2026 Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of Old Leake Parish Council held on Wednesday 8th April 2026 at 7:00pm in The Community Centre.

Present: Cllrs David Dickason (Chair), Tom Ashton, Neil Booley, Guy Bull, Stephen Seymour, Paul Skinner and Sam Wild. 
Also Present: Community member Walter Seekamp and Parish Clerk Rebecca Herberts. 

Public Forum
There was one member of the public present. 
Statements or questions raised were: 
a.    A resident attended the meeting to express concerns about the siting of the recently relocated dog waste bin on School Lane, advising that its proximity to their property was causing distress within the household. The Parish Council considered the matter and agreed to contact the Borough Council to request urgent relocation of the bin.

7:15pm - The Public Forum was closed and the Parish Council meeting commenced.

1/4/26 To receive and accept apologies and approve reasons for absence. 
Apologies and reason for absence were received and accepted from Cllrs Matt Harrison
Apologies were also received and accepted from Borough Cllrs J Baxter and C Butler

2/4/26 To receive reports from representatives on outside bodies:
a.    Borough Councillors - A written report was received and is appended to the minutes.
b.    County Councillor – There was nothing to report.  

3/4/26 To receive declarations of interest under the Localism Act 2011 and consider any requests for dispensations. 
No declarations of interest were made, and no requests for dispensations were received.

4/4/26 Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 11 March 2026 to be approved and signed as the minutes
Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 2026 be approved and signed as a true and accurate record.

5/4/26 Clerk’s Report
a.    The Clerk reported that a complaint had been received from a resident of Seadyke Road regarding the current national speed limit. Concerns were raised due to the presence of a cattery and a recently relocated vehicle repair business, with vehicles reportedly being parked along the edge of the highway, increasing perceived risk. This matter had been forwarded from Boston Borough Council and was noted.
b.    The Clerk confirmed that AGAR documentation has been received and that the internal audit is being arranged with LALC.
c.    The Council considered proposals relating to waste bins.
Resolved: That an existing dog waste bin be relocated from Church Road to School Lane at a cost of £31.40, and that a new dual waste litter bin be installed on Chapel Road at a cost of £262.01.
It was further noted that, following the Public Forum, the siting of the dog waste bin on School Lane requires further relocation, and this will be progressed with Boston Borough Council.

6/4/26 Chair’s announcements and any relevant updates 
The Chair had nothing to report. 

7/4/26 To consider applicants for co-option onto the Parish Council 
There were no applications received for co-option onto the Parish Council.

8/4/26 Reports/Updates
a.    General Maintenance Contractor 
It was reported that he has inspected all parish areas requiring maintenance and has begun cleaning the play equipment at Old Leake Community Centre. Grime has been removed from the playhouse, swings, and other equipment using soap and water, followed by sanitisation. Further cleaning is ongoing, with maintenance work being balanced alongside other parish assets.
At the A52 parish sign and bench, the area has been tidied, including strimming under the bench. The site is litter-free with no graffiti. However, paint is peeling from the bench, and some areas of exposed metal were noted.
The parish sign has been cleaned, including removal of mildew from the rear of the post. Early signs of rust were observed, though this is currently manageable with regular maintenance until repainting is required.

9/4/26 Financial matters:
a.    To authorise payments:
The accounts for payment for April were checked against the invoices to the list, confirmed as correct and signed by Cllrs David Dickason and Guy Bull. 
Resolved: To authorise the payments. 
Resolved: That the Clerk be authorised to process payments by online bank transfer as a temporary measure, noting that this deviates from current Financial Regulations. A full schedule of payments will be presented to the Council for oversight.

b.    To report bank balances
The Clerk had circulated the up-to-date budget figures for the current financial year along with the bank reconciliation to the Councillors prior to the meeting. 
Resolved: To accept the budget figures and bank reconciliation figures. 
The balances of the bank accounts as of 31 March 2026 were confirmed as £48,145.68 in the Current Account, £1,306.16 in the Business Reserve 1 account and £631.05 in the Business Reserve 2 account. 
c.    To discuss moving from Natwest to an alternative bank
The Council considered alternative banking providers.
Resolved: That the Council move its banking arrangements to Lloyds Bank.
d.    To review the bank mandate 
It was agreed that the bank mandate will be reviewed as part of the new account setup.
Resolved: That all Councillors be added to the bank mandate.

