Minutes 12.1.26
MINUTES of the Meeting of Cranwell, Brauncewell and Byard's Leap Parish Council held at Cranwell Village Hall, Old School Lane, Cranwell Village, NG34 8DF on Monday 12th January 2025.
Present: Chair: Cllr A Youle
Councillors: Cllrs. J Bhunnoo, L Boden, O Curtis, S Daley, G Fox,
Also in attendance: C/C R Wright, D/C Clarke and Lesley Frances (Clerk/RFO), Ian Whitehead of the RAF plus four members of the public.
It was proposed and agreed unanimously that Cllr Youle be Chair and that Cllr Daley be Vice.
Signing of Acceptance forms will follow.
Public time then commenced:
C/Cllr Wright - Budgets will mean a Council Tax rise of 4.99%. Lincoln Castle had millions of pounds spent on it between 2015 and 2025 but it is old and maintenance is always necessary. There will be an outcry when the new planning regime is put out – there are large changes taking democracy away from residents and Parish Councils. NKDC will make the decisions and the Government are unlikely to refuse many. There is a Forum meeting at NK on 17th March – details will be sent out to Clerks.
D/Cllr Clarke – There is a new Director of Resources at NKDC. The new kitchen caddies will be delivered next week and collections start on 30.3.26. Sleaford digital hub is at The Mosaic Youth Club, Riverside Centre every Tuesday between 10.30 and midday – other venues are available. The main roads around Waddington are closed from 5.1.26 to 24.1.26.
Ian Whitehead – Road safety within the Station is still paramount. The RAF has said that the public can use their cinema – next screening is Thursday 22.1.26 at 2 pm – Clerk will be sent posters for advertising purposes – cost £2 pp. They are trying to tie these screenings in with the thrift shop being open.
Public: A member of the public gave the Clerk copies of information regarding the installation and provision of the garages. The Christmas tree on the Village Green was donated by the Donaldson family some years ago. There is an overgrown hedge impeding the pathway between North Road and Dyson’s field – area around 28 The Willows needs cutting.
Meeting commenced at 7.26 pm
1. Apologies for absence – the Cllrs Liivet due to illness.
2. To receive declarations of interest and to consider applications in relation to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests. Cllr Fox declared an interest in planning application 25/1536.
3. The Notes of the Meeting held on 8th December had been read and it was unanimously agreed that they be approved and signed.
4. Financial Matters;
a. It was unanimously resolved to approve the payments made since the last meeting. Appendix A
b. It was unanimously resolved to approve the “Payments to be Authorised” sheet – Appendix B
c. It was unanimously resolved to approve the bank reconciliation as at 31.12.25.
d. It was unanimously resolved to accept the latest Summary of “Reserves” balances.
e. It was unanimously resolved to accept the budgets -v- actual spreadsheet at 31.12.25.
f. It was resolved unanimously to pay Cloud Next for the next year’s email provision.
g. As we have maintained the same precept figure as last year ( £60,000) there will be a slight reduction in household cost of £1.46 to £69.94.
5. Planning applications:
25/0932 – 28 dwellings at land off Sycamore Road – pending consideration.
25/1377 – replacement bungalow at 21 Willow Lane - pending consideration.
25/1536 – erection of new bungalow and double garage at rear of 20 Willow Lane –
pending consideration. PC has no objections.
6. Road safety and Highways matters:
The new SID on College Road has been installed – thanks to TB and DG. However, it is currently not working and Cllr Daley will investigate and contact DG if needed. She will also contact DG regarding downloading data. Clerk has ordered 30 mph signs and is awaiting delivery. Clerk has had one quote for repairs to the memorial and is awaiting a second quote in a couple of weeks time – agreed that we will claim through our insurers as the cost is in excess of £3,000. Mention was made as to whether the Cross should be lit up or have bollards put around it – ask Highways for their suggestions.
7. Bowls green/footpath hedge - Clerk had had further quotes for a wooden fence with steel posts and also with wooden posts. Agreed that it should be all wood at £4,100. The total cost therefore with hedge removal and new fencing installed is £5,250. We can use the CIL money for this – after paying for the Old School roof there will be about £3000 left towards it and at September this year we can look at budgets to see if the balance is available – otherwise it will be precepted for in 2027-8.
