Minutes of Meeting 22.3.2023
A meeting of East Keal Parish Council Meeting was held on 22.3.23 at 7pm. At the Keals’ Village Hall, West Keal.
Welcome. Cllr Grahame Smith welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Present. Cllr Smith, Cllr Boxer, Cllr Edwards and Clerk to the Council, Mrs E Martin. Also, Cllr Taylor and four members of the public
Public Forum.
Speed on A16. Concerns from residents were brought to the Council’s attention regarding the speed of traffic on the A16 coming down Keal Hill towards Keal Cotes. Although there has been a 40mph restriction for quite a while on this stretch of road they felt that many vehicles ignore the speed limit. In the past there has been a fatality on this stretch of the road and another in Stickford plus other non-recorded accidents.
When asked what they would like to see in an effort to improve the situation a 40mph through the whole of Keal Cotes was requested. They also felt that the flashing signs were also ignored and did not want them as they are not enforceable.
It was stated that West Keal Parish Council had been invited to send representation to this meeting as we felt a joint approach would be beneficial. Unfortunately, no one attended.
Residents were advised to contact Cllr Gray personally on this matter and EKPC chair agreed to speak with West Keal chair on the matter.
It was felt that residents’ views needed to be obtained to present to LCC so they have evidence to assess the situation. Also, the outcome of a recent petition should be looked into.
Winter Warmer Packs. There are still 20 Winter Warmer Packs available for any resident over 55. Apply to ‘thekealsevents@hotmail.com’ or 01790 751198.
Death of Mr Ken Mellors. Sadly, the death of Mr Ken Mellors was announced. He had been the Chair of EKPC between 2000 – 2007 and had been instrumental in instigating many improvements in the village. He will be sadly missed.
1. Apologies for Absence. Cllr Kemp, Cllr Wrisdale & Cllr Cooper offered their apologies. It was proposed by Cllr Boxer & seconded by Cllr Edwards that the reasons given be accepted. Apologies were also received from Cllr Gray.
2. Notes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday 18.1.23 to be approved as the minutes. It was resolved that the notes be accepted as minutes of the meeting, proposed by Cllr Boxer and seconded by Cllr Edwards. All agreed and the minutes were then signed.
3. Declaration of interest. None received.
4. Reports from Representatives on outside bodies.
a) County Councillor. A report had been received and circulated to Cllrs. The main points are at the end of these minutes.
b) District Councillor. The main points are shown at the end of these minutes.
c) Village Hall.
i. A new delegate from WKPC has joined the committee.
ii. Heather Edwards has been elected chair.
iii. Measures have been introduced to reduce electricity usage.
iv. The general policy on key holders was decided.
v. With the WI folding, they have distributed their assets held at the village hall. As a result, only the Gardening Club will store items in the shed from now on.
vi. A marketing working party has been set up, with an aim to increase hall usage.
Cllr Taylor offered to find out if there was any grant money which would help fund printing etc.
5. Reports from Community Groups.
a. Church. A recent quiz and supper raised over £150. This weekend a Jumble sale is being held and any unwanted items are welcome. Please leave them in the porch if the Church is locked.
Scarecrow weekend. It is proposed for the weekend of 2 & 3 September 2023. Potential support from residents is in the process of being sought.
b. Gardening Club. A very interesting and informative talk was held regarding the Dunes at Gibraltar Point.
The next talk is about the Lincolnshire Wolds and is on 28th March at 7pm.
Then there is a fish & chip supper and quiz on 14th April. Details from Libby on 01790 752083.
c) Local History Group. The next meeting in on 12.4.23 at 2pm.
d) Wildlife Group. The next meeting is 21.4.23 at 11am.
e) The Keal’s Community Group.
i) March Market was really well attended and raised just over £200 which will help fund future community events.
ii) Free First Aid Training Session, on Wednesday 29th March at The Keals' Village Hall from 6pm till 9pm. Limited spaces available, booking essential at thekealsevents@hotmail.com.
iii) Final Warm Spaces are Thursday 16th March and Thursday 30th March.
We will be continuing to host free Community Cuppas twice a month for the next year. The first one is Wednesday 12th April from 10am till 1pm at The Keals' Village Hall. From May we hope to add Wellbeing Walks on those dates which will be approximately 1hr long.
iv) The Keals' Coronation Celebration on Monday 8th May from 10am till 3pm at The Keals' Village Hall.
v) Horncastle Choir Performance on Friday 7th July at The Keals' Village Hall at 7pm. Tickets £5.
6. Updating Policy Documents.
a) Cllr Boxer offered to look at Record Retention and Cllr Edwards to check the ‘Code of Conduct’.
7. Finance
a) £20.00 Hire of Hall for 22.3.23. Invoice no. 235.
b) Reimburse E Martin for Printer, ink, paper £125.77 & Stamps £6.80 total of £132.57.
c) Clerks Salary of £1614.24 to be paid as follows: HMRC - £322.80 & Mrs E Martin £1291.44.
d) Clerk’s internet of £200.00.
e) Approval for payments of £120.00 to LALC for training and annual fees of £148.39 to be paid after 1.4.23.
f) Approval of invoice from Wilson for £200.00, in respect of work undertaken.
