Minutes 2025

Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council

Minutes of an ordinary meeting of Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council held at the Community Building, Spring Lane Playing Field on Monday 08 December 2025.

Present:  Chair:  Jenny Bailey

Councillors:  Angie Adams, Colin Hibberd, Linda Melloy, Steven Milligan and Steven Brown (after minute ref: 138, page 45-2025).

Also in attendance:  D/Cllr Jim Clarke

In attendance:  Mr Eddie Findlay, Clerk to Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council

2 members of the public were in attendance.

At 7:00 pm the Chair declared the meeting open.

134.  To receive apologies for absence and reasons given, i.a.w. Local Government Act 1972, Sch 12, para 40.
Cllr Chambers was unable to attend and their reasons were made known to the Council.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to approve the reasons for absence from Cllr Chambers.
Proposed by Cllr Milligan, seconded by Cllr Adams and approved unanimously.

Cllr Arnold’s absence was noted.

135.  To receive declarations of interest and to consider dispensation applications in relation to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests.
None were declared at this time.

136.  Public Forum and reports from District and County Councillors.
MOP 1 asked, on behalf of the Junior Football Club, if the barrier could be put down at the end of each day to stop unauthorised vehicles driving on the pitches.
The requested rabbit repellent was handed over.
He queried if any additional cuts were planned for the playing field as he had had to cut a strip between the pitches for spectators.  The Grounds Maintenance contract finished 30-Sep each year.

D/Cllr Clarke reported that Rauceby Lane (Cranwell) was to be closed 12-Jan-2026 for 5 days, for drainage and vegetation clearance.

137.  Notes of the ordinary meeting of Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council held at the Community Building at the Playing Field on Monday 10 November 2025 to be approved as Minutes.
Action:  Council RESOLVED that the notes of the ordinary meeting of Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council held at the Community Building at the Playing Field on Monday 10 November 2025 be approved as Minutes.
Proposed by Cllr Melloy, seconded by Cllr Milligan and approved unanimously.

138.  Consider any application for Co-Option as a Parish Councillor.
An application from Dr Steven Brown had been received and was consider by Councillors.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to approve the co-option application from Dr Steven Brown.
Proposed by Cllr Milligan, seconded by Cllr Adams and approved unanimously.
Cllr Brown signed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office and Receipt of Code of Conduct and would return his Register of Members Interests as soon as possible.
* Post Meeting Note.  Register of Members Interests form received and sent to NKDC 10-Dec-2025.

139.  Receive reports from the Councillors and the Clerk in relation to the minutes and other Council matters.
No resolutions may be passed under this item but requests for matters to be placed on the next agenda can be made.
Councillors.

i.  Cllr Milligan mentioned that the Football Club were an EGM to discuss the future of the Club, so no further progress had been taken with regard to the Lincolnshire FA Pitch Power report.

Page 45-2025

The Village Hall would like to come along to try and encourage better communication between both organisations.  The Clerk would invite then to the next meeting.

Cllr Milligan was investigating funding for a potential shaded area for either inside, or just outside the play area.  The Renewable Energy Plant had a round of funding which closes sometime in April so he would look at that as a possible grant.  It is usually 50% self-funded, so he would present some ideas at the budget meeting.

Possible incorporating a graffiti wall and a youth competition to paint it.

ii.  Cllr Hibberd reported that the Duke of Wellington won the NKDC Community Champions Business Award, and Norman and Zena Anderson won the Community Spirit Award.

140.  Financial Matters.
a.  Approve payments made since the last meeting.

Action:  Council RESOLVED to approve the payments made since the last meeting.
Proposed by Cllr Milligan, seconded by Cllr Melloy and approved unanimously.

b.  Approve the payments of invoices etc. as listed on the Payments to be Authorised sheet.

Action:  Council RESOLVED to approve the payments listed.
Proposed by Cllr Milligan, seconded by Cllr Adams and approved unanimously.

c.  Approve the bank reconciliation for November 2025.
At the end of November 2025, the bank accounts stood at £69,138.82 which included £24,175.35 on behalf of the Community Benefit Fund and £5,228.55 of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), leaving £39,734.92 as Council money.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to approve the bank reconciliation for November 2025.
Proposed by Cllr Melloy, seconded by Cllr Milligan and approved unanimously.

d.  Consider any Community Benefit Fund applications received.
None received for this meeting.

e.  Consider the updated budget review.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to note the current expenditure and would consider virement of budget lines.
Proposed by Cllr Bailey, seconded by Cllr Adams and approved unanimously.

