Minutes
Gayton le Marsh Parish Meeting AGM 24th May 2022
Held - Gayton le Marsh Village Hall 7.00pm
1. Present: Keith Robinson (Vice-Chairman), Mark Henry (Parish Clerk) and Peter Buckeridge (RFO). Guests, Cllr Sandra Harrison (ELDC) & Cllr Daniel McNally (LCC). 12 residents present.
Welcome: Keith (Vice-Chair), welcomed those present to the Parish Meeting AGM.
Apologies: Rick and Kathy Crust, Hans Mitchell and Valerie Buckeridge.
2. Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the previous Parish Meeting, held on 25th January 2022. Approved, by those present.
3. Matters arising: None.
4. Chairman’s Report: A lot of work has had to be done in the last year, to bring the Parish affairs up to date and get them in order. We have had ongoing communications during the year with Highways, resulting in improvement of the road surfaces, but there is still more to do. The salt bin at the Chapel corner has been replaced FOC, and the others have been topped up with salt, and Gayton is now on the Annual list for pre-winter top ups. We have had road plannings delivered FOC to keep the existing passing places in reasonable order, and these will be maintained by Parish volunteers. 30mph awareness signs have been purchased and put up in the Village to remind everyone of the speed limits in the Parish, and 30mph stickers have been provided to every household for refuse bin display.
Mark is currently liaising with ELDC about having dog litter bins in the Village. The road improvement project at Gayton Top and passing places in the Village should be starting soon. Gayton is represented on virtual monthly meetings for the Theddlethorpe GDF Working Group, Nuclear waste disposal. The Windfarm Committee were pleased to welcome Sally Hollingsworth as a Committee member and are now up to maximum. Sally’s expertise in legal matters will be a great asset to the Committee and she has undertaken to review the paperwork for the Windfarm Fund.
Thanks were extended to the Parish Officers, Windfarm committee members and Villagers for supporting the meeting. Thanks also to Councillors Harrison and McNally for their support.
5. Financial Report: Parish Account budget 2002-2023, the balance at 01/04/2022 is £1,807.76, precept of £700.00, with an anticipated expenditure of £1,400.80.
6. Adoption of Parish Account for AGAR: Form completed for certificate of exemption for year ending 31st March 2022. This has now been submitted to PKF Littlejohns, by Parish Clerk.
7. Adoption of Windfarm Accounts: Current a/c balance brought forward 01/04/2022 - £20,396.97. Nationwide savings a/c brought forward 01/04/2022 - £33,898.67. Energiekontor (grants arrive in two instalments, one in July and one in February) - £24,000.00. Interest from savings a/c - £12.74.
8. Set Windfarm Annual Budgets: Maintenance £2,000.00 (for requirements for past projects). Community fund £2,500.00 (this is based on 10 grants of £250.00, in 2020 there were 9 successful applications). Ongoing passing places project £18,500.00. Stationary supplies £50.00. Accountants £500.00. Parish Insurance £250.00. Transfer to 25 year a/c £2,400.00. Balance £52,108.38.
9. Windfarm criteria update: Sallie explained to the meeting regarding the ‘Personal/Financial gain’, wording of the current criteria. That this wording to be removed, from the current criteria, for those wishing to apply for funds, from the Community fund. There was great discussion on this topic, a resident present at the meeting asked why funds were not being made available as they had been in the past. Sallie read out from original documents, which included the community benefit definition, from the criteria, and what had been agreed in the past when the Windfarm Fund was set up and how it was administered. Mark explained that the Windfarm fund committee, wished to give funds to those applying, but could not under the current criteria in respect of the element of ‘Personal/Financial’ gain. Again, Sallie re-iterated the original funding agreement, to the meeting. This proposal could not proceed due to the minimum of 15 persons required to vote. Only 13 residents present at the meeting.
10. Election of Officers: Parish Meeting Officers, no change. Approved.
11. Wind Farm Committee: No change, remain the same.
12. Parish representatives for the Village Hall Committee. Keith Robinson and Wayne Hollingsworth, approved.
13. AOB: A resident was concerned about the recent cutting of the grass verges in Back Lane. Councillor McNally informed the meeting there are usually 3 cuts, first normally May, second July and third, in September. The resident asked that the verges in Back Lane should not be cut. Mark updated the meeting on Dog waste and Litter bins. That a meeting took place with Mr Hutchings (ELDC), the Village had been approved to site several bins, including a litter bin. Councillor Harrison expressed that the Village had done well to get these bins. Councillor Harrison spoke to the meeting on several topics, free funding workshops, Lincolnshire CVS, Lincolnshire funding information service, Lincolnshire volunteering, funds for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and Lincolnshire NHS – Community diagnostic centres.
The Parish Vice-Chairman and Clerk thanked Councillors McNally and Harrison along with those from the Village who attended the meeting.
The meeting was closed at 8.00pm.