Minutes Annual Parish Council Meeting 22nd May 2025
WILLOUGHTON PARISH COUNCIL
The Annual meeting of the Parish Council was held in the Village Hall, Thursday 22nd May 2025 @ 6.35 pm.
PRESENT.
Cllr. Mrs. S. Rovezzano (Chair), Cllr. Mr. D. Cowell (Vice-Chair), Cllr. Miss. K. Clarke, Cllr. Ms. H. Goring, Cllr. Mrs. K. Phillips, Cllr. Mr. G. Rowles Nicholson, and Ms. Hazel Fox (Clerk).
Also present: Cllr. Mr. C. Reeve (County Councillor for Scotter Rural) and Cllr. Mr. P. Howitt-Cowan (District Councillor for Hemswell Ward).
2505/01 ELECTION OF CHAIR.
a. The Council received nominations and elected a Chair for the Parish Council for 2025/2026.
Cllr. Ms. H. Goring nominated Cllr. Mr. D. Cowell. Cllr. Mrs. K. Phillips seconded this proposal. No other nominations were received.
RESOLUTION: Cllr. Mr. D. Cowell is elected Chair of the Parish Council for 2025/2026.
b. Cllr. Mr. D. Cowell signed the Chair’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
Cllr. Mr. D. Cowell thanked Cllr. Mrs. S. Rovezzano for her work and leadership in the previous twelve months as Chair.
2505/02 ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIR.
a. The Council received nominations and elected a Vice-Chair for the Parish Council for 2025/2026.
Cllr. Mrs. S. Rovezzano nominated Cllr. Mr. G. Rowles Nicholson. Cllr. Mrs. K. Phillips seconded this proposal. No other nominations were received.
RESOLUTION: Cllr. Mr. G. Rowles Nicholson is elected Vice-Chair of the Parish Council for 2025/2026.
b. Cllr. Mr. G. Rowles Nicholson signed the Vice-Chair’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
2505/03 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE.
Cllr Mrs. T. Given.
2505/04 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST/DISPENSATIONS.
Cllr. Mr. D. Cowell expressed an interest as his Wife is Chair of the Board of Governors of Willoughton School. Cllr. Mr. G. Rowles Nicholson expressed an interest as lessee of the Playing Field. Cllr. Mr. D. Cowell and Cllr. Mr. G. Rowles Nicholson expressed an interest in Willoughton Church.
2505/05 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
The Chair invited Cllr. Mr. C. Reeve to introduce himself to the Council. Cllr. Reeve thanked the Chair and advised he is affiliated to the Reform Party and looks forward to assisting the Parish Council and attending their meetings when his schedule allows. Contact phone number will be passed to the Clerk and Cllr. Reeve thanked the Council for their invitation to attend. All Councillors welcomed Cllr. Reeve.
2505/06 MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD 27th MARCH 2025.
The Council considered the minutes of the Parish Council meeting held 27th March 2025.
RESOLUTION: The minutes were duly approved and were signed by the chair.
2505/07. REPORT FROM CLLR. MR. P. HOWITT-COWAN.
Cllr. Mr. P. Howitt-Cowan had previously distributed a report to the Council. As this was the Annual Meeting of the Council and involved a detailed agenda, the Chair requested the report be taken as read and invited any questions from Councillors. All agreed, the report was informative and no further information was required. Cllr. Mr. Howitt-Cowan was thanked by the Chair for his report and for attending the meeting.
2505/08. RISK ASSESSMENT/AUDIT PAPERS.
The Council considered the following:
a. Approve Annual Internal Audit Report 2024/2025.
b. Approve Annual Governance Statement 2024/2025.
c. Approve Accounts 2024/2025.
d. Approve Accounting Statements 2024/2025.
e. Approve AGAR 2024/2025.
f. Approve Risk Assessment 2024/2025.
g. Approve Meeting Schedule 2024/2025.
RESOLUTION: All approved and signed by the Chair and Clerk.
2505/09 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
The following policies were considered:
a. Standing Orders.
