Minutes of the Council Meeting held on
Monday 26 September 2005 at Martin Village Hall at 7.30 p.m.

The training session due to take place was cancelled by Cliff Robinson and Michael Samson. To be rearranged in Nov/Dec, on a separate evening to the Parish Council meeting. Training to last 1 – 1 ½ hours.

1. Apologies for absence: County Cllr P Bradwell
Present: District Councillor F Ambridge, Councillors H Ambridge, W Busby, M Corbett, J Evans, F Phillips, Z Scoley, M Stephens and C Vickers; parish clerk, M Lockyer. No members of the public present.

2. There were no declarations of interest at this point of the meeting.

3. Minutes of the last meeting. Minutes approved with the amendment of apologies received from Cllr Evans; proposed Cllr F Ambridge, seconded Cllr Stephens. Agreed.

4. No Reports from Outside Bodies

5. No members of the public present

6. Matters arising from the previous minutes-
a. Sports field: i) Cllr F Ambridge reported that he had spoken to the Head of Environmental Services at NKDC. A report was in draft to go before the Policy Board in two weeks. The estimated cost of taking off half a metre of contaminated soil, dispose of it and replace it with clean soil is £300,000. Other alternatives are to cap it or to find an alternative sports field. No grants are available.
ii) Goal posts: there had been no response to Cllr Scoley’s letter. It was agreed that Cllr Phillips would take the goal posts away until the contamination on the sports field had been dealt with. Proposed Cllr Vickers. Seconded Cllr F Ambridge. All in favour.
b. Pound Rd field – ownership. Cllr F Ambridge had been in correspondence with Michael Samson. It is still not known who owns the land. In discussion with Cllr Ambridge, Mr Samson had indicated that if the land were owned by NKDC, it would not be available for use by the Parish Council.
c. Mrs Mary King’s School: Road Safety. No work had been carried out since the last meeting. A letter to be sent to Alan Aistrup to remind him of work to be done.
d. Trafalgar Weekend: bell ringing. Mrs Brookes had reported to Cllr F Ambridge that there might be difficulty finding bell ringers. It was thought there would be no problem with the timing of the bell ringing (7 pm) if ringers could be found.
e. LALC Budgeting seminar: Cllr Stephens reported that there had been some input on financial management, a recommendation of CAF Bank, and some funding information.
f. NKDC Monthly Survey Forms: Cllr F Ambridge reported that road sweeping was happening twice as frequently as it used to.
g. Parish Council Noticeboard has been painted.
h. Parish Council information is now being published on the MACLA website http://www.macla.co.uk/martin/parish. Approved minutes, the newsletter and councillors’ names and addresses are all on the site.
i. Roneo machines: Cllr Evans did not know the value of the machines. Cllr Phillips offered to advertise them on ebay. He would collect them from the clerk’s house before the end of the week.
j. Newsletter: Oct-Dec newsletter ready for photocopying. Cllr Evans to copy it. The clerk to contact Mrs Byard to collect Timberland copies from the visitor centre.
k. Dog waste bin replacement – Moor Lane. Cllr Vickers reported that a new bin and post were required. After discussion, it was agreed that the Car Dyke bin should remain where it was. Item 10b was discussed at this point. It was agreed that the Council should not provide another bin on North Moor Lane.
l. Allotments: Cllr Busby reported on the inspection of allotments in Martin. He could not report on the Martin Dales allotments. The condition of the first half of the allotments was passable, but the end piece, worked by Mr Wilkinson, was full of wild oats and in a very poor state. Cllr Scoley declared a personal interest. Cllr Evans reminded the meeting that Mr Wilkinson had received a warning 2 years ago. Cllr Busby proposed that a letter be sent, warning that if the condition of the allotments was not improved by the next inspection, the tenancy would not be renewed. This would give a full calendar year’s notice. Seconded Cllr Evans. All agreed.
m. Martin Dales bus shelter: information had gone into the newsletter.
n. LCC: Revised Deposit Lincolnshire Waste Local Plan: Cllr Stephens commented that NKDC was leading the way with waste management.

