2025-26 Minutes (Full Council)

September 2025

MINUTES OF THE HOGSTHORPE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

HELD ON WEDNESDAY 3rd SEPTEMBER 2025

 

 

The meeting held a 2 minute silence in memory of Michael Blanchard, a well-known local resident.

 

Present: Cllrs Fran Wilson (Chairman) Diane Hanson, Mary Banks, Chris Rolph, Ellen Smith, Bernadette Hornby, Ray Murray.   Clerk: Kath Hayes

Also present: Cllr Roger Dawson and 4 members of the public

 

PUBLIC FORUM

Reported to the council was the amount of dog poo throughout the village.  It is hoped that the new bins which have been put in will make a difference to this.

Also reported was the fact that a condition of the planning consent for the caravan parks also required footpaths to be put in place.    He was not sure whose land this covered and where exactly where the paths should be.  The parish council had already objected to the planning applications and could add nothing further unless the rules of the planning application were not met.  Cllr Banks will check the planning requirements but the member of the public was asked to check this with ELDC.  Cllr Roger Dawson will also have a look at this.

It was also reported that a gate had been nailed up where access should be allowed for walkers on the footpaths.  This will be taken up with LCC.

Also mentioned were the dykes – the Chairman is looking into this.   Cllr Banks asked that anything untoward on Charity Farm land should be taken up with her.

 

1.      APOLOGIES – Cllrs Ellen Smith and Pauline Perry

 

2.      DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None

 

3.      APPROVAL OF NOTES OF MEETING

The Minutes of the Parish Council 2nd July 2025 were unanimously approved, and signed by the Chairman.

 

4.      CLERK’S REPORT

Report attached

 

5.      REPORTS FROM OUTSIDE BODIES

Cllr Dawson gave a 10 minute talk on the reorganisation of the County and District Councils into a unitary body and the possible effect it might have on Parish Councils.   The debate is still ongoing with no fixed decisions being made yet.  It is being discussed and there is a possibility that the parish councils could be grouped or come under local town councils.  The devolution of the District and County Councils into one will mean that residents will have only one council to contact which should make the services more accessible.  Discussions are still ongoing and the public will be invited to have their say.   The final proposals will be discussed in October with the decision in January.

 

Cllr Banks reported that there had been no meeting for the Village Hall.  The Charity Farm meeting had welcomed three new members.

 

6.      CORRESPONDENCE -

Nothing to report.

 

7.      FINANCIAL MATTERS

  1. HMRC. After many months of trying to get discrepancies resolved on the HMRC account, they had now reallocated the amounts paid against the months of payment and the account is showing Nil for the last four years.  It would appear that there is an unallocated amount of £42.63 which is still outstanding but we have no evidence of where this emanates from.
  2. Payment of Accounts.  Confirmation of BACS payments during the months of July and August were £81.14 to Sid Dennis for waste collections, £250 to allotments for annual maintenance, £32.99 to clerk for expenses, £531.50 for clerk’s salary and £169.89 to HMRC, £84 to LALC for training, £70 to Keith Waters for village maintenance, and £750 to Alpha Memorials for re-lettering of war memorial.   For August, payments were £26 for Clerk’s expenses, £531.50 for Clerk’s salary, £169.89 to HMRC, £51.60 to Sid Dennis for waste collection, and £264 to LALC for training and advert for clerk.   Payment by BACS was due to be made of £55 for hire of Village Hall and £550 to Robert Aldrich for grass cutting.  Cllr Banks checked these amounts.

 

8.      MEMORIAL FOR MICHAEL BLANCHARD

It was agreed that a long time local resident who had all his life been involved in local affairs and had at one time been Chairman of the Parish Council should be recognised with the placement of a plaque on the bench at the heritage garden.  The clerk would arrange this.   It was also brought to the attention of the councillors that new benches were required and it was agreed that these should be purchased in line with others being placed in the village.

 

9.     CHURCHYARD/CEMETERY MAINTENANCE

  • Ongoing work continues at the churchyard/cemetery.  The parish council notice board is in the process of being refurbished.  Other work in tidying and memorial lifting is being undertaken as time allows.
  • The clerk noted that a quote for the cutting of the bushes between the churchyard and the care home in the Autumn of £90 had been received.  It was agreed to ask the contractor to go ahead.
  • A letter had been received from Sid Dennis to state that the contract was being passed to Biffa.

 

10.     HIGHWAYS AND VILLAGE MAINTENANCE

  1. Dog poo and waste bins – ELDC had now placed waste bins as requested at Mill Lane, Mill Lane allotment site, Ember Lane and Maiden Lane and will be emptying them on a weekly basis.
  2. A52 junction.  Although this has been patched again, it is still awaiting a proper repair.
  3. Dykes throughout the village – see public forum.
  4. The Chairman reported that she had reported the state of the public footpaths alongside the Mission property and asked that they be cleared.
  5. Update on S106 spending.  The clerk reported that she had been in contact with the granters and asked them to get in the funds before the end of the week.   It is hoped that this will now be paid over and the mini library, the benches and the planters can now be purchased.
  6. There had been instances of graffiti in the village.   Cllr Rolph would source graffiti cleaning wipes.

 

11.     SPEEDING

Cllr Rolph reported on the data from the speeding cameras for the period 29th May to 30th August.   Very low numbers were recorded (0.7% and 0.4%) of those motorists doing more than 45 mph – some of which may have been emergency vehicles.

 

12.     PLANNING

  1. Planning Application 02356/25/FUL Hill View – 43 static caravans plus 3 wildlife ponds  - nothing further reported on the ELDC Planning Portal
  2. Application 02383/25/FUL – 80 lodges/caravans plus fishing lakes and buildings – nothing further had been reported on the planning portal.

 

13.      DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The Chairman noted that due to work commitments she would have difficulty in attending council meetings on Wednesdays.  It was agreed to change the day to a Thursday.   The next meeting was arranged for 6pm THURSDAY 2nd October 2025.

 

14.     ANY OTHER BUSINESS FOR NEXT AGENDA

None of note.

 

The meeting was followed by a closed session to discuss the appointment of a new Parish Council Clerk/RFO.  It was agreed that Annie Maynard should be offered the position to start the following Monday.

 

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 8:30 p.m.