Agenda and approved minutes – November 2024

A MEETING OF BOZEAT PARISH COUNCIL WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, 18^th NOVEMBER 2024, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT 7pm.  THE MEETING WILL BE HELD AT 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.

3. To approve the minutes from the meeting of Bozeat Parish Council held on 21^st October 2024.

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. Santa Pod traffic issues – to receive any further survey forms, note any issues with recent events and consider a way forward.
9. IT and Website – to report any issues.
10. Emergency Plan review – to receive a draft plan.
11. Commemorative nameplates – to note that these have been received.
12. Pensions Regulations – to note that the re-declaration of compliance has been submitted.
13. Review of Fixed Asset Register – to approve revisions to the register.
14. Local Government elections – 1^st May 2025 – to encourage participation.
15. Flooding – replacement sand bags.

5. Council services – to receive reports.
6. Cemetery – general report.
7. Cemetery – to consider repairs to the surface of the access lane.
8. Cemetery – swift and bat boxes for the cemetery lodge.
9. Cemetery – to consider revisions to the guidelines.
10. Allotments – general report.
11. Allotments – to receive an update on maintenance works [replacement plan for noticeboard].
12. Allotments – boundary issues, including cutting back of the hedge on Allens Hill.
13. Allotments – report from the Annual Meeting [16^th November 2024].
14. Allotments – rent collection for 2025.

6. Local environment – to receive the following reports.
7. Highways – including parking restrictions and speed reduction near the primary school and on Mile Street.
8. Street Lights – to report/note any lights that are not working.
9. Parish Paths Warden/Rights of Way – request for 40mph speed limit for the A509 Bozeat Bypass in order to improve safety when crossing the road; overgrowth on TA22; responsibility for the footway running from Hewletts Close onto TA21/TA22.
10. Village Warden.
11. Village Green.
12. Speed Monitoring Equipment – to arrange training in setting up and data collection.

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.
11. Police Liaison.
12. Public transport.
13. NNC parish and ward meetings – Town and Parishes Forum meeting [21^st November].
14. BEES Group.
15. LAP meetings.

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

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

11. Flooding – to receive a report on recent flooding in the village and to consider the purchase of additional sand bags for public use.

12. Deposit of items in the County Record Office – to approve the deposit of two ring binders containing the minutes from meetings of Bozeat Parish Council dating from January 2014 to July 2021 and the Town Well account book dated from 1884 to 2019 when all residual funds were transferred to Bozeat Parish Council.

13. Local events.
    • 10^th November 2024 – report from the Remembrance Sunday service.
    • 11^th November 2024 – report from the Remembrance Day event at the cemetery.
    • 21^st November 2024 – NNC Town and Parishes Forum.
    • 30^th November 2024 – Switching on of Christmas Tree lights.
    • 16^th December 2024 – 80^th anniversary of the death of Lt John Ahern – commemorative event.

14. Finance
15. Payments – to receive a report and to approve payments to be made this month.

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

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

17. To receive any items for the next agenda.

18. Date and time of next meeting – to note that the next meeting of Bozeat Parish Council will be held on Monday, 16^th December 2024. The meeting will be held at TLC, Dychurch Lane, Bozeat and immediately following 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, 18^th NOVEMBER 2024, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT 7pm.  THE MEETING WILL BE HELD AT TLC, DYCHURCH LANE, BOZEAT.

PRESENT: – Cllrs Duckles [Chairman]; Foward; Gibbins; Moulds; Pollard; Pritchard and Steel.

PUBLIC: – No members of the public were present at the meeting.

It was resolved to accept apologies for absence received from Cllrs Brown; Cooke; Docker and Skittrall.

2. Declarations of interest.

No new declarations of interest were reported.

The minutes from the meeting of Bozeat Parish Council held on 21^st October 2024 were proposed as correct by Cllr Pollard, this was seconded by Cllr Moulds and a vote was taken = 3 for with 4 abstentions, motion carried.