The payments a to f were proposed by Cllr Boxer and Seconded by Cllr Edwards. All agreed.
g) Bank Reconciliation Statement and Financial Report as at 17th March 2023. Acceptance of these documents was proposed by Cllr Edwards and seconded by Cllr Boxer.
8. Report back from working party on 4-year plan. A constructive meeting was held and a report will be given at the ARM on 19th April.
9. Update of work done in village and further requests.
a) Potholes filled Church Lane, Fen Lane & Blacksmiths Lane. Reporting problems on ‘Fix My Street’ seems to be working well but there are still potholes that need filling.
b) Drains cleared out. See comments under CC Report at end on minutes.
c) Work on footpaths near Hall Corner. Two Cllrs spend time clearing the footpath and the bank has been dug back to give more room . A request to LCC has been made for the bank to be dug out a bit more to prevent further issues.
d) A request for ‘top dressing’ on Fen Lane has been made and will be considered by LCC Highways.
e) Work on Hall Corner. As yet we have not been informed when this work might be done.
Cllr Smith expressed his thanks to LCC for all the work done in East Keal recently.
10. State of notice board – Fen Lane. Since our last meeting this has been damaged by the heavy rains and wind. It was felt that this is beyond repair although it was agreed that the carved name at the top be retrieved. At present the Council are not in a position to replace this (financially) and it was felt comments from residents are needed.
11. Correspondence.
a) An email from a resident regarding speeding on A16 in Keal Cotes. See public forum. In addition it was stated that EKPC support the concerns of residents regarding speed reduction on this stretch of the A16.
b) Correspondence from Wilsons re update on land rental. The agreement is now signed ready to be returned with the fee.
c) New bench in village. Thanks have been expressed for the generous donation of a new bench in the village. This has been placed (with LCC’s approval) at the crossroads of Fen Lane, School Lane and Blacksmith’s Lane. It is in memory of Beth Nielson who loved walking round the village with her dogs.
12. Welcome Booklet – no new residents identified.
13. Any matters for discussion only or next agenda.
Annual Residents Meeting. It was agreed that cheese and wine, tea, coffee etc be served at the start of this meeting. (The clerk to organise). Followed by Chair’s report and four year plan, then a talk by our guest speaker.
4a. County Councillor Report.
Lincolnshire stands firm in support with Ukraine: One year on, Lincolnshire continues to support new arrivals from Ukraine. In the last year over 1200 Ukrainians have made Lincolnshire their temporary home. Anyone can consider hosting as long as they can offer accommodation for at least 6 months. ‘Thank you’ payments are given to hosts.
Budget 2023: The council’s budget for 2023/24 was formally approved by full council on 17th February 2023. Council tax will rise by 4.99% (Inc. 2% rise for adult care).
Gritting Lincolnshire’s Roads: There are 30,000 tonnes of salt stored across eight depots in the county. Up to 47 gritters treat 5,500 miles of roads. 12 weather stations feed data back about the weather and road temperatures to help predict more accurately weather systems.
Usher Gallery hosts new exhibition of British painter, David Remfrey MBE RA, from 28 January-1 May 2023.
Keep warm, keep well: Make sure you keep yourself and your loved ones warm and well by taking steps to stay healthy, and prepare for potential illness, especially if you (or your loved ones) suffer from asthma, CoPD or other illnesses where sudden drops in temperature can affect health. Call 111 if you are concerned and want medical advice and – if you are eligible, remember to have your free flu and covid vaccinations!
Children’s Centres: Lincolnshire’s children’s centres are designed to support families with children from birth to five years. They are all free to join. Any adult caring for a child can access the centres, including grandparents, foster carers and child minders. Each centre offers additional services and activities tailored to the needs of the local community. There are 48 children’s centres across the county, including Spilsby, Horncastle and Tattershall.
Good Citizens Award 2023: If you know a local person or organisation that goes the extra mile, this is your chance to help us celebrate their work at the Good Citizens Awards. Nominations are now open.
Local Highways issues. All gullies/drains on Fen Lane and Blacksmiths Lane have now been cleansed/jetted, including those marked to be hand cleansed on Blacksmiths Lane.
The road markings on Hall Corner are due to be repainted.
Survey works on the drainage at Hall Corner has been completed. Work is now planned around the offlets on Hall Corner to improve the speed of water clearance. All gullies will then be re jetted.
Many pothole repairs have been carried out in East Keal over the past few weeks.
4b. District Councillor’s Report.
50th Anniversary of the formation of the Wolds area of outstanding beauty.
Energy Bill Support. £200 is available for those who have not paid their energy bills by Direct Debit. Further information on gov.uk/energy
Mini Wind Turbines. Two mini wind turbines have been installed in the county. One on Skegness pier and the other in Spalding. The S & E Lincolnshire Partnership have facilitated this project and will monitor the outcomes.
Election ID. Please remind everyone who wishes to vote in the May elections that extra ID will be required. These elections are for District and Parish Councillors.
Lincolnshire Wolds Festival. This will take place from 20th May to 11th June.
14. Date of Annual Residents Meeting 19th April 2023 at 7pm. In the Village Hall.
Signed …………………………… Dated ……………………………