7. Correspondence for information
a. LCC: Award of Merit 2005
b. LCC: Revised Deposit Waste Local Plan – amended finish date and revised arrangements
c. Victim Support Lincolnshire – thank you
d. NKDC: Funding Fair and Funding News
e. LCC: Local Transport Plan Progress report 2005; LCC: Provisional and Local Transport Plan 2006/7 to 2010/11: Cllr Stephens to respond
f. LCC: Highways Customer Service Centre
g. NKDC: Parish Litter Picking Scheme
h. Community Council of Lincolnshire Cllr Scoley declared a prejudicial interest. Cllr Stephens took the chair. Pub and Community Grant Project: Cllr Corbett would pass the information on to the landlord of the Royal Oak; AGM: Cllr Evans to attend; Lincolnshire Village Ventures competition: Cllr Phillips took the information and would enter, with the support of the Parish Council; Rural Links
i. NKDC: SCI Second Stage Consultation
j. Lincolnshire Police: Mobile Police Station visit 28 October
k. Lincolnshire Area Probation Board: Information Document
l. Greater Lincoln Partnership: Business Advice Fair 2005
m. NKDC: Planning Applications – Site Notices: changes to make them more visible
n. LALC: Annual Report; County Circular; Training Courses
o. NKDC: SCI Pre-Submission Draft
p. CPRE: Volunteers needed
q. Clerks & Councils Direct Newsletter
r. Sleaford CAB AGM invitation – Cllr F Ambridge to attend representing the District Council
s. Cliff Villages WW2 weekend 1 – 2 October
t. NKDC: Consultation on Housing Strategy – copies given to all councillors
u. Countryside Agency: Conclusive map of registered common land and open country
v. Sleaford Christmas Market: 27 November
w. LCC: Capital Grant Aid information
x. EMDA News
y. NKCVS Newsletter and AGM 13 November
z. SMP Playgrounds seminar

• Correspondence for action
i) Local Works: Campaign for the Sustainable Communities Bill: no support for this
ii) LCC Conservation Services: Free trees: None wanted this year
iii) The Local Channel: no need to follow this up now the Council uses the MACLA site
iv) Parish Dog Warden Services: it was decided not to follow this up. Clerk to write.

8. Planning
Applications: None received since the last planning meeting
Permission Granted:
• Erection of dwelling and garage, 37 Moor Lane
• Erection of dwelling, land adjacent 10 High St
• South Drove, Martin: Continuation of use without compliance with condition 2 of Planning Permission N/38/976/97
• Planning Appeal by J Tame, Site at Chestnut Farm, Witham Bank, Martin Dales to take place 10 January 2006
Cllr Busby queried whether planning permission had been granted for a static caravan at Turner’s Farm, Martin Dales. He thought permission had been refused. Cllr F Ambridge to check it out.

9. Financial Matters - approval of accounts
Balance at l3 Sept 2005: Current a/c £992.87 Reserve a/c £7796.88

a) Charities Aid Foundation Bank: The account had not been opened yet as signatures and documentation were still required from some councillors. The Inland Revenue query had been answered with help from Richard Enderby from LALC.
b) Holy Trinity Church PCC: Precept request for help with maintaining the church grounds. Cllrs F Ambridge, H Ambridge, Scoley and Vickers declared an interest. Cllr Stephens took the chair. The clerk reported that she had received advice from Cliff Robinson that a dispensation was not required, as there were 5 members of the Council who did not have an interest. Cllr Evans proposed that £200 should be given to the PCC. Seconded Cllr Corbett. Passed unanimously.
c) External audit: completed satisfactorily. The audit fee had increased from £58.75 last year to £141 this year, for identical paperwork. It was agreed that the clerk should write, querying the increase, before settling the account. Proposed Cllr Evans. Seconded Cllr Stephens. All agreed.
d) Allotment rent demands had gone out. Allotment rent due October 22.
10. Items for Discussion and Information -
a. Sports Field Hedge – Moor Lane and North Moor Lane
Karl Smith from LCC Highways had contacted the clerk about the hedge overhanging Moor Lane. Cllr Scoley trimmed the hedge back. The clerk wrote to the trustees of the school asking that they maintain the hedge in future.
A second complaint had been received about the overhanging hedge and trees in North Moor Lane. After discussion with Cllr Scoley, the clerk had left a message for Dave Woolerton asking him to give an estimate for hedge cutting, but had not heard back. Other councillors were unsure whether Mr Woolerton did hedge cutting. It was agreed to ask Mr Baumber to do the work. Proposed Cllr Busby, seconded Cllr Evans. Cllr Evans raised the issue of the road side verges coming into the village from the Martin Moor T junction. They looked untidy and needed cutting more frequently. She proposed that the clerk should get estimates for twice yearly cuts, in addition to the NKDC cuts. Seconded Cllr Busby. All agreed. David Leach in Blankney, Mr Baumber and Mr Woolerton to be approached.
b. Training session: the clerk to arrange a new date with Michael Samson

11. Confirm date of next meeting: 28 November.