July 2026 Minutes
The minutes of the Deeping St James Parish Council meeting held on the meeting room at The Institute 38 Church Street Deeping St James PE6 8HD on Friday Tuesday 21 July 2026 at 7.00pm.
Present: Parish Councillors Bowell, Dilks (County and District), Fowler, Gilbert, Hosking, Neville, Nickerson, Rose, Shinkins-Hoppe, Smith, Stevens and Townsin.
The minutes were taken by the Parish Clerk
Open Forum/Public Participation
Two representatives from the Deepings Lions Club attended in support of the grant application for funding towards the costs of portable toilet hire, First aid cover and waste disposal at the Duck Race to be held on 06 September 2026. This is a great local event attended in previous years by approximately 1500 people and raising £3000 for charities (this year’s chosen charities are Parkinson’s Uk and Cardiac Risk in the young).
The two representatives left the meeting
27.34 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 Burdock and Halls
27.35 To receive declarations of interest under the Localism Act 2011 – being any interest in agenda items not previously recorded on Members’ Register of Interests.
Councillors Rose, Stevens and Townsin – agenda item 27.39.1
27.36 To approve the minutes of the previous meetings held on Tuesday 16 June 2026 and Tuesday 14 July 2026.
Agreed and signed.
27.37 To receive the Clerks report and receive an update on matters arising from previous minutes.
-A meeting with the Deputy Headmaster of the Deepings School was attended by the Parish Clerk and Councillor Shinkins-Hoppe 07 July 2026 to obtain support in identifying individuals from CCTV footage. The findings have been shared with the local Police Community Support Officer.
-The Annual Governance and Accounting Return the financial year 2025/26 was sent to the external Auditors, PKF Littlejohn LLP on 23 June 2026, and shared along with the notice of public rights on the Parish Council’s webpage and the noticeboard at the Institute.
-A response was issued to the Rt. Hon Sir John Hayes MBE on 18 June 2026 advising him that the Parish Council have in the past and continue to communicate with both Peterborough City Council and Lincolnshire County Council regarding the tone bridge across the River Welland requesting improved signage and enforcement
-A meeting took place, attended by the Clerk and Councillor Neville, on Thursday 16 July 2026 with the CCTV Supervisor from South Kesteven District Council and two representatives from British Telecom to assess the feasibility of the CCTV systems at Woody Heights and Jubilee Park being transferred to the control centre in Grantham. The findings and costings will be issued as soon as possible.
-One member of the public has contacted the office following the Parish Councillor vacancy being publicised. They have been provided with some literature explaining the role, invited to attend the committee and council meetings as an observer and meet with the Clerk to discuss the role.
NOTE: please also refer to the Clerks reports within the planning and transport committee minutes and the recreation and open spaces committee minutes.
-HM Land Registry contacted the Parish Council office requesting some details about Jubilee Park. These related to access, potential hazards and confirmation of contact details as the Ordnance Survey Surveyor requires unrestricted access to complete an independent survey. The details requested were provided on 18 June 2026
Chattertons Legal Services Limited have been in contact following the recent request from HM Land Registry and have made payments on DSJPC’s behalf to cover the cost of the inspection of Jubilee Park following the request to transfer the deeds into DSJPC’s name from SKDC and also for the adverse possession application for the unregistered area
-South Kesteven District Council have confirmed that the transfers of Millennium Wood and the open space off St Vincent’s Close have been formally approved following the deadline date passing after the section 123 adverts were published. A quote is now being sought from a suitably qualified Surveyor to provide a valuation.
-Further communications have been received from South Kesteven District Councillor Paul Stokes and the Head of Football Development and Facilities and Investment Lead at Lincolnshire Football Association explaining that contact has been made with Lincolnshire County Council to obtain an understanding of ownership and lease arrangements for the artificial grass pitch and apologising for the delay in arranging a site visit due to the individual required to complete this being off work and a date for their return or their interim replacements start date not being known.
