2026 Minutes

ALLINGTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting held at Allington Village Hall

Wednesday 18th March 2026

 

Present: Councillor Reynolds (Vice-Chair)

Councillor Carlyle (arrived late at 20:03)

Councillor Baron

Councillor Scott

Kate Griffin (Clerk/RFO)

 

County Councillor Richard Litchfield

County Councillor Robert Leadenham

Residents. No Residents

 

PUBLIC FORUM: The Public Forum does not form part of the meeting of the Parish Council

As no residents were present and no other items were raised for discussion Cllr Reynolds announced the Parish Council meeting could start at 7.25pm

 

28/26 WELCOME AND APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Vice Chair Cllr Reynolds chaired the meeting in the absence of the Chair. Cllr Reynolds welcomed everyone and thanked the County and District Councillors for attending. Apologies were received from Cllr Marvin, Cllr Plummer and Cllr Storer for reasons previously given and accepted by the council.

 

29/26 DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOCALISM ACT 2011

Cllr Baron declared that his partner is secretary for the WI agenda item 13. Therefore, Cllr Baron will be excluded from voting on this item.

 

30/26     APPROVAL OF MINUTES

It was resolved to approve the notes of the Parish Council Meeting of January 14th 2026 and Extraordinary meetings of January 29th 2026 and February 25th 2026, signed as minutes by the Vice-Chair as a true record of the meetings. Previously circulated to all members of the council. It was resolved to accept the notes as minutes.

 

31/26     CLERKS CORRESPONDENCE REPORT

The clerk distributed a list of emails which had previously been circulated the to all Councillors:

A copy of this list can be obtained by emailing the Parish Clerk at parish.clerk@allingtonpc.org.uk

There were no questions from the Council.

 

32/26 DISTRICT AND COUNTY COUNCILLORS REPORT

County Councillor Litchfield gave a brief re-cap of actions since the walkaround in December with Cllr Marvin. Cllr Litchfield advised that the kerbing to the Village Green was listed to take place with LCC assets team. The blue barriers are still in place until then but would be removed when kerbing is installed and the grass re-seeded. This will be when the weather is better and he hoped this would be before Summer. This work is being funded by LCC. Cllr Baron queried whether kerbing would be enough to stop drivers mounting the Green and asked whether posts might be an option. Cllr Scott commented this might change the aesthetics of a rural village and that constituents should be consulted. Cllr Litchfield confirmed that if it was felt the kerbing alone was not sufficient some form of posts could still be an option at a later date. Cllr Litchfield advised LCC feel the No Through Road signage is adequate, this was questioned by Cllrs Reynolds and Baron as lorries clearly do not see the signs. Cllr Litchfield asked that Cllrs and residents use the Lorry Watch link to report any further incidents as this would provide LCC with data. Use the following link : https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/traffic-management/report-misuse-weight-restricted-roads

Cllr Litchfield asked whether there had been any queries regarding a solar panel on Foston Lane which powers electric gates. Cllrs confirmed nothing had been raised. Cllr Baron asked about the possible Solar Farm letter received by many residents to which Cllr Leadenham confirmed he had spoken to the director of planning and there are currently no known planning applications for solar farms. There is nothing on the register for this area.

Cllr Litchfield gave feedback on the recent request for improved bus services to the village. He confirmed he had spoken with Andrea Jenkyns and her team regarding the letter sent by APC and that he would now be writing to the local bus companies to express the frustration at the lack of service, quoting Andrea Jenkyns views on the matter.

There will be a joint Councillor surgery with Councillor Litchfield and Councillor Leadenham at Sedgebrook Social Club on April 30th in the evening, details to follow. All Allington residents will be welcome to attend to discuss any matters of concern.

District Councillor Leadenham advised there had been a ward planning meeting attended by Allington, Sedgebrook, Harlaxton, Denton and Barrowby Councillors.

Food waste bins have now been distributed and come in to force in the next few weeks and should have now been delivered to all residents.

Cllr Leadenham advised there is currently a consultation period regarding LGR, as per his recent Facebook post. 

Cllr Leadenham asked how the waste bin use was working on Marston Lane and reminded the Council that this needs to be used during this trial period otherwise it will be removed by SKDC. 

Cllr Leadenham brought a supply of dog fouling signs and speeding signs.

Cllr Leadenham asked whether the playpark train was back in place yet. He asked to be kept in the loop regarding any problems encountered with the deadline. Cllr Reynolds commented the possible issue might be weather.

Cllr Leadenham asked whether there was anyone the Council could nominate for the SKDC awards, email previously sent and circulated.

ACTIONS: Clerk to inform residents about Lorry Watch link and remind residents to use waste bin. Clerk to advertise Joint Councillor Surgery 6/4/26. 

