September 2024 - Minutes of Meeting
BICKER PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Parish Council meeting
Held on Thursday, 12th September at 7pm
In the Gedney Room, Bicker Village Hall
Present:
Cllr Bateson - Chair
Cllr Kelly – Vice Chair
Cllr Mountain
Cllr Pell
Cllr Brown
County Cllr Brookes
Borough Councillor Cantwell
Clerk – Alison Delaney
PUBLIC FORUM:
Representatives from FRV Powertek who are developing a Battery Energy Storage System at Bicker Fen Sub-station attended the public forum to go through their presentation and answer questions from the Council.
A representative from JDM Food Group attended the meeting. He reminded the meeting that if the Parish Council considered they wanted to instal a second defibrillator in the village, JDM were willing to have it located on their perimeter fence, near their reception area in Monument Road. JDM would provide an electricity supply to run the required heater for the battery. The representative notified the Council that he was a qualified first aid instructor and would be able to provide CPR training for residents free of charge if the Council wished to arrange it. The Chair thanked the representative for these offers. (see below for the minute of the discussion and decision).
The Parish Council meeting started at 7.25pm
83/24 Chair’s remarks:
The Chair thanked everyone for coming.
The Chair thanked the Clerk for preparing the documentation for the meeting and liaising with the representatives at the Public Forum
84/24 To receive updates from Borough and County Councillors:
County Cllr Brookes reported on the following:
The Council is putting an extra £1million into tacking anti-social behaviour. This is for new initiatives county wide. They have set up a survey and will formulate their plans on how to spend the money from that.
Councillor Brown said there were two wardens in Boston Town Centre and asked what their powers were. County Councillor Brooks said they were funded by BBC and were entirely separate to this additional funding.
European Energy asked for Cllr Brookes advice on obtaining a temporary TRO (Traffic Regulation Order) for Cowbridge Road to reduce the speed limit to 20mph. He provided them with the necessary information so they could apply.
Borough Councillor Cantwell reported on the following:
He has asked for a meeting with BBC planning to ensure some joined up thinking in relation to the numerous solar and battery projects going on around Bicker. On some occasions residents who are in Bicker village do not get consultation paperwork, because they are not in the catchment area of the developments, but they could be affected by construction traffic if it went through the village.
Internet connection, wifi and mobile signal are an issue in Bicker Fen and Bicker Bar which Cllr Cantwell will raise at a meeting
The Resilience Committee are in the process of asking businesses for funding. Algakirk are putting their emergency bag together.
Some residents had reported that the High Street drain (the Old Eau) was overgrown. Cllr Cantwell noted this had recently been cut by Black Sluice and commented that his understanding was that most of the waterway was unregistered. Cllr Bateson said that Bicker Buds had done a really good job of cutting the top of the Old Eau as well.
Many of the energy companies that are planning on applying to run projects at the solar farm or battery storage are asking for meetings. Cllr Cantwell’s view is that Bicker village should benefit financially from these companies due to the increased traffic, noise and inconvenience of these developments.
Cllr Cantwell and Cllr Brown met with Richard Trice MP. He said he would oppose future energy projects. He appeared to be more nationally that locally focussed.
85/24 To receive apologies for absence and acceptance of any reasons given:
APOLOGIES - were received and accepted from Cllr Carrott who was on holiday. The meeting resolved to accept the reason for absence.
86/24 To receive Declarations of Interest in accordance with The Localism Act 2011:
Cllr Kelly – Parish Council representative on The Village Hall Committee.
Cllr Mountain - Parish Council representative on Bicker United charity.
87/24 Notes of the last meeting held on 24th July 2024 were accepted and approved as the Minutes. Proposed by Cllr Pell, seconded by Cllr Brown. The Minutes were signed as a true copy by the Chair.
88/24 To receive reports from representatives on outside bodies:
Cllr Kelly said here had not been a village hall committee meeting for a while, so had nothing to report.
89/24 Clerk’s report on matters outstanding:
Litter and dog waste bins: At our request (and because of complaints from residents about litter and dog waste), Boston Borough Council carried out an audit of the bins in the village and consented to two new dog waste bins being located at: Drury Lane and Donington Road Junction and opposite the Red Lion between Red Lion Street and Morley Lane. BBC must approve the location, type and size of the bins before they are added to their weekly collection schedule. The cost for BBC to supply and install these bins is £435.32 plus VAT. All Councillors present agreed to this expenditure, and it was resolved that the Clerk should notify BBC to carry out the work.
BBC also suggested that the litter bin at Old Main Road junction with Monument Road was well used and could be changed to a larger, 90Litre bin. Clerk was yet to receive a quotation from BBC for the cost of this. Action: Once received, Clerk to email Councillors the quotation for their approval.
Clerk reminded Councillors she had reported at the June meeting that the previous Clerk had obtained permission from BBC for 3 additional dog waste bins. Following subsequent email correspondence with the relevant department at BBC they confirmed no permission had been given.
