Agenda and approved minutes – February 2025

A MEETING OF BOZEAT PARISH COUNCIL WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, 17^th FEBRUARY 2025, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT 7pm.  PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD AT BOZEAT TLC, DYCHURCH LANE, BOZEAT.

*PLEASE NOTE THAT MEETINGS MAY BE RECORDED

A G E N D A

1. To consider accepting apologies for absence.
2. To record any new declarations of interest from members in items to be discussed.

• To approve the minutes from the Annual Finance meeting of Bozeat Parish Council held on 13^th January 2025.
• To approve the minutes from the meeting of Bozeat Parish Council held on 27^th January 2025.

4. Matters arising from the previous meeting/s: –
5. Circulating documents – to note the progress of any packs that are circulating.
6. Training – to agree any training courses requested by members of the council and receive reports on any attended.
7. Doctor’s surgery – update on service issues.
8. Emergency Plan – report from the Community Resilience Network meeting attended by the Clerk.
9. Commemorative nameplate – to note that the family have been contacted to arrange installation on the village sign.
10. Review of Fixed Asset Register – to approve revisions to the register.
11. Local Government elections – 1^st May 2025 – to encourage participation.
12. Flooding – replacement sand bags.
13. Assets of Community Value – to note that the application to include St Mary’s Church Hall on the register has been approved.

5. Council services – to receive reports.
6. Cemetery – general report.
7. Cemetery – repairs to the surface of a section of the access lane.
8. Cemetery – tree safety assessments – to consider arranging for safety checks of the trees.
9. Cemetery – to consider setting up a working party to consider the future management of the Green Burial area.
10. Cemetery – to confirm changes to the fees from 1^st April 2025
11. Allotments – general report.
12. Allotments – rent collection for 2025.
13. Allotments – to consider a change to the guidelines [where a tenant is renting two separate half plots, they will be considered to be the equivalent of a full plot for rent purposes].

6. Local environment – to receive the following reports.
7. Highways – including speed reduction measures near the primary school.
8. Highways – request for parking restrictions on London Road, opposite Selby Gardens.
9. Street Lights – update on faulty light in Court Lane.
10. Parish Paths Warden/Rights of Way – responsibility for the footway running from Hewletts Close onto TA21/TA22.
11. Village Warden.
12. Village Green.
13. Speed Monitoring Equipment – to arrange training in setting up and data collection.
14. Planters – to consider making a payment to those individuals/groups who are taking care of planters on the village approaches.

7. Planning – to receive a report.
8. Current/new planning applications.
9. Solar Farm proposals – to receive reports from recent events and formulate a response to any future planning application.

8. Representatives’ reports – to receive the following reports.
9. Bozeat Playing Field Association.
10. Bozeat Primary School – roof issues.
11. Police Liaison.
12. Public transport.
13. NNC parish and ward meetings.
14. BEES Group – to approve a quote of £441.72 for the preparation of a section of verge in Easton Lane ready for the planting of wildflower seeds.

9. Village Hall Working Party – to accept a report.

10. Flag-Flying Policy – to consider an amendment to the current policy – that a Bozeat flag be purchased and it be flown at half-mast when considered appropriate by the Chairman or Vice-Chairman.

11. Police – to note any local crimes that are notified to the council.

12. Local events.
    1. 8^th May 2025 – VE80 – to consider taking part in national events.
    2. 10^th May 2025 – Waendel Walk checkpoint.
    3. Opening event for new Village Hall [to include a Thank You event for village volunteers.
    4. 13^th July 2025 – Summer Fete.

13. Finance
14. Payments – to receive a report and to approve payments to be made this month.
15. VAT exemption for the water supply to the allotments.

14. Correspondence – to acknowledge receipt of correspondence received since the last meeting.

15. On hold – to note the following agenda items are on hold
    • Audit of local council adopted policies and procedures.
    • Cemetery – tree safety assessments.
    • Cemetery – repairs to railings – to consider replacing sections with a new hedge.
    • Village Green CCTV and planters.

16. To receive any items for the next agenda.

17. Date and time of next meeting – to note that the next meeting of Bozeat Parish Council will be held on Monday, 17^th March 2025, immediately following the Annual Parish Meeting for Bozeat. Both meetings will be held at TLC, Dychurch Lane, Bozeat and immediately follow Public Participation at 7pm.

Signed by Lyndis Payne, Clerk to Bozeat Parish Council.