10/4/26 To note CCTV updates and image requests 
No new CCTV image requests had been received.

11/4/26 To receive a report from the Recreational Area Working Group, resolve actions and expenditure for issues raised:
a.    Washdyke: No issues were reported.  
i.    To discuss updating the CCTV system
The Council considered improvements to the CCTV system.
Resolved: That Initium Solutions Ltd be requested to provide a quotation and advice regarding CCTV upgrades.
b.    Furlongs: It was noted that the gate spring is broken and will require repair. Consideration was also given to installing a bike rack to discourage bicycles from being taken into the play area.
c.    Enos Wood: No issues were reported.  

12/4/26 Highways Matters: 
a.    Receive issues requiring maintenance/repair 
No new maintenance issues were raised.
b.    To receive reactive speed sign data 
The Council noted that reactive speed sign data is still awaited due to a delay in receiving the data cable, and the Clerk will continue to follow this up.
c.    To discuss setting up a Community Speed Watch scheme 
The Council considered the establishment of a Community Speed Watch scheme. It was agreed that further investigation will be undertaken.
d.    Cowbroads Lane 
There were no updates regarding Cowbroads Lane.

13/4/26 To note an update regarding the young people’s service provided by OLPC
The Council noted that the junior youth club session continues to be well attended, while attendance at the senior session remains low.
It was agreed that additional advertising will be explored and that advice will be sought from a nearby youth club to support increased engagement.

14/4/26 To note an update regarding Old Main Road MUGA
The Clerk reported that follow-up contact has been made regarding legal costs and next steps.

15/4/26 To discuss a proposed Skateboard Park 
The Council noted that a quotation of £119,877.00 plus VAT has been received for a combined skate park and MUGA facility.
It was noted that no decision has been made to proceed with the project. The Council acknowledged that external funding would be required and that a full public consultation would need to be undertaken before any further steps are considered.

16/4/26 To consider installing a shelter at the play area on Furlongs Lane 
The Council noted that final quotations are awaited. It was suggested that this project could be considered alongside the skate park and MUGA proposals.

17/4/26 To receive an update on the mosaic in the bus shelter on Church Road
The Clerk reported that no response has been received from The Boston School of Mosaic.
Resolved: That a quotation be obtained from The Painting Lady.

18/4/26 To discuss storage options for Council records and paperwork 
Resolved: That options for second-hand fireproof storage be explored.

19/4/26 To receive an update on up gov.uk email addresses
It was confirmed that all email accounts have been successfully set up and accessed.
The Clerk will contact individual Councillors to resolve any issues. This item will be removed from future agendas.

20/4/26 To discuss the Parish Council’s involvement in the Community Centre’s proposed Youth Disco and Engagement Event
Resolved: That a Christmas Disco be organised on Friday 18 December 2026.

21/4/26 Purchase of lamp post poppies and consideration of sponsored cards.
An update was provided on the Lamp Post Poppies project. It was noted that the project remains ongoing and that a poster has been produced containing relevant information for residents and businesses.
It was agreed that the order for poppies would not be placed until the closing date at the end of May to allow all contributions to be received and processed together.
It was further agreed that local businesses would be contacted to invite sponsorship or donations. Any surplus funds raised will be donated to the Royal British Legion.

