Minutes 2022/23

Draft Minutes of Lt Bytham Annual Parish Meeting 3rd November 2022 7.30pm

1. Public Forum (15 minutes maximum) No members of the public were present.

2. Apologies for Absence. None.

3. To receive declarations of interest in accordance with the 2011 Local Government Act. – personal or prejudicial interest in any items for discussion. None.

4. Draft Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 5th May 2022 to be approved as the Minutes. These were accepted unanimously.
   1. 1 Matters Arising. The Clerk referred to Stephen Barrett’s visit at the May 5th meeting regarding the Castle Bytham Shop. The Clerk confirmed the purchase of 125 shares in the shop and presented the Share Certificate to the Councillors.

5. Councillors’ and Clerk’s reports:
   1. 1 County and District Councillors’ Reports. LCC Cllr Vernon was not able to attend the meeting but emailed her report to the Clerk, extracts of which can be seen below.

County Council Wide Matters

Cost Of Living - There is help available for residents struggling with the cost of living from the council and other organisations. LCC have a large section on their website with some really useful links including how to apply for Free school Meals, Financial support for carers, help with childcare costs, the household support fund and the HAF (Holidays Activities and Food Programme). There is also information about the emotional support available through local organisations and SKDC have more information too. The Government has also announced that a new Household Support Fund (HSF) grant will be made available to county councils and unitary authorities in England to support those most in need.

Lincolnshire has been allocated £5.46m for this third round of the HSF, which covers the period from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. This time, the government has not ringfenced any of this funding for particular groups of people. However, local authorities are asked to give particular consideration to groups who may not have benefitted from any of the recent cost of living support.

On this basis, Lincolnshire County Council is currently working with district councils to identify and agree the most appropriate methods for distributing this grant funding, as there is also a requirement to provide access to the funding via an application process.

Applications for support are not being invited until a process can be put in place as other organisations may be best placed to provide this on behalf of the councils. Further details on how the funding will be targeted and how people can apply will be shared once available. Residents facing financial difficulties can also visit https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/ for details of the other support available

Avian Flu – Unfortunately, there are now positive cases in Lincolnshire (Ancaster) . Anyone who keeps birds commercially or at home is advised to take measures to reduce the risk of the disease spreading. LCC are asking the public to be particularly vigilant about wild birds which may be infected by the disease. If you see dead wild birds, do not touch them, and report them to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Avian flu primarily affects birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low, but reports from the public can help track the spread of the disease and prevent it infecting poultry and other captive birds. You can report dead birds to APHA on 03459 33 55 77.

Launch of The Home Learning Environment campaign - The Home Learning Environment campaign encourages parents and carers to chat, play and read more with their child to develop their communication, language and literacy skills before starting school. The new campaign has been launched by the Department for Education, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Social Care’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, and aims to improve children’s early language skills, helping to close the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers.It looks to empower parents and help them overcome the key barriers they face, such as lack of time, confidence and not knowing the types of activities they should be doing.  Visit the Start for Life online hub at www.nhs.uk/start4life/chatplayread, where you can find ideas of activities to do with your child and where to find further support in your local area.

Biker Down –  A national training course designed to reduce motorcycle fatalities on the roads, is available in Lincolnshire for the first time.

‘Biker Down’ will run for groups of around 20 people at a time. It focuses on both preventing motorbike accidents, and educating bikers about the initial steps to take and how to administer effective first aid, when road traffic collisions take place. Although there is currently a waiting list to attend the course, people are being urged to register their interest for future courses.  The course is free and takes about 3 hours. To express an interest in participating in a course, please email biker.down@lincoln.fire-uk.org

Part-Night Streetlight Adjustments-  Quick reminder that with the clocks going back on Sunday, this will temporarily affect the timings of the county's part-night streetlights. Over the next few weeks, you might notice that the part-night streetlights start to go off and come on at different times. This isn’t due to a technical fault. The street lights have sensors that monitor the number of daylight hours, which is how they set their internal clock. During the autumn, the lights enter a period of adjustment, when their timings may vary as they adapt to the switch to Greenwich Mean Time.

5.2 Councillors Reports. Cllr Murphy expressed concern about the Keys Holders at the Parish Rooms. After discussion, it was decided to contact all known key holders to audit them.

6.0 Financial Matters

6.1 Annual Governance Statement: The Clerk confirmed the AGAR forms have now been signed off

and forwarded to Littlejohn Accountants.

6.2 Position at bank. The Parish Council Accounts to date were presented to the Councillors and

approved. A copy can be viewed at the bottom of the minutes.

6.3 Cheques to be signed: Clerks salary and expenses. £230.70, Chubb Fire & Security £108,

LB Parochial Church £20. These were approved unanimously.

6.4 Zurich Insurance. The Clerk confirmed receipt of £3840 from Zurich in settlement of a claim for

repairs to the Parish Room wall. Cllr Sharp will contact the builders and request a date that work can commence.

7.0 Highways. The Clerk confirmed, he will continue to highlight future road closures on the PC website.

8.0 Planning applications –

8.1 S22/1464 Construction of 1 No detached dwelling. The Paddock, 8 Station Road

 Lt Bytham. (No action by PC)

8.2 S22/1528 Replacement play equipment, The Spinney Lt Bytham. (No action by PC).

8.3 S22/1007 Proposed single story side extension, 24 Church Lane, Lt Bytham. (No action by PC).

8.4 S22/1108 Erection of three detached dwellings. Land Alongside Poplar Rise, Lt Bytham. ( Representation by PC to SKDC Planning Office).

9.0 Correspondence –

9.1 Julie Renshaw, re Planning Application SS22/1464. (Circulated to Councillors)

9.2 Kids Xmas Party (Heidi Kieran). After discussion, a cheque for £150 was donated by the PC for the children’s Christmas Party.

10.0 Church Lane Bridge Replacement. The replacement bridge has been completed to the satisfaction of the Parish Councillors.

11.0 Lt Bytham Primary School (Update) The Clerk advised the Councillors of his meeting with Laura Martin, the Head Teacher of Lt Bytham Primary School in July this year. Mrs Martin had explained, the school was trying to attract funding for their Phonics and Reading Programme. Half of the program had been purchased last year, however, an additional £4500 was needed to complete the purchase of the remainder of the programme. After discussion, the Councillors agreed unanimously to fund the shortfall. The Councillors have asked the Clerk to contact Mrs Martin to that effect.

12.0 King Charles 111 Coronation. The Councillors agreed to make a donation towards the cost of local Little Bytham celebrations and will speak with local groups to establish what is being planned.

13.0 AOB. The Clerk asked the Councillors if they would like to continue with six PC meetings each year, or if they would prefer to reduce them to four. After discussion, the consensus was to continue with six by-monthly meetings.

Date of next Meeting – Thursday 5th January 2023.

Website: https://little-bytham.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk/