8th September 2025
Minutes of meeting of Huttoft Parish Council held on Monday 8th September 2025 at Huttoft Village Hall commencing at 7:00pm
PRESENT: Cllrs. P Lapczuk (Chair), R Walker, R Ganney, C Meaker, R Ward, N Sylvester and V Lee (following co-option)
IN ATTENDANCE: M Rudd (Clerk) and 9 members of the public
4889. WELCOME:
Cllr Lapczuk welcomed Councillors and members of the public to the meeting.
Cllr Lapczuk made a statement regarding recent comments made online about Huttoft Car Terrace. Lincolnshire County Council and Environment Agency are responsible for the overall management of the Car Terrace not Huttoft Parish Council, with Cllr Walker liaising with these organisations as required to address residents’ concerns.
4890. APOLOGIES:
Cllrs G Marsh & S Devereux (ELDC) and Cllr M Beecham (LCC).
4891. TO APPROVE THE CO-OPTION OF VIKKIE LEE TO THE ROLE OF PARISH COUNCILLOR AND TO SIGN THE DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE:
Proposed, Seconded and RESOLVED to co-opt Vikkie Lee. Cllr Lee duly signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
4892. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:
A resident noted that the grit bin on Alford Road had been damaged. The Clerk will report to LCC.
A number of residents raised concerns about traffic speeding on Alford Road. It was also noted that farm vehicles often used the road despite the 7-ton weight limit. After a short discussion, it was agreed that the Clerk would notify LCC Highways of the concerns and request additional ’30 mph’ speed limit signs from Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership.
4893. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST AND REQUESTS FOR DISPENSATIONS:
None.
4894. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF 7th JULY 2025 TO BE APPROVED:
Proposed, Seconded & RESOLVED that the minutes, having been circulated and read, were approved and signed by the Chair.
4895. CLERKS REPORT ON OUTSTANDING MATTERS:
Damage to a manhole cover on Alford Road, reported by a resident, has now been fixed.
Horncastle Educational Trust (HET) had written to the Parish Council regarding responsibility for maintenance of the footpath and trees at the top of Leafy (Little) Lane. The Clerk had written back notifying HET that they are responsible, referred them to the original planning documentation dated 2017 and noted any further enquiries should be referred to Lincolnshire County Council.
4896. FINANCIAL MATTERS:
(a) Payments for Approval:
M Rudd – Clerks Salary (7 July – 7 September) - £492.84
Clerks Printing Costs (2 months) - £12.98
SCIS Ltd Gov.uk email subscription (2 months) - £7.92
P Lapczuk - Grass cutting expenses - £51.78
Charles Hill Ltd – (GRASSroots Grant Funded) – Maintenance Equipment - £2753.86
Charles Hill Ltd – (GRASSroots Grant Funded) – Maintenance Equipment - £189.50
PlaySafety Limited – Huttoft Playing Field Annual RoSPA Report - £115.20
Proposed, Seconded and RESOLVED to approve payments.
(b) To note the Financial Monitoring Report to 31 August 2025:
Noted by Councillors
(c) To note receipt of notification of exempt status for the year ended 31 March 2025 by external auditors PKF Littlejohn LLP:
Noted by Councillors
(d) To note the Notice of Public Rights and Publication of Annual Governance & Accountability Return: closed on 14 July 2025 – no applications to review accounts:
Noted by Councillors
4897. TO RECEIVE THE LGA PAY AWARD 2025 AND APPROVE THE CHANGE IN CLERKS SALARY WITH EFFECT FROM 1 APRIL 2025:
Proposed, Seconded and APPROVED to accept the Pay Award and change in Clerks Pay with effect from 1 April 2025
4898. TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW INTERNAL AUDITOR TO CARRY OUT PARISH COUNCIL AUDIT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026 AND LETTER OF ENGAGEMENT:
The Clerk briefed Councillors on the need for the Parish Council to change its audit procedures for the current financial year. The Clerk had approached the Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer of Mablethorpe and Sutton Town Council to carry out the audit, who had agreed, subject to approval by Councillors.
