Delegated decisions May 2020
CTC Delegated Decisions and Actions: Virtual Meeting 21-05-20
These are the deliberations of an informal meeting of the Caistor Town Council and the decisions taken by the Chairman & Town Clerk under delegated powers.
Online: Cllrs J Wright (in the chair), J Bowman, A Clark, S Duprat, S Davey, S Gaughan, J Hughes, C Mackenzie, C Rudd, A Somerscales, M Sizer, S Wright & O Bierley.
Apologies: Cllrs M Galligan, M Sizer & A Lawrence
1. Food Market:
The Saturday morning food stalls in the Market Place continue to operate successfully. Kim Hodson, assisted by volunteer Neil Burkes, ensure that shoppers maintain social distancing. The Police have attended on several occasions and are content with its operation. A flower seller has requested that she be permitted to attend the market when appropriate to do so and the current food traders have indicated their intention to continue to attend in future. Members noted the report.
2. Speed awareness: Members have been copied into an email from PCSO Dawn Cowling regarding increased vehicle speeds on the A46 during the Covid-19 period. Members had previously raised concerns to the Police and County Council. It is hoped that vehicle speed and speed limits could be reduced as previously requested. Cllr S Critten advised that the speed watch group had been advised to stand down during Covid-19.
3. Allotments:
The Town’s 14 allotments on North Kelsey Road are now fully let and include 5 new tenants. We have a waiting list of 7 only 4 of which currently live in Caistor. The tap at the allotment had been leaking and Kim Hodson had made a temporary repair. Members noted the works.
4. Churchyard & Cemetery:
a. The steps to the churchyard from Cromwell View/Church Road are currently being repaired by Advanced Masonary & Brickwork (Brigg) who built the new shelf at the Garden of Remembrance.
b. Kim Hodson has continued to maintain the cemetery during the lock down and our first interment since then is due to take place on 28th May. Memorial Masons are now permitted on site.
c. Two additional bin stickers have been ordered for the Congregational Churchyard on Church Road. Members noted the actions taken.
5. Caistor Lakes:
a. has been issued a letter of support from the Town Council for their application to Lincolnshire County Council to erect brown Tourism direction signs on the highway.
b. It has been noted that the Planning Issues with WLDC (Illuminated sign) and LCC (Advertising trailer). The building sign itself has permitted development and the trailer is permitted so long as it is moved from time to time and is not parked on the highway or LCC land.
Members noted the Council’s position. However, Cllr J Bowman advised that she believed that she owned the land in question, not Caistor Lakes and would contact Caistor Lakes and WLDC.
6. CS&SC:
a. Car Park: James Hall of Hall Macadam has suggested a method of levelling the grid area in the car park. This involves slightly lowering the manholes, by removing bricks from the internal wall of two of the three manholes and raising the car park edge slightly next to the club house. The raised area would retain a kerb edge to prevent vehicles from over topping. Members were agreeable in principle to the additional works subject to an acceptable quote.
b. Community Interest Company (CIC) formation is progressing well with the documentation and initial three Town Council Directors being submitted to Companies House for registration tomorrow. The various sections of the club will soon be asked to submit nominations for members of the Management Committee (two per section) and elect three Directors including the Secretary and Treasurer. Members welcomed the progress to CIC status.
c. LIVES: The Defibrillator at CS&SC has been checked and found to need replacement pads and a charge stick, which are past their use date. It was noted that replacements have been ordered by Cllr A Clark.
d. Operational Access: The Club Treasurer has requested access to the Club during lock down to undertake operational matters. All the issues are legitimate measures but maybe need to be undertaken by independent organisations or are not urgent. The Chairman currently hold the keys to all doors and is arranging for distribution to sports clubs when lockdown has been lifted. Members were not against access for urgent operational matters but did not consider those quoted to be urgent.
7. Town Council Office:
The office windows facing to the High Street are to be repaired and repainted by Andy Bradley of AB Decorators (Brigg) as existing in the near future. He recently redecorated the stage area in the Town Hall. Members welcomed the proposal.
8. Anglian Water:
There will be a road closure of South Street between 17th and 19th June to enable a new connection. Members noted the action of Anglian Water associated with refurbishment works on South Street.
9. Memberships:
We have renewed our membership of the Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils (LALC) and Rural Market Towns Group (RMTG) and paid the annual fees. Members noted the report.
10. Grants:
British Red Cross (BRC) & Marie Curie have requested grants to assist them to help covid-19 patients. Caistor in Bloom currently grant aid BRC from income from their open gardens event. Members decided against the grants as CIB helped BRC and advised that the request be directed to Caistor Lions.
11. South Street Park:
a. Kim Hodson / WLDC have removed the waste from South Street Park.
b. There has been no reported recurrence of dogs loose in the Park but Cllr C Mackenzie has been undertaking patrols. Other Cllrs expressed an interest in being trained and authorised to issue fines. The Town Clerk would investigate the process and report back.
12. Caistor Covid-19 Volunteers:
a. The group, led by Cllr S Critten and administered by Cllrs J Bowman, A Clark and the Town Clerk, continues to provide vital prescription and food deliveries to the most vulnerable in Caistor. We are now working in tandem with Wellbeing Lincs and continue to receive new requests for help.
b. A group has also established a foodbank in the Town Hall to help those in need of assistance. Any donations of funds and goods would be appreciated.
c. Caistor Cares were investigating delivering summer picnic packs to their members and Caistor Lakes had offered to provide roast dinners to the covid-19 recipients.
Cllr S Critten to contact Caistor Lakes. Members welcomed the reports.
13. Caistor Grammar School: Cllr S Davey declared an interest in this item and took no part. A resident had complained that the CGS intend to cut down a tree in the conservation area. I have approached the Head Teacher and WLDC for their comments. It is understood from WLDC that the felling of the tree is permissible as it is not covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) nor in the Conservation area. The Town Clerk was asked to approach CGS to see if nonetheless they would spare the tree.
14. Date of Next Meeting: Thursday 4th June at 7pm online. This meeting will be a formal Town Council Meeting with a public agenda and advertised accordingly with joining instructions.
Confidential Item: The Town Clerk withdrew from the online meeting.
15. Complaint:
Members will be aware that a complaint has been made against the Town Clerk. This has been addressed by the Chairman, under delegated powers following the complaints policy. The Chairman updated Members on his deliberations. It was agreed that the complaint be dismissed and the Chairman would write to the complainant.