Minutes 2026

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 09 March 2026.

Present:  Chair:  Jenny Bailey

Councillors:  Angie Adams, Graham Arnold, Steve Brown, Linda Melloy and Steven Milligan

Also in attendance:  D/Cllr Jim Clarke and D/Cllr Andrew Hagues

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.

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

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

30.  Public Forum and reports from County and District Councillors.
D/Cllr Hagues had submitted a newsletter which had been circulated to all Councillors.
D/Cllr Clarke reported that the NKDC Budget for FY2026-2027 had been set which had resulted in a 2.96% increase for a Band D property within NKDC, an average rise of 12p per week.

31.  Notes of the ordinary meeting of Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council held at the Community Building at the Playing Field on Monday 09 February 2026 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 09 February 2026 be approved as Minutes.
Proposed by Cllr Arnold, seconded by Cllr Melloy and approved unanimously.

32.  Consider any application for Co-Option as a Parish Councillor.
None had been received to date.

33.  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 Arnold raised concerns about the deteriorating road surface, especially along Lincoln Road, toward the A15 junction and the top of Captains Hill.  These would be reported to LCC via Fix My Street.

ii.  Cllr Milligan reported that the Village Caretaker had suggested the purchase of a dog waste bag dispenser for the playing field area.  The Clerk would investigate.
He was still looking to arrange a working group meeting to discuss the various play area shelters that Council might wish to consider in the future.
He had seen that the Woodland Trust were again offering free trees and hedgerow and he suggested Council might like to bid to line the rear boundary of the play area to shield it from the new development houses.
He had met with the Village Handyman, following the visit from Stamford Storage.  It would appear there has been d a little mis-communication and all the team had been instructed to do was to check the wall insulation and check for signs of water ingress from the roof and gutters.  It was expected that the floor would be investigated and replaced as required, but

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that was now planned for the Easter break.  The window shutters had been fixed and were all now work correctly.  As well as the floor work, they will look to affix water deflectors across the bottom of the main doors to stop water wicking back into the floor sheets.

Iii.  Cllr Brown gave a brief overview of the recent online Councillor Induction Training he attended.  He found it beneficial.

iv.  Cllr Bailey reported that the litter bin, that had been attached to the bus stop post (opposite Manor Farm Shop) had now disappeared.  First the post had been removed (awaiting replacement) with the bin left up against the wall.  Now the litter bin too had disappeared.  It is hoped that when the new bus stop post is installed the litter bin will be re-instated.  It was discussed that a full size litter bin could be installed instead, a little further along, on the grass verge at the Captains Hill junction.

Clerk
Nothing to report.

34.  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 Brown 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 Adams, seconded by Cllr Milligan and approved unanimously.

c.  Approve the bank reconciliation for February 2026.
At the end of February 2026, the bank accounts stood at £62,671.47 which included £23,727.22 on behalf of the Community Benefit Fund and £5,228.55 of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), leaving £33,715.70 as Council money.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to approve the bank reconciliation for February 2026.
Proposed by Cllr Adams, seconded by Cllr Milligan and approved unanimously.

d.  Consider the proposal from Harmony Business Support Services (formally Blossom Bookkeeping Ltd) to provide payroll services.
Blossom Bookkeeping Ltd were merging with another small payroll provider and had submitted a proposal to continue acting on behalf of Leasingham and Roxholm Parish Council.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to approve accepting the Harmony Business Support Services proposal to supply payroll services for the Parish Council.
Proposed by Cllr Arnold, seconded by Cllr Adams and approved unanimously.

35.  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.  Amended Plan.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to re-submit the original comments objecting to the application.
Proposed by Cllr Arnold, seconded by Cllr Adams and approved by a vote of 5 for and 1 abstention.

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36.  Correspondence.
a.  LALC update on remote meetings and proxy voting.  Circulated 19-Feb-2026.
b.  LCC Town and Parish Council update newsletter.  Circulated 04-Mar-2026.
c.  NKDC Parish and Town Council Forum invite.  Circulated 04-Mar-2026.
d.  LALC e-News and Training Bulletin.  Circulated 08-Mar-2026.

