Annual Parish Meetings

 

1. Welcome.  Cllr Cat Stephenson, Chairman of Legbourne Parish Council welcomed everyone to the meeting. There were 11 people present at the meeting including members of the Parish Council, representatives from the Community Centre, All Saints Church, East Wold CE Primary School, ELDC and Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance Service.  The Parish Clerk, Mrs Nadine Must took the minutes.

 

2. Apologies for Absence. Apologies were received from LCC Ward Member Cllr S Parkin and Mr P King.

 

3. Presentation from Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance (LNAA). Mr Simon Byson who is a volunteer had been a receiver of the service himself when he was involved in a serious traffic incident.  Simon reported that LNAA operates 24/7 for people in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire and their helicopter can reach the scene in 20 minutes.  On average they have four missions every 24 hours. They also have two cars for each county for use at critical incidents.

 

The service celebrates its 30th year of flying having been launched in 1994.  They have done 20 thousand missions and last year was their busiest ever with over 1700 life threatening duties. Nearly 500 were road traffic incidents, more than 600 were serious medical evacuations and over 500 took place in darkness.  They could only fly during daytime when the service started years ago. 

 

They have a dispatch team that scans all 999 calls and based on specific criteria, they take action in five minutes from call to take off. There are 10 pilots, 18 paramedics and over 30 doctors working for the service.  They do not receive any government funding and solely rely on people’s donation and legacies.  It costs £10m a year and each flight of the helicopter costs £4k.

 

They are looking for more volunteers, either fund raising as part of a challenge, help in their charity shops, play their lottery or giving some time to promote the service like giving presentations.  The LNAA will not work without their volunteers.

 

Simon finished off his presentation showing a video of their crew and the work they do.

 

4. Minutes.  Those who were present at last year’s meeting held 22nd May 2023 resolved to accept the minutes as a true record. The Chairman signed the minutes.

 

5. Chairman’s Report.  The Chairman stated that an annual parish meeting is not a parish council meeting.  It is an annual event for residents to come together and is an opportune time to raise any issues relating to the village; hear reports from the different voluntary groups and institutions like the Church and the schools.  The Parish Council also reports on the business transacted during the last 12 months.

 

Meetings.  The Parish Council started meeting bi-monthly which is working well albeit on some occasions have gone over the allotted two hours.   He thanked all fellow parish councillors for continuing to give their time and effort for the benefit of the village.  Although not many residents attend the meetings the Chairman has received a lot of feedback while on his dog-walks.  Residents are always welcome to attend the meetings to let the parish council know of any village issues.  The Parish Council cannot promise to resolve the issues but will work with the relevant authorities to address them.  The Council has been pro-active in attending engagement sessions especially with the Police and Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership. Both ELDC and LCC Ward members have attended parish council meetings on occasions to give their updates.  The new Parish Clerk has now been in post for a whole year and guided the council through all the legislative processes.

 

Council Vacancy.  The Parish Council still has two vacancies to fill and invited those who are interested in village affairs, and would like to be involved, to speak to any of the parish councillors or the parish clerk. 

 

Policies.  The Council has agreed a whole raft of policies considered good to best practice.  The Council now has a General Power of Competence which gives power for the council to do anything that individuals generally may do as long as the activities are not illegal. All parish councillors now have a dedicated email address purely for parish council business which complies with legislation.

 

Planning.  The Parish Council adopted a Planning Policy to deal with planning applications received in between meetings. For minor applications, feedback from each of the councillors are collated which the Parish Clerk submits to the relevant authority.  For major applications, an extra-ordinary meeting is called.  One such meeting was held in July to discuss a major application for a gas to grid anaerobic digester and fertiliser production facility to be constructed at the former Manby Airfield.  Another major planning application that the Council recently considered was the National Grid’s proposal to build 420 50-metre height pylons along the coast.  A strong objection letter to this proposal was sent and hope that alternative options will be considered.

 

There were 12 other planning applications from properties in the village and two applications relating to Tree Preservation Orders were discussed.

