Minutes - Full Council - 14 January 2025
Minutes of Bracebridge Heath Parish Council held at The Heath: Village Hall and Library on 14th January 2025 at 7pm
Present: Councillors C Barr, C Callan, B Emes, S Neilson, S Manders, C Broad and K Trought.
In attendance: Clerk to Council, Mrs S Knowles, Deputy Clerk to Council, Mrs R Fraser and Cllr Lindsey Cawrey.
Seven members of the public were in attendance.
The chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting. A minutes’ silence was held to pay respects to Cllr Peter Burley who had recently passed away. Peter was a friend, colleague and champion of our community. He previously served Bracebridge Heath Parish Council for over two decades including eight years as Chairman and continued to represent the village at District level. He will be greatly missed.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SESSION
Report from North Kesteven District Councillor – Cllr Cawrey echoed the Chairman’s sentiments and paid her respects to Cllr Peter Burley whom she had worked with for 14 years.
Cllr Cawrey reported on the retirement of the Chief Executive of North Kesteven District Council Ian Fytche. He has been replaced by the newly appointed Chief Executive Kath Marriott.
Report from Lincolnshire County Councillor – Cllr Cawrey
Cllr Cawrey reported on:
- issues at Dalewood – Cllr Cawrey had met with local residents and a site meeting was arranged to meet with Amplius Housing Association. Installation of a dog bin on Larne Road was still being investigated.
- a request from the Patient Participation Group at The Heath Surgery for establishing a yellow box junction on London Road outside the entrance/exit from Red Hall Lane. Drivers were finding it very difficult to join traffic on London Road in this location. Unfortunately, the junction does not meet the criteria for a yellow box junction. Highways have agreed to repaint the ‘keep clear’ and extend it to cover Red Hall Drive.
- a Community Emergency Planning meeting will be held on 20th January 25. All Parish Councils are invited to attend.
- The leaders of Lincolnshire County, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire councils have responded to a government call for local government reorganisation (LGR). This was an expression of interest. Leaders have requested priority status.
Questions or points raised by residents and members of the public – Nil
COUNCIL SESSION
Code of conduct reminders
Nolan Principles
Members were reminded of the Nolan Principles which underpin the Council’s Code of Conduct - Selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty & leadership.
Register of interests
The Chairman reminded members that they should submit to the Monitoring Officer at North Kesteven District Council any changes to the content of their Register of Member Interest forms. Interests should be declared in accordance with the Code of Conduct.
25000. TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES AND ACCEPT VALID REASONS FOR ABSENCE – It was RESOLVED: That apologies for absence be accepted from Cllr Stone. It was RESOLVED: That apologies for absence be accepted from Cllr Marden.
25001. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
a. TO RECEIVE MEMBERS’ DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ADOPTED CODE OF CONDUCT –Cllr Callan declared an ‘other-registerable’ interest in matters relating to the Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils (LALC). Cllr Trought declared a non-pecuniary interest in planning application 24 1396 FUL LNAACT HOUSE.
b. TO RECEIVE AND CONSIDER MEMBERS’ REQUESTS FOR DISPENSATIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ADOPTED CODE OF CONDUCT AND STANDING ORDERS – Nil
25002. TO CONFIRM THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING – 3rd December 2024 - It was RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 3rd December 2024 be approved and signed as a true record by the chairman.
25003. FINANCE AND GOVERNANCE
a. TO RECEIVE THE CLERK’S REPORT ON PAYMENTS BETWEEN MEETINGS –. Direct debit payments for December and payments made by delegated authority on 24.12.2024 including three deposit returns. All reports can be downloaded from https://bracebridge-heath.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk/downloads/download/61/meeting-reports-january-2025
b. TO REVIEW AND CONSIDER PAYMENT OF ACCOUNTS - It was RESOLVED: That payment of accounts as presented at report 24183b be accepted and signed. All reports can be downloaded from https://bracebridge-heath.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk/downloads/download/61/meeting-reports-january-2025
c. TO REVIEW AND CONSIDER APPROVAL OF BANK RECONCILIATIONS – It was RESOLVED: That bank reconciliations 417 - 420 and savings account to 31 October 2024 be accepted and signed by Cllr Barr. It was RESOLVED: That bank reconciliations 421 - 424 and savings account to 30 November 2024 be accepted and signed by Cllr Neilson. The bank balances were notes: Current account: £239,572.40; Savings: £146,306.57.
d. TO REVIEW BUDGET, INCOME AND EXPENDITURE – A written and verbal report was given.
e. TO RECEIVE THE INTERMEDIATE INTERNAL AUDIT REPORT AND CONSIDER ANY ACTIONS – The chairmanship was passed to Cllr Barr owing to the declared interests of Cllr Callan.
It was RESOLVED: That the intermediate internal audit report be accepted. It was noted no actions were required. Thanks were given to the RFO for all her work.
The chairmanship returned to Cllr Callan for the remainder of the meeting.
