Annual Parish Meetings

The Annual Parish Meeting was held on Monday 16th May 2022, 7pm at Tathwell Lodge, Little Tathwell LN11 9SX.   There were 6 parishioners present.

1.  Welcome. Cllr Mrs Elizabeth Hairsine chaired the meeting.  Also in attendance were Parish Councillors Lou Fear, Cheryl Shaw, Rowena Larkin and John Stainton.  Also present was Nadine Must, the Parish Clerk.

2.  To receive the previous minutes held 5th May 2021.  The minutes of the parish meeting held in 2021 were approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

3.  Annual Report of the Chairman of Tathwell and Haugham Parish Council.  Cllr Mrs. Elizabeth Hairsine reported the following. 

3.1 Parish Council continues to meet every quarter at St Vedast Church at 7:30pm.  Residents are welcome to attend these meetings for their comments and feedback.  Meeting notices are posted on the noticeboards and on the parish council website.

3.2 The full complement for the council is seven councillors. There are currently six who are all residents of Tathwell.  The remaining vacant seat is for Haugham but may be filled in by any resident from both parishes who would like to join the parish council.

3.3 The Council retained its membership with Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils with up to date information and relevant legislations for local councils.  The Council also signed up for the annual training scheme which has allowed Councillors and the Clerk to avail of free training and other relevant events.

3.4 Both the Tathwell and Haugham noticeboards had been sanded down and revarnished.

3.5 A new bench and picnic table made from recycled plastic had been installed.  The previous bench at the crossroads was no longer safe to sit on.  It was installed in memory of J. Carter who lived in the parish and the plaque bearing her name will now be placed in St Vedast Church. The picnic table was also to replace a previous one at Wightman Corner.

3.6 Planning applications.  Six planning applications were received and all have been approved. One such application was the Mast on Poverty Lane.  The Parish Council has been successful in getting the fence repainted to a green colour which is more in keeping with the surroundings.

3.7 The Parish Council continues to report to Lincolnshire County Council via Fixmystreet regarding traffic issues, broken fencing and visibility.  Support from the Highways Department continues to be a challenge and the parish council has taken the decision to put up slow down signs to ease the speed of traffic especially along narrow bends with low visibility.

3.8 Remembrance Day – the Parish Council marks this day with a short gathering at the War Memorial laying a wreath, the cost of which is paid to the Royal British Legion charity.  The War Memorial is maintained by the Parish Council and is part of the Council’s Insurance.

3.9 The two defibrillators at Tathwell and at Haugham are monitored regularly to ensure that they are in working order. A few residents have been trained on use of the machines and more training will be arranged.

3.10 Litter pick.  An annual litter picking in March has beeb held for the last three or four years.  ELDC provides tools and bags and last year more than 45 bags had been filled which ELDC collected from the bus shelter.  This March, more than 40 bags were collected including a lot of tyres.  The Chairman thanked all residents who have joined in and those who on their own time pick up litter.

3.11  Wightman Corner – the Council as the sole trustee sends its annual financial report to the Charity Commission.  There is no income nor expenses that are attributed to this land.  It is used as a car park for visitors.  A group of residents have been working hard to renew a boules area as an added amenity.

3.12  At the request of some residents, the Parish Council agreed to put a portaloo at Wightman Corner to coincide with St Vedast Church opening times and as an added facility for use during the Arts Festival, the Jubilee commemorations, the boules pitch and an accessible facility for walkers and other visitors to the parish.  The portaloo is contracted between April and October.  The Council noted the number of complaints on the siting of this facility and had responded accordingly. Concerns will be addressed at the next parish council meeting.

3.13  Precept – The Council’s precept of £2,430 was agreed for the last year and the Parish Council has agreed to keep the same amount for this year.  There are enough reserves to pay for expected expenditures.

3.14 The Parish Council continues to send a Certificate of Exemption on the Annual Governance and Accountability Return due to its precept not exceeding £25,000.  We thank Mrs Anne Norton for her voluntary work as the Internal Auditor to ensure that all council finances are in order.

4.  Annual Report of St Vedast Church Committee – The Churchwarden Mr R Howard sent his apologies but provided a written statement which the Chairman read out. 

4.1 Covid again dominated proceedings, with no normal services, and no Art Exhibition.  We did however, have an excellent Christmas morning service, which was appreciated by all.  We also held two very successful coffee mornings which raised funds for McMillan Nurses and the church. Hopefully a portent of future activities. 

4.2 The Church is now a Type 4 church, under the new categorisation system, which means we will receive very few clergy led services, but can hopefully start lay-led services using material provided by the Diocese.

4.3 On the building front, we have achieved safe access to the tower for maintenance purposes, a need pointed out in the last Surveyor’s report, particularly as substantial repair work may be needed at high level.

4.4 We have realised that a grand scheme for multi facilities is probably beyond us, both financially (even with funding assistance), and technically. We are therefore looking at a modest heating arrangement to facilitate more use in the warmer months.

4.5 On the positive side, post year end, the font has been transferred to a more practical position in the nave, releasing working space in the tower, and the Chaplin memorial restoration is scheduled for June. Both Tathwell and Haugham churchyards are in good order, being fairly lightly managed as befits a country church, thanks largely to a few volunteers, and the generosity of our local landowners.

4.6 The Chairman noted that the parish council regularly contributes £300 per annum for the maintenance of the churchyards.

 5. Annual Report from the Wightman Trust.  The Clerk has submitted the 2021 annual return for the Trust to the Charity Commission.  There is no income nor expense relating to this piece of land and any maintenance work is carried by volunteers.

6.  Open Forum.  There were no issues from Parishioners on village matters.

The meeting closed at 7:40pm.