Councillors will also recall the Clerk reporting in July that the previous Clerk had ordered 4 dog waste bins from Glasdon (3 for Bicker and one for Kirton PC) on Kirton PC’s account (as the previous Clerk was also the Clerk to Kirton PC). The bins ordered were not suitable (they had a lockable lid which would not have been practical for BBC waste collection team to access). Therefore, we arranged for them to be returned along with the fixings. The credit of £659.45 for the purchase (minus a deduction for the return) has been allocated to Kirton PC’s account. The Glasdon invoice was paid in full by the previous Clerk from Bicker PC’s account in June - £730.42.
Therefore, a decision needed to be made by Councillors as to how they wish to proceed to recoup the £730.42. Either by asking permission from Kirton PC to use the credit to purchase further items from Glasdon, or request that the full amount be credited back to Bicker PC (as, at the time of purchase, permission had not been given by BBC for the bins to be installed and they were not the correct type). All Councillors present resolved that the full amount should be requested to be credited back from Kirton PC, as there were no items that the PC wished to purchase from Glasdon at this time and we had approved expenditure for BCC to install new bins. Action: Clerk to email Kirton PC’s Clerk to make the request.
Triton Knoll Fund – Clerk applied for funding towards the cost of the Speed Indicator Signs and posts. A decision will be received at the end of September.
Visibility at the junction of Mill Lane and Donington Road - Clerk reported this via FixMyStreet and the overhanging bushes were cut back by the Highways team.
Allotments – 11.09.24 Clerk received a call from a resident in Rookery Road whose property backs on to the allotments, saying that the dyke was blocked with rubbish. Action: Clerk to visit to investigate and, if necessary, speak to the allotment owner about getting it removed.
90/24 To Receive Finance Report
a) Schedule of “August payments for approval at September meeting” was approved. Proposed and signed by Cllr Kelly. Seconded and signed by Cllr Brown.
Payment for items 70: Wessex Trophies; 71: The Defib Pad; and 72: Amazon ink cartridges; have not yet been made.
Cemetery Grounds Keeping: Clerk informed Councillors that the monthly cost for mowing the verges outside of the cemetery was an additional £16. This expenditure was approved by the meeting. Councillors requested a list of the dates that the contractor had visited. Action: Clerk to request this from the contractor.
Trees: Clerk confirmed the work on the trees in the playing field had been carried out. Councillors requested that when any tree work was done in the future, a before and after photograph is taken to evidence the work.
Moles: The work agreed for the control of moles in the cemetery has started. The company visited on 10.09.24 to set more traps as molehills were still evident. No invoice has yet been received.
91/24 To Discuss Planning Applications Received Since Last Meeting:
B/24/0351 – Single Storey Extension at 78 Drury Lane, Bicker
Councillors had reviewed the application prior to the meeting and did not have any comments to make.
B/24/0363 – Vicarage Drove Battery Energy Storage System Limited
Councillors had reviewed the application prior to the meeting and were concerned that the Construction Traffic Management Plan contained a route through the centre of the village. Action: Clerk to respond to planning objecting to this route and that the A17 haul road should be used instead for all construction traffic.
92/24 Proposal for a second defibrillator in the village
Clerk had provided Councillors with a breakdown of the costs of supplying and maintaining a defibrillator for 8-10 years which were in the region of £1,900 to £2,800.
Following a discussion, all present agreed that a second defibrillator was not required at this time and that one located by JDM was not the best site for the village if they decided on a second one. Councillors suggested that the location of the current one needed to be better advertised. Action: Clerk to put notices up on the three parish notice boards, the notice board at the entrance to the Red Lion, the Methodist Chapel and the Village Hall.
Action: Clerk to notify JDM of the decision not to fund a second defibrillator.
93/24 Insurance Renewal
The current insurers, Hiscox had provided a renewal premium of £1039.92 plus VAT.All present agreed that the insurance should be renewed. Action: Clerk to go ahead with the renewal.
94/24 Social media options for the Parish Council
Clerk had prepared an information sheet on social media options that the Council might like to consider. All present felt that they would prefer to put information on our notice boards and website than set up a Facebook or other social media page.
95/24 To Receive Members Reports:
Councillors had driven round the village together in August to survey what items needed attention. Action: Full list to be passed to the Clerk, so any expenditure can be included in the next budget.
96/24 To Receive Correspondence:
a) Email from LCC regarding the Lincolnshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan – Clerk had circulated email to Councillors on the consultation which ends on 24th September.
b) Email from Citizens Advice requesting a donation – Councillors felt this was not a suitable use of council funds.
c) Vicarage Drove information evening at the village hall on 17th September 6-8pm – information only
d) Email from new Headteacher at Compass Community School and Clerk’s response inviting him to the next meeting – information only
e) BBC quotation to fit LED lightbulbs on current streetlights – Action: Clerk to add to agenda for the next meeting
97/24 – Date of Next Meeting: Thursday, 10th October 2024 at 7pm at the Gedney Room, Bicker Village Hall.
The meeting closed at: 9.05pm