Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting for the Village of Great Gonerby held on Wednesday 11th May 2022 at 19:15
Present: B. Hutchinson Chairman, Cllr. J Critchley, Cllr. H Fletcher, Cllr. K Davey, Cllr. M Neal, Cllr. T Bridle and J Walker Clerk
Cllr. A Maughan LCC
I Skellern, Chairman Memorial Hall, G Saward - Memorial Hall Committee 4 members of the public.
The Chairman opened the meeting welcoming everyone to his 11th Annual Parish Meeting.
1. Apologies: Cllr. M Davey-Dunderdale – Work Commitments
Cllr. A Mavros – Work Commitments
2. Minutes: Cllr. R Plant - Unwell
The minutes of the meeting held on 4th May 2021 were signed as a true record.
3. Chairman’s - Annual Report 2020/21:
The Chairman presented his report as follows:-
I will break down my report into the various areas of activity: -
The Memorial Hall / Recreation Ground – The hall, field and its management committee have continued their great work in managing the hall and field. It is pleasing to see the field being fully utilised which ensures a healthy annual surplus. We must thank them for their work and continue to offer support to the memorial Hall Committee as required.
Gonerby, Hill Top Cemetery – The cemetery continues to provide a first-class amenity for the village and provide additional car parking capacity for the recreation ground and Memorial Hall. We introduced an agreement where plot owners can take over the maintenance of the plot and plant some flowers which has been taken up by a few plot owners. The additional lighting and extended CCTV system has reduced the reports of anti-social behaviour and damage.
High Street – The hanging baskets continue to improve and softened the look of the high street and with the addition of more baskets this year they are truly a great display. I must mention and thank Jeff Thompson and his helpers for planting up the baskets each year and for his watering and feeding of the baskets during the dry spells.
Pond Area – The pond area continues to provide a pleasing focal point of the village and the long awaited friendship/rockdown bench is now nearing completion which will further enhance the area.
The village continues to be maintained to a high standard and our ongoing decision to take over and increase the LCC verge grass cutting ensures that the village continues to be a pleasant and wellmaintained place to live. We have also taken over the maintenance of the footpath on Grantham hill and we hope our planned maintenance programme will ensure it continues to provide a safe and pleasant footpath. We, together with the residents of Great Gonerby should be proud to live in such a pleasant and desirable parish.
We continue to find a balance between representing the views of our residents and the longer term development of the village. It is important that the village retains it character, history and identity, but also evolves to meet the needs of both existing and new residents. The village will continue to expand and we must reiterate our absolute resolve to ensure that no development applications breach the clear separation between Great Gonerby and Gonerby Hill Foot/Grantham.
Our financial position is very good, having managed our budgets diligently and with good sense. Our balance at the end of the last financial year (31st March 2022) was £41,527 and we have once again budget for a “no increase” precept which remains at £28,836.
I must thank Janet, our clerk for all her help throughout the year. She continues to provide me with great support and the odd prompt!
I also need to record our thanks to Pat Eland for her invaluable work in keeping the village in such a clean condition. Although Janet and Pat are paid employees, I know that they regularly go over and beyond their duties to ensure their respective roles are fulfilled. I must also like to thank all councillors their hard work, support, and dedication during this last year.
I must further thank the Village Speed Watchers who have given their time so willingly to try and deter speeding through the village and all the members and volunteers for their work in organising the party in the park for the Queens Platinum Jubilee on the 4th June 2020. I hope it is a great success and the village enjoys coming together to celebrate the day.
I have enjoyed my time as Chairman and feel very proud of what we collectively achieve. We have over the past years added to the facilities and aesthetics’ of the village. We are currently planning to
erect village signs at all the village entrances, but this is proving difficult due to LCC regulations and our somewhat unique location. We must now ensure that we continue to maintain the good work we have achieved thus far and look for opportunities for further improvement.
On a personal level I am pleased with how the Parish Council continues to work for the good of the village and I am happy to continue as Chairman for one final year, unless anyone wishes to take on the role.
I am pleased that we now have a full complement of 11 councillors and a potential waiting list. I hope that the reduction in time demands, using various forms of remote working to ensure democracy and transparency is achieved and smarter ways of working has assisted with this recruitment.