141.  Planning Matters.
a.  25/1349/FUL - Retrospective application for change of use of land to residential, erection of fencing, and siting of timber shed including an area of hardstanding at 11 St Johns Close, Leasingham, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 8LU.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to submit the following comments;

Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council object to this application on the grounds that they are gravely concerned over the loss of POS and the timeline.
The fence has already been erected and the parcel of land has been taken out of public use, and has been so since May 2025, when the Parish Council first brought it to the District Council’s attention and it seems the owner has only put in the application when their actions have been called out.

Page 46-2025

The importance of POS is also mentioned with the Leasingahm & Roxholm Neighbourhood Plan 2012-2040, paragraph 62.
62.  Leasingham contains a number of open spaces that have local importance for a number of reasons, which include their role for recreation, or for its richness in wildlife.  Whilst all of these open spaces perform some function and are special to the local community, only some are suitable for designation as a Local Green Space.
Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council concur with the objections put forward by Mr Nick Harding, on behalf of a number of households on St. John’s Close.
Proposed by Cllr Hibberd, seconded by Cllr Adams, and approved unanimously.

b.  25/1512/PNAGR – Extension to existing agricultural storage building | West Lodge Westfield Road Leasingham Sleaford Lincolnshire NG34 8LZ.  Comments to be submitted by 15-Dec-2025.
The Council had no comments or objections to this application.

142.  Correspondence.
a.  Community Resilience Newsletter.  Circulated 03-Dec-2025.
b.  LALC Training Bulletin.  Circulated 03-Dec-2025.
c.  LALC E-News 20251205.  Circulated 07-Dec-2025.
d.  D/Cllr Hague December Newsletter.  Circulated 07-Dec-2025.
e.  NKDC Planning.  Circulated 07-Dec-2025.  25/1512/PNAGR | Extension to existing agricultural storage building | West Lodge Westfield Road Leasingham Sleaford Lincolnshire NG34 8LZ
f.  Sleaford Neighbourhood Plan.  Circulated 07-Dec-2025.
g.  NKDC Snowdrop Event.  Circulated 08-Dec-2025.

143.  Receive a report from Cllr Bailey on the Emergency Storage facility leaflet drop.
Cllr Bailey thanked all those that had completed their allotted areas and Cllr Milligan promised he would finish his area in the very near future.
Cllr Adams and Cllr Hibberd had a number of leaflets left over and would return them to Cllr Bailey in due course.
Cllr Adams would take some to the next coffee morning to help advertise the leaflet.

144.  Receive the Play Area Inspection Report and consider a course of action on any of the outcomes.
No major issues were identified, just a small number of minor matters to be actioned.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to note the report and would await a review by Mr Norman Anderson on any supplies he might need.
Proposed by Cllr Milligan, seconded by Cllr Melloy and approved unanimously.

146.  Receive a report on the condition of the Community Building floor and possible remedial actions.
Cllr Milligan had attended when Stamford Storage visited to clear and inspect the guttering.  There was very little leaf debris and no visual evidence of damage or where water might be entering the building structure from there, as it was clearing away as it should.  They had taken some of the inside panelling off from various areas and all the insulation was wet or damp.  A more detailed investigation would be required and they would arrange dates with the main user, Busy Bees, to deconflict with their term opening dates.
The flooring and water ingress near the door was also to be investigated.

147.  Confirm the date of the next meeting.
The next meeting is planned for Monday 12 January 2026.

148.  To resolve to go into closed session in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act  1960, as amended by Section 100 of the Local Government Act 1972 to discuss the following matters.

a.  Hire agreement matters – consider request from Leasingham Junior Football Club.

b.  Staff contract matters – pensions.

Action:  The Council RESOLVED to go into Closed Session to consider the items above.

Proposed by Cllr Bailey, seconded by Cllr Milligan and approved unanimously.

This part of the meeting closed 8:10 pm.

Page 47-2025

The meeting continued in the absence of press and public at 8:15 pm.

(Not for publication by virtue of section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the items being of a confidential nature.)

Confidential Minutes

a.  Hire agreement matters – consider request from Leasingham Junior Football Club.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to agree a reduction in fees (£75.00) to take into account that the pitches being out of action for a few months.  Remaining hiring fee to be paid, and the signed Service Level Agreement, dated 14-Jul-2025 to be received by 31-Dec-2025.
Proposed by Cllr Milligan, seconded by Cllr Brown and approved unanimously.

b.  Staff contract matters - pensions.
Letters requiring staff to opt in/out of a pension agreement (required three yearly) had been sent out and the Clerk would forward responses to the Council’s pay roll provider.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to note the information.
Proposed by Cllr Bailey, seconded by Cllr Milligan and approved unanimously.

The meeting closed at 8:30 pm.

Signature:  Original Signed

Printed Name:  Cllr Jenny Bailey

Date:  12 January 2026

~ END ~

Page 48-2025