2025 Minutes

MINUTES OF COLEBY PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

HELD ON Tuesday 4th November 2025 AT THE VILLAGE HALL RECTORY ROAD COLEBY

21.09 Public Forum:

A resident raised the issue of the streetlight on the corner in Far Lane. This has been reported and is due for maintenance. The replacement of the streetlights was raised. This is already scheduled as a future project. Clerk to apply for grant funding through NKDC. The damaged barrier at the culvert on Broughton Lane was raised. This has also been reported. Coleby School needs 2 new Foundation Governors. Clerk to circulate village mailing list.  Councillors approved the purchase of a large Christmas Tree for the village.

21.10 Declarations of Interest: Councillor Hall Item 8f) Cllrs Vivian, Long, Brewer and Stott 4c) as shareholders in the Tempest Pub Company in relation to parking.

21.11 Present and Apologies: Councillor Robert Hall (Chair), Councillor Alan Vivian, Councillor Theresa Brewer, Councillor Harriet Earnshaw, Councillor Andrew Long, Councillor Quent Stott, District Councillor Lance Pennell and Sue Makinson-Sanders (Clerk) 

Apologies from Councillor Jens Pedersen (bad back), County Councillor Ian Carrington District Councillor Matthew Cooper

21.12 Approval of Minutes of Meeting held on 2nd September 2025: Councillor Theresa Brewer proposed and Councillor Andrew Long seconded. Councillors approved the Minutes

21.13 Clerks Reports:  Agenda sent to all on mailing list and posted on website and noticeboard

a) Neighbourhood Plan Update: Councillors have seen a Schedule of the Proposed Changes to the Neighbourhood Plan This should now go out to public consultation as soon as reasonably practical. Cllr Earnshaw felt that issues, requiring further attention, as identified in the Neighbourhood Plan, should be items reviewed regularly by the Parish Council. Councillors approved the addition of these matters to the agenda as a standing matter each Parish Council meeting.

b) Parish Council Email: Clerk to obtain a gov.uk email for the Parish Council to comply with new regulations. 

c) Restriction for HGV vehicles Blind Lane:  Cllr Carrington to be requested to consider a weight restriction on all entrances to the village following meeting with Rowan Smith of Lincolnshire County Council Highways. Clerk to request assistance from PCSO’s on the issue of parking in the village especially around the school.

d) Fosse Green Energy Solar Park: Clerk reported that the registration date for submitting comments with the Planning Inspectorate had passed. Councillor Brewer reported that the Fire Services have concerns about fire risk and that new guidance is proposed. Not all the relevant parties have been consulted properly. The access corridor will affect Coleby crossing Broughton Lane and running up the fields across the Cliff to the A607. This is a separate corridor to that proposed for the BESS on Hill Rise.

e) Local Government Pay award 2025-2026: Councillor Brewer proposed and Councillor Long seconded a pay increase for the clerk based on the Local Government pay award of 3.2% backdated to April 1st 2025. Councillors approved the increase. 

f) Local Government Reorganisation: The Parish Council had no specific views on the proposals forthcoming from Lincoln City Council. The Central Government will determine which proposal is ultimately adopted.

g) Coronation Plaque Installation: This has now been installed. The Parish Council thanks Lizzie and Gerald Needham for obtaining and the installing the plaque. 

h) Donation request Citizens Advice Bureau: The Parish Council declined to donate at this time.

i) Wreath and Act of Remembrance: Hazel Curtis has kindly agreed to take the service for the Parish Council. David Cooper the bugler is attending. 19 key stage 2 children from the school will also be attending. Thanks go to Margo Nelstrop for cake and biscuits and to Tange Stewart, Kath Counsell and Janet Morris for coffee after the event. Councillors approved payment of £20.00 for the wreath and a donation of £30.00 to Royal British legion.

21.14 Finance Report:

a) Payments to be made:

b) Payments Received: 

      Burial Plot Ashes C Leonard £   85.00

      VAT Reclaim £2661.08

      Litter Picking Grant NKDC £  129.27

      Grasscutting Grant LCC        £1168.55

c) Payments due: None

 d) Balance held at Co-Operative Bank at 31.10 25 £18,321.34

Payments  proposed by Councillor Brewer and seconded by Councillor Hall, Councillors  approved………………………………………………………………………  4th November 2025 September 2025

21.15 County and District Councillor Reports: District Councillor Lance Pennell reported the sad loss of 4 former Councillors, Mrs Woodman, Councillor Joyce frost, Councillor Rose and Councillor Ian Cartwright. 

The District Council has now appointed a Deputy Chief executive and S151 officer, Stephen Houchin will be taking up the post shortly. Cllr Wright has been appointed Chairman of the District Council Network giving NKDC more of a voice nationally. 