-A member of the public has contacted Councillor Neville raising concerns about pedestrian safety along Bridge Street due to volume and speed of traffic and the amount on-street parking. This has been referred to Councillor Dilks as the Lincolnshire County Council Councillor for Deepings East which covers Deeping St James who has emailed the Area Highways Officer and on their next visit to the Parish will take them to this area – do DSJPC wish to do anymore? It was agreed that an item should be added to the next planning and transport agenda to consider this. Councillor Smith advised that the Lincolnshire cycling and walking infrastructure plan (LCWIP) suggested that if cycling provision cannot be put in place then speed limits need to be reduced. The LCWIP was being publicised at the Raft Race on Sunday 02 August 2026
Action: The Clerk to add an item to the next planning and transport committee
-The Langtoft, The Deepings and District Royal British Legion Branch Secretary has contacted the Parish Council office to provide an update about the services of a Drummer at future Remembrance Parade. As they will be travelling some distance to provide this service a donation towards their expenses is being requested – Market Deeping Town Council have suggested £50. It was decided that Deeping St James Parish Council should offer the equivalent.
ACTION: The Clerk to advise the Secretary of the local Royal British Legion branch
NOTE: please also refer to the Clerks reports within the planning and transport committee minutes and the recreation and open spaces committee minutes.
27.38 To receive reports from the District Councillors and County Councillor.
As no District or County Councillors were present but Councillor Dilks was expected later it was agreed to wait for his arrival so that the following agenda item could be considered.
27.39 Financial matters:
1. To approve the expenditure for July 2026.
Expenditure totalling £27507.03 was proposed seconded and RESOLVED
Councillors Rose, Stevens and Townsin abstained from the vote.
2. To note the income for July 2026.
Income totalling £1284.72 was noted
3. To consider the grant application received from the Deepings Lions Club.
As the Parish Council’s grant policy stated that the limit for funding was £500 it was RESOLVED to provide a grant of this amount. It was also RESOLVED that a banner should be purchased with the Parish Council’s logo on it and the wording ‘Supported by Deeping St James Parish Council’ and that permission should be obtained from the Lions to use the banner at their event, for which a donation of £117 would be made. It was also agreed that the Grants and Donations Policy should be reconsidered at the next finance policy and personnel committee
ACTION: The Clerk to advise the Deepings Lions, order a banner and an item to the next FP&P committee agenda to reconsidered the policy
Councillor Dilks arrived.
27.38 To receive reports from the District Councillors and County Councillor.
Councillor Dilks (both District and County Councillor) provided an update regarding local government reorganisation as a decision had been received on Thursday 16 July 2026. Four solutions had been put forward (one by Lincoln City Council, one by Lincolnshire County Council, one by South Kesteven District Council and one by the Boston Borough, South Holland District and East Lindsey District Councils together) and the one that has been chosen would lead to the current seven District Councils and Lincolnshire County Council becoming two Unitary Authorities referred to as Lincoln City and Rural Lincolnshire. The Lincoln City Unitary Authority will include seven wards from West Lindsey District and twelve wards from North Kesteven District and will have a population of around 208,000. The Rural Lincolnshire Unitary Authority will have a population of around 570,000. North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire will remain as they are with a population size of around 150,000. This solution breaks two of the rules set by National Government when they asked for solutions to be put forward – no boundary reviews and no imbalance in population size. For information the same model – expanding the city - has been chosen by the National Government for Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. South Kesteven District Council are investigating how they can fight this decision. A compromise of rural North and rural South Lincolnshire with a population of around 250,000 may have to be accepted.
Councillor Dilks also that South Kesteven District Council will be switching from what is being referred to as the legacy draft local plan to the governments new programme of developing a local plan in 30 months from start to finish from January 2027. There will also be a further call for sites in September 2026 following building at the Poplar Farm site in Grantham ceasing and the use of the Grantham Barracks site for housing development being put back.
27.40 Planning matters:
1. To receive the minutes and any recommendations from the Planning and Transport committee meeting held on Tuesday 14 July 2026.
Councillor Smith introduced the minutes from which there were no recommendations
2. To consider the following planning applications -
S26/1118 | Proposed single storey front extension to form garage, entrance porch and additional room space | Tyes Mead Spalding Road Deeping St James Lincolnshire PE6 8SB
RESOLVED no objection or comment
S26/1133 | Two storey rear extension to dwelling | 32 Wade Park Avenue Market Deeping Lincolnshire PE6 8JL
RESOLVED no objection but to make the comment that the site notice referred to the wrong address
27.41 To consider approaching the Deeping Practice, the Care Quality Commission and the MP for South Holland and The Deepings, Sir John Hayes to discuss the results of the survey.