8. Defibrillators – Clerk advised that the parts for our Village Hall and Byards Leap defilbrillators will not be available after February this year. Therefore when our pads and batteries are due for renewal we will have to replace the entire defibrillator. Clerk to ask Fulbeck whether they will be replacing the one at Byards Leap which is in their Parish. Our Village Hall defibrillator is okay till December 2027.
9. Village Hall and Social Club – no updates.
10. The Old School – roof repairs scheduled for this month – date to be advised.
11. Garages – Clerk to read file given to her by MoP (see public time above).
12. Village Green Christmas tree – Cllr Daley will look at new lights and costings. MoP offered to make a donation towards the new lights and any trimmings. The height of the tree needs reducing.
13. Groundsman – Clerk advised that she has not had any checklists from the groundsman and it was agreed she must ask for them for December and ongoing.
14. Play area and playing field : Chair advised that he is awaiting suggestions for new equipment, together with costings and will come back to us when these are available.
Groundsman is to be advised that we will be looking elsewhere for someone to paint the fencing around the play area. Clerk to arrange quotes. Nothing required to be done as a result of the Sovereign report. One tennis net has been removed so children can play football and/or tennis.
15. Reports from councillors – Cllr Fox checked that she could remain on the Council when she temporarily moves – as she will still be a landowner here then yes she can.
Cllr Boden had received various Dog Fouling prohibition notices and advised that there we will now get a “poo patrol”. This is a service provided by NKDC’s Environmental Protection Officer (Jason Bowring) who can be contacted on 01529.308287. She also asked about the noticeboard on the green area on Bristow Estate and Clerk advised that we had been advised by Kier or Allison Homes that we cannot use it – there is no key to it anyway. Clerk to write to Allison Homes for their confirmation that we can’t use it. Now found from Minutes that we do not own it and had advised that we want to remove the Parish Council wooden header.
Clerk asked Councillors to consider who they would like to invite to the APM in April and the format they would like it to take.
16. Date of next meeting: 9th February 2026.
Meeting closed at 8.05 pm.
PAYMENTS MADE -= December 2025 APPENDIX A
30.12.2025 £30.94 £6.19 £37.13 Email Archiving B T
30.12.2025 £188.47 £9.43 £197.90 Electric bill Old School House Valda Energy
31.12.2025 £338.98 £0.00 £338.98 Grass Cutting Scheme Tidy Gardens & Grounds Ltd
22.12.2025 £16.64 £3.33 £19.97 Adobe AcroPro Adobe
29.12.2025 £1,059.74 £0.00 £1,059.74 Tax and NI HMRC
29.12.2025 £969.55 £0.00 £969.55 Clerk's Salary Lesley Frances
15.12.2025 £15.00 £0.00 £15.00 Window cleaning Diamond Shine
01.12.2025 £100.00 £0.00 £100.00 Chairman's allowance David Graves
15.12.2025 £149.99 £29.99 £179.98 Email database Cloud Next Ltd
12.12.2025 £120.00 £0.00 £120.00 Speed Watch Warning Sign Lincolnshire County Council
10.12.2025 £45.00 £0.00 £45.00 Laptop computer Direct PC Supplies
08.12.2025 £21.00 £0.00 £21.00 Anglian Water Old School Account Anglian Water / Wave
08.12.2025 £389.33 £0.00 £389.33 Grounds Maintenance Steve Riley
08.12.2025 £242.07 £48.41 £290.48 SID device Elan City
08.12.2025 £7.50 £0.38 £7.88 Electric Bill for Village Green EDF Energy
08.12.2025 £191.90 £9.59 £201.49 Electric bill Old School House Valda Energy
16.12.2025 £4.41 £0.00 £4.41 Bank charges Lloyds Bank PLC
01.12.2025 £290.00 £58.00 £348.00 Internal Audit LALC
01.12.2025 £50.00 £0.00 £50.00 Anglian Water Playing Field Acc Anglian Water / Wave
RECEIPTS - December 2025
22.12.2025 £22.28 £0.00 £22.28 Cranwell JFC electric and water Cranwell Junior Football Club
15.12.2025 £20.00 £0.00 £20.00 Bowls Club electric and water Cranwell Bowling Club
09.12.2025 £13.78 £0.00 £13.78 Interest Lloyds Bank PLC
PAYMENT TO BE AUTHORISED - APPENDIX B
17.11.2025 £70.00 £14.00 £84.00 25.11.2025 Electrical Testing at Old School Hawkesworth Appliance Testing Ltd