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A MEETING OF BOZEAT PARISH COUNCIL WAS HELD ON MONDAY, 17^th FEBRUARY 2025, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT 7pm.  THIS MEETING WAS HELD AT BOZEAT TLC, DYCHURCH LANE, BOZEAT.

PRESENT: – Cllrs Skittrall [Chairman]; Cooke; Docker; Gibbins; Moulds, Pollard; Pritchard and Steel.

PUBLIC: – One member of the public was present at the meeting.

MATTERS RAISED BY THE PUBLIC: –

• Disappointment in the Parish Council’s lack of public visible fight.
• Accuracy of council minutes.

It was resolved to accept apologies for absence received from Cllrs Brown; Duckles and Foward.  It was noted that Cllr Duckles had tendered his resignation from the council due to pressure of work, the Clerk to contact North Northants Council Electoral Services.

2. Declarations of interest.

No new declarations of interest were reported.

• The minutes from the Annual Finance meeting of Bozeat Parish Council held on 13^th January 2025 were proposed as correct by Cllr Pritchard, this was seconded by Cllr Gibbins and a vote was taken = 7 for with 1 abstention, motion carried.
• The minutes from the meeting of Bozeat Parish Council held on 27^th January 2025 were proposed as correct by Cllr Pollard, this was seconded by Cllr Steel and a vote was taken = 6 for with 2 abstentions, motion carried.

4. Matters arising: –

• Circulating documents – the progress of circulating packs was noted.
• Training – Cllr Steel is to attend a course on Neurodiversity.
• Doctor’s surgery – update on service issues. Noted that there has been no response to our last email.
• Emergency Plan – hard copies of the plan were provided for all council members; a copy will also be placed in the Cemetery Lodge. The Clerk gave a report from the Community Resilience Network meeting which she attended.  It was agreed to consider purchasing a storage rack for the Cemetery Lodge so that boxes of equipment could be stored safely and be easily accessible, this to be an agenda item

Page 2237 – 17^th February 2025

• for the next meeting.
• Commemorative nameplate –the Clerk reported that the family had been in touch and arrangements will be made for them to attend the installation, it was resolved to remove this item from the agenda.
• Review of Fixed Asset Register – it was resolved to defer this item.
• Local Government elections – 1^st May 2025 – it was agreed that the Clerk should put a poster on the noticeboard.
• Flooding – replacement sand bags – it was resolved to defer this item.
• Assets of Community Value – it was noted that the application to include St Mary’s Church Hall on the register has been approved.

5. Council services.

• Cemetery – general report – Cllr Steel reported that a shrub has died and needs to be removed, the BEES group have some snowdrops available and these could be planted in the space. A meeting with the local Wildlife Trust has been arranged for 1pm on 25^th March to look at improving the cemetery for wildlife.  Anglian Water had visited to undertake a routine Water Regulations Inspection and no problems were reported.  A further letter from Anglian Water warns of a potential leak, although the invoices received don’t support this.  Cllr Steel and the Clerk to investigate further.
• Cemetery – repairs to the surface of a section of the access lane – Cllr Gibbins to contact R & G.
• Cemetery – tree safety assessments – it was resolved to defer this item.
• Cemetery – it was resolved to set up a working party to consider the future management of the Green Burial area, comprising Cllrs Docker, Pritchard, Skittrall and Steel.
• Cemetery – changes to the fees from 1^st April 2025. Cllr Gibbins proposed that the cemetery fees be revised as per a report [Appendix A], this was seconded by Cllr Pritchard and agreed.
• Allotments – general report – Cllr Pollard reported no issues.
• Allotments – rent collection for 2025 – the Clerk reported that one tenancy had been terminated due to non-payment of rent.
• Allotments – Cllr Skittrall proposed an additional allotments guideline “where a tenant is renting two separate half plots, they will be considered to be the equivalent of a full plot for rent purposes”, this was seconded by Cllr Pollard and agreed.

6. Local environment.

• Highways – it was resolved to accept a report as received and noted that work to install the VAS system near the primary school has again been delayed.
• Highways – request for parking restrictions on London Road, opposite Selby Gardens. It was noted that this request was emailed several months ago and resolved to check it has been received.
• Street Lights – Cllr Pritchard reported that the faulty light in Court Lane has now been repaired.
• Parish Paths Warden/Rights of Way – Cllr Pritchard reported that a stile at the Harrold Road/Allens Hill junction has been changed to provide a platform to help access. It was noted that Cllr Brown is continuing in his efforts to identify responsibility for the footway running from Hewletts Close onto TA21/TA22.