 

Amenities.  The noticeboard was repaired and refurbished.  Louth Men’s Shed is waiting for some better weather to refurbish the bus shelter.  Litter picking events continue and LCC has given the council some extra litter picking equipment.  The Council has also invested in a solar charging unit for the speed indicator device to make it more cost-effective. The grit bins were re-filled thanks to Cllr David Harrison.

 

Other projects being considered are a Neighbourhood Scheme and to revisit creating a Village Map.  The D-Day 80 celebrations on 6th June 2024 were also noted. The Scarecrow Festival later this year will be discussed later at the meeting by Cllr Maddie Exley.

 

Highways.  The potholes in the village have been an ongoing menace and continue to be reported to FixmyStreet with varying degrees of success.  Works are still awaited on the collapsed verge in Wood Lane. The Parish Council continues to pursue the flooding issues at Househams Lane. The source of the flooding had been found and funding for the repair works is being sought by LCC in partnership with ELDC.

 

The anti-social incidents at Legbourne Picnic Site continues to be regularly monitored by Lincolnshire Police and Cllr Maddie Exley.  The situation has improved in recent months and there have been fewer incidents.  The Council is in talks with the adjoining landowner on putting up better signage for deterrence.

 

6. Financial Report by Responsible Finance Officer.  The Parish Council had £19,714 in the account at the start of FY2023/24 with a spending budget of £8,093.  At the end of the year, only £5,918 was spent and the Council’s end of year balance was £13,931. 

 

All of the spending budget allocations were underspent except for staff costs. The only assets maintenance spend was the refurbishment of the noticeboard which was well below the budget. The costs of hiring the hall has halved due to the change to bi-monthly meetings.  All other payments included parish council insurance, membership to LALC, contributions to the village newsletter, to name a few.

 

The Annual Governance and Accountability Return will be considered at the annual meeting in May after it has been reviewed by an internal auditor.  It is expected that the Parish Council will declare itself Exempt from a limited assurance review because its finances fall below £25,000.  All financial statements ending Financial Year 2024 will be available to view on the website and residents are able to review, inspect and make copies of the documents.  They may also request an appointment with the Chairman or RFO to discuss the financial statements.

 

The precept for FY2024/25 was £6,480 arising from a budget spend of £8,019. The cost of the precept per property band was lower than the previous financial year.

 

7. East Wold CE Primary School.  The Executive Head teacher Becki Dhami reported that they developed their curriculum further and embedded joint working with North Cockerington Primary school. Subject leaders work across both schools and undertake monitoring to share good practice and identify areas of development. The curriculum continues to be developed to ensure that all pupils know more and remember more.

 

Friends of East Wold School (FEWS) continue to provide many exciting events for the children and fundraise for resources and activities in school. Their support is valued and one key area that was developed with their support over the year, both financially and in terms of time, was the development of the school library which was relocated during the summer and reorganised with many new books purchased. The new library provides a lovely space for children to select and enjoy books. During the year, there were lots of exciting reading opportunities and the school is now working on the Lincolnshire Silver Reading Pledge having obtained the Bronze Award last year. The phonics provision with RWI scheme has been embedded and outcomes in phonics were strong.

 

Another key partnership is with the local church. The school celebrated Harvest, Christmas and Easter in the village church.  Mrs King, the Churchwarden, has been an invaluable support and guidance to the school. She not only leads the church services, but also attends school to carry key worships including remembrance and presenting Palm crosses. The input from Mrs King helps to bring to life key elements from the school’s vision to empower all to flourish and succeed.

 

There have been changes to the Governing Body over the year to strengthen leadership. The governors have undertaken rigorous reviews and are now outward looking. The school continues to work with a range of external agencies including the English Hub (with the phonics and reading curriculum), the Maths Hub and JB Sports (provide quality sporting opportunities for the children in school). The school also worked with an EYFS specialist to develop the reception provision.  Partnership work is integral to the school striving for excellence in all that it does.

 

Finally, this year, it is 30 years since the opening of the school (on 7th July 2024) and special activities are being planned to celebrate this milestone.