22/4/26 To receive and review the updated Asset Register and to consider its adoption.
The Council reviewed the updated Asset Register, which had been circulated prior to the meeting.
Following consideration, it was:
Resolved: That the following items be removed:
•    Clerk’s laptop (£600.00) 
•    Old noticeboard at Commonside (£200.00) 
•    Teen Shelter at Washdyke Lane (£3,605.00) 
Resolved: That the following items be added:
•    CCTV system and cabinet at Washdyke Lane (£9,259.00 excl. VAT) 
•    Clerk’s computer (£665.83 excl. VAT) 
•    Two dual waste bins (£806.78 excl. VAT) 
•    New noticeboard at Commonside (£526.50 excl. VAT)

23/4/26 To discuss the Annual Parish Meeting
Resolved: That the Annual Parish Meeting be held on Monday 11th May 2026 at 6:30pm.

24/4/26 Planning applications received for a decision at this meeting (All plans can be viewed at www.mybostonuk.com)

25/4/26 Planning Decisions received from Boston Borough Council 
No planning decisions were received.

26/4/26 Correspondence received, not covered on the agenda
The Clerk reported ongoing frequent contact from a resident directed to both the Clerk and individual Councillors regarding parish matters. This was noted.

27/4/26 Matters for next agenda
No matters were raised.

28/4/26 Date of next meeting
The Annual Parish Council Meeting will be held on Tuesday 6th May 2026 at 7:00pm, followed immediately by an ordinary meeting of the Parish Council.
It was noted that the Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Monday 11th May 2026 at 6:30pm at Old Leake Community Centre. 
 
8:25pm The meeting closed. 

Old Leake Parish update April 2026

We continue to update the Clerk with details of funding opportunities for the village. 
We are aware of an increase in rural crime in recent weeks including attempted break ins in several parts of Wrangle.  we have passed details of crimes to Borough Council officials and liaising with police and Community Support officers at Boston Borough Council. 
To go with this the community safety team at BBC attended the youth club a couple of weeks ago on the back of a request from Cllr Booley to us. This was in relation to the anti social behaviour that continues to persist with a small minority of children in the village. 
We have had a couple of residents mention speeding along Church road, including lorries. We have advised them to contact our County Councillor to see if anything can be done to help alleviate the issue. This was as a result of the recent road closures on The Gride and Station road Sibsey. 
Cllr Staples as Portfolio holder for communities has launched the Community Nomination scheme where we as Borough councils nominate someone from the community who is an unsung hero and makes a huge contribution to the local community. Callum has nominated Trevor Wilkinson. 
It was great to see the Hub and TBBT recently appear on Look North shining a positive spotlight on our community. 
Active Lincs are looking at funding community projects in 2 villages, Old Lekae and Kirton. We have referred them to the Parish Councillors and may be considered appropriate for a project they are doing.
We are both now Community Governors at Old Leake Primary Academy. They are considering using Enos Wood for school visits.

In the borough, 
Boston Borough council and the SELCP are starting to gear up for the introduction of food waste. This is due to launch in September in our area and more details will be given over the next few months. Caddies and bins will be delivered from June/ July. This change has also allowed us the opportunity to look at all the bin routes as some are too big, as you can appreciate with housebuilding in the borough since the last review over 14 years ago. This will result in changes to collection days for the vast majority of residents. New Calanders will be given to residents prior to the changes commencing in September. There will also be a stand at Wrangle and Old Leake shows to discuss food waste changes.  
As a cabinet, we are finalising the criteria to bid for some of the 1.5 million Pride in Place funding. The 3 areas we are looking at are community spaces, such as village halls, Community Spaces, such as parks, and High Street, which isn’t limited to just Boston. 
Work has now started on Wainfleet road on the building of 200 new homes. This site will include 2-4 bed houses including Shared ownership, affordable rent, and 36 specialist retirement properties. 
Rosegarth square is nearing completion of the public realm section of the development. As part of this, the historic 1927, 5 lamps are to be removed in the next couple of weeks and restored. This will include sandblasting, painting and fitting new electrics and fittings so that the feature will once again have 5 lamps. Once finished they will be placed in the Rosegarth scheme near to where the former B and M trolley bay once stood. 

Thank you,.
Borough Cllrs Baxter and Butler.