2021 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

THEDDLETHORPE PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the monthly meeting held on Thursday, 28th October 2021, 7.30pm

Theddlethorpe Village Hall, Silver Street, Theddlethorpe All Saints. 

Chairman: Cllr C Richardson, Vice-Chairman: Cllr B Lister (not present) 

Parish Councillors: Cllr J Shepperd, Cllr D Sears, Cllr Patricia Brown 

Also, present: Parish Clerk: None

County Councillor: Cllr N Sears, Cllr D McNally

District Councillor: Cllr S Harrison

Leader of East Lindsey District Council: Cllr C Leyland  

The Chairman thanked members of the public (MOP) for attending this evening. 

Before opening the meeting, the Chairman welcomed and introduced Cllr C Leyland Leader of East Lindsey District Council who had accepted an invite to attend the meeting, meet residents and talk to the group.

Cllr C Leyland explained the current neutral position of ELDC & that a vote would take place soon by the Executive committee on whether to formally join the GDF Working Group or not. The 2-tier set up of the Local Authorities was explained, followed by the understanding of the National Policy and that it is very clear in it that residents get a vote on whether a GDF is built or not via the Test of Public Support. Cllr Leyland then answered questions from the MOP’s.

The Chairman thanked Cllr C Leyland for taking the time to attend this evening.

Item 10/21-01   Chairman’s Welcome 

The Chairman welcomed everyone present to the Village Hall & hoped to see many of the Parishioners attend future Parish Council Meetings.

Before moving to the public forum, the Chairman gave an overview of the last Parish Council Meeting dated 23rdSeptember 2021, to clear up any misconceptions from those who had not attended previously and allow more time for new discussions in the public forum, which included:

• Statement of the Parish Council (PC) position at this time with regards to the GDF proposal
• That it is likely that any planning decisions would be done at a national level and not the Parish or District Council level, due to the proposal being a Critical National Infrastructure.
• The commitments made by the PC which included
  • To make factual information available to all Parishioners, which required joining the Working Group to enable community engagement – completed
  • Letters to be sent to every Theddlethorpe resident on the Electoral Register with an invite to book a meeting with Radiation Waste Management (RWM) in order to get that further information and get YOUR questions answered - completed
• The Chairman had been elected & given the mandate to represent the Parish Council on the Working Group and report back information to the community.
• An overview of the inaccurate, defamatory & slanderous information about members of the PC published by some groups on social media & newsletters causing unnecessary concern to Parishioners as part of a campaign against the PC to gain support.
• An overview of the damage caused to private road signs & Village Hall including the prevention methods used to try to stop Parishioners attending the information sessions held by RWM at the Village Hall 2 days ago. This behaviour needs to stop & cannot be tolerated if anyone wants to be taken seriously.

The Chairman asked for calm, for the lies & unwanted behaviours to stop. After the last 18 months we all need to come together as a community. We need to find a way to respect everyone’s personal points of view and to work together, as this could be a long process to get to the point where either the Local Authorities could withdraw from the process or the Test of Public Support vote takes place.

Item 10/21-02   Public Forum 

There were 25 members of the public (MOP) in total present at the meeting. 17 Theddlethorpe, 2, Withern, 5 Mablethorpe, 1 Carlton (TBC). There were also 2 members of law enforcement present.

The Chairman explained the rules of the meeting & the 15-minute time duration. 

The public forum asked Councillors at the meeting to inform them of their name, position and experience, which was done.

A range of questions & concerns were raised including:

• When it comes to the Test of Public Support vote, it might not be just our community that has a vote, but every community that might be impacted by the project including those who get new roads or railways etc.
  • The Chairman confirmed that is a possibility but confirmation on voting areas is yet to take place.

• Community funding wouldn’t be as large as publicly stated and would be diluted down to all communities that are affected by the project.
  • The Chairman confirmed that again this is a possibility but funding becomes available during the Community Partnership phase of the project. How that works is unknown at this time, with funding to support and improve the surrounding towns & villages in the area is long overdue.

• The Chairman was asked who were members of the Working Group.
  • The Chairman identified that the Working Group is made up of an independent Chairperson, a facilitator and a representative for RWM, Lincolnshire County Council, Theddlethorpe Parish Council & potentially East Lindsey District Council if approval is given to join at the next executive meeting.