RESOLUTION: Standing Orders are approved.
b. Clerk Contract of Employment. The Clerk apologised that this work is not yet finalised and requested this is deferred to the following agenda.
RESOLUTION: This matter will be discussed at the next available meeting. Action: Clerk.
2505/10 COUNCIL INSURANCE AND ASSET REGISTER.
The Clerk distributed the asset register prepared by Mr Brent Peaurt. The Clerk has thanked Mr Peaurt for producing the accounts for the Parish Council and auditing the work of the Clerk.
The renewal has been received for the Parish Council insurance from Clear Councils at £695.87. The previous year was £540.14. Councillors agreed the insured sum was sufficient, however queried the increase and the benefit of the three-year undertaking.
RESOLUTION: The Clerk was instructed to pay the renewal to ensure we are not without insurance, however, to decline the three-year undertaking until further details of the benefit of this are received and quotes from alternative companies are considered. Action: Clerk.
2505/11 PLAYING FIELD.
a. Benches and Youth Shelter.
Cllr. Mrs. T. Given has sanded and re-varnished the two benches. The Council thanked Cllr. Given.
Mr. Phil Cooper has power washed the Youth Shelter. Some stubborn mildew stains remain, and Mr. Cooper will work on this further.
b. Fencing.
Quotation of £2,907 has previously been approved. Cllr. Mrs. T. Given was to inform contractor. No update received. Cllr. Mrs. K. Phillips volunteered to chase and will report back, and the Chair will call an extra-ordinary meeting to discuss if required. Action: Cllr. Mrs. K. Phillips.
c. Clerk and Councillor inspections.
Cllr. Miss. K. Clarke has been undertaking visual weekly inspections, and the Clerk is conducting in-depth monthly inspections. Issues noted were:
Bins not emptied. Will be discussed at 2505/12 f.
Bins and slide covered in bird fouling, loose table fixings and broken edges of see-saw. Mr. Phil Cooper has rectified table fixings and see-saw. Will power wash bins and slide shortly. The Council thanked Mr. Cooper for his assistance.
Broken drain cover. Repaired by Cllr. Mr. G. Rowles Nicholson. Council thanked Cllr. Rowles Nicholson for his swift response. Mr. Phil Cooper will scatter grass seed in due course around the repaired drain to repair the grass.
Small branches on ground. The Clerk continued to pick up twigs and branches when attending site.
Loose fixing on twister net and twisted fixing on Path Trail. Reported to Kompan and awaiting site date to rectify.
Large stone near play boat. Mr. Phil Cooper will remove and make good ground shortly.
2505/12. HIGHWAYS.
a. Water corner of Gainsborough Road (outside Caudle House).
LCC Highways advise this is a matter for Anglian Water. The Clerk is continuing to chase. Action: Clerk.
b. Collapsed drain at Templefield Road (bottom of Hollowgate Hill).
It is unclear if this is still an issue. The Clerk will await further news.
c. Blocked grating between 3 and 7 Northfield Lane.
LCC Highways reported this has been jetted. Cllr. Mr. G. Rowles Nicholson will inform the Clerk if this issue persists. Action: Cllr. Mr. G. Rowles Nicholson.
d. Hollowgate Hill. Repairs awaited to road surface and Long Lane.
The Clerk has chased LCC Highways and Cllr. Mrs. C. Perraton- Williams. No reply has been received from Cllr. Perraton-Williams. LCC Highways replied that investigations ongoing on Long Lane and will be discussed with contractor to arrange a revisit to complete this section. Cllr. Ms. H. Goring advised marking had been observed and expressed concern for access to premises if work is started without due notice.
Hollowgate Hill has been investigated, and remedial action will take place in the 2025 financial year. Cllr. Mr. C. Reeve advised, personnel changes at LCC Highways and offered to assist the Council in highways issues. The Clerk will send to Cllr. Reeve the current list of items awaiting works. Long Lane should be treated as a priority. Action: Clerk.
e. Speed indicator devices.
Cllr. Mr. D. Cowell has handed over maintenance to the unit on Hollowgate Hill to Cllr. Ms. H Goring. The Clerk will scan in the manual and email to Cllr. Goring. Action: Clerk.