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• Village Warden – a report was accepted as received.
• Village Green – no issues reported.
• Speed Monitoring Equipment –it was resolved to organise a training session for the taking down and moving equipment changing and charging the battery.
• Planters – it was resolved to pay £25 per planter this year but consider increasing the grant from next year. It was noted that one planter needs to be passed onto new carers and it was agreed to ask the Village Produce Show if they would like to take it on.
• It was noted that the annual verge mowing contract for the 2025-2026 season has been received from North Northants Council.
• Information has been received from Keep Britain Tidy about the annual Great British Spring Clean – it was resolved that the council will take part, encourage the school and W.I. to do so too and contact the Bozeat Environmental Action Group.

• Current/new planning applications – Cllr Skittrall proposed his report [Appendix B] be accepted, this was seconded by Cllr Docker and agreed.
• Solar Farm proposals – Cllr Skittrall reported that he had asked the local action group to organise a public meeting and to deliver another leaflet to Bozeat. Cllr Pritchard recommended that the parish council delivers the leaflets themselves.  Emails received from a local resident were noted expressing concern that the parish council were not doing enough.  Cllr Skittrall provided the resident with a detailed response detailing what actions that the council had already taken to date and explaining that the council is limited as to what action it can take whereas the action group is not restricted and the best organisation to drive public protest.  The letter also explained that the critical time for public action when the final DCO (planning application) is submitted.

8. Representatives’ reports.

• Bozeat Playing Field Association – a report was read as received. It was resolved to consider the purchase of a new marquee and arrange for gas bottles to be refilled ready for events, this to be an agenda item for the next meeting.
• Bozeat Primary School – it was resolved to ask Mr Duckles if he is to continue as a school governor and would be willing to liaise with the Parish Council over school issues.
• Police Liaison – no report this month.
• Public transport – no issues reported.
• NNC parish and ward meetings – Cllrs Docker and Skittrall to attend the Town & Parishes Forum meeting on 13^th
• BEES Group– a report was read as received. Cllr Pritchard proposed that up to £500 be spent on preparing a section of verge in Easton Lane ready for the planting of wildflower seeds and protecting the area with wooden stakes.  This was seconded by Cllr Steel and agreed.

9. Village Hall Working Party.

Cllr Cooke reported that the working party had met recently and a further meeting is planned for this Wednesday.

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10. Flag-Flying Policy.

It was resolved to investigate the cost of purchasing a Bozeat flag and to consider an amendment to the current policy.

One crime in Irchester was reported since the last meeting.  A letter from Sarah Bool MP was received promoting responses to a rural policing survey and it was noted that the council had already responded.

12. Local events.
    • 8^th May 2025 – VE80 – beacon events will take place on the Thursday; communities are encouraged to participate in a Big Lunch on the Sunday following.
    • 10^th May 2025 – Waendel Walk checkpoint – the Clerk to produce the usual rota.
    • Opening event for new Village Hall [to include a Thank You event for village volunteers] – agreed to defer this item.
    • 13^th July 2025 – Summer Fete – noted that the working party is now meeting regularly.
    • 15^th August 2025 – VJ80 – noted that national events are likely to be organised to mark this anniversary.

• Payments – Cllr Pritchard proposed that a report [Appendix C] be accepted and the payments listed on it be approved, this was seconded by Cllr Steel and agreed.
• VAT exemption for the water supply to the allotments. The Clerk reported receipt of a credit note from Anglian Water.

It was resolved to acknowledge receipt of correspondence received since the last meeting.

15. On hold – it was noted that the following agenda items are on hold: –
    • Audit of local council adopted policies and procedures.
    • Cemetery – repairs to railings – to consider replacing sections with a new hedge.
    • Village Green CCTV and planters.

16. Items for the next agenda: –

• Election of Vice-Chairman.
• Casual vacancy.
• Purchase of storage racking.
• NNC verge mowing contract.
• Purchase of marquee/gas bottles

17. Date and time of next meeting.

It was noted that the next meeting of Bozeat Parish Council will be held on Monday, 17^th March 2025, immediately following the Annual Parish Meeting for Bozeat at 7pm and then Public Participation.  Both meetings will be held at TLC, Dychurch Lane, Bozeat.

Signed by Brian Skittrall, Chairman, 17^th March 2025.