• Concerns were raised followed by discussion on:
  • Potential impact to Tourism
  • Reduced House prices
  • Compulsory Purchasing of properties close to the site and the devasting impact on making people homeless

• Concerns were raised that the Chairman was unfit to fulfil his duties and everything is always about him.
  • The Chairman denied this and stated that no one gets involved at a Parish Council level because it’s all about them! It’s quite the opposite and the Chairman has covered a number of duties due to the Covid Lockdowns which was all done with the knowledge & support of the PC members.

• The Parish Council have not made any declarations and come out for or against the proposals.
  • The Chairman again reiterated the PC’s position & that it is their duty to respect everyone’s point of view and get the best factual information to all in the community for them to make up their own minds.

• The Parish Council should have called a public meeting when the news broke or delivered letters to the community stating everything will be alright.
  • The Chairman asked why would you hold a public meeting, where all you could discuss was a whistle blowers’ letter of an alleged proposal, with no information known about in July or August?
  • What good would it have done to deliver approx. 350 letters to residents stating we have all heard the news, but we have no information, but don’t be concerned it will be alright in the end? It would have been an insult to the community and making statements that we couldn’t back up.

• Members of the No Campaign stated they wanted a referendum now, giving a clear mandate for the elected PC members (who are elected to represent the people) to withdraw immediately from the Working Group, putting a stop to this now.
  • Another MOP answered that a vote in the future is needed, but this is not the time to withdraw from the process. Any Council the size of Lincolnshire has to be able to carry out its due diligence work professionally and we all need to get to an educated point before any vote takes place. This should take up to a year to get to that point. It would be a dereliction of Duty if the County Council did not to look into this further and provide quality work & support at this time.
  • The Chairman added that having Theddlethorpe in the Working Group is a good positive position, it helps with sharing community points of view & gives transparency to the process which is what you want & have asked for.

• The Parish Council do not represent the people.
  • The Chairman explained that the PC has to represent all the people in the village and having input into the Working Group and getting factual information to all in the community is what is required at this time.

• It was asked on what would bring about a swift end to this process?
  • The Chairman explained that it is his current understanding that following completion of the Working Group and if a Community Partnership was formed then the process could end via exercising the Right to Withdraw (by RWM or all local authorities in agreement) or by voting No to the proposal at a Test of Public Support.

• A statement was made by a MOP that if Lincolnshire County Council had walked away from the proposal and not voted to support a Working Group, then we wouldn’t have been in this situation.

• Cllr N Sear was asked her opinion on Nuclear Storage, she said she would not give it publicly, but come to her house to discuss and she would be glad to discuss further.

• A statement was made with regard to the quality of work and skillset within the Guardians of the East Coast (GOTEC) & why had none of the Parish Council attended the meeting on the 24th October.
  • The Chairman explained that he had not been invited, had never received an leaflets or flyers whilst neighbours had, and was told that he was not welcome to attend. The lack of attendance was not due to the PC not caring or being dismissive of the campaign.

• A statement was made that the PC were a bunch of Amateurs and hanging on by a thread due to the lack of numbers of councillors & were not functioning.
  • The Chairman stated that no Parish Council would have all the skillsets necessary to deal with a project of this magnitude. There are 5 PC seats available which could be used for co-option for the right skillsets. The Chairman then asked what skillsets would the MOP’s think were necessary, a range of skillsets was discussed with the MOP’s, those backgrounds should include Marine, Civil engineering, Engineering, Environmental, Geological backgrounds, were necessary. This was accepted by the MOP’s. 

• The Chairman then explained some of the threats that had been made over recent weeks and that is why there is why there is a Law Enforcement presence in the Village Hall tonight. Additional threats had also been made earlier in the day to members of the Village Hall Committee and the PC had to consider everyone’s safety.

The Chairman thanked everyone for a good lengthy discussion, at a time when feelings & emotions are running high. He has offered previously to make himself available to the No Campaign and groups and would continue to do so. But it would be more advantageous if people used the Theddlethorpe GDF Working Group website to send questions directly to RWM for them to provide answers. The Chairman has asked that a Q&A page be set up so that everyone who is online can follow what has been asked and we need to find another way for all those who are not online.

