Minutes for Parish Council Meetings 2026-27

Minutes of the Barrowby Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 13th April 2026 at the Reading Room, Church Street, Barrowby at 6:45pm

Public Forum (6:45pm – 7pm) There was 1 member of the public present. Discussion points raised:

i. Request for an update on the Neighbourhood Plan. Clerk confirmed that SKDC planning had been contacted requesting next steps and a timescale. Awaiting a response. 

The Public Forum ended at 6.59pm. Meeting started 7pm 

Councillors in attendance:

Michael Brown, Phil Cupit, JP Durand, Nigel Eaton (Chair), Jo Footitt, Tim Lees, Anna McConnell-Good, Mark Whittington and Hugh Staunton

Officers in attendance:

Claire Vink (Parish Clerk) 

District and County Councillors:

District Cllr Robert Leadenham

1. WELCOME (25/175)

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

2. APOLOGIES (25/176)

Clls Paul Brown, Pam Bosworth and County Cllr Richard Litchfield apologies were NOTED

3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST (25/177)

a) No declarations were made.

b) No dispensations were made.

4. MINUTES (25/178)

It was RESOLVED to approve and sign the minutes from the Parish Council meeting on 9th March 2026. 

5. PLANNING (25/179)

a) Planning applications:

a. S26/0325: Change of use of seven holiday lets to dwellinghouses. Thorns Fam Leisure Thorns Lane. Deadline: 23rd April. It was RESOLVED to approved to submit comment. Cllr Durand to prepare comment for council approval

b. A verbal update was received from the Planning Working Group. 

c. Additional applications noted. Both applications have been considered and voted on by council at earlier meetings. The information did not change council position. No further meeting required to resolve a change in position. Response to be prepared by the Planning Working Group. Action: Clerk to set up meeting of the Planning Working Group: 

i. S26/0028: Coop development at the Heathers. Reconsultation. 

ii. Notification of additional information received on Planning Application S25/1751: Taylor Wimpey development: Low Road. 

b) Taylor Wimpey Development

a. It was NOTED that the Council support the following led by Taylor Wimpey:

i. the 1st allocation of housing will go to those with a local connection. There will be no social rents but it will follow the 1st home scheme. 

ii. the 2nd allocation will prioritise veterans and blue light workers.

iii. the 3rd allocation will go to those living within the Ward

iv. final allocation will be to the wider area. 

b. Damage to Rectory Lane by heavy plant machinery using the unofficial lay-bys was NOTED. ACTION: Clerk to work with Taylor Wimpey and LCC to ensure it is fixed as soon as possible.

6. SKDC COMPLAINTS (25/180): 

It was NOTED that SKDC have instructed Weightmans LLP to progress the complaints that have been submitted by Barrowby Parish Council. The correspondence received thus far was NOTED. It was RESOLVED to approve that Cllr Durand will progress this whilst the Clerk is on leave. To include exploration of neutrality of Weightmans LLP, to understand why there has been no response to the request to Democratic services for a governance meeting sent 11th March, to clarify via LALC how a Parish Council can raise governance issues with a District Council. Meeting to be set up between Weightmans and Cllrs Durand, Eaton and Lees. Action: To update the next meeting

7. REPORTS (25/181)

a) Verbal update received from local government representatives:

i. District Councillor Leadenham: Ongoing issues being progressed, namely: 

i. The Colleys: It was NOTED that the residents are increasingly unhappy with the lack of progress finishing the estate namely: street lighting, roads, pathways, lack of playpark, litter. The Clerk confirmed requests have been made to Vistry to hold a joint PC / developer meeting with residents in the Show Home and to provide updates on these matters. Clerk still waiting for a response. Action: Cllr Leadenham to ask for an update through planning.

ii. Tree Preservation Orders (TPO): It was NOTED that confirmation of the TPO’s on the trees in Grange Paddock are still outstanding. Cllr Leadenham confirmed that the tree officer was meeting with planning and he would provide an update ASAP.

iii. Collection of Food Waste bins is starting this month

iv. Friday 1st May is the Canal Society Open Day. All Parish Councillors encouraged to attend to gain an appreciation of the ongoing restoration work on the canal. To include refreshments, exhibits and canal boat rides.

