Minutes for Parish Council Meetings 2025-26

Minutes for the PC meeting 8th Dec 2025

Minutes of the Barrowby Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 8th December 2025 at the Reading Room, Church Street, Barrowby at 6:45pm

PUBLIC FORUM (6.45pm): There were 3 members of the public in attendance. The following points were discussed:

i. Could there be an option for other Christmas Trees around the village rather than just at the Reading Room? The problem with powering lights, suitable location, health and safety and cost were considered. To be referred to the Buildings and Assets committee for consideration in 2026.

ii. What money has Barrowby received from developments with reference made to the SKDC 2023/24 infrastructure funding statement? The difference between S106 money (SKDC) and CIL (NKDC) was discussed. SKDC are the lead on S106 money. A meeting between PC and SKDC regarding S106 is going to take place in the next couple of weeks to discuss the current infrastructure requirements in Barrowby and the S106 process. Additional questions around S106 were put forward by the public. The PC will be in a better position to respond to these once the meeting with SKDC has taken place.

iii. The drain on the corner of Casthorpe Road / Low Road / Main Street is blocked. There is a similar issue outside the scout hut. Are there any plans to unblock the drains? The drains are the responsibility of LCC and Highways. Issues have been reported online at: Fix My Street: https://fixmystreet.lincolnshire.gov.uk/ Residents encouraged to also report the issues via this website to build up a body of evidence of the problems.

iv. Has PC received any correspondence from any developers about development in Barrowby? No.

v. What is PC planning on doing about the RBL site? PC are currently in discussions with SKDC about it possibly being classed as an Asset of Community Value.

Public forum closed at 7.05pm. 1 member of the public left Meeting started 7.06pm

Councillors in attendance:

Michael Brown, Paul Brown, JP Durand, Nigel Eaton (Chair), Tim Lees, Hugh Staunton.

Officers in attendance:

Claire Vink (Parish Clerk)

District and County Councillors:

County Cllr Richard Litchfield

Apologies received from District Cllr Robert Leadenham.

1. WELCOME (25/111)

Cllr Eaton welcomed members and members of the public to the meeting.

2. APOLOGIES (25/112)

Cllrs Bosworth, Footit and McConnell-Good sent their apologies.

It was RESOLVED to approve Cllr Whittington’s apologies for the reasons given.

3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST (25/113)

No declarations were made.

No dispensations were made.

4. MINUTES (25/114)

It was RESOLVED to approve and sign the minutes from the Parish Council meeting on 10 November 2025.

5. COMMITTEE MINUTES (25/115)

a. The minutes from the Finance Committee meeting 19th November were NOTED

b. The Buildings and Assets Committee 24th November were NOTED. It was agreed that the new structure worked well.

i It was RESOLVED to approve the Terms of Reference for The Buildings and Assets Committee

ii It was RESOLVED to approve the Terms of Reference for the Pavilion Users Working Group

6. COOPTION OF PARISH COUNCILLORS (25/116)

No one presented themselves for Co-Option. There has been an expression of interest in the vacancy. Discussion was held about increasing the number of Councillors in line with the expanding population of the parish due to development. Action: Clerk to contact LALC and SKDC to determine if this is possible.

7. PLANNING (25/117)

a. A verbal update on the Belvoir Ward Group of Parishes meeting 14th November was received. It was considered a positive step towards joint working within the ward. All Parish Councils are facing similar issues regards tilted balance and SKDC. Action: Clerk to ensure Barrowby are included in any future communications. Action: Clerk to contact Allington Parish Council to link Cllr Durand to them

b. No further update on speculative planning in the parish was available. No further steps required at this time.

8. NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN (25/118)

A verbal update on the Neighbourhood Plan was received. The Neighbourhood planning team are working hard with SKDC to clarify the last remaining points. They are pushing for the SKDC public consultation to take place in the New Year.

9. FINANCE (25/119)

a. The November 2025 bank reconciliations were RESOLVED to approve.

b. The summary of receipts, precept, expenditure and surplus/deficit figure was NOTED

c. The income for November 2025 was NOTED.

d. The expenditure for November/December 2025 was RESOLVED to approve as outlined in the payments list.

e. It was NOTED that the Finance Committee meeting on the 7th January is the last opportunity to input into the 2026/27 budget.

f. It was RESOLVED to approve purchase of the solar panels for the Allotment Committee at a cost of no more than £1299 + VAT on the understanding that any spend over the 2025/26 budget for the Allotment Committee will come out of their earmarked reserves for 2026/27. Action: Allotment committee to contact local business to determine if there is a more competitive quote or if refurbished panels could be an option.