The Chairman also stated that there is a need to separate the GDF discussions from that of the Parish Council meeting & would look into this. A 1 - 2 hr public forum every month followed by the Council Meeting is unreasonable for PC members, as they would still be in the meeting at 11pm or 12am. 

The Chairman closed the public forum at 21:25hrs.

Item 10/21-03 Apologies & acceptance of absence 

Apologies had been received & accepted from Cllr Barbara Lister (available by video conference if needed), and Cllr Charlie Lister

Item 10/21-04 Police Matters 

No representatives from the Local Neighbourhood Policing Team were present.

The Police & Crimes commissioner survey is due to start online from the 1st to 28th of November. The survey is available in digital format via the Office or Police 7 Crimes Commissioners website.

Item 10/21-05 Declarations of Pecuniary Interest from members in accordance with Localism Act 2011

None.

Item 10/21-06 Approval of Minutes from the Meeting held on 23rd September 2021. 

Approval proposed by: Cllr J Shepperd & Seconded Cllr D Sears. The minutes were duly signed by the Chairman.

Item 10/21-07 District & County Councillor Reports 

County Cllr D McNally informed the PC of the following: 

There is £5M in support for the winter fuel crisis for families in need this winter. Please help identify those who need this support.

December 30th there is an organised walk around an illuminated Lincoln Castle. This is a very popular event & therefore an early booking is required.

County Cllr N Sears informed the meeting of the following:

There are funds available to support historical industry’s and to help protecting some of the more niche industries and old skills. Please help identify any of them and get them to get in touch with her.

District Cllr S Harrison informed the PC of the following: 

Please be careful & help others be careful this Bonfire Night, the safety of everyone is paramount and reducing potential injuries and reducing visits to A&E would be most welcome.

There is a potential that services currently being offered in our local hospitals could change and there is a risk that very long distances may need to be undertaken to get the care you need at a time when you need it. There is an NHS survey online you should all look into completing to have your say on services.

Item 10/21-08   Chairman’s Report  

The Chairman reported that he had attended a Skegness & Mablethorpe Transport Strategy workshop. He was concerned about a number of items brought to the attention of the group including:

• Lincs CC had no money to deliver any improvements, but if any money became available in the future, we know your thoughts.
• No overriding information to dictate anything on our future thoughts on transport, yet it was pointed out by the delegates that Government timelines on the removal of petrol & diesel cars from sale & service is a dictate that effects our future thoughts (as an example).
• There was an overall flavour being promoted that it was necessary for Mablethorpe & Skegness to be more joined at the hip and transportation connectivity improved. When questioned as to what information had led Highways to this conclusion, national statistics was the answer. A further challenge was raised that it is our understanding that the majority of journeys from our community are to Louth, Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Lincoln etc. Very few are to Skegness, Boston or to the South. To back up this discussion the room of delegates were asked how many people travel to Skegness regularly – final answer being that 1 person only travelled once a month (2.5% of the delegation present). Further breakout sessions were undertaken on current transport requirements & future transport requirements. We stated that a youth engagement program be implemented as we were all too old to answer on behalf of our younger piers. A request for technical highways support in aid of the Towns fund for Mablethorpe (support for a transportation hub), knowledge was needed to be provided by Lincs CC highways dept by year end, to meet deadlines of the process but the support was not forthcoming. Lincolnshire CC has published a “Local Transport Plan 5” which alongside other documentation published documentation provides the perception that future funding support is to go to existing Thriving Communities, Rural Communities will need to use improved public transport to get to those areas, as car usage needs to be reduced, & sustainable ecological forms of local transport need to be embraced (cycling to work, shopping, micro vehicles etc).

• A community request had been made to see if the Parish Council or the Charity of Mrs Elizabeth Rook could provide a counselling program to help people with all the stress created by the GDF. The Chairman had aught guidance from the Local Association of Local Councils (LALC) and a number of other services but there was nothing identified at this time. The Chairman had asked the originator of the request what and how they would like to see a program implemented & awaits an answer. The Chairman does know some private consultants that may be able to come up with a program, but if we do something then it would be very bespoke and would need to be used by many members of the community.