The annual Council Tax Support Scheme is presently out for consultation.

North Kesteven District Council’s proposals for Local Government Reorganisation will be discussed at the Council meeting on the 20 November for submission by the 27 November. The proposals from Lincoln City Council would if accepted mean that Coleby would be within the Lincoln City Council area as it stretches south of Leadenham. The Government will make the decision with elections to the shadow council in 2027 and the changes in effect by 2028. 

The grant discussed in public forum is open until the 30 November with a deadline for any work by 1 March 2026. Details on NKDC Website.

North Hykeham Relief Road will be completed with spades in the ground by February 2026

21.16 Cemeteries:

i) Review of Fees: The fees have not been changed since 2004.  Councillors approved combining the fees for Residents and Former Residents (the rules state that qualification as a former resident requires the person concerned to have lived in Coleby Parish for at least five years) to simplify the rules. Non-Residents will remain a separate category for fees. Councillors approved an increase in fees

Exclusive Right of Burial – Single Burial Plot (4ft x 9ft) £300 

Cremated Remains £200

Erection of Memorials £100.00

Reservation of Plot £125.00

Burial /Cremation Plot Reservations will not be sold in advance, however at the time of burial /interment of cremated remains, family of the deceased will be allowed to reserve adjacent plots. Clerk to rewrite policy.

ii) Lowfields Cemetery: A request has been made for a memorial bench by the Knowles family. Councillors expressed concern that there were already three benches in the cemetery and that they were in danger of creating a precedent for allowing all requests for benches. Maintenance of these benches was also an issue. Councillors approved an approach to the family with the proposal for a memorial bench in the churchyard.  Councillor Hall reported that there has been hedge trimming externally. The internal hedges require trimming and the car park requires weed removal. Clerk to contact Marcus Hopton for a price.

iii) Far Lane Cemetery: During the storms a conifer tree alongside the eastern wall of the cemetery blew down. Councillor Stott and Councillor Pedersen removed the tree and the remains have been collected. Clerk to ascertain if any regrowth likely and whether stump grinding required. Councillor Stott wishes to replace the bench in Far Lane Cemetery with a new bench in Elm, details to be provided to councillors for approval prior to installation.

21.17 Planning:

a) Planning Application East Wing Coleby Hall erection of greenhouse – approved and in progress

b) Tree Works 19 Blind Lane – pending

c) Tree Works Pantiles Rectory Road - pending

d) Tree Works 21 Blind Lane – approved

e) Tree Works 3 Dovecote Lane – approved

The clerk advised that a further tree works application had been received since the agenda was issued for works on trees between 25 & 27 Blind Lane.

Councillor Hall departed the meeting. Cllr Vivian replaced him, to Chair the meeting

f) Planning Application Battery Energy Storage System Hill Rise Coleby:

i) Update: Nat Power are proposing to submit further reports on archaeology and ecology. As new information is to be submitted this gives Nat Power the opportunity to comment on the public’s comments and those of consultees. The new reports were anticipated in October but have not yet been submitted. Once these are received and validated by North Kesteven District Council a further public consultation will take place. If possible, everyone who commented previously should be encouraged to comment again. The Planning Officer is seeking the comments of the UK Health Security Agency in relation to the Coleby BESS given its comments on the Navenby BESS application. 

ii) Banners and Flyers for Further Public Consultation: Councillors approved the obtaining of new banners and a campaign of flyers to all residents once the dates for public consultation are known. Clerk

iii) Instruction of Planning Consultant to respond to additional information submitted by applicant: Councillors approved instructing James Rigby Planning Consultant to review the Parish Council’s response when new information is to hand. 

21.18 Police Reports:

a) Police: Cllr Pedersen to report on Police Teams Meeting.

b) Neighbourhood Watch: usual scam warnings. Nothing further to report.

21.19 Reports from Village Organisations:

a) All Saints Church: Approval has been obtained for roof repairs. The Harvest Festival and Supper was well attended. The Act of Remembrance will take place on the 11th November at the War Memorial. Coleby family Christmas Carols will take place on the 19th December at 6.30pm

b) Village Hall:  AGM will be in February 2026. There are 2 new committee members. Thank you event for all volunteers on Thursday 6th November at the Tempest. There will be a presentation to Paul Heaver following his retirement after 44 years as treasurer. Jens Pedersen has taken over his role. 

c) Coleby School:  Children to attend the Act of Remembrance. 

21.20 Correspondence: None

Meeting closed 9.20pm

Date of Next Meeting: Tuesday13th January  2026 at 7.30pm