10. REPORTS (25/120)

a. No update from District Council received. Cllr Litchfield reported: There has been a lot of correspondence to Highways and Lincolnshire Safety Partnership which is still outstanding. Cllr Litchfield assured that all the issues including School Streets, safety, access, unlicenced traffic surveys and S106 cycleway will be addressed in a meeting he will have with Highways. Action: Cllr Litchfield to provide an update in the January meeting. Cllr Litchfield is still exploring options for an accessible gate on Mill Row in the hope to reduce ASB in the area. Finally he commented on the success of the surgery he held with Cllr Leadenham. He has since been approached by a resident to enquire about the volume of traffic Grange Paddock can be expected to support. Discussion was held regarding a letter already sent to Highways addressing traffic levels in the village as a whole. It was decided that it would be better to wait for the reply to this letter and due process to happen before pursuing further investigations.

b. A verbal report on the play equipment was received. This is now moving to the Buildings and Assets Committee. Several options for replacement of the spider were considered. It was RESOLVED to approve in principle the installation of a Living Willow Structure. The following concerns were raised: homeless people using it as shelter, Children using it as a toilet, damage due to mowing. Bark chippings and a membrane were suggested as flooring and to protect the trees from mechanical mowing. Action: Clerk to investigate overall cost of installation and ongoing maintenance to include removal of spider. Clerk to liaise with Poplar school and Gonerby Hill Foot to gain an understanding of their experiences with such structures. Buildings and Assets committee to consider installation of telephonic play equipment at Adamstyles play park.

c. Community areas:

i. A verbal update from the RAGs group was received. 3 options for planting at the Community Orchard were presented. It was RESOLVED to approve that heritage trees will be planted with mesh protection around the base supported by hardwood posts. Mulch boarder to provide protection from mechanical mowing. Signs with QR codes linking to the website to be installed to share the story of the trees. Clerk to update when results of the grant are received.

Cllrs M Brown and Cllr Lees left the meeting for medical reasons. 8pm

A verbal update from the Flower Group was received. The planter on Rectory Lane will be rebuilt in the spring when the weather is better.

ii. It was RESOLVED to approve the following documents:

1.Terms of Reference for RAGs with amendments suggested by Cllr Stoughton to better reflect the important recreational work of the group.

2. Terms of Reference for the Flower Group

3. Volunteer Agreement for RAGs

4. Volunteer Agreement for Flower Group

5. Risk Assessment for Flower Group

6. Risk Assessment Form for RAGs

7. Maintenance Plan Agreement with RAGs

Cllr Lees returned to the meeting 8.15pm

d. Village Events:

i. There is no budget allocation in the 2026/27 budget for any large community events.

1. The Covid 19 Day of Reflection – 8th March 2026 will be led by the church. PC to attend and support only

2. 100 years of Queen Elizabeth II – Action: Clerk to contact Barrowby News, Barrowby Events and Barrowby Open Door to explore options for a coordinated event run by these independent groups. PC to support only

e. No meetings of the Combined Parish Partnership (CPP) Of Villages Along The A1 Corridor have taken place.

11. CLERK’S REPORT (25/121)

The clerk’s report was NOTED. Meeting between RAGS and PC to be set up in the New Year now ToR and Maintenance have been approved to discuss projects for 2026 and requirements for equipment. Meeting between Barrowby News and PC to be set up in the New Year to explore funding gap. New NALC guidelines for Standing Orders to be released in 2026. Review of SO to be completed once this has been received. Roy Redmend has sent a very interesting email regarding speed reduction and safety schemes in the village. Action: Clerk to invite Mr Redmend to the January or February meeting depending on agenda pressures. A request for monies towards a war memorial has been submitted to the RBL. Cllrs Lees, P Brown and M Brown with Mrs Walton and Karen Muxlow were thanked for their help putting up the Christmas Trees.

12. VILLAGE INFRASTRUCTURE (25/122)

a. No further update on the Butchers available at this time

b. TR1 documents for the RBL site have been signed and are with the Land Registry. Ownership of the whole site now lies with the National RBL. They have requested that the Coach House is emptied by the New Year. Action: Cllrs Lee, Eaton and P Brown to survey the contents of the Coach House and work with the Barrowby News team to empty the site as soon as possible.

13. CORRESPONDENCE (25/123)

a. It was RESOLVED to approve to move into closed session in accordance with the Public Bodies Act 1960, due to the confidential nature of matters to be discussed. 2 members of the public left 8.55pm

b. Discussion regarding correspondence received was held. Action: Clerk to contact LALC for advice.

c. It was RESOLVED to approve to return to open session

14. POLICIES (25/124)

a. It was RESOLVED to approve the new Volunteer Policy, Agreement and Risk Assessment form.

b. It was RESOLVED to approve the S137 policy and Training policy

15. CAPTURE OF FUTURE ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION / AGENDA ITEMS (25/125)

Budget and precept

16. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING (25/126)

Monday 12 January 2026 at 6.45pm in the Reading Room for the Parish Council Meeting

