Parish Council

Parish Council Report – February 2013

Nocton Beck
Adrian Clack from the Environment Agency attended the meeting at the invitation of the Parish Council.  Mr Clack confirmed that the Beck and its upkeep were the responsibility of the owner of the house or land adjacent to, or through which, it ran, unless stated differently on the Deeds to the property concerned.

The Witham First Internal Drainage Board (WFIDB) was responsible for enforcement of the regulations relating to the beck and should be approached in the first instance for guidance or advice rather than the Parish Council or, indeed, the Environment Agency itself.  However, as a “good neighbour” the Parish Council’s Village Keeper would continue to keep an eye on the beck where it runs through the village and assist as and when needed on the cleaning of the grills in Wellhead Lane and at the end of the Avenue.  There was a word of caution from Mr Clack that any work done on the beck by individuals should first be cleared by the Internal Drainage Board as there were quite a few environmental and safety requirements which needed to be observed.

It was agreed that a representative of the WFIDB would meet with members of the Parish Council to walk along the entire length of the beck as it runs through the village to identify any issues which need to be addressed by land-owners, etc.

Nocton School
Mark Cunningham, Chair of the Governing Body, reported that after a year of some concern that numbers of children attending the School had dropped to 39, he was now pleased to report that there were currently 48 children on roll and that the projected entry for September should be around this number.

Nocton “200 Club”
Once the Parish Plan was completed this April, it was agreed that the distribution of the proceeds from the “200 Club” for use on community projects would be determined by the Parish Council, with the promoter of the Club participating in the decision making process.

Central Lincolnshire Core Strategy
County Councillor Marianne Overton stressed the importance of ‘having one’s say’ in the Core Strategy for our whole region which is now out for consultation.  The deadline for the submission of comments is 13th  March and the matter is to be considered at the meeting of the Parish Council on 5th March.  More information on this extremely important issue can be found on the Parish Council’s Website.

Parish Council Budget and Precept 2013/14
Given the Government’s recent changes to the Council Tax funding arrangements, this year’s exercise to set the 2013/14 budget and precept was particularly difficult as councillors sought to balance the need to minimise the financial effects on residents with their wish to continue with a limited programme of village improvements, etc.  In the event, the Parish Council agreed to increase its precept for the coming year from £10,170 to £10,614.  The effect of this rise will be to increase the annual payment by a Band D equivalent Council Tax payer from £36.71 at present to £41.45 (i.e. a rise of just under 40p per month per household).  It was noted, however, that even after this increase, the Parish will still have one of the lowest levels of expenditure amongst local villages of a comparable size.  Details of the Parish Council’s budget for 2013/14 which sets out how the expenditure is planned to be spent are available on the Parish Council’s website or from the Parish Clerk.  The budget will also be circulated to all households, along with the Parish Council’s Annual Report, a little later in the year.

Village Keeper
Finally, the Parish Council welcomed John Fisher as the new Village Keeper.  The Parish Plan is likely to provide a strong indication as to how residents want their village to look and an entry into Best Kept Village 2013 is imminent.  Hopefully, we will all participate in helping to keep our village neat, tidy and safe.

Date of next meeting: Tuesday 5th March 2013 at 7.00 p.m. in the Village Hall.

Councillor MaryAnn Williams