25004. TO RECEIVE THE CLERK’S REPORT ON CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED AND CONSIDER ANY RECOMMENDATIONS –
Items noted:
- Water leakage allowance request
- Lincolnshire County Council budget
- NALC bulletin 19.12.25
- Exercise at RAF Waddington – Operation Cobra
- Reinstatement of the Cliff Cluster meetings
- NKDC Heritage Strategy – Councillors can enrol on the workshop.
- LALC training available for all councillors
25005. TO RECEIVE AND ACCEPT A REPORT ON DECISIONS MADE USING DELEGATED AUTHORITY – The following report was accepted:
- Payments made as reported at item 4a.
- Credit card statements
- Purchase of a new vacuum cleaner for The Heath
- LED street lamp replacement authorised for light on Hillman Close
- Planning applications – comments sent to NKDC for one planning application in respect of tree works. 24/1359/TPO – Bracebridge Heath Parish Council will support the recommendations made by the North Kesteven District Council tree officer.
25006. TO RECEIVE DRAFT NOTES FROM THE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE MEETING ON 19th NOVEMBER 2024 AND CONSIDER ANY RECOMMENDATIONS – draft notes shared. The Personnel committee has one recommendation for The Full Council which is the setting of the staffing budget for 2025-2026. The recommendation was to be considered at item 13 – to consider the council’s budget and precept for 2025/26.
25007. PLANNING
a. TO CONSIDER ANY OTHER PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE COUNCIL –
Council session was suspended temporarily between 19.46 and 20.05 to enable members of the public to address the council regarding planning application 24/1396/FUL.
24 1396 FUL – LNAACT House, Bentley Drive: It was RESOLVED: That Bracebridge Heath Parish Council objects to the proposal on the following grounds:
Design and layout
Whilst the surrounding areas are residential in nature, the proposal to create 8 separate flats within this property are not in keeping. As referenced in the Bracebridge Heath Neighbourhood Plan, this area of Bracebridge Heath is mostly comprised of single storey properties with two storey properties at the front of the housing estate facing the Lancia Crescent green amenity land. The development of flats in this location is therefore out of character for the area. This is contrary to policy s53 of the CLLP which states that ‘all development…must achieve high quality sustainable design that contributes positively to local character…’ Furthermore, the policy requires that development proposals relate well to the site including the local and wider context and existing characteristics as well as being appropriate for its context including size, scale, massing and form within the plot.
Parish Council has not identified any evidence within the application that the building has been appropriately marketed for commercial use as per the requirements of s33 of the CLLP and policy 8 of the Bracebridge Heath Neighbourhood Plan and requests that this is fully explored by planning officers. The conversion or change of use of an existing dwelling is also subject to the requirements of policy s25 of the CLLP. The applicant should therefore demonstrate that there is an established lack of demand for the single family use of the property concerned. There is no evidence submitted with the application that determines that the provision of two semi-detached properties have been fully considered. Further, consultation carried out as part of the Bracebridge Heath Neighbourhood Plan details that just 2.48% of respondents preferred flats as a housing type. Whilst this consultation does not hold the rigour of a housing needs assessment, it is well known in this community that existing flats within the village (Cathedral Heights) are regularly vacant and for sale. Parish Council is keen to see the site occupied but the provision of flats is inappropriate for the location and is likely to lead to more vacant properties.
Parish Council is concerned about the layout of the individual flats and the quality of the proposed accommodation. Flat 8 has its entrance door on to the narrow vehicular access to the car park which is a safety concern. Flat 1 has its bedroom window on to the vehicular access meaning a lack of privacy for the occupant. With the possibility of 15 cars entering and exiting on a regular basis, it is likely to be noisy and cause disturbance to the occupants of both Flat 1, Flat 8 and the existing properties to the east. The proposed amenity area outside Flats 4 and 5 is not suitable for shared use. Occupants of Flats 4 and 5 are likely to be disturbed and have a lack of privacy if occupants of other flats wish to access the area.
There is no proposed landscaping for the external areas and whilst this may have been suitable for the existing commercial use, it is not acceptable when redeveloping to residential. The Design and Access Statement states that ‘the proposed use by its nature does not support provision of maintenance intensive gardens as the occupants are unlikely to be long term residents’. As per CLLP S53, all proposals for development must be of high-quality design. The type of occupant or resident sought for these properties is not an acceptable justification for poor quality and design. The CLLP 11.2.6 also states that ‘a development with limited or no impacts on biodiversity should still seek to demonstrate a net gain’.
The applicant has not provided any details of external lighting, if any is proposed. External lighting to access a shared car park is beneficial for the safety of residents. However, this needs to be carefully managed with the effects on the occupants of the flat themselves and on the neighbouring properties who may suffer light pollution.
The proposal lacks a long-term management plan for the common or shared areas of the development. The car park, the amenity areas, the layby, external lighting and bins will all need repair and maintenance and currently it is not identified who will be responsible for this. The effect of this proposal on neighbouring properties should be taken into account. Residents of properties to the east on Wolsey Court will be disturbed due to the number of cars entering and exiting the site, external lighting would impose on the gardens and rear windows of these properties, the commercial sized bins are proposed to be stored directly behind the gardens, and the residents on the northern, eastern and western sides will have a feeling of being overlooked and crowded. This is contrary to s53 of the CLLP.