Councillor Stevens introduced this item stating that there had been 943 responses to the survey from which 41.5% were aged 45 to 64 and 41.3% were aged over 65
Of those completed 75% were negative and many included harrowing stories. It had been a long process for the Assistant Clerk to collate these as not all had been online (some in paper format which required inputting) and in order to comply with the general data protection regulations. Thanks was forwarded to the Assistant Clerk. It was noted that the Deepings Practice has a large catchment (23,000 much larger than the norm of around 10,000) and had applied previously for a walk-in-centre but had been rejected. It was acknowledged that this information may support a future application.
It was RESOLVED that the results should be shared with the Deepings Practice along with a letter requesting an opportunity to discuss the findings. A deadline for response should be stated advising that failure to respond before the date will leave no alternative but to forward the information and letter to the Care Quality Commission and the local MP
27.42 To consider the following correspondence.
1. School Organisation Team at Lincolnshire County Council – Advising of a four-week 'representation period' between 19 June and 17 July 2026 on the proposed development of a mainstream Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Hub at Market Deeping Community Primary School
As the deadline for this was prior to this meeting the Clerk had circulated the information via email and had obtained a positive response from 12 Councillors, welcoming the SEND Hub at Market Deeping Community Primary School. A response was issued on 29 June 2026
2. Citizens Advice South Lincolnshire – sharing the June statistics for the outreach service offered at Deepings Community Centre jointly funded by DSJPC and MDTC.
The contents of the report was noted. Councillor Stevens advised that the provision at the Institute organised by Deeping St James United Charities was changing from September 2026 from a volunteer Advisor once a fortnight to an employed Advisor every Thursday from 9am to 3pm. This needs to be taken into account when future funding of the Community Centre outreach is considered.
3. British Trust for Ornithology – inviting Deeping St James Parish Council to complete a green space management survey for the Birds in Greenspaces, a new citizen science project which aims to find out the importance of public-access greenspaces for UK bird populations.
This was noted but no action was to be taken.
27.43 To receive reports and minutes from committees, advisory committees, meetings, seminars, training and events or meetings of external bodies attended on the Council’s behalf and consider any recommendations from them:
1.11pm to 4pm Saturday 27 June 2026 - Rose and Sweet Pea Show and Garden Fete in the Vicarage and Priory Hall Gardens Church Street Deeping St James held on Saturday 27 June 2026. Organised by the Priory Church
Lovely local event
2. 10am Sunday 28 June 2026 – Market Deeping Town Council Civic Service at St Guthlacs Church Market Deeping held on Sunday 28 June 2026
Councillors Neville and Stevens attending. Good event for networking
3. Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils Annual General Meeting held virtually from 6.30pm on Thursday 09 July 2026
The Assistant Clerk attended on behalf of the Parish Council
4. Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils Conference at the Epic Centre Lincolnshire Showground held on Tuesday 14 July 2026
Councillors Bowell, Hosking and Neville attended and a report advising of what workshops had been attended by all three had been shared with all members
5. Recreation and Open Spaces Committee on Tuesday 14 July 2026
Councillor Shinkins-Hoppe introduced the minutes from which there were no recommendations
6. Meeting with British Telecom representatives and SKDC’s CCTV control room Supervisor on Thursday 16 July 2026 at Woody Heights and Jubilee Park
The Parish Clerk and Councillor Neville attended what was a thorough check of both sites. A report will be provided advising of the work required and the costs involved in transferring the two systems so they can be monitored from the control centre at Grantham
7. Deepings Dog Show on Jubilee Park held on Sunday 19 July 2026
A really good event receiving lots of positive response, which raised over £900 to go towards the improvements to play equipment on the park. The child handler and agility ring were welcomed. More help is needed to set up and pack away. It may be required to ask the maintenance to work before and after events.
27.44 Parish Pump - items for information or inclusion on future agendas.
Councillor Hosking advised that two trainee Police Community Support Officers had attended the Dog Show along with PCSO Everitt. Councillor Dilks as a representative of the Lincolnshire Policing panel advised that they were recruiting following receipt of government funding.
Meeting finished at 08.45pm
Signed
Dated