Proposed, Seconded and APPROVED to appoint the Clerk of Mablethorpe and Sutton Town Council as the internal auditor for the current financial year and draft Letter of Engagement
4899. PLANNING MATTERS:
(a) 02260/25/FUL FAIRFIELDS, SEA LANE, HUTTOFT – change use of land including provision of 2 additional static caravan pitches and associated buildings – Approved by ELDC
(e) 02438/25/FUL WOLD SEA FARM, SEA LANE, HUTTOFT – erection of outbuildings and demolition of existing buildings – Approved by ELDC
4900. TO APPROVE THE FOLLOWING PARISH COUNCIL POLICIES:
(a) Code of Conduct – Proposed, Seconded and RESOLVED to approve
(b) Publication Scheme under Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Proposed, Seconded and RESOLVED to approve
4901. HUTTOFT PLAYING FIELD:
Cllr Lapczuk noted that the Parish Council had been successful in bidding for an ELDC GRASSroots Grant of £24,999.
Councillors noted the Financial Monitoring Report for the Playing Field Reserve Funds and GRASSroots Grant.
The Annual RoSPA Safety Report had been completed in August 2025 and funding was available to complete repairs noted in the report.
Cllr Lapczuk outlined the various options for storage of the new grass cutting equipment. The original plan was to build new secure storage facilities at the Village Hall, but uncertainty over a long-term agreement between the Parish Council and Village Hall, meant that this option needed further investigation prior to committing a significant amount of public funds to the project.
An alternative option was to rent secure storage in close proximity to Huttoft to allow easy collection of the equipment. Dependant on size of storage required, costs ranged from £80 - £140 per month with the costs funded by the GRASSroots Grant. This would be significantly cheaper over a three-year period than potential building works at the Village Hall.
Following discussion, it was agreed by Councillors to pursue rental of secure storage but continue to review alternative options as required. It was Proposed, Seconded and RESOLVED to approve payment of a refundable deposit to secure the next available secure storage unit that becomes available. Cllr Lapczuk requested that the current costs of grass cutting be discussed at the next Parish Council meeting in November.
4902. TO APPROVE THE TERMINATION OF THE GRASS CUTTING / HANDYMAN CONTRACT WITH EFFECT FROM 18 AUGUST 2025:
Cllr Lapczuk reported to Councillors that the current ‘handyman’ Chris Ralph trading as ‘CR Home & Garden Services’ had failed to carry out the agreed duties since mid-July and on 18 August 2025 was served with a contract termination notice by the Parish Council.
Representatives of the Parish Council will carry out the grass cutting for the remainder of the season at no charge, but Councillors Proposed, Seconded and RESOLVED to pay travel expenses to pick up / return the mower from secure storage at HMRC current mileage rates.
The Parish Councils grass cutting equipment was due to be returned on 9 September, but Councillors agreed that more formal action should be taken, should the equipment not be returned.
It was Proposed, Seconded and RESOLVED that the ‘old’ Honda petrol mower will be donated to Huttoft Church but would remain available as a ‘back up’ mower for the Parish Council if required.
Cllr Lapczuk request that the grass cutting contract for 2026 be discussed at the next Parish Council meeting in November 2025.
4903. TO RECEIVE REPORTS FROM REPRESENTATIVE BODIES:
There were no reports from representative bodies.
Following a request from Cllr Devereux (ELDC), the Clerk informed the meeting about the ELDC Crowdfunding Event being held in Sutton-on-Sea on 17 September.
4904. HUTTOFT CAR TERRACE:
Cllr Walker took Councillors through his report. The Car Terrace had been very busy during the Summer due to the nice weather. New signage had been erected at the Car Terrace reminding visitors that no RNLI Lifeguards patrolled this section of the beach.
Parking Enforcement has been very proactive throughout the season. Dog fouling and vandalism remains a concern.
Concerns have been raised about the safety of the junction of Sea Lane, Huttoft Bank and Roman Bank. Increased speeds of traffic due to the new road and a lack of advance warning signs are causing concerns and should be assessed by LCC Highways.
4905. FRIENDS OF ST MARGARETS CHURCH:
Cllr Ganney reported a number of successful events including VJ Service and ‘Open Days’. Attendance at the events was extremely good and lots of positive feedback had been received from residents and visitors.
A grant funded bid had been submitted for new heaters for the church.
Work to address the Tower and Bells was now being planned.
4906. ANY OTHER MATTERS:
Cllr Meaker advised Councillors that following the Huttoft Village Hall Annual General Meeting, the Committee was looking to appoint a new Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary. An advert had been placed on the village FaceBook page and a number of posters would be placed around the village. The Village Hall is an important community asset and needs to be supported by residents.
4907. DATE OF NEXT MEETING:
Monday 10th November 2025 – Parish Council Meeting at 7pm in the Village Hall.
4908. THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THE MEETING CLOSED AT 8:06pm