4. Matters arising.
   1. Circulating documents – one pack was returned.
   2. Training – the latest training newsletter received from NorthantsCALC had been circulated to members.
   3. Doctor’s surgery – update on service issues – no further information, agreed to defer this item until the next meeting.
   4. Santa Pod traffic issues – to receive any further survey forms, note any issues with recent events and consider a way forward. Noted that the season of events has now finished
   5. IT and Website – the Clerk reported that there are a few issues with emails. She has prepared an additional page for the website advertising the local government elections next May.
   6. Emergency Plan review – the Clerk had produced a draft Emergency Plan which had been circulated. Members were asked to review the plan and provide comments ready for the next meeting.
   7. Commemorative nameplates – the Clerk reported that these had been received and the one commemorating Robert Welch had been installed on the cemetery lodge. She has contacted the family of Fred Dilley to see if they would like to install that nameplate on the village sign themselves or would prefer the council to do this.
   8. Pensions Regulations – the Clerk reported that she had submitted the required re-

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declaration of compliance, it was agreed to remove this item from the agenda.

1. Review of Fixed Asset Register – to approve revisions to the register. The Clerk reported that a revised register had been produced, but that further work was required.
2. Local Government elections – 1^st May 2025 – members were encouraged to ask suitable local residents to consider standing for election, it was agreed to produce a notice for the noticeboard.
3. Flooding – replacement sand bags – noted that this is pending. Cllr Duckles asked about the checking of grit bins, the Clerk noted that the Parish Council is responsible for a couple of bins, all others are the responsibility of North Northants Council.  It was agreed to ask the Village Warden to check all grit bins.

5. Council services.
   1. Cemetery – general report – Cllr Steel noted that there is little to report this month, the project to clear away rubble and foliage beneath some of the trees is ongoing. The area around the War Memorial was looking very tidy in time for Remembrance Day, although there are still a couple of letters missing from the memorial following the professional clean that was done last year, the Clerk to provide details of the company used so they can be reminded to replace the letters.
   2. Cemetery – to consider repairs to the surface of the access lane. The Clerk asked all members to have a look at the area before the next meeting.
   3. Cemetery – swift and bat boxes for the cemetery lodge. Cllr Steel reported that Nene Valley Bats have offered support should the boxes need cleaning, they have now been installed.
   4. Cemetery – to consider revisions to the guidelines.
   5. Allotments – no general report this month.
   6. Allotments – to receive an update on maintenance works [replacement plan for noticeboard] – pending.
   7. Allotments – boundary issues, including cutting back of the hedge on Allens Hill. The Clerk reported that the briars that triggered a complaint earlier this year have now been cut back in consultation with the tenant and Allotments Manager.  Overgrown foliage impacting the fence on the southern boundary of the allotments will be cut back by the Odd Job man as part of the clearance of an overgrown plot prior to it being issued to a new tenant from the end of the year.  The hedge on Allens Hill will be cut back by the Odd Job man.
   8. Allotments – report from the Annual Meeting [16^th November 2024]. Cllr Pollard reported that around 15 tenants attended the meeting, the main concerns raised was that of plots not being tended.  The Manager is to speak to several tenants who have full sized plots and encourage them to relinquish half of their plots so they can be allocated to new tenants.  Cllr Duckles asked about tenancy agreements and it was agreed to review them, this to be an agenda item for the next meeting.
   9. Allotments – rent collection for 2025 – the Clerk reported that a number of tenants paid at the recent meeting and payments are now being received online.

6. Local environment.
   1. Highways – it was agreed to accept a report. Cllr Foward noted that he will next meet with Highways officers in February.  The installation of the VAS system has

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been delayed until January and Cllr Foward felt unhappy about yet another delay, he was not convinced that it would happen then, as communication had been very poor recently.  Cllr Duckles noted that Cllr Foward has been working hard on this project for many months and this is a safety issue, it was agreed that the Parish Council should formally write to object to the lack of communication and yet another delay in the installation of this important safety system.  It was agreed to remove parking restrictions from the agenda as no other areas are being considered for inclusion, it was noted that yellow lines will be due for repainting next year.

1. Street lights – no issues were reported.
2. Parish Paths Warden/Rights of Way – the Clerk noted that the request for 40mph speed limit for the A509 Bozeat Bypass was being considered by North Northants Council. The overgrowth on TA22 has narrowed the lane but a pedestrian is still able to walk the footpath so Rights of Way are unlikely to send a team out to clear it.  The lane is a private vehicular access for some London Road properties.  Cllr Brown is working with the Land Registry in order to identify the ownership of the footway that runs from Hewletts Close onto TA21/TA22, as both North Northants Council and Greatwell Homes say it doesn’t belong to them.
3. Village Warden – a report was received and discussed.
4. Village Green – no issues noted.
5. Speed Monitoring Equipment – it was agreed to defer this item until the next meeting.

7. 1. Current/new planning applications – Cllr Foward proposed that a report [Appendix A] be accepted, this was seconded by Cllr Steel and agreed.
   2. Solar Farm proposals – it was reported that a meeting has been offered to the Parish Council with representatives from Green Island Solar and it was agreed that this offer should be accepted, it was agreed to suggest that the meeting be held on a Monday evening at the chapel.

8. Representatives’ reports.
   1. Bozeat Playing Field Association – no report this month.
   2. Bozeat Primary School – a report relating to issues with the school roof and funding was received and discussed. It was agreed to send a letter of support to the school.  Cllr Foward suggested that the school get the press involved if they don’t get a positive result.
   3. Police Liaison – no report this month, although the Police, Fire and Crime Commission is to begin meetings again.
   4. Public transport – Cllr Pollard reported that the Village Hopper early morning bus is occasionally full by the time it reaches Wollaston and some passengers have been taken by taxi as a result. He will prepare a report ready for the next meeting.
   5. NNC parish and ward meetings – It was noted that Cllr Skittrall is to attend the Town and Parishes Forum meeting on 21^st
   6. BEES Group – it was reported that the grass on Court Lane has been scarified and set with seeds, the wide verge in Easton Lane needs to be prepared ready for sowing with wild seeds next spring, Cllrs Gibbins and Pritchard to view the area.
   7. LAP meetings – it was agreed to remove this item from the agenda.

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9. Village Hall Working Party.

Detailed drawings of the hall have been received and circulated, and a meeting is being organised with the developers.  It was noted that building work is progressing well at the site

One vehicular crime in Bozeat was reported and one crime in Irchester.

It was noted that this was discussed earlier in the meeting.

12. Deposit of items in the County Record Office.

The Clerk reported that she has two full ring-binders containing minutes from council meetings dating from January 2014 to July 2021.  As minutes are available on the website, and the Clerk retains an electronic copy, she recommended that the hard copies are deposited at the County Record Office.  She also noted that she has the Town Well account book dating from 1884 which is now no longer in use as Town Well belongs to and is funded by the Parish Council.  Cllr Pritchard proposed that the minutes and account book be deposited at the County Records Office, this was seconded by Cllr Foward and agreed.

13. Local events.
    • 10^th November 2024 – it was reported that four members of the Parish Council attended the Remembrance Sunday service. It was agreed to send letters of thanks to the Wollaston School student who played the Last Post and to the Bozeat branch of the Royal British Legion.
    • 11^th November 2024 – it was reported that a large turnout of residents attended the Remembrance Day event at the cemetery, including our new MP, Sarah Bool.
    • 21^st November 2024 – NNC Town and Parishes Forum – Cllr Skittrall to attend.
    • 30^th November 2024 – switching on of Christmas Tree lights. It was reported that the landlady at the Red Lion will provide mulled wine on the day. Tables and lights will be required for the school children who will play the hand chimes.  The tree is being delivered on 27^th November and a team will prepare the tree and set it up at 2pm.  Help will also be needed to set up the event on 30^th
    • 16^th December 2024 – 80^th anniversary of the death of Lt John Ahern – the Clerk reported that she has retrieved the relics from the crash and the family has donated them to the Parish Council. The Clerk has also visited two residents to interview them about their memories of the crash. The event will begin at 6pm and members were asked to arrive at 5:30pm, dress appropriately and wear poppies. It was suggested that the relics be displayed in St Mary’s Church and the new village hall, this to be an agenda item for the next meeting.

14. 1. Payments – Cllr Foward, proposed that a report [Appendix B] and the payments and funds transfers listed be approved. This was seconded by Cllr Pritchard and agreed.

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

16. On hold – to note the following agenda items are on hold
    • Audit of local council adopted policies and procedures.
    • Thank You event for village volunteers – agreed to add this to the agenda for the January meeting.
    • Cemetery – tree safety assessments – agreed to add this to the agenda for the January meeting.
    • Cemetery – repairs to railings – to consider replacing sections with a new hedge.
    • Village Green CCTV and planters.

17. Items for the next agenda.

• Easton Lane verge – clearance ready for wildflower seeding.

18. Date and time of next meeting.

Noted that the next meeting of Bozeat Parish Council will be held on Monday, 16^th December 2024.  The meeting will be held at TLC, Dychurch Lane, Bozeat and immediately following Public Participation at 7pm.

There being no further business, the Chairman declared the meeting closed.

Signed by Brian Skittrall, Chairman – 16^th December 2024.