Highways and car parking
Access to the car parking area is very narrow (just 2.7m wide) and could lead to issues of safety should two vehicles be approaching or exiting the site at the same time. Parish Council notes that comments have already been received from LCC Highways regarding the access, but members
would urge Highways to carry out a site visit for this application and not rely on a desktop evaluation. The narrow width may also discourage some future residents from parking there and will likely lead to on street parking instead. Whilst the number of spaces is in line with the Bracebridge Heath Neighbourhood Plan and CLLP, it should be noted that if fully occupied, there will be considerably more traffic joining Grantham Road from Bentley Drive.
The lack of electrical charging points is contrary to Policy 3 of the Bracebridge Heath Neighbourhood Plan and whilst the applicant states that it is not currently possible, the council feels that this has not been fully explored. Policy 3 of the Neighbourhood Plan also states that any courtyard parking requires justification of why it is the most appropriate design solution and should also include a clear demonstration of how the spaces are suitably located near to the entry point of each dwelling. This information is lacking in the application.
The layby immediately outside of the property is in a poor state of repair and will need to be repaired before work starts on the proposals. Parish Council notes that it is not a material consideration, but the ownership of the layby is not established on the western side as the land is not registered with HM Land Registry.
The design and access statement says that cycle storage will be within individual flats which is inappropriate and given the size of the flats (6 x 1 bedroomed and 2 x 2 bedroomed), it is highly unlikely that future residents will have the necessary space for storing bicycles inside. The lack of proper provision for cycle storage discourages more environmentally friendly types of travel and is contrary to Policy 4 of the Bracebridge Heath Neighbourhood Plan.
Other
The proposal does not identify where the bins will be left for collection. Since there is no footpath at the front of the property, they would need to be left on the side of the road which may cause safety issues. As noted in the comments above, it is not clear who will be responsible for putting the bins out for collection. Parish council supports the comments from Environmental Services in requesting a construction
management plan. The work on this property is likely to be disturbing to neighbours and should be outlined as part of the application.
In summary, parish council is very concerned about the proposal put forward and strongly objects on the grounds that the proposal is a high-density solution with poor design that does not at all relate to the surrounding area.
24 1384 HOUS Cliff Cottage: It was RESOLVED: That Bracebridge Heath Parish Council objects to the proposal on the following grounds:
The proposed two storey front and side extension and detached garden room building will make the property three times larger than its original size, having already undergone extensive works previously (95/0651/FUL and 17/1784/HOUS). The proposed works will lead to an overdevelopment of the site and a visual coalescence with the neighbouring property to the east. Additionally, there will be a reduction of parking owing to the loss of the garage. Windows on the eastern side of the two-storey extension will overlook the garden and windows of the neighbouring property which is contrary to the CLLP S53 (8d).
24 388 HOUS 40 Sleaford Road: It was RESOLVED: That Bracebridge Heath Parish Council has no comments or objections.
b. TO RECEIVE A REPORT ON PLANNING DECISIONS – a written report was received.
25008. TO CONSIDER PURCHASE OF A DUAL DOG/LITTER BIN FOR LICHFIELD ROAD AND MAKE BUDGET VIREMENTS AS REQUIRED - It was RESOLVED: That a dual-purpose bin be purchased for Lichfield Road at a cost of £212+VAT plus delivery cost of £12.50+VAT. The bin was to be funded from the Wombles Community Champion earmarked reserve and the remainder from a virement from the insurance budget header, which is underspent.
25009. TO CONSIDER COUNCIL EVENTS IN 2025/2026 – A number of ideas were discussed and were to be explored and discussed at a later date.
25010. TO CONSIDER ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING IN 2025 - Council is required to hold an Annual Parish Meeting each year between 01 March and 01 June (Local Government Act 1972 Sch 12 s14(1)). It was agreed that the meeting would be held after the county council elections on 8th May 25. The clerk would make arrangements for a guest speaker.
25011. TO CONSIDER THE COUNCIL’S ACTION PLAN - It was RESOLVED: That Cllr Manders, Cllr Trought and Cllr Callan would work with the clerk to carry out a thorough review of the action plan, which would be presented at a future meeting of the council for consideration.
25012. TO CONSIDER THE COUNCIL’S BUDGET AND PRECEPT REQUIREMENTS FOR 2025/2026 - It was RESOLVED: That the Council accepts the Personnel committee recommendation, which is the setting of the staffing budget for 2025-2026 at £104,000.
It was RESOLVED: That the council’s budget for 2025/2026 be set at £240,608.00, the precept requirement to be sent to North Kesteven District Council being £203,226.00. The budget and precept was set and based on the draft tax base of £1899.50, which amounts to £106.99 per year for a Band D property; an increase of £2.30 per year or 2.19%.
25013. TO CONSIDER CO-OPTION TO COUNCIL VACANCIES - No applications received.
25014. TO CONSIDER ITEMS FOR INCLUSION ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING – Items to be emailed to the Clerk.
There being no further business, the meeting closed at 20:31.
Signed___________________________Chairman 4th February 2025