Minutes 2025

Draft minutes of Thimbleby Parish Council Annual Meeting held on 7th May 2025

at 7.00PM at thimbleby Village Hall.

Present

Councillors              Cllr P.Buckingham (Chair), Cllrs C.Bachrati, A.Doody.

Not Present:           All Present   

In attendance          The Clerk, A. Everard.

Members of public present: One

41/25.         Election of Chair of Thimbleby Parish Council

RESOLVED Cllr Buckingham and signed the Declaration of Office witnessed by the Clerk.

42/25.         Election of Vice Chair of Thimbleby Parish Council.

RESOLVED Cllr Doody.

43/25.         Public participation

No issues raised.

44/25.         Apologies for absence to be approved if appropriate.

ELDC District Cllr S. Campbell-Wardman and LCC County Cllr N. Oliver sent apologies.

45/25.         Declarations of Interest and consideration of any requested dispensations.

None.

46/25.         To adopt the draft minutes from the Parish Council meeting held on 5th March 2025

RESOLVED unanimously to adopt and the Chair signed them.

47/25.         To consider any matters arising from the previous meeting 5th March 2025 not already on this agenda including Clerk’s Report and actions taken.

1. Minute 31/25 – the Clerk reported that the Thimbleby Hill renaming as Thimbleby Road had not been pursued by Horncastle Town Council (minute TC156 03/25 Item 8) due to not enough of the residents wanting to change the name.  Proposed, seconded RESOLVED that this council requested the Clerk to seek guidance from ELDC as to the renaming of the remainder of Thimbleby Hill which is not occupied before further planning applications came in.
2. Minute 38/25 the Clerk had purchased tea, coffee and biscuits for the Annual Parish Meeting just prior to this meeting and 14 members of the public plus parish councillors were present and presided over by the Chair of the Parish Council.  Invitations to provide reports had been accepted by D/Cllr F.Martin, Dyson Farming to offer further farm walks, the churchwarden and Village Hall Committee representatives and a neighbourly participative discussion had taken place about local issues following each of their reports and then about general issues. The Chief Executive of Crowders Nurseries, representatives of the Durham Ox and the Garden Centre had sent apologies for being unable to attend the meeting.
3. Minute 8/25 – former County Councillor Bradwell was attempting to get the footpath improved from Church Corner towards Green Lane and was not successful getting it completed in Winter 2025.  Proposed, seconded RESOLVED for the Clerk to write to Lincolnshire Highways and notify LCC Cllr Oliver request this work is undertaken to widen and to re-lay the footpath in the next year’s plan.
4. Minute 23/25 – ELDC had notified that they had completed street-naming Elmlea Farm development site ‘Horton Close’.  It was proposed, seconded RESOLVED for the Clerk to ask ELDC for the reasons this street name was decided to be appropriate for the site and what was the latest guidance for future street-naming opportunities that the Parish Council could consider.  

48/25.         To receive any written or verbal reports from District or County Councillors.

District Cllr Martin reported that the Community Grants scheme would be £4000 per ELDC Councillor probably available from after the Annual ELDC Council Meeting.   

49/25.         Correspondence Received

Parish Council noted; LALC E-News (two-weekly); LALC Training Bulletin (monthly); ELDC/LCC Town and Parish News; ELDC Social Media and Useful information emails; ELDC precept paid 24/4/2025; ELDC Community Leaders Briefing - 16th April; Email about the Armed Forces Community Directory; LCC and GLCA Election Results; ADAS Land Consultation and Presentation 11th – 17th March– ‘Horncastle View’ development; various correspondence from a resident. The Chair, Cllr Buckingham, had attended this latter presentation and it was reported that the proposal was the first of three tranches of development and these would be in the parish of Thimbleby. It was also noted that Lincolnshire County Councillor N.Oliver (Reform UK) had been elected and Dame Andrea Jenkyns (Reform UK) elected as the Mayor for Greater Lincolnshire at last week’s 1st May 2025 elections. A note of thanks was to be sent to former County Cllr P. Bradwell.

50/25.         Planning

a)       Application reference S/181/01013/23 and S/181/01014/23     Planning Permission - Change of use, conversion of, extension and alterations of existing barn which is a listed building to form a dwelling - VILLAGE FARM, MAIN ROAD, THIMBLEBY, HORNCASTLE, LN9 5RE

Thimbleby PC: Objection with comments.

ELDC Decision: Decision awaited.

Councillors noted the ELDC planning portal showed new documents had been added.

b)       Application reference S/181/00034/24 | Planning Permission - Erection of 13 no. detached dwelling and a public community open space, existing buildings on site to be demolished. | HALLGARTH FARM, MAIN ROAD, THIMBLEBY, HORNCASTLE, LN9 5RE

Thimbleby PC: Support with comments

ELDC Decision: Decision awaited

Councillors noted the ELDC planning portal showed new documents had been added.  

c)       Application Reference 00318/25/FUL Planning Permission - Change of use of existing 6no. care cottages to form 6no. residential dwellings - THIMBLEBY COURT CARE HOME, THIMBLEBY ROAD, HORNCASTLE, LN9 5RA

Thimbleby PC: No comment.

ELDC Decision: Decision awaited.

d)       Application reference 02085/25/FUL Planning Permission - Erection of 3 no. dwellings. ELMLEA FARM ELMHIRST ROAD THIMBLEBY LN9 5LX - NEW

Thimbleby PC: No comment.

ELDC Decision: Decision awaited.

51/25.         To consider offer for the Thimbleby grass-cutting contractor quotation for 2025.