37.  Annual Parish Meeting Update.
a.  To confirm location, date and timings of the Annual Parish Meeting.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to confirm the location, date and time of the Annual Parish Meeting as at the Village Hall, on Saturday 16-May-2026, starting at 2;00pm.  Due to the nature of the meeting, the Village Hall Committee had offered to waive the fee.
Proposed by Cllr Brown, seconded by Cllr Milligan and approved unanimously.

b.  Consider the format of the Annual Parish Meeting.
A working group had met and made the following suggestions, that representative from the various local groups and businesses in attendance, with table to allow them to promote their group or business and a number of them to be invited to do a short talk on their activities.  Other speakers would include County Councillor Richard Wright.  Refreshments would be available.
Action:  Council RESOLVED the format to be having representative from the various local groups and businesses in attendance, with table to allow them to promote their group or business and a number of them to be invited to do a short talk on their activities.
Proposed by Cllr Brown, seconded by Cllr Milligan and approved unanimously.

c.  Consider the community groups and local businesses to invite.
Action:  Council RESOLVED that the list of groups and business provide be invited, using the proposed Invite Letter.
Proposed by Cllr Milligan, seconded by Cllr Brown and approved unanimously.

38.  Village Hall update.
a.  Cllr Milligan to provide an update following the recent Village Committee Meeting he attended as a Parish Council representative.
The Village Hall had met with representatives from St. Andrew’s C of E School an dhave agreed to allow parents etc to use the car park for school drop off and collection.  The School, offered £100.00 towards the car park repairs.
Plans for solar panels, costing approximately £15,000.000 were moving forward and they had also received two quotes for the car park repairs.  One was for the full re-surfacing, costing approximately £20,000.00, the other was for the main areas of damage being cut away and repaired, which was quoted as £9,000.00.  They were still awaiting quotes from at least one more company.
Action:  Council RESOLVED that they would look to invite the Village Hall Committee to a separate meeting with Councillors to discuss various matters outside of a formal setting.

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

39.  Receive reports from Cllr Bailey.
a.  The Leasingham Gap and the Neighbourhood Plan.
Cllr Bailey had received a response from NKDC Planning and it is précised here as follows;
The examiner required the removal of the ‘Leasingham Gap’ policy from the Leasingham & Roxholm Neighbourhood Plan because part of the land lay outside the designated area, though he supported its planning merits.  A similar issue affects the proposed ‘Gap’ policy in the emerging Sleaford Neighbourhood Plan, with cross-boundary complications and unclear supporting evidence.  Suggestions for separate policy reviews in each area are challenged by practical difficulties, including timing, evidence, and governance.  It is recommended that Leasingham and Sleaford pursue inclusion of a ‘Green Wedge’ policy within the wider local plan, as successfully used in Lincoln, to maintain separation between settlements while allowing managed development.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to await the outcome of the Sleaford Neighbourhood Plan before possibly pursuing a separate ‘Gap’ policy
Proposed by Cllr Bailey, seconded by Cllr Milligan and approved unanimously.

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b.  Wall conservation.
A resident had asked about how it might be possible to apply for a Conservation Order for a dry stone wall which runs along a public footpath from Moor Lane to Flaxwell Way and follows the route of the old coffin trail which was used to take coffins to the parish church before the development of the village roads.  Cllr Bailey had sought guidance from the NKDC Conservation Officer and was awaiting a response.
* Post Meeting Note.  Response received 11 March 2026 as follows;  The southern extent of the wall itself is to the rear of the grade II listed 9 Moor Lane.  As the house it listed, any historic walling would also be covered by the listing.  The more northerly element seems to be more recent an follows a different alignment to the historic footpath.

The wall is probably afforded as much protection as it is likely to get as walls rarely get listed in their own right, however if someone did want to propose a structure for listing they would need to go straight to Historic England, as they administer that process.

40.  Consider the Pre Renewal Questionnaire from Gallagher Parish Council Insurance.
Action:  Council RESOLVED to add the flood first responder shed and contents (£600.00) to the policy, along with the adult exercise equipment (£8,000.00).  It was suggested to increase the replacement cost of play equipment to £100,000 and the War Memorial up to £15,000.00.
Proposed by Cllr Bailey, seconded by Cllr Milligan and approved unanimously.

41.  Confirm the date of the next meeting.
The next meeting is planned for Monday 13 April 2026.

The meeting closed at 8:40 pm.

Signature:  Original Signed
Printed Name:  Cllr Jenny Bailey
Date:  13 April 2026

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