation of a new bin for litter on Fen Lane at the entrance to The Acre.
7. Creation of the parish council Facebook page, managed by Cllr Kate Dromey.
8. We considered obtaining ‘mock gates’ and locating them at entrance to the village on the A16. Costs may prevent this so we are considering possible grants or other funding.
9. We attended several ‘working parties’ e.g. on the questionnaire, the 4 year plan.
10. Continued support to the Village Hall Committee with two representatives Cllrs Anne-Marie Thornley and Grahame Smith, who has been instrumental in the external repairs and redecoration as well as internal decoration. Cllr Smith is now Treasurer.
11. Delivered welcome packs to all new residents in the parish when they moved in.
12. Cllr Smith attended a Broadband Information Day held by the county council.
13. Cllr Lynn Kemp represents us on the Committee of LALC. (Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils)
14. Persistently pushed for repair of the damage road sign at Hall Corner.
15. A series of Computer Awareness Courses were arranged in March.
16. We enabled and carried out a ‘virtual meeting’ on-line using the software App called Zoom (due to the Coronavirus crisis).
17. Monitoring the situation on the fallen tree over Blacksmith’s Lane.
18. Reported and pushing for action on the flooding caused by springs on School lane and Fen Lane.
19. Clerk, Libby Martin and Cllr Grahame Smith attended a training day for a new website format.
20. We protected residents when dangerous tree branches were falling on the public footpath by cordoning off the area and bringing in tree experts.
9. The Workforce Volunteers
We are very grateful to all volunteers who help to keep the village neat, tidy and looked after, cutting grass verges, planting bulbs, cleaning signs and much more.
Your energy makes East Keal a lovely place to live in and it is admired by visitors.
The Parish Council are extremely grateful to all who make it all happen.
10. High Speed Fibre Broadband
The autumn of 2019 saw much disruption in the parish as cables were laid in grass verges and between poles. This is for the new high speed fibre broadband internet provisions to homes. Connections promised in December were delayed; then the first households saw connections in March 2020.
11. The Viking Link
The route of the large electrical cable was approved and is to be laid in the ground though our parish. Work may start in 2020.
12. Newsletter
We welcomed some useful issues during 2019.
13. FINANCES
Copies of the accounts are issued on a separate sheet and are available now to all residents.
We have kept the precept the same and with careful management are able to carry a sum of over £600 to the next financial year.
14. The Future
a) There will be an improved website during 2020, this is hosted by Lincolnshire County council and it will be more suitable for mobile phones and tablets use as well as PC and Lap Tops.
b) We shall continue to post information on our three notice boards, as well as other communications with parishioners by leaflet, Facebook page and increasing the emailing list.
c) The four year plan is being implemented and progress will be assessed and monitored.
There is one vacancy, as there are seven places on the council.
If you are interested in joining us, please do contact me or our Clerk, Libby Martin. Tel:- 01790 752 083
Dates of meeting and other activities are posted on our notice boards, please do read them and contact us on any relevant issues.
Thank you.
Grahame Smith, Chair