The meeting closed at 9.15pm

BARROWBY PARISH COUNCIL FINANCE REPORT OCTOBER 2025

Members noted the following income in November:

Customer	Description	Total
Grantham and Kesteven Bridge Club	Hire of Reading Room	£270.00
Snowden	Hire of Reading Room	£36.00
Snowden	Hire of Reading Room	£18.00
Nellie Supports Ltd	Return deposit	-£100.00
Private Hire	Return deposit	-£50.00
Barrowby Pre School	Pre-School hire	£1,173.00
Private Hire	Return deposit	-£50.00
Private Hire	Hire of Reading Room	£143.50
Barrowby FC	Football donation	£3,136.00
Co-operative Funeralcare	Burial Ground fees	£750.00
Virgin Money	Interest	£143.61
Andrew Taylor	Hire of Reading Room	£60.00
Private Hire	Hire of Reading Room	£51.00
Barrowby Church	Hire of Reading Room	£10.00
Private Hire	Hire of Reading Room	£98.00
Mr Bridge Club	Hire of Reading Room	£300.00
East Midlands Scrabble Club	Hire of Reading Room	£30.00
Grantham and Kesteven Bridge Club	Hire of Reading Room	£250.00
Private Hire	Hire of Reading Room	£18.00
InHale	Hire of Reading Room	£180.00
Snowden	Hire of Reading Room	£30.00
Virgin Money	Virgin Money Cashback	£0.44

Members approved the following expenditure in November / December:

Supplier	Description	Net	VAT	Total
Aldi	Handwash	£13.90	£2.78	£16.68
Amazon	Christmas tree lights	£22.95	£4.59	£27.54
AMS Electrical	CCTV	£100.00	£0.00	£100.00
Autela Group Ltd	Payroll services	£116.32	£23.26	£139.58
Barrowby Open Door	Grant	£150.00	£0.00	£150.00
Bishop'sa Garden and Machinery Maintenance	Grass cutting	£480.00	£0.00	£480.00
British Telecommunications Plc	Broadband	£74.38	£14.88	£89.26
Captain Gardener	Hedge cutting	£450.00	£0.00	£450.00
Cheap & Chirpy	Cleaning	£140.00	£0.00	£140.00
Claire Dring	Printing	£4.60	£0.00	£4.60
Clean My Windows	Window cleaning	£17.00	£0.00	£17.00
Cloudy Group Ltd	IT Support	£582.40	£116.48	£698.88
EDF Energy	Electricity Supply	£126.05	£6.30	£132.35
EE Ltd	Broadband	£29.50	£5.90	£35.40
Epson Ready Print	Printer ink cartridges	£2.91	£0.58	£3.49
Greenstripe	Grass cutting specialised	£150.00	£0.00	£150.00
Grenke	Lease of ipads	£309.84	£61.96	£371.80
HMRC	PAYE/NIC	£1,064.60	£0.00	£1,064.60
JRB Enterprises Ltd	Dog poo bags	£30.40	£6.08	£36.48
Lebara	Clerk mobile phone	£1.24	£0.25	£1.49
Lebara	RFO mobile phone	£3.67	£0.73	£4.40
Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils	Training	£35.00	£7.00	£42.00
Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils	Internal Audit	£310.00	£62.00	£372.00
Monthly Salaries	November Salaries	£3,763.09	£0.00	£3,763.09
Monthly Salaries	WFH Allowance	£156.00	£0.00	£156.00
Monthly Salaries	Mileage	£7.92	£0.00	£7.92
Monthly Salaries	December salaries	£3,726.38	£0.00	£3,726.38
NEST	Pension payment	£208.70	£0.00	£208.70
P E Hempstead and Sons	Grass cutting	£1,073.80	£214.76	£1,288.56
Pittam Property Improvement	General repairs	£82.50	£16.50	£99.00
Ring	Annual fees	£41.66	£8.33	£49.99
South Kesteven District Council	Waste collection	£155.38	£0.00	£155.38
SSE Business Energy	Electricity Supply	£264.60	£13.23	£277.83
Starboard Systems Limited	Scribe Bookings set-up	£219.00	£43.80	£262.80
Stripe	Stripe Transaction Fee	£5.22	£0.00	£5.22
Syston Park Christmas Trees	Christmas trees	£150.00	£0.00	£150.00
Telefonica UK Ltd	Asst Clerk mobile phone	£10.75	£2.15	£12.90
UK Garage Doors Ltd	Repair to shutters	£267.50	£53.50	£321.00
UK Garage Doors Ltd	Safety service inspection of shutters	£450.00	£90.00	£540.00
Vale Planning Consultants	Consultancy	£180.00	£0.00	£180.00
Virgin Money	Bank charges	£30.10	£0.00	£30.10
Wave Anglian Water Business	Water rates	£318.24	£0.00	£318.24