• An overview of the Parish Councillor electoral ward seats, methods of election and the description of the Co-option process had been reviewed against guidance documentation from the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), this combined information had been displayed on the Parish Website. The content was approved for continued use.

Item 10/21-09 Clerks Report 

With no Clerk currently employed all email correspondence had been answered by the Chairman & emails where necessary had been circulated to Cllrs.

• Historical minutes had been issued to multiple No Campaigners following requests.
• Historical Financial statements had been issued to multiple No Campaigners following requests.
• There was dissatisfaction from some members of the no campaign to the length of time it took to receive replies as they were not within 24 or 48hrs. The Chairman pointed out that the Parish Clerk position has never been fulltime only 4 hours a week and at present more than 20hrs a week was being undertaken on their requests (which were not GDF related). If the No Campaign would like a fulltime Clerk to be appointed then please make the request in writing & email or bring it to the next Parish Council Meeting. The Chairman then pointed out to the PC that the Parish Precept would need to be increased from £8400 to approx. £31K a year to cover the request at the expense of the Parish tax payer.
• Enquires have started on the Charity of Mrs Elizabeth Rook – This is not a Parish Council Charity it is a private Charity with 7 Trustee positions. The governing document states that 3 out of 7 trustee positions should come from the Parish Council. This is to help with continuation management over the decades.
• Offers of further website support have been made by several companies. All have been sent basic questions to answer & we await their reply.
• 2 further requests for information on the Clerk position have been received, 2 previous requests which received information have not replied back. These have been followed up & will continue to do so in case the PC doesn’t receive acceptance on the Clerk role previously offered (awaiting confirmation of administration support) to a person from Mablethorpe following the initial interview & discussions. The PC may need to consider altering the terms & conditions of employment namely in providing more hours of employment.
• The Chairman has sent a letter (which was read out) to Harbour Energy offering them the opportunity to come to Theddlethorpe & hold a public meeting on their future intentions for the Gas Terminal Site, we await a reply.
• Lincs CC are offering 1 tonne bags of salt for Parishioners to fetch to grit pavements etc should they need it. Applications for it need to be made before 31st October – approved to ask for a bag & placed at the Village Hall.
• A discussion took place on the Queens Jubilee 2nd June 2022 and if we should join the national celebrations and use this as a community event. It was clear that a number of difficulties need to be overcome but the feeling was that something should be done and that the Chairman would approach the Primary School to see if they would like to be involved. A community team will need to be formed to aid the delivery of this event which would involve the lighting of beacons or torches as part of the national campaign.

Parish Councillor Co-option

Mr Gary Foister has sent in a letter of intent and desire to become a Parish Councillor. 

The letter of intent was read out to all Parish Councillors, it met one of the skillsets required and the application was discussed further with those present and the applicant.

To respect the privacy of the applicant the discussion and voting was moved to another room as per the process.

The application was unanimously approved. The Parish Councillors welcomed the applicant and looked forward to him attending future Parish Council meetings.

Mr Foister signed the Declaration of Office and completed the Declarations of Interest returning them to the Chairman for filing.

Item 10/21-10 Parish Councillor Matters to be Raised 

None.

Item 10/21-11 Financial Matters 

Expenditure for approval 

Mr C J Richardson – memory card, Bluetooth dongle & ties wraps for road speed signs - £43.97

Mr A Taylor – grass cutting services - £180

LFK Little John AGAR auditors - £96

Approved Cllr JS & Seconded Cllr P Brown

Financial Update 

Procurement payment card from Lloyds has still not arrived following application 3 months ago.  

Item 10/21-12 Geological Disposal Facility (GDF)

The Chairman hopes that all Parishioners take the opportunity to book into the Village Hall with RWM. There are 3 further dates scheduled for Theddlethorpe which are Wednesday 3rd November, Saturday 13th November & Thursday 25th November.

There are other dates in different towns & villages but these are the first dates set aside for Theddlethorpe.

Item 10/21-13 Covid Community Recovery

Christmas Tree installation at junction of Sea Lane & Brickyard Lane & at the Village Hall was supported. The Chairman will confirm acceptance with the nearest Neighbours, organise the groundworks & installation. Cllr C Lister will organise the tree purchase, delivery & installation.