 

8. Legbourne and Little Cawthorpe Community Centre.  Committee Secretary Linda Pocklington above all gave huge thanks to the Chairman Mick Booth who died in February and will be sadly missed. Mick kept the committee on task and ran the meetings smoothly.  The treasurer, Judith Thackray, has also stepped down so they are now in need of a new chairman and treasurer.  The AGM will be held on Tuesday May 14th @ 7pm. and invited those present to come along and may be interested in taking on either role.

 

The Committee had a busy year with the return of the Village Fete, which unfortunately ended abruptly due to the rain, and the Race Night which wasn’t very well attended but was a fun evening for those that came along. 

 

There are many regular bookings which include Social Worker’s Workshops and Keep Fit on a Monday, Swing Band Practice on a Tuesday, Archery & Parkinsons Society (quarterly) on a Wednesday, Friendship Club every other Thursday and Legbourne Playgroup on a Friday. The quarterly quiz nights, with Cat Stephenson as the Quiz Master, are very popular. Easter & Christmas Bingo nights are very well attended.

 

There were eight car boots sales which benefit six other charities as well as the Community Centre and has a good reputation in the area for children’s parties which helps to keep the bookings coming in.

 

Grimoldby FC adult team have had another good year, and are continuing to expand the junior teams including a girls’ team. They practise two evenings a week. A few games were cancelled due to bad weather.  Their sponsor, Tudor Grounds Maintenance has helped keep the field in tip top condition.

 

Fundraising ideas continue to be explored to maintain the very popular play area which constantly needs attention to comply with insurance.

 

The hall has new blinds fitted by Ashleys Blinds and Louth Men’s Shed made and fitted new fire doors.  The car park extension at the back of the hall is nearing completion and signage had been put up to try to keep cars off the grass down the drive.

 

Tracy Northover has taken charge of the Village Lottery which is a solid source of income. There are only a few of the 250 numbers that are unallocated. It is drawn on the 1st Friday of the month at the Queens Head at 5pm.  Tracy also runs the Newsletter that is going from strength to strength. Residents receiving online copies only will be appreciated to keep printing costs down.

 

Linda also thanked all the collectors of the Village Lottery Fees and newsletters distributors. Volunteers are needed to distribute the newsletter in the Station Road/Cowle Lane area and along Reston Road.

 

They need residents to come along and support the events to ensure the Community Centre continues to thrive. The Committee works very hard to have a Community Centre and a field to be proud of.  Volunteers to help at the various events throughout the year are much welcomed. 

 

The main things on the Committee’s agenda for this year, apart from the busy calendar of events, is looking into having Wi-Fi fitted and the Scarecrow Trail.

 

Linda thanked all volunteers for their continued support throughout the year. 

 

The Parish Council Chairman then read out a tribute to Mick Booth for his dedication to the village and the community centre. Michael ‘Mick’ Booth graduated from Teacher Training College, went to teach in Canada with his wife Vivienne and returned back to the UK in the mid1960s. They moved to Lincolnshire in the 1970s where he primarily taught History.

 

Mick retired from a long and successful career finishing up as headteacher in his early 60s but was kept busy with his various roles within the community as he loved being a part of his local community.  He was a keen cricketer in his younger days.  He was a keen supporter of the Legbourne and Little Cawthorpe Community Centre, acted as treasurer and became the Chairman of the management committee until his death. He was always a regular presence at the car boot sales, seen mostly shaking the bucket to raise all important funds. He also established the village’s ‘100 Club’ as a means of bringing in additional income into the village community. 

 

Mick will be greatly missed and it is hoped that the community continue to support the village and carry on the good work that Mick was so passionate about.

 

9. All Saints Church.  Mrs Hilary King reported that the All Saints Church continues to thrive with regular services on the first Sunday of the month usually led by Lay Reader Helen Marsden. On the third Sunday of the month, they are fortunate that the Rural Dean Father Terry Steele is taking a Holy Communion Service. Services are now held at 11 am.  There is a list of services for Legbourne and the other churches in the group in the church porch and other notice boards in the village.

