2021 Annual Parish Meeting

SKILLINGTON PARISH COUNCIL
Grantham, Lincolnshire
Chairman:  Richard Wrigley  Vice-Chairman:  Rory Grindey
Councillors: Andy Bunce, Steph Burrows, Neville Clark, Francis Disney, Rory Grindey, Stuart Millington. 
Parish Clerk:  Pamela Harrison (Mrs), 9 Telford Way, Colsterworth, Grantham, Lincs.  NG33 5GH   
Telephone:  07707 104187  e-mail: clerk.spc@gmail.com

Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on Wednesday 7th April 2021 at 7.00pm. This meeting will be held via zoom.

Present:  Cllrs R. Wrigley (Chair), R. Grindey,  S. Burrows,  Mrs P. Harrison (Parish Clerk);  Cllrs B. Adams (LCC & SKDC) and D. Bellamy (SKDC) – joined at 7.20pm.

Parishioner: Mrs V. Page.

The Meeting was chaired by Richard Wrigley, Chairman of Skillington Parish Council. 

1.   Apologies for absence:  received from Cllrs S. Millington, N. Clark and F. Disney and Mr G. Page.

Did not attend: Cllr A. Bunce.

2.   Notes of the Annual Parish Meeting due to meet on  30th March 2020:  Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, this meeting was postponed.  There are therefore no minutes.

3.   Report on the Parish Council:  The Chairman addressed the meeting and reported on activities for the previous year:

3.1   What is the Parish Council? The lowest tier of local government with various Duties and Powers including litter collection, cemetery management, mowing verges and common grassed areas.  What the PC cannot do:  refuse or grant planning applications.  It is, however, informed of all applications and can make comments. It cannot mend potholes, but reports them to Highways.

3.2   Councillors:  The Council has seven councillors: The Chairman: Richard Wrigley; Vice-Chairman: Rory Grindey; and Cllrs Andy Bunce, Steph Burrows, Neville Clark, Francis Disney and Stuart Millington.  The next Election is due in May 2023 and that councillors’ serve a 4-year term.

3.3  The Chairman reported on matters of interest in the past year:  He first  thanked the Clerk for her work in this challenging year.  He also thanked Cllr Grindey for making the zoom Council meetings possible.

3.3.1    In response to Covid-19, a Community Helpline WhatsApp group was set up, with the help of Graham Page, Rob Ducksbury and others.

3.3.2    The cemetery extension, due to start work in late 2022, made possible by the generous gifting of some necessary land by William Murdoch.

3.3.3    Drainage work to resolve the long-standing problems on Sproxton Road was carried out, following earlier improvements on the north side by Buckminster Estate.

3.3.4    Tree work on The Square, required by LCC Highways was carried out.

4.   Planning Committee:  The Chairman read through the Report of the Planning Committee to 1st April 2021: 

The Planning Committee usually consists of the Chairman and three Councillors, currently the Chairman Cllr Wrigley, with Cllrs Disney and Millington. The Parish Council monitors any applications from within the Parish or, in the case of large developments, in the vicinity of the Parish.  The Committee confers and prepares comments relevant to ‘material planning considerations’ on all planning applications relating to buildings and trees in Skillington, within the context of  the Local Plan and the criteria for approving or otherwise, development as set out in Skillington’s Neighbourhood Plan.    Comments are normally collated and returned by the Parish Clerk.  Anything considered problematic can be referred to SKDC’s Planning Committee to be ‘called in’ for focussed consideration.  During the period 1st April 2020 to 31st March 2021 the applications were:

1 garage conversion (pending) 
2 new houses, 2 new vehicular accesses,  1 wooden corridor, St James’ Church roof, Biomass boilers (all granted with conditions)
1 Solar panels (approved)
3 x tree work (approved) 

5.   Parish Council Finances: The unaudited accounts of Skillington Parish Council for the year to 31st March 2021 were available for inspection, and the Chairman referred to the Income & Expenditure schedule comparing the year to 31st March 2021 with the previous year. 

5.1.   Income from the Precept charged of £4,848 was an increase of £48 on the prior year.  Parish Council budgets made a slight profit, due to cemetery income.

5.2.   Total income of approximately £8435 includes the ‘real’ income mostly from the Precept, paddock rent and cemetery income; all other income is reimbursement of work carried out on behalf of County or District Council. Income from the Cemetery was slightly lower than usual. 

5.3.   Expenditure during the year,  £7750, includes employment of the Clerk, carrying out mowing, street cleaning and care of the churchyard and cemetery, in addition to some one-off costs, including drainage work.

5.4.   The excess income of around £700 for the year was due to income from the cemetery.  

5.5.   Outlook for 2021/22:  The Precept is to increase by a small amount, which should cover general cost increases.  The  LCC mowing reimbursement may not cover grass cutting costs every year, depending on the season. We expect to break even in 2021/22.

Thanks:  The Chairman expressed his thanks to all the Parish Councillors; to Cllr Adams (LCC & SKDC) and Cllr Bellamy .(SKDC)  for their continued support throughout the year, attending almost all the Councils’ meetings.

6.   Vacancies on the Parish Council: There are currently no vacancies.

7.   Matters Raised from the Floor: 

7.1.   A query was made about the drainage work recently completed, paid for by the PC.  It was explained that this work is part of a co-ordinated initiative to resolve the long-standing drainage problems on Sproxton Road. It is connected with Mr Murdoch’s responsibility for clearing the ditch on the south side and also his donation of land for the cemetery extension. 

7.2.   The reduction in grants was commented upon.  The Clerk explained that as the Village Hall had not banked the cheque for their grant towards trade waste, this is temporarily in abeyance.

7.3.   On behalf of the PCC, the Parish Council was thanked for the payment of their green bin.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending the meeting.

The meeting closed at 7.30 pm.

The next Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Monday, 4th April 2022 at 7.30pm at Skillington Village Hall.