October 8th 2025 Minutes
SCOTHERN PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the October Meeting of Scothern Parish Council
Held in the Methodist Church, Wednesday 8th October 2025 at 7.30pm
Present: Cllr J Johnson (Chair), B Patchett, M Unwin
In attendance: L Brooks-Sleight (clerk), Cllr J Smith (LCC) and a resident
234/2025 Apologies for Absence
Received with reasons from Cllr Atkins, Canton, Creaser and Watt Jones, accepted.
235/2025 Representatives Report
Cllr B Velan, WLDC, sent his apologies but to let him know of any issues. Cllr J Smith reported on highways going to conduct a speed check on Sudbrooke Rd between the villages after the PC’s request to reduce the speed.
236/2025 Public Participation
A resident spoke to the council about item 244/2025 -Grange Park and the working groups email.
237/2025 Declarations of Interest
None received
238/2025 Minutes of last Meeting
The minutes of the July Council Meeting held on 10th September 2025 were approved as a true & correct record. Proposed & seconded. Resolved
239/2025 Clerks Report
• SRC – agreed with new bench position. New signs for the play area – agreed a position on the railings and informed of new sign to replace old on the side wall. Suggestion that the PC purchase Remembrance soldiers. Play area – would like to make sure the new equipment doesn’t come any closer to the building as they intend to extend the building at a future date. Outdoor Play will sort position/details when we confirm after receiving grant funding – fingers crossed
• I’ve attended a few courses since last meeting – LALC - Preparing for an Internal Audit was very informative. Assertion 10 updates for the Audit 2025/26 with what’s expected in the AGAR end of year audit.
• The LALC Webmaster – has tidied up the website, removing bad link, duplicate pages, archived out of date articles/news.
• Facebook – Information received -it is against Facebooks rules to have another account. Advised to delete 2nd account and contact Facebook for full access to editing but it can take a few months. The Facebook page was created on the 13th March 2019 by a previous clerk.
• LALC have assigned us with an Internal Auditor for the next 2 years – Elaine Atkins and the new Terms of Reference with a checklist to complete before the first audit have been received.
• Grange Park – a resident requested access through the main gate to remove hedge and replace a fence. They may be able to finish without the main gate access.
• Resident emailed regarding a tree on the grassed area near Heathlea - large branches fell during the high winds, this has been reported to Acis Housing who have acknowledged and are sending their estates team to investigate.
240/2025 FOI Policy
Approved, proposed & seconded. Resolved
241/2025 Emergency Plan
The table-top exercise was cancelled, new date to be arranged.
242/2025 War Memorial
The faculty has been paid but still awaiting the DAC to authorise this before we can instruct Draper Memorials. The quote from Draper Memorials to add 3 missing names is £375 +vat and the PCC have only raised £63.85 towards this and suggested the PC pay to complete this work, minus the £63.85. Following a discussion, it was approved to pay £311.15 towards the cost from the earmarked reserves with £106.15 from village/property maintenance. Proposed & seconded. Resolved
243/2025 Play Area
a. Quotes received to remove the old wooden equipment & tyres, move chippings and turf the area - Outdoor Play £3400 and HMT Landscaping £1800 to clear the area and £700 to turf as long as the ground is ok underneath. Ian Moore – not received. It was approved to accept HMT quote, proposed & seconded. Resolved
b. The monthly inspection report was received and noted.
244/2025 Grange Park
a. The working groups notes were received. Cade Close – overhanging branches, quotes for next meeting to reduce tree heights and overhanging branches from trees nearest the fence. Recent tree survey to be sent to the group.
b. Emails received from group members regarding an area of overgrown bushes/weeds/briars that the PC instructed to the contractor to remove, and a group member stopped them. The Terms of Reference for the group have been resent, and the member had been misinformed of the ownership of Grange Park. The group agreed to help maintain the area, re-train the stalks to grow away from the residents’ fence and keep a clearance gap with the intention of the ‘fruit corner’ to be encouraged to grow, in the area right of the orchard. Current area to be monitored.
245/2025 Completion of the limited assurance review for the year ended 31 March 2025
The external auditor report and certificate (Section 3 of the AGAR Form 3) were noted, no further actions. This has already been displayed on the notice board and website from the end of September 2026.