8.10pm Cllr Leadenham and 1 member of the public left the meeting.

b) A verbal update from the RAGS group was received: Members noted that RAGS has made significant progress with two village projects. Ten street trees were planted with support from the Open Door grant, Lincolnshire County Council Highways and Grafton Nurseries, with assistance from volunteers and adjacent property owners. Members also noted that the Community Orchard was planted on 29 March with support from volunteers and partner organisations including Boothby Wildlands, Crimson King Tree Services and Pancake Hill Woodland Management CIC. Work is ongoing to complete the orchard webpage and signage, with a formal opening proposed at the Annual Parish Meeting in May. Action: PC requested a meeting with RAGS to understand the planting at the Lowfields. Flower Group: The notes from the joint meeting of the Flower Group with RAGS were NOTED. The Clerk confirmed that Cllr M Brown has kindly agreed to do the Reading Room Hanging baskets again this year. Cllr Lees has agreed to look at the watering system and Reading Room gutters before the hanging baskets are put in place. The Clerk will contact Taylor Wimpey to explore options for their brick layers to mend the planters specifically on the Dysart Road entrance to the village with a possible sponsorship sign. Action: To ask for Highways input on position of the planter. It was NOTED that 1 flower bed will now be used for wild flowers.  20’s Plenty: A call for volunteers has been put in the Barrowby News, residents were thanked for their support thus far. The 1st meeting will be in May to allow time for resident’s engagement. Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs) and Community Speedwatch will be included in this working group. Grant funding for new SIDs is being explored prior to the meeting as current devices are old. There has been a request from a resident for a device to be sited on Casthorpe Road. Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership have been contacted for their support.

8. COMMITTEE MINUTES (25/182)

a) The minutes from the Staffing Committee 13th March 2026 were NOTED

b) The minutes from the Burial Committee 13th March 2026 were NOTED

c) The minutes from the Allotment Committee 16th March 2026 were NOTED

d) The minutes from the Buildings and Assets Committee meeting 30th March 2026 were NOTED

e) The minutes from the Finance Committee meeting 8th April 2026 were NOTED

9. CLERKS REPORT (25/183)

A verbal update was received from the Clerk in respect of the Clerk’s Report, and the outstanding actions listed therein were NOTED.  

9pm Cllr Whittington left the meeting

10. POLICY REVIEW (25/184)

a) It was RESOLVED:

i. That the Council approves a Policy Governance and Review Framework. 

ii. That the relevant committee shall undertake the detailed review of policies and procedures within its remit and make recommendations to Full Council. 

iii. That Full Council shall retain responsibility for the approval and adoption of council-wide, statutory, governance, corporate and other significant policies. 

iv. That the annual committee-led review cycle shall take place between January and March each year, with policies due for formal approval reported to Full Council in May. 

v. That the Master Policy Register be adopted in principle, with authority delegated to the Clerk to populate, update and maintain it. 

vi. That the Policy Ownership Matrix attached be adopted in principle, subject to any amendments resolved by Council. 

vii. That a member policy reading log be introduced and maintained by the Clerk. 

viii. That each policy shall, where practicable, include document control information showing title, version, adoption date, review date and ownership. 

ix. That urgent policy amendments arising during the year may be brought forward outside the annual cycle where necessary.

b) It was RESOLVED to approve the following policies with immediate affect due to significant review and impact on Council operation 

a. Code of Conduct

b. Communications Policy

c. Media and Publicity Policy 

d. Publication Scheme 

e. Freedom of Information / Environmental Information Regulations Policy 

f. Fees and Charges currently required for use 

g. Risk Management Policy and Corporate Risk Register 

h. IT, Social Media and AI policies  

11. FINANCE (25/185)

a) The March 2026 bank reconciliations were RESOLVED to approve.  

b) The summary of receipts, precept and expenditure figure was NOTED

c) The income for March 2026 was NOTED.

d) The expenditure for March / April 2026 was RESOLVED to approve as outlined in the payments list. 

12. RESIDENT BRIEFINGS (25/186)

Communication of the work of the Parish Council with Residents was considered. Currently main communications are: Barrowby News, Facebook, Noticeboards, Website. Better use of these to provide a summary of the minutes and other activities on the Parish Council to provide better understanding of the issues faced by Council needs to be carried out. Time constraints of staff were NOTED.

13. ANNUAL PARISH MEETING (25/187)

The Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Wednesday 13th May 6.30pm at the Willows for the opening of the Community Orchard. Action: Clerk to invite all local groups, developers working in the area (with current planning permission), Parish Council Working Groups, School, Police, Canal Society. Cllr McConnell-Good to lead on refreshments. It was NOTED that the CoOp has kindly agreed to donate some of the refreshments. Gazebos and tables to be put up. The Reading Room will be the back up venue in case of bad weather.

14. PARISH WARDING ARRANGEMENTS (25/188)

Representation of Cllrs across the different areas of the Parish would allow the needs of all areas to be considered appropriately. As there are currently no vacancies, this was paused to be reconsidered when the need arises. 

15. CAPTURE OF FUTURE ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION / AGENDA ITEMS (25/189)

Street lighting consultation for Casthorpe Road, Rectory Lane, Manor Road

School transport provision 

Annual Meeting of the Parish Council

16. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING (25/190)

Monday 11th May 2026 at 6.45pm in the Reading Room for the Parish Council Meeting

The meeting closed at 9.39pm

BARROWBY PARISH COUNCIL FINANCE REPORT APRIL 2026: 

Members noted the following income in March:    

Members approved the following expenditure in March / April 2026: