May 2025 DRAFT Minutes (Annual Meeting)
DRAFT MINUTES OF THE
SWINDERBY ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
held at 7.30pm on 12th May 2025
at SWINDERBY VILLAGE HALL, Bulpit lane, Swinderby
Present: Cllr G Lloyd (Chair SPC), Cllr. L Carter (Vice Chair SPC), Cllrs. N Marris, R Hodgson, J Gagg, A Haig and S Longson.
Clerk: S Aikman
Also in attendance: Cllr P Overton (NKDC), Cllr M Elliot (NKDC) and 4 members of the public.
The meeting was chaired by Cllr Geoff Lloyd.
APM1. To receive and approve the minutes of the Parish Meeting 13th May 2024.
The minutes of the meeting were agreed as an accurate record of the meeting and signed by the Parish Council Chairman.
APM2. Chair’s Report Annual Parish Meeting 12th May 2025.
Chair’s Report AGM 2024
Introduction.
Throughout the past year Swinderby Parish Council has been well supported on numerous issues by our District and County Councillors and their respective organisations. We are grateful and appreciative of these partnerships and look forward to continuing with them over the next 12 months and beyond.
The Swinderby Parish Council operates as an effective team and this is only possible because of the hard work and professionalism of the Councillors and the Clerk.
I would wish to thank all those for creating the time over the past 12 months and providing their knowledge and skills in ensuring we remain a focussed and successful Council and furthermore in supporting me in the role of Chair.
Working with others. At a local level, we continue to join up our thinking and actions by working with other key groups within the community for example Swinderby Trust, All Saints School, Kisimul School, The Link Up, All Saints Church, Peter Sowerby Homes, landowners and residents. Collaboration remains an important part of our strategy as we move forward.
Neighbourhood Plan.
The Neighbourhood Plan is nearly complete and based upon the feedback we receive it guides our actions in terms of developments within the parish. However, we do not need the plan to be completed for us to be responding to this feedback and therefore we have been working with others in the following areas.
1. Betts Corner. Although owned and manged by Swinderby Trust, the Parish Council is the custodian of Betts Corner, As a Parish Council we successfully applied to NKDC for fruit trees and an oak to be planted in this area, and we continue to provide ongoing support both in terms of maintenance and development. This has created another green area within the parish thereby responding to feedback.
2. Jubilee Park. We successfully applied for a grant for another piece of equipment, a Ninja Trail and this will be installed by the end of July ready for the summer holidays. We have purchased and installed moveable goal posts to create greater flexibility within Jubilee Park and we are working with a new contractor to remove the moles. Finally, the zip wire is being upgraded to ensure it is safe and the Parish Council continues to respond to the annual inspection report as appropriate.
3. Speed Indicator Device. We have installed a new Speed Indicator Device on Moor Lane, and it is a pleasure to be greeted by a smiling face as you enter the village.
4. Infrastructure. We continue to lobby the appropriate organisations in terms of traffic in the proximity of the school and the parish’s foul and surface water system. The drains on the High Street were cleared this year in addition to work on Moor Lane. We have sent photographs to LCC regarding parking issues at the junction of High Street and Station Road.
5. Pride in our Parish The parish lawnmower is now back in full action allowing us to keep certain areas within the parish neat and tidy. A memorial bench has been installed opposite the Church on parish land. A new defibrillator cabinet was installed on one very cold November afternoon and a new pedestrian gate installed on the Playing Field, Station Road. Some tree surgery was undertaken and the brambles reduced on parish land. We continue to use Fix My Street to report potholes, failing streetlights and litter.
Solar Parks. The proposed solar parks within North Kesteven and beyond will change the rural nature of our area significantly. They contradict the feedback we are receiving in terms of preserving green spaces, increasing the amount of our food produced locally and raises questions on how it will impact on our infrastructure. There are also concerns raised regarding the science supporting these proposals in terms of achieving the target of net carbon emissions. Finally, the community has discussed the impact on the environment of manufacturing, transporting and disposing of not only the panels but also the batteries and associated fixings.
We remain opposed to large scale solar parks unless we can be convinced otherwise by reasoned fact-based arguments. Where appropriate we do support solar panels on buildings, brown field sites, warehouses and new developments.
The Future. The next two years are important for the development of the parish as the new dwellings become occupied and the S106 and other agreements are delivered in full. The parish council has a crucial role to play in ensuring the best possible outcomes for the community. There are exciting times ahead.
Geoff Lloyd
Chair of Swinderby Parish Council
APM3. Financial Report.
The Clerk reported that the end of year accounts for 2024/25 had been completed. The Parish Council had worked within budget and has just completed an Internal Audit in preparation for the External Audit that would be completed at the APCM and submitted for the Audit shortly after.
Grants received included:
Grass cutting £741.76
Litter picking £174
Neighbourhood Plan £3,803
Lottery £19,850 Play equipment
CiL £21, 995 – strict requirements for spend which is reported on.
The PC continues to monitor spend against budget at each PC meeting and follows robust procedures.
The exercise of Public Rights to view accounts would be from 3rd June – 14th July. However, parishioners were welcome to ask questions of the Clerk or to view documents at any time of the year.
APM4. Reports from other organisations.
Peter Sowerby
The Moor Lane development started just over a year ago, during a particularly wet year.
Biodiversity Net Gain had been agreed; however, a new consultant had come up with further plans.
There had been no interest from any housing association. However, the interest in affordable housing was high and mainly from those with a history in the village. These houses would need to be sold at the same percentage discount when sold on.
There had been a slow start to the development but 8 houses had now been sold. There were no signs up or advertising yet. The Almshouses were looking really good.
A meeting had been held with LCC Highways to look at the area outside the school. Ideas currently included oak raised beds, with concrete liners, paved areas and nice lighting.
Swinderby Trust
The Trust had been in existence for several hundred years. The role had now changed from just supporting individuals to including groups and organisations. A focus last year was turning Bett’s Corner into a natural/wellbeing area. This was supported by the Lottery and by the Parish Council.
The Annual Swinderby Summer Sunday was planned for 1st June. The event would include tug or war, fire engine, band, and a digger sandpit (supported by Tarmac).
The Trust would be delighted to receive applications for funding.
Cllr Peter Overton (NKDC)
Meetings had been held with Fosse Green in relation to planned solar parks. Wooded areas had been missed from their maps. Thorpe on the Hill Parish Council had donated £1k to support the legal battle against the planned solar farms.
Planning applications made during the year are available through the Parish Clerk. Here is a summary:
Sowerby Developments which have been a dominant subject in the PC are now well underway.
Otter Barn, Newark Road
Cow Lane enforcement carried out successfully
25 Manor Road Erection of detached workshop
Boundary Farm subdivision of existing building
Land off Meardshall Lane -battery storage
Green Heart, 4 High Street – three new dwellings
The Manor House 39 High Street – casement windows
The Old Vicarage 61 High Street
Demolition and rebuilding of boundary
Other Issues
Liason with Fire service and PC in connection with Methodist church use.
Summary
I have been able to attend most of the Swinderby Parish Council meetings over the past year and am pleased with the professionalism and thorough approach of this council in serving its community.
APM5. Parishioner’s Questions
A resident asked the developer questions about delays and possible rentals.
Cllr Lloyd would ask NKDC planning if more flexibility could be given to locals wishing to buy the affordable housing.
Discussions were taking place about the shop and an existing shop holder had advised of his interest in the shop.
The meeting was closed at 8.20 pm.