October 18th Extraordinary Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting of Fiskerton Parish Council held on Monday 18th October 2021 at 7:30pm in Fiskerton Village Hall.
Present: Cllrs Brereton, Canner, Darcel, Hill, Wall, Whitt, Mrs Michelle Vail (Clerk), and nine members of the public
All were thanking for attending.
1. Open session – to suspend standing orders for the duration of items 1 and 4:
Items were received from members of the public as follows:
Proposed solar farm – confirmed that this is to go ahead; the developer has offered three permissive footpaths for the life of the project as its contribution to community gain (note: as permissive, these can be withdrawn). A community desire for tarmac paths was noted. The Covid pandemic meant that FPC had been unable to meet and consult with the developer.
Request that a diversion sign on Chapel Road be removed. Action: clerk to report to LCC.
Report that holes in Hall Lane, although marked in yellow, have not been rectified. Action: clerk to chase with LCC
Report that Church View area has not been resurfaced and is deteriorating; also that that footpaths that had been redone are in very poor condition eg weeds growing through. Action: clerk to report to LCC
Noted that Fix My Street is the most effective way to report issues to LCC, and this can be used by residents to report matters.
Suggestion that the river bank path be permissive. SC advised that he had made approaches concerning installing steps into the bank but this would not be possible.
Query concerning any plans to surface dress along the Fiskerton to Short Ferry road as it is starting to sink. Surface dressing will not address the situation. Rain sits for several days in the sunken bits. Action: clerk to report to LCC
Concerns expressed by a resident that LCC have not addressed a serious matter relating to the bypass reported several years ago on Fix My Street.
Meeting started at 7.45pm
2. Apologies for absence: Cllr Walker
3. Declaration of interests: None declared.
4. To receive a resident’s presentation to the Parish Council in respect of Cllr C Darcel’s conduct and Holmfield open spaces:
The resident spoke, summarised as follows:
Several complaints had been lodged by residents on this matter
FPC had advised that proper process is for WLDC to investigate councillor conduct. WLDC have investigated and had replied that they would not be taking matters further
WLDC’s response letter to the resident was read out to the meeting
A WLDC Monitoring Officer had written to D/Cllr Darcel advising him on improvements he can make with future communications; and that residents are entitled to make challenge.
As a result of a letter to WLDC, the Monitoring Officer was led to believe that D/Cllr Darcel did offer an apology to the effect of:
CD will make clear in the Sept Fiskerton News that he cannot verify what happened
CD acknowledged that he should have verified information appearing in the newsletter
CD apologised to WLDC and confirmed to them that he will be more careful in the future
CD was asked where his apology is; as he has not done what he had told WLDC he was going to do ie. that the apology needs to be published in Fiskerton News. This would then be the end of the matter for the resident.
A disclaimer should be included in articles that CD is writing these as a District Councillor; as his articles are still being seen as parish council’s.
CD confirmed:
That he does include a WLDC contact at the bottom of his articles
That he had delivered a letter of apology to the resident’s house. The same apology also being given to another resident who had complained. The resident stated that he had not received the letter of apology.
That he will rectify matters in the next available Fiskerton News
KB considered that the apology should be published publicly as the original article at the root of the complaint had been in the public forum. RW noted his disappointment in the way the conversation is going as the article was not a FPC article, therefore does not represent FPC views.
The meeting then moved on to talk about the Holmfield open spaces.
A second resident advised that occupants of Nos 22 and 26 Holmfield couldn’t attend this meeting but that they wanted it minuted that they wish for the open space to be either planted up as it was originally, or left as is. They are directly opposite the open space and look onto it.
RW confirmed that the process for FPC to take over ownership of the open spaces is nearing completion; and that FPC, once in ownership, will manage the land for the benefit of the residents. The Holmfield Open Space Committee has met once and is considering what do residents want. The idea of a survey leaflet had been discussed but is unlikely to proceed due to the subsequent confirmation of legal covenants and restrictions existing on the open space dictating its use. It was confirmed that FPC is not proposing a ball playing area.
Noted that the open space has, in the past, been landscaped. A stipulation exists in Morris Homes’ planning application for planting and management on the open space to be adhered to for 5 years post completion; and that the trees and shrubs remain thereafter. Noted that Morris Homes did undertake landscaping but their compound, installed when they returned to undertake remedial work, had destroyed this. Morris Homes, at that time, had advised a resident that they would return to replant and re-turf. However, the resident recollected that it had never been replanted due to a £10,000 payment to FPC towards the village’s play area in return for Morris Homes not relandscaping/replanting. RW confirmed that planting up can be undertaken once FPC owns the space; and CD offered £500 from his D/Cllr Councillor Initiative Fund towards planting; noting that money is also available in FPC’s reserves.
A third resident advised that they had originally shared a joint boundary with Morris Homes but that this situation was legally rescinded once Morris Homes made the £10,000 payment to FPC. The boundary is now owned solely by the resident. At this point Morris Homes had said upkeep of the open space was now the parish council; but FPC had said it was Morris Homes.
Although the open space is now classed as open space, originally it had been classed as landscaped area in house deeds when the resident purchased their property; as the £10,000 arrangement had not been in existence at that point to change the status.
The resident advised that, legally, they can’t own a boundary with a public open space and the status as public open space brings issues to the homeowner. Once in ownership, FPC will need to put up a new boundary fence away from the resident’s boundary.
RESOLVED unanimously that the Holmfield Open Space Committee members are RW, CH and AW; and that they should go away and look at matters, then report back to full council. Action: Holmfield Open Space Committee
All were thanked for their contributions.
Standing Orders resumed at 8.23pm.
5. To fully analyse WLDC’s response to the Parish Council’s submission of draft Neighbourhood Plan
Noted that no personalised response had been received in respect of FPC’s submission to the Central Lincs Local Plan consultation.
WLDC’s comments on the draft NP had been previously circulated for review.
CD outlined the current position; and new recommendations were made as follows:
A study toolkit and roadmap guide is available from Locality
Village consultation is needed
An open session is needed for the public to view documents and plans; and to comment on the same
A consensus from the village is required as to the way forward
CD hopes for an open evening for the NP by the end of November
Comments made were:
FPC wants to obtain the Paddock for the village, but how can it be obtained?
FPC is keen to see the Tanya site built on – this can be built into the draft NP.
CD noted that there is a need for policies especially regarding what to do about the three listed properties; other interesting village properties, and the iron age causeway and how to protect it. The village’s views also need to be protected.
Noted that one resident had requested that NP information be put out by FPC via varied media platforms.
RW then ran through the history of the setting up of the NP group, and also of the Paddock. It is desirous that the Church Commissioner do not build on the Paddock.
RW then advised that professional traffic surveyors say the road is very quiet; and that houses on Ferry Road will not make the traffic significantly different.
Action: clerk -agenda item for full council meeting on 8th November, 2021.
Meeting ended at 9.17pm
Mrs Michelle Vail, Clerk to Fiskerton Parish Council 06/12/21