Previously approved sponsorship a Christmas event at the Village Hall. The Village Hall committee confirmed the date as December 3rd. It is hoped that an afternoon Christmas lunch and social function can be arranged for those who would benefit the most from a meal and company. An application form for residents to nominate those who they feel should attend will be created by the PC & Andrea Spink, voluntarily delivered to all homes by Gillian Henshaw on behalf of the PC. (More details to be developed)

A Christmas Party and Children’s Party will be help in the Village Hall.

Item 10/21-14 Planning Matters: 

For information only

N/179/02129/21 Manor Farm, Station Road – determination for approval or not for an extension to an existing store and provision of hard standing.

New Planning Applications

N/180/01530/21 – Villa Mon Rae, Saltfleet Road – Construction of Vehicular access (dropped Kerb)

Application Supported

N/180/02195/21 – The Gables, Saltfleet Road – Extension & alterations to existing dwelling to provide additional living accommodation & erection of a new triple garage (works already commenced)

Application Supported with the following notes for the planning officer from issues raised by Councillors and consultee neighbours. The PC wished to thank the applicant in renovating what had been an important building in the community.

1) Previous planning applications in close proximity to St Helens Church had been subject to having wooden windows & doors – these plans are UVPC or steel. 2) Suggested roof covering is different to the original gable end of the building. 3) The new triple garage is located very close to the boundary of neighbouring properties whilst the plot size is very large & could be relocated as not impact the rear of any neighbouring properties. 4) No dimensional information on the plans online. 5) Concerns raised on water usage & energy usage (which is unstable in the village) with no information on any environmental technology evident within plans to help support 8 bathrooms & a swimming pool. 6) The plot has large mature trees and it was asked if the local authority could check for any protected trees on site & if there are any then provide a protected tree site plan for the applicant.

Planning Approved Confirmation

N/180/10530/21 – Olcote, Saltfleet Road – extension & alterations to an existing dwelling.

Item 10/21-15 Highway / Footpath / Lighting Matters

The Chairman had met with Cllr N Sears & the head of Highways & discussed the ongoing road safety management plan of the Parish. The tour also included a visit to Theddlethorpe Academy School & discussions with the head took place.

Unfortunately, due to not being LCC’s Highway’s Policy, review site visit or no money available, so the following was not supported: 1) Physical gated speed calming measures on the A1031 & Mill Road 2) Horse & Deer Signage on the A1031, Sea Lane & Brickyard Lane 3) Mini Roundabout at the junction of the A1031 & Station Road 4) Zebra Crossing on the A1031 linking footpaths on both sides of the road 5) 20mph speed limit at the school 6) Tree cutting over the Highways.

To provide a hard standing for vehicles in front of the Mail Box on Mill Road was supported to be schedule in to a working program.

Our thanks go to the head of Highways for her time & visit.

Item 10/21-16 Road Safety 

The 10 x LED sign backplates have been installed as promised by the Chairman, along with the community speed watch signage purchased from Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership. Speed data is being collected over the next 3 months around the Primary School area with results provided to the Head of the School.

See Item 10/21-15 on update of Safety Report.

Concern continues to be an area of concern with vehicle interaction with Equestrian riders in the village, but the reporting structure for riders & vehicles is unclear. Information will be provided to the PC by Gillian Henshaw (BHS Access & Bridleways Officer - Coastal Area of Gibraltar Point to Donna Nook) to help raise the profile further in support of the Parish.

Item 10/21-19 Parish on-going issues & general maintenance

• Millennium Stone – Suitable location, followed by relocation still required.
• Information Boards – No further progress on community artwork information boards / new blank information boards to be purchased & installed in 2022.
• Litter Club – Litter pick to be resurrected
• St Helens Church – It was agreed that at most a survey should be done of the trees and a copy of the report sent to the Diocese of Lincoln, to negate any future financial burden against the Parish if the Church closes and no new PCC is formed.

Item 10/21-20 Reports from Outside Bodies 

None

09/21-22 To Resolve the Date of the next Monthly Parish Council Meeting  

The next meeting will be held in the Village Hall, Silver Street on November 25th at 7:30pm.

They’re being no other business; the Chairman closed the meeting at 23:47hrs.