Current parish council had no idea what areas were being cut and at £50 a cut this was likely to be £500 a year.  Proposed, seconded unanimously RESOLVED that in the absence of a clear specification that grass-cutting for 2025 was not approved unless further details of the areas to be cut by the contractor was provided and this matter was delegated to the Clerk (in consultation with the Councillors) if the situation changed before the next meeting.

52/25.         To consider any highways, footpath and related issues.

The only matters had already been dealt with under minute 42/25.

53/25.         To consider an update relating to the Village Pump and other external Council assets.

Further information had been obtained in accordance with minute 40/25 and it was proposed, seconded and unanimously RESOLVED the contract is awarded to RW Pinkett Building Contractors Ltd for £1,185.59 (including VAT) but work to wait until some ELDC Community Grant had been applied for to help cover the full cost of the work and additional materials to secure the handle and a sign to remind everyone that this Village Pump was a listed heritage asset and should not be updated or repaired without Parish Council approval.

54/26.         To consider the adoption of the litter bin following ELDC’s offer.

Following Minute 8/25f regarding the second-hand bin placed next to the bench between Church Corner and Green Lane by person(s) unknown ELDC’s Senior Neighbourhoods Officer had written to Thimbleby Parish Council to state “The bin in question was definitely not placed by us.” And added “Someone obviously knows who put that bin there but won’t take responsibility for it.”  The ELDC Officer had suggested to the Parish Council, “My solution is that we (ELDC) will take ownership of the bin and keep emptying it. However, if it is ever vandalised, removed, fly tipped against or misused in any way, we will remove it, (or won’t replace it if vandalised/moved). Just to make our position clear, if any other bins appear in the area without permission, we won’t be touching them, as its totally unacceptable for this to happen.” It was proposed, seconded and unanimously RESOLVED to accept this offer and the Clerk to notify ELDC.  

55/25.         To consider the Council’s Community Speed Watch equipment and future of the scheme now the Co-Ordinator is stepping down.

It was proposed, seconded and unanimously approved that Cllr Doody would become the CSW Coordinator.  The equipment had been returned to Cllr Bachrati and would be handed over after the meeting. Cllr Bachrati also offered to turn the Speed Indicator Devices around from time to time and notify the Clerk of the date this occurs and it was proposed, seconded and unanimously RESOLVED to permit Cllr Bachrati to do this.

56/25.         To consider a response to the ELDC consultation regarding BT Payphones’ proposal to remove the payphone from the phonebox. 

The Council was made aware that at least one resident had been using the phone without payment and wondered if these calls were counted towards the 52 calls per year.  The Chair said she would test the phone next day.  The Clerk would seek clarification from BT Payphones as to whether ‘free’ calls counted. Residents needed re-assurance that there was good mobile coverage. The Parish Council was not sure if there was interest from the parish residents in keeping the payphone or if not whether the residents had a further use of the telephone box through the Adopt a Phonebox scheme after it became redundant.  It was proposed, seconded and unanimously RESOLVED that the Clerk would prepare a response to BT Payphones to be submitted to ELDC in consultation with councillors under delegated powers.

57/25.         Finance

a) To approve the payment of bills paid between meetings and bills to pay on the payment schedule.

It was proposed, seconded and unanimously RESOLVED to approve these payments.

b) To note the bank reconciliation and account balance.

The bank balance was £4944.13 as at 12th April 2025.  Receipt of the precept and bank charges would mean the estimated bank balance was now £10,366.13.

c) To consider update for bank signatories amendments.

It was proposed, seconded and unanimously RESOLVED to submit a new signatory bank mandate to the Parish Council bank including Cllr P. Buckingham, Cllr A. Doody, Cllr C. Bachrati and the Clerk A.Everard as signatories and to update contact details forthwith.

58/25.         To approve any bookings for training.

Councillors and the Clerk could be booked on any events coming up in between meetings by the Clerk.   

59/25.         To review and consider draft policies for adoption; Standing Orders, Due to pressure of time it was proposed, seconded unanimously RESOLVED to adopt the Delegated Powers Policy to deal with Planning Applications and Urgent Matters and the Vexatious Complaints and Unreasonable Disruption Policy. Other draft policies were deferred to a later meeting.

60/25.         To adopt the Terms of Reference for a) The Staffing Committee b) Finance and General Purposes Committee.

This item was deferred to a later meeting.

61/25.         To consider the Summer newsletter contents, preparation and distribution.

This item was deferred to a later meeting.

62/25.         To agree a date for an extraordinary meeting to receive the internal auditor report and approve the annual governance and accounting return by 27th June 2025.

It was proposed, seconded and unanimously RESOLVED to meet again on 10th June 2025 at 10am for an additional Parish Council meeting if the venue, parish councillors and Clerk were available or such alternative date as agreed.  

63/25.         To approve dates of ordinary meetings of Thimbleby Parish Council for 2025-26 civic year and to book Thimbleby Village Hall and any items to be proposed for the next meeting agenda.

It was proposed, seconded and unanimously RESOLVED to plan for the following ordinary meetings of Thimbleby Parish Council starting with Public Participation at 6.45pm and 7.00pm for the council meetings to commence on 2nd July 2025, 3rd September 2025, 5th November 2025, 7th January 2026, 4th March 2026 and Annual Parish Meeting and Annual Parish Council Meeting on 6th May 2026 and Thimbleby Village Hall to be booked.  

Suggested agenda items included Empty Homes.

Meeting ended 9.10pm.