That is the end to my eleventh Parish Council report and I thank you for your time, commitment and support.
4. Poor Land Report
The Chairman of the Poor Land Charity didn’t actually have a report but was able to update to meeting as follows:-
Martin Herbert of Brown & Co who are the agents assisting with the disposal of the land sent an email advising that it had proved difficult to find the tenant as she has moved several times. Martin Herbert and Blake Hutchinson have agreed to go to the site at various times and on a regular basis to try and serve a further notice on the tenant but if the tenant is not found the notice will be served by leaving on the gate. The Chairman advised that there was no great rush as there are animals involved who need to be re-homed and the tenant will be given a one year notice to quit. Once vacant possession established the land can be marketed and once funds are secured the Charity Commission will be consulted for guidance on the best way to distribute investment interest funds.
The Chairman advised that Janet Watson had resigned as Secretary/Financial Officer and having advertised the post there was only one applicant for the post, Cllr. Davey. Her application has been duly accepted.
5. Memorial Hall Report
Ian Skellern presented the following report prior to the meeting which was duly read out by the Parish Council Chairman
Activity in the Hall has now returned to pre-covid pandemic levels. Each weekday evening is taken by community activity classes, the Nursery School is operating at full strength and weekends are heavily booked for holding children’s parties, birthday celebrations and life art classes. The Trustees are currently examining a proposal from a Company to run the booking system for all users of the Hall; however only after a 4-month trial will any decision be made.
Several complaints have been made by residents who live adjacent to the Hall and its recreational facilities and all have been addressed by the Trustees Committee. A barrier for the entrance to the car park was purchased and installed at cost of some £1200, with an agreement by the residents they would lock it each evening after 10 pm and open the next morning before Nursery School: this commitment lasted only a short while before it ceased. The G3 football pitch lights were realigned and shielding panels inserted to remove any stray light falling on residents’ bedroom windows.
The 3G Football facility maintenance contract (£3.5K) has been renewed for the next three years and has recently had a 3.5 tonnes addition of rubber pellets together with a dry deep clean treatment.
The offer by Vaculug to uplift the children’s play area is still not complete. The painting of the metalwork parts has been done and looks fine but the replacement soft tiles below each apparatus has met with difficulties finding a contractor to install the tiles.
FINANCE. At the end of February 2022 income for the year was £31K and expenditure was £25K. The 3G football facility provides a good income but the maintenance costs show a large increase.
As Chairman I have a number of concerns to raise with the Parish Council. First, the G3 facility is now in its 5th year and professional predictions estimate the life of the playing surface before renewal is between10 and 15 years. We were fortunate to receive grants from Wren and SKDC to meet the £33K cost of installation. We must now consider making provision for the future. Second, we have paid £1350 for the annual insurance premium for the Hall and its surrounds which should be the responsibility of the Parish Council as owner. Thirdly, we have spent £560 on repairs to the children’s play facility from which we have no income.
My request is for the Parish Council to make annual grant from its precept grant of £2K to enable us to build up an account which will help in any future bid we make for institutions who provide grants, such as Wren.
Finally, I should like to thank the Trustees for their considerable efforts in managing a very full and varied community programme; particular thanks to Glendyr and Tony Saward as Secretary and Treasurer respectively and Annette Callow our Bookings Clerk.
6. Matters Arising by Parishioners
The Clerk was requested to write to John Brown to enquire if he would be willing to look after “Charlie’s plants during the summer months.
The meeting was advised that plants for the High Street planters will be collected on 14th May with a team of volunteers doing the planting up on Thursday 19th at 10am
The Clerk was requested to write to the new Rector of the Parish Church welcoming her to the Parish.
A request for funds for maintenance to the wooden cross which is damaged was received. A discussion took place as the cross is situated on private land and it was agreed that the Parish Council would contact the Land Owner to get permission first before perhaps starting a donation “bucket” for the villagers to contribute.
The Chairman of the Memorial Hall enquired as to what had happened to the Section 106 monies
SKDC would have received in respect of the Eastthorpe development. A discussion took place and Cllr. Maughan explained the procedures. It was agreed to endeavour to establish what had happened to the funds but it is thought they were distributed to a school. Cllr. Maughan is making enquiries of Cllr. Stokes.
There being no further business the Annual Village Meeting closed at 19:30