246/2025 Finance
The monthly accounts for payment and the corresponding bank statements with the latest Budget v Expenditure up to 30/09/25 were approved as a true & correct record, bank balance £81,004.85. Cllrs Johnson & Patchett were nominated to authorise the online bank payments. Proposed & seconded. Resolved
DAC War memorial Faculty mins216/2025b £342.60
Boston Seeds Wild Primrose plug plant Grange Park mins69/2025c £170.99
Poppy Shop Remembrance Wreath S137 mins224/2025 £24.49
B&Q sand - Grange Park mins214/2025c £3.50
PKF Littlejohn External Auditor £252.00
NBB Recycled bench mins222/2025c £550.80
SLCC Membership mins230/2025 £95.00
Tesco Monthly DD mobile £7.50
Lloyds Banks Monthly account fee £4.25
HMRC PAYE £503.34
Ian Moore Contractors Contractor - grass cutting £1728.00
GFP Agriculture/Belmont Seeds Yellow Rattle seeds mins 214/2025c £540.00
Multidata VH Broadband November invoice £50.34
Springbok Monthly IT September invoice £54.92
L Brooks-Sleight Salary/expenses £1008.46
Pelican Trust SN printing £253.50
HMT Landscaping £130
(Fix bench in position mins247/2025e 100.00 and Repair notice board mins247/2025a 30.00)
247/2025 Village maintenance
Quotes received for the following from HMT Landscaping, Hammer & Nails & I Moore quotes not received. Previous approval of white fence painting for Hammer & Nails but no longer able to complete the work, quote received from HMT for £65, cheaper first quote.
a. Fix the Perspex seal on the notice board door near the village hall – £30
b. To replace the inside backing board on Grange Park board near The Alders and fix new ‘Welcome’ plaque £95
c. To strip, varnish & replace the header -Scothern Parish Council, near the bus stop on Church St £60
d. To fix in position the new notice board on Dunholme Rd - £100
e. To build & fix new bench in position at the play area - £100
248/2025 Christmas in Scothern
After a discussion it was approved to organise a Christmas Lights competition; Cllr Patchett to ask local electrician to PAT test the tree lights and to enquire regarding the tree; to enquire with the school as to when their Christmas event is; to advertise the competition in the November Scothern News and to approve who will be judging & the prizes at the November meeting.
249/2025 To receive reports/updates
a. Community Speed Watch – data sent prior from Cllr Creaser
b. Police – email sent prior from PC Mike Head and Cllr Johnson reported on the recent meeting she attended on the current crime issues and Lincolnshire Alert
c. Scothern News – C Nicoll has decided that she can no longer help with the editing.
d. Village flooding – email sent prior, a reply from WLDC planning to say the ditches surrounding the new development cannot be touch due to the Biodiversity Net Gain
e. Lindum Homes – West Thorne Grange. Email sent prior from M Foster, Lindum Homes, since receiving email from WLDC on the ditches, there is nothing they can do but are monitoring them and will help where they can. The ditches are currently dry despite the rainfall.
f. Village maintenance issues - none
g. Remembrance Day - LCC have approved the road closure, signage has been requested. St Germains PCC have been contacted for details of the Remembrance Service on the 9th November
250/2025 Highways
a. A resident contacted the PC and requested that Church St from Sudbrooke Rd to the Church corner is made a one-way system for safety reasons. The PC to asked residents for their comments & views on the proposal by Facebook, notice boards and the Scothern News for discussion at a future meeting.
b. Road Traffic Orders – Scothern Level crossing now open.
251/2025 Planning
Ref: WL/2025/00793 – land off Nettleham Rd – request of compliance from WLDC following planning permission
WL/2024/00570 granted 21 July 2025. Information can be found on WLDC planning portal.
WL/2025/00807 – planning for a single storey hipped roof extension to existing double garage to provide a home
gymnasium, 9 St Germains Way. WLDC granted with conditions
252/2025 LALC Training Scheme
No current training requests
253/2025 Correspondence for information (sent prior)
• LALC – E-news 16/9/25 & 3/10/25
• LCC Town & Parish Newsletter 1/10/25
• NALC Bulletin 16/9/25 & 17/09/25
• LALC Training bulletin 5/9/25
• Sudbrooke News 29/9/25
• Lincolnshire Police & Parish Council's Engagements 30/9/25
254/2025 Agenda items for next meeting and any updates/points from members
255/2025 To consider the exclusion of the public and press in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to
meetings) Act 1960 s1 (2) due to the confidential nature of the items to be Discussed nothing to discuss
The date & time of the next Meeting of the Council – 12th November 2025 at 7.30pm
The Chair closed the meeting at 9pm