Installation is awaited for the two new units on Vicarage Road and Templefield Road. Update received from installers on 1st May advised one post had been erected, however second is awaited. Once both posts are in situ, the units will be added. The Clerk continues to chase. Action: Clerk.
Cllr. Miss. K. Clarke asked how speeding going out of the village will be addressed. Councillors requested the Clerk to enquire if devices can be moved to face opposite periodically to capture speeds from both directions. Data will be downloaded to assist in requests to LCC Highways for speed reductions. Cllr. Mr. C. Reeve offered assistance when this is actioned. Action: Clerk.
f. Waste bins.
The Clerk is regularly reporting bins not emptied outside Caudle House and on the Play Area. A telephone call from WLDC advised if their staff attend and bins are either ¼ or ½ full, they are not emptied until the following week to save usage of plastic bags in line with environmental policies. The Clerk was requested to only report bins not emptied unless they are full or overflowing. The Council installed bins to ensure members of the public pick up after their dogs and deposit waste responsibly and expressed concern that bins are becoming full due to this procedure. Cllr. Mr P. Howitt-Cowan offered to discuss this policy with WLDC and will report back to the Clerk. The council thanked Cllr. Howitt-Cowan for his assistance.
g. Safety review A15/B1398 roads.
The Clerk had written to Cllr. Mrs. C. Perraton-Williams and MP Sir Edward Leigh. No reply had been received from Cllr. Mrs. C. Perraton Williams. A reply had been received back from MP Sir Edward Leigh, advising the Council’s concerns have been raised with Chief Executive Debbie Barnes OBE at LCC to enquire what plans are in place to review the serious safety issues the Council have highlighted, specifically speeding and speed reductions to prevent accidents. A reply will be awaited. Cllr. Reeve advised the A15 was previously classified as a National Trunk Road, and approximately 20 years ago this was reclassified and LCC took over maintenance with appropriate funding. A 50mph would be preferable, as would a reduction in the height of the road at the Willoughton/B1398 junction.The Clerk had written to the Primary School to request parents are reminded to drive with consideration through the village. This will be added to their newsletter distributed to all parents.
h. Planters for village entrance signs.
The Clerk had discussed this with the village volunteer Mrs. Cooper. The Blyborough entrance has been planted up, however unless the grass verges are regularly maintained, any planters would be obscured and therefore not cost effective. Mrs Cooper can manage watering and maintaining those she has installed, however does not have capacity to take on any futher. The Council agreed that until such time as the grass verges are maintained, further planters will not be installed. The Council thanked Mrs. Cooper for her work, in particular at the bottom of Hollowgate Hill, where the planters are particularly effective.
i. Daffodil planting.
Councillors discussed a working party to plant daffodils in the autumn and enlist the help of the Co-op Community Co-ordinator. Concern was expressed with insurance for members of the public working on the highway. The Clerk was requested to discuss with Clear Councils Insurance and the Co-op to ensure members of the public would be appropriately covered. Action: Clerk.
Cllr. Mr. G. Rowles Nicholson mentioned large potholes opposite the school and the requirement for these to be reported. Cllr. Mr. C. Reeve advised the most appropriate way to report these was via “Fix my Street”. Councillors and the Clerk will report pot holes and take photos to assist LCC Highways in their location as and when they notice them.
2505/13. DEFIBRILLATOR UNITS.
The unit at Mount Yard, Long Lane was installed on 14th May and is in operation. Research is ongoing regarding solar/wind powered defibrillators. Councillors discussed further first aid training sessions at the Village Hall. Cllr. Mr. C. Reeve advised training sessions would be held at Glentworth and Willoughton could collaborate to allow residents to attend each session from both villages. Cllr. Ms. H Goring advised a first responder resided on Vicarage Road and had previously expressed an interest in holding sessions. Cllr. Goring will pass on details to the Clerk, and the Clerk will contact both.
2505/14. NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN REVIEW.