 

33/26     CLERKS FINANCE REPORT

The accounts for payment were checked against the invoices and lists, and signed by Cllrs Reynolds and Scott. It was resolved to approve the receipts and payments for March as per Financial Regulations 6.10 

Copies of the full list can be obtained by emailing the Clerk at parish.clerk@allingtonpc.org.uk

 

Bank statement checking and balance check was undertaken and statements signed by Cllr Carlyle as per Financial Regulations 2.6

Bank balance as of 06th March 2026:

HSBC Current A/c balance = £9374.26

HSBC Savings A/c balance - £41022.77

 

The bank reconciliation to the end of Q3, Dec 2025, was previously approved at the last meeting, Cllr Carlyle signed and verified the bank reconciliation. (Copy available to view online at: allington.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk)

 

Other Transactions

It was resolved to pay the Village Caretaker overtime, if necessary, to treat 2 x wooden village benches.

It was acknowledged that the National Minimum wage would be increasing from April 2026, this would affect staff and be followed up by the staffing committee.

The new bank mandate with HSBC is now in place with confirmed signatories as follows:

Cllr Marvin, Cllr Reynolds, Cllr Plummer, Cllr Carlyle and the Clerk. 

The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) Data protection fee is due to be paid by direct debit on March 25th 2026 for £47.00

A HMRC VAT reclaim was made and payment received for £1992.03

 

CLERK TO ACTION: Clerk to make relevant payments of outstanding invoices.

Clerk to upload Bank reconciliation Q3 to website. Clerk to inform staffing committee of new minimum wage.

34/26     TO RECEIVE CLERKS REPORT

Since the January 14th meeting the following actions have taken place:

 

The Chair and Clerk attended LALC Internal Controls training.

 

The clerk queried email issues with the email host, advice was received and circulated to all.

 

A reminder email to the local school was sent regarding car parking issues at school drop off and pick up times. The school acknowledged they are aware of this issue and would circulate an email reminder to parents.

 

An email was sent to the SKDC funding team for the playpark project to inform them of the current delays and that the end of Feb deadline would not be met. This has been acknowledged and an extension granted to April 10th 2026 at absolute latest.

 

The Pension Regulator has been emailed to confirm our re-declaration of compliance.

 

A FixMyStreet report was raised for the flood at the Sedgebrook bridge on 29 Jan 2026.

 

Email sent to Rowan Smith at LCC Highways reporting recent damages caused to grass verges and a request for better no through road signage at Bottesford Road by the Green.

 

Letter sent to Andrea Jenkyns, Mayor for Lincs, and copied to LCC regarding lack of local bus services.  A reply was received from Andrea Jenkyns office, nothing from LCC to date. The reply from The Mayor acknowledges the challenges for residents and assured that whilst the authority to add or amend bus routes does not fall with directly the mayor, the comments have been noted and would be considered in any future GLCCA transport plans.

 

An email was sent to the Allington News team to request a note to be included to remind residents to use FixMyStreet more as this is the best and most direct way to inform LCC of issues regarding flooding, grass damage, drainage issues, trees and hedge issues etc.

 

Great Gonerby Parish Council invited Allington Parish Council to share their Emergency Plan meeting with the Community Resilience Team. This was attended by Cllr Marvin and Cllr Storer along with representatives from the Allington Gardens Residents Association.

 

Following recent grass verge damage, an email was sent to M & B Sacks at Foston to verify that all large vehicles delivering and collecting are instructed not to cut through Allington. A reply was received advising that they are aware of the issues and assured us they always inform drivers there is no-where to turn around in the village and not to use the village to cut through to the A1 or A52.

 

A funding application form from Moor Bioenergy has been completed for a possible grant towards the Bus Shelter. Any decision will not be made until May 2026.

 

A funding application for bus shelters was received from LCC. This will need to be completed and submitted to see if we are eligible for any funding from LCC.

 

The Internal Auditor completed the Interim audit. I am currently working through the report to action the points she has raised.

 

An email was sent to the liquidator for Commercial Play Ltd. Copies of contracts and invoices have been sent as submission of debt in order to try and recover the losses.

 

An email was sent to the haulage firm, Andersons Transport, who caused considerable damage to the grass verges at the top of Bottesford Road, they have acknowledged this and apologised however no response has been received to our request for compensation for the damage.

 

An email was sent to haulage firm, D&P Haulage, regarding damage to the grass on the Village Green. This was acknowledged and an apology sent, however no response to request for compensation.

 

3 separate quotes have been requested and received for the repairs to the bus shelter roof.

 

Cllr Reynolds has inspected the defibrillator at the Village Hall. The pads and battery require replacement; an order has been made for these. This make of defib is no longer available and we have been advised that we will no longer be able to get parts after these. These are currently on back order and will be delivered in due course. They will have a 2-year life after which we will no longer be able to get replacements. 

 

A renewal questionnaire has been received from the insurance company for 2026/27.

 

Cllr Baron has had a discussion this week with Kevin Cartwright, the local SKDC planning officer for the Harworths planning application. The officer has advised that Harworths have submitted further information regarding the highway issues at the A1 junction and the Belton Lane junction near Great Gonerby. This information has to be reviewed therefore there will be a further consultation period to cover their proposals. Kevin Cartwright has advised he will keep Cllr Baron informed of any further information as and when available.

