September 2020 Minutes EOM
Deeping St James Parish Council
The Institute, 38 Church Street, Deeping St James, PE6 8EP E-mail: clerk@dsjpc.co.uk
Tel: 01778 343266
Webpage: //parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk/deepingstjames Facebook: Deeping St James Parish Council
Parish Clerk: Julie Fortnum
Minutes of the extraordinary meeting of Deeping St James Parish Council held on Thursday 17 September 2020 at 7.00 pm using the virtual meeting code and password below:
https://zoom.us/
Meeting ID: 941 3877 6458
Passcode: 273081
Present: Parish Councillors Bowell, Dilks (District), Gilbert, Hall, Halls, Lilley, Robinson, Shinkins-Hoppe, Stevens (District) and Thomas (District) and County Councillor Dobson (from 7.30pm).
55.21 To receive and accept apologies where valid reasons for absence have been given to the Parish Clerk prior to the meeting.
Apologies had been received and were accepted from Councillors Fowler, Hardy, Hosking and Kornfeld,
56.21 To receive declarations of interest under the Localism Act 2011 – being any pecuniary interest in agenda items not previously recorded on Members’ Register of Interests.
None
57.21 To approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on Thursday 27 August 2020.
As these had not been circulated by the Clerk it was agreed to defer the signing of them until the meeting on 24 September 2020
58.21 To consider the revised demise plan and draft heads of terms document in respect of the playing field land on Linchfield Road/Spalding Road to allow SKDC to progress with plans for the proposed new astro-turf and leisure centre.
Councillor Dilks expressed his concerns about whether this was the right site – was it big enough? He advised that at the District Council meeting held earlier today Councillor Dobson had told the Members that the owners of the fields adjoining the playing field were willing to discuss the purchase of further land. Councillor Dilks feels that there should be a caveat added to the Heads of terms document to ensure that the District Council do purchase further land.
Councillor Gilbert reminded everyone that agreeing to these heads of terms was the next step towards completing the feasibility work prior to consultation and planning.
Councillor Shinkins-Hoppe requested that when the District Council do speak to the landowners they discuss the purchase of some land for the parish to compensate for the land within the playing field no longer being public open space.
Councillor Gilbert referred back to the purchase of the land by the parish council in 1974 which was purchased to secure it’s use as public open space.
59.21
Councillor Dilks also requested that assurance that the Parish Council continued to be involved in the decisions as to the exact site of the building and what goes in it was also included in the heads of terms document.
Councillor Bowell made three points:
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The Rugby Club clubhouse was at the end of its life
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The loss of a football pitch if the clubhouse remained was a worry
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Would the special expenses levy included within the council tax liability of Deeping St James residents to cover the upkeep of the land be removed?
Councillor Gilbert advised that the Rugby Club would be required to find financial support themselves to renew the clubhouse as neither the District or Parish Council could assist them. He also said that the number of pitches being considered was equivalent to what was already available. Councillor Dilks advised that he had previously requested the removal of the special expenses levy and would continue to do so.
Councillor Hall asked if the Parish Council would see what was to be provided before it was built. Councillor Gilbert advised that this project would require consultation with everyone including all stakeholders, users and local residents.
Councillor Gilbert then proposed that the heads of terms should be agreed with the addition of following two caveats:
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That South Kesteven District Council continue exploring the purchase of a piece of land from one of the landowners of the fields adjoining the playing field
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That Deeping St James Parish Council continue to be involved in the decisions as to the exact location of the leisure centre building and the pitch layouts as well as what goes in the centre
Seconded and Resolved (7 for, 1 abstention)
Internet connection was lost with Councillors Stevens and Thomas during the vote however when they re-joined the meeting they both confirmed that they would have agreed to the proposal.
Councillor Robinson explained that he had abstained because he felt that the District Council planning section would approve the plans and not take into consideration the comments of others. Councillor Stevens as a former member of the District Council development control committee assured him this was not the case and felt that was an unfair representation of how the committee worked
To note the date of the next council meeting
7.30pm Thursday 24 September 2020.