At the previous meeting, it was agreed, all Councillors will review the plan, studying the Nettleham plan for guidance and a meeting would be arranged with Luke Brown, however not all Councillors have been able to do this due to other commitments. The Chair requested all Councillors make every effort to review the plan and an agenda item will be placed on the next available meeting to discuss again.
2505/15. ACCOUNTS
a. Grant request from Village Hall.
A grant of £150 was requested to assist towards community events.
Resolution: The grant of £150 was approved. Action: Clerk
b. Village Hall rental for meetings.
The representative of the Village Hall, Cllr. Ms. H Goring advised, an increase had not been received in the sum paid each year for many years. Currently there are 4 volunteers running the hall, and the future viability of the building has reached a critical position. The grant awarded by the FCC Foundation is in abeyance until more volunteers are brought on board to assist in the renovation project. The Council agreed, the Village Hall is a vital hub and is necessary to remain for both use as a polling station for elections and also for use as a community centre in case of emergencies. Councillors agreed, a dedicated meeting would be required to discuss the hall and the Chair requested Cllr. Ms. H Goring and Cllr. Miss. K. Clarke prepare a paper to distribute prior to the Chair calling an Extraordinary Meeting. One possible way forward may be a Memorandum of Understanding between the Village Hall Committee and the Parish Council. Action: Cllr. Ms. H Goring and Cllr. Miss. K. Clarke.
c. Chair’s Allowance.
The Clerk requested Council consider a Chair’s Allowance to be used for ad hoc items when representing the Parish Council, which must be agreed in each instance by the Full Council in advance.
Resolution: A sum of £500 will be budgeted. Action: Clerk.
d. To approve payments.
RESOLUTION: The following payments were approved, and the Clerk is authorised to make BACS payments:
Clear Councils Insurance £695.87
Village Hall Grant request £150.00
WLDC Defibrillator Maintenance (Village Hall) £110.00
Cloud Next Domain Renewal £60.00
Litter Picking May £122.10
Litter Picking June £122.10
Clerk Salary 2nd May – 30th May £222.56
Clerk Salary 30th May – 27th June £222.56
WLDC Defibrillator Installation (Long Lane) £600.00
WLDC Defibrillator Maintenance (Long Lane ) £91.67
Once these cheques are cleared this will leave £14,242.20 in the current account and £1,713.88 in the savings account. A total of £15,956.08.
2505/16. CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED.
21/03/25, 04/04/25, 25/04/25, 09/05/25 LALC E-News.
25/03/25, 01/04/25 Rural Services Network Rural bulletin.
25/03/25, 29/04/25 LCC Town & Parish Council update.
25/03/25 PKF Littlejohn AGAR instructions.
26/03/25 NKDC Reminder of Design code consultation.
27/03/25 Resident email enquiry regarding speed indicator devices.
28/03/25 Call Connect Easter holiday information.
28/03/25 LALC Training bulletin.
31/03/25 Cloud Next Renewal invoice.
31/03/25 Resident email Information regarding water leak.
31/03/25, 29/04/25 WLDC Parish News.
01/04/25 LALC Notice of Standing order changes.
02/04/25 Rural Services Network Funding digest.
08/04/25 WLDC Letter from Leader of WLDC.
08/04/25 Cllr. Paul Howitt-Cowan Candidate List.
09/04/25 Ron Bailey Update on Lithium-ion batteries bill.
22/04/25 LALC Lincolnshire Armed Forces Community Directory information.
29/04/25 Clear Councils Insurance Renewal invitation.
02/05/25 Cllr. Paul Howitt-Cowan Election result.
02/05/25 WLDC West Lindsey Churches Festival Brochure.
08/05/25 Inspector Michael Head (Lincolnshire Police) Crime statistics.
12/05/25 Cllr. Paul Howitt-Cowan May report.
12/05/25 WLDC Invitation to STEP event.
2505/17. REQUEST FOR AGENDA ITEMS FOR FUTURE MEETINGS.
Neighbourhood plan review.
Clerk contract of employment.
2505/18 NEXT MEETING.
The date and time of the next meeting will be (subject to any change in circumstances):
Thursday 24th July 2025 @ 6.30 pm.
The meeting closed @ 7.46 pm.