 

The request for the Precept for 2026/27 was emailed to SKDC.

 

35/26 Internal Audit Outcomes

Following a recent interim internal audit the following items needed to be reviewed and adopted. These were circulated to all by email for review and it was resolved to accept the following policies:

Health & Safety

IT Policy

Data Breach Policy

Freedom of Information Policy

 

The asset register for 2025/26 has been reviewed, all items have been checked that all are in working order/good condition. It was resolved to accept the asset register.

 

It was resolved that all Councillors have completed and signed the GDPR security checklist for 2025/26.

 

It was resolved that The Pensions regulator redeclaration of compliance was completed and made to TPR on January 29th 2026.

 

The Clerk advised that no records were available via the Land Registry Office for the Playing field and Village Green. The Clerk advised she was having difficulty finding any information relating to deeds and was still working on historic paperwork. Cllr Leadenham offered that he and Cllr Litchfield would also look at the SKDC / LCC asset register to see if any records were held there.

 

ACTIONS:  For clerk to upload copies of polices to website. For clerk to upload copy of asset register to website. For clerk to liaise with Cllrs Leadenham and Litchfield regarding Land registry and continue to investigate.

 

36/26 DISCUSSION CONDITION OF ROADS AND VERGES

Cllr Scott thanked the Parish Council and County/District Councillors for their maintenance efforts and for constantly working with the Highways team to try and resolve issues. Cllr Scott gave an in-depth presentation with photographic evidence demonstrating recent serious flooding events of 2023, 2024 and 2025 by the Saltwell and Peach Lane. Cllr Scott explained the floods were mainly caused by inadequate pipe system at the culvert there and that this is where blockages occur causing water to back up, overflow and flood the road. Cllr Scott explained that ideally the system needed to be upgraded to a one pipe system. Cllr Litchfield asked for the Parish Council to write to him with the photos and he will investigate further with LCC and push for actions.

ACTIONS: Cllr Scott to send photos and presentation to clerk to forward to Cllr Litchfield for action.

 

37/26  ALLINGTON PLAYPARK PROJECT

It was resolved to accept that Commercial Play have officially entered liquidation. The Liquidator for Commercial Play are confirmed as Maxwell Davies. 

The Clerk confirmed that submission of proof of payments made and copy invoices/contracts have been sent to the liquidator for their review.

 

Cllr Carlyle gave an update on the latest developments of the playpark project. Abacus Playgrounds are booked to start work on March 23rd laying the concrete slab for the train base. This would then be followed by the hardcore sub base. Once the concrete is set the train is to be returned and placed on the slab on Friday March 27th. Abacus are then due to return on Monday 30th to add the Wetpour surface. Abacus plan to use orange mesh to fence off the concrete /park area. Cllr Reynolds suggested asking the PFFR whether they had any other fencing the Council could use. 

ACTIONS: Clerk to contact PFFR to ask about fencing. Cllr Carlyle to continue to liaise with Abacus and report back on the progress of the project. 

 

38/26 EVENTS/PFFR COMMITTEE UPDATE

Cllr Carlyle gave an update on the progress of the proposed joint Parish Council/PFFR committee. Cllr Carlyle reported he had a meeting with some members of the PFFR where a potential outline for the Terms of Reference was discussed. This was generally well received by the PFFR who could see the need for greater collaboration in order for the Parish Council to have better governance of their internal controls for audit purposes. Cllr Carlyle explained there were still some points which needed clarification before the TOR could be finalised for approval. It was suggested that this would need discussion with either the Internal Auditor or LALC to ensure compliance with legislation. 

ACTIONS: Clerk to forward contact details to Cllr Carlyle for auditor/LALC. 

Cllr Carlyle to speak to auditor/LALC to clarify details needed to finalise the TOR.

 

39/26  TO APPROVE REQUEST FOR POPPY DISPLAY AT VILLAGE CROSS

The WI have requested approval to create a Poppy display at the Village Cross for Remembrance Day in November. It was resolved to approve this request, proposed by Cllr Scott and seconded by Cllr Carlyle. Cllr Reynolds commented that the PFFR should be informed as they usually also wish to advertise the ABF around the same time.

ACTIONS: Clerk to inform WI of the decision and also inform the PFFR.

 

40/26 ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

The Annual Parish Meeting will take place at the Village Hall on April 15th at 730pm. Various guest speakers were suggested and it was agreed to send invites to all as follows: SKDC planning officers regarding the Harworths Development latest, Rowan Smith from the Highways team, The Resilience Flood Team, environment agency, internal drainage board and all Parish Groups.

ACTIONS: For Clerk to send invites to all Parish Groups of the Village Hall and the above guests.  

 

41/26     AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEXT MEETING (APCM 13/5/26)

 

Emergency Plan update

Harworths update

Bus Shelter update

MUGA update

Barrowby Ward Planning update.

 

17/26     DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING

APM - 15/04/2026 - 730pm

APCM – 13/05/2026 

 

 

CLLR REYNOLDS CLOSED THE MEETING AT 9:18PM