 

The monthly coffee mornings are on the third Wednesday of the month which is well attended. Money is often raised to help other charities and last year, nearly £500 were raised.  Everyone is very welcome to come and enjoy the delicious home-made cakes.

 

Volunteers continue to keep the churchyard tidy with a team that regularly cuts the grass round the church. She thanked them for all their hard work in keeping the surrounds looking so neat and tidy.  More volunteers will be welcomed.

 

A small group of ladies regularly cleans the church and those wanting to join and help should look out for the date in yellow pages. She also thanked all those that arrange flowers for church festivals and also the bell ringers welcoming churchgoers.

 

Hilary thanked all those who continue to support All Saints in any way they can. She will be pleased to talk to anyone who would like to help the church financially and make a regular payment to the church’s upkeep.

 

The repairs to the church clock were completed last summer and now looks magnificent. This work was possible due to a generous legacy from Miss Cecily Davy.  Quotes to the alterations to the North aisle and some other repairs that need carrying out are still being sought.

 

The children from East Wold Church of England School along with their families come into church on a regular basis and Hilary visits them in school too, to lead an assembly. It was lovely on Christmas Eve when the children took over the Crib Service, they read beautifully and placed the Nativity figures in the crib. There was a lot of tinsel and sweets but they were wonderful and all 170 congregations thoroughly enjoyed it too.

 

At the end of April, `Messy Church’ which is an hour of activities with refreshments and craft will start. They will welcome parents or carers to come along with the children and stay for the hour.

 

Hilary reiterated that All Saints’ church is open every day and has been on that site since the 14th century and is the village church.  Everyone is welcome to join in a service or to sit quietly and reflect on the world.

 

10. East Lindsey District Council.  Ward Member Adam Grist reported that ELDC has recently held its annual meeting and the proposed budget was passed.  The financial health of the district council was in good health.  The Partnership with two other district councils are going well

 

ELDC has also been granted £50million Towns Fund from the National Government and projects have started in Skegness and Mablethorpe.  There is also £12million for projects in inland areas and Cllr Grist is leading a Village Hall Fund as part of this pot.

 

The Councillors Community Grant Scheme opens again in May and is thought to have the same amount of funding available for each ward member.

 

There are two big issues currently on consultation.  The National Grid Upgrade Proposal along the east coast and the Theddlethorpe nuclear waste site.

 

Work at the Beck is expected in the next few weeks which is to replace the boulders that have been previously added but taken away by LCC Highways.  The barrier will separate the path from the area used by 4x4 vehicles.

 

The Wolds Outdoor Festival starts from the 11th to 27th May with more than 100 events programmed.

 

11. Community Initiatives

 

The Village Map project and restarting the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme were not discussed as very few residents attended the meeting.  Reviving both projects will revert back for Parish Council decision.

 

The D-Day 80 Celebrations will go ahead with the ringing of the bells at All Saints Church.

 

The first Scarecrow Festival will be launched at the Summer Fete and is hoped to become an annual event.  It will be a joint event between the two parish councils of Legbourne and Little Cawthorpe and the Community Centre.  Cllr Maddie Exley is leading the project and monthly meetings are already being held to finalise details.  The event will last for two weeks and prizes will be awarded to each of the four categories to be presented at the August Bank Holiday event.  A trail map will be published and they are looking for volunteers to build scarecrows for those unable to do so.  It is planned to have a bonfire night to finish the event.

 

12. Open Forum.

 

There was a query on the proposed nuclear waste site and how this affects its suitability now that the Lincolnshire Coastline including Theddlethorpe has been officially designated a National Nature Reserve (NNR) which marked the accession of King Charles III.  Cllr A Grist reported that the national government is keen on the Lincolnshire Coast because of its geology but no decision has been taken on the chosen facility.

 

There were no other issues and the meeting closed at 9:12pm.

 

 

Proposed: Seconded: 

 

 

 

Signed Chairman  …………………………………………………………….

 

 

 

Signed Clerk  ………………………………………………………………….

 

 

 

Date:   …………………………….