BASTON ANNUAL PARISH MEETING held in The Barn, Thursday

Minutes of BASTON ANNUAL PARISH MEETING held in The Barn, Thursday 9 th April 2015 @ 8pm

Present- Diane Savage (Church), Mary Flatters, Steph Balderson (Baston WI), Eileen Mort

(CAMEO), Peter Rayner (BEG/BAOD), Phil Davies (Baston Football Club), Alan Wood

(Traditional music & song), Debbie Pryde (Baby & Toddler & 1 st Rainbows), Lloyd Stewart

(Cricket Club), Mark Richardson, Nick Rickett (Baston Fireworks/Car & Bike Show, B-

Active & BAGS) Amanda Jenkins (South Lincs Fenland Partnership) PCSO Raechell Last

(Lincs Police on Crime Prevention team)

Parish Councillors – James Affleck, Matthew Parkin, Alan Hutchins, Liz Gilliatt, Jim

Hartley, D.Cllr Kelham Cooke, C.Cllr Martin Trollope-Bellew.

Clerk & D.Cllr – Ms R H Woolley

Residents - 20

James Affleck (Chairman of Parish Council) opened the meeting by welcoming everyone to the new look meeting where organisations from within & associated with the village were able to meet on an informal basis.

001/15 Apologies – Connie Jones (Kirkstone House), Sandra Taylor (CAME0) Jean Cross (Chairman of

Governors Baston CofE School), Sandra Kirk (Tap at the barn),

002/15 Minutes of the last Annual Parish Meeting

It was proposed Alan Hutchins by & seconded Matthew Parkin by that the minutes of the last meeting held on 10 th April 2014 be received. It was resolved that Mr Affleck sign the minutes as a correct record.

All agreed.

003/15 Matters arising from the minutes

None

004/15 Reports from Chairman of the Parish Council, Village Organisations & Outside Bodies – See below

005/15 To consider comments, concerns and resolutions raised by electors of the Parish - None

006/15 Date of next Annual Parish Meeting – April 2016

Meeting closed 9.00pm

ITEM 4

1.

Parish Council report

In this election year, I would like to start by thanking my fellow councillors for their service and the businesses, organizations and community of the Parish of Baston for their interest in and support of the work of the Parish Council.

In this past year, the Parish Council has continued to engage with the District and County

Councils on behalf of the parish, ensuring that the community’s views are heard, primarily in

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Minutes of BASTON ANNUAL PARISH MEETING held in The Barn, Thursday 9 th April 2015 @ 8pm relation to the planning process, as well as supporting community organizations through donations and grants. In addition, the Council decided to review whether to take over the operation of any services currently provided by the District and County Councils.

Significant planning decisions from the last twelve months include:

An agreement with Larkfleet Homes as part of the planning approval for their new development that £22,981 would be made available for improvements to the village hall, with a further contribution for traffic calming;

Contribution to the consultation regarding gravel extraction in the locality;

Contribution commitment to the production of a Neighbourhood Development Plan.

The contribution to local funds from the planning approvals, meant the Parish Council was able to spend over £35,000 on behalf of the community including:

Supporting BPFMC in the refurbishment of the Barn;

Provision of a defibrillator;

Acquisition of passive and (coming soon) active speed signs;

Grants to Baston Primary School, Baston Rainbows, Baston FC & the Parochial Church

Council.

The Parish Council decided to, with effect from April, take over the maintenance of the grass verges and communal areas previously maintained by South Kesteven District Council and

Lincolnshire County Council, with the expectation that a much improved service will be delivered.

The Council’s plans for the coming year will be communicated after the election.

James Affleck (Chairman)

2.

L.C.C. Report 2015

This year marks the half way point in this Councils term of Office. It is normal for there to be midterm blues, but this time it is not apparent, to me anyway.

Finance - The £ 148 M savings have been made, but another £ 90 M cut in Goverment funding will have to be found.

The Council in February passed a 1 year Budget as we are uncertain what the impact of the 7 th May will be, we normally have some idea what will happen in the next 2 to 5 years, so we can forward plan, but this year we are in the dark.

L.C.C. have increased their share of the Council Tax by 1.9%, for the first time in 4 years, £20.25 a year on a Band D Property or 38p a week.

Councillors Allowances - An increase of 2.2% was recommended & passed, 2.2% is the amount that

Officers Pay has increased in the last year, if Officers increase had been zero then the recommendation would be zero for Councillors as well. Councillors can refuse to take any part or all their Allowances.

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Libraries - Stamford is a first tier Library, it will be open 48 hours a week. Bourne second tier open 45 hours. The decision on who runs the Service will be made later on in the year, if the new Judicial Review does not happen.

Boundary Commission - L.C.C. has suggested that the Council be reduced from 77 to 71 Members, for the 2017 Election.

The average Division has about 7,200 Voters this will increase to 7,800 to 8,000

Stamford Hospital - The Trust Board met in Stamford on 24 th Feb, their main decisions were:-

1) Increase the time the M.I.U. is open ( evenings & week-ends)

2) Increase the number of services provider @ Stamford ( Diabetes, Echocadiology, Antenatal,

Urology and Dermatology)

3) Put in a static M.R.I. scanner instead of the Mobile, cost about £ 850,000, (instead of the Mobile that is there 13 days a month)

4) Build 2 Procedure Rooms on the site of the Hurst Ward

5) Increase the Parking ( but hope to charge for it )

6) Get rid of the West end of the site, but modernise the East end. Costing between £8.2 M & £9.5

M

Finally I have had the pleasure of awarding £300 from my ‘Big Society Fund’ towards the cost of a defibrillator for the village.

Martin Trollope-Bellew

County Councillor - Baston

3.

South Lincolnshire Fenlands Partnership – for Baston Annual Parish Meeting – 9 April

2015

The South Lincolnshire Fenlands Partnership is working to enhance and create an iconic fenland landscape within productive and important Lincolnshire farmlands. The area covered by the project includes the villages of Baston, Langtoft, Thurlby Fen, Tongue End and Twenty.

The Partnership’s aim is to recreate fenland and other wetlands centred on the nature reserves of Baston, Thurlby and Willow Tree Fen near Bourne to benefit people and wildlife. We are telling the story of the history and culture of the fens and encouraging people to come and explore our unique and beautiful fenland countryside.

The partnership was involved in the purchase of Willow Tree Fen in 2009. This new nature reserve, owned and managed by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, is just 6 miles from Baston. Come and visit and see the wonderful wildlife that has made its home here. There are accessible walking routes, bird hides, parking and toilet facilities and an information centre. Schools and

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Minutes of BASTON ANNUAL PARISH MEETING held in The Barn, Thursday 9 th April 2015 @ 8pm groups can visit the reserve free of charge, contact Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust on 01507 526667 for more information.

We work with local environment groups, businesses, farmers, parish, district and county councils, mineral companies and national organisations; all with a passion and interest in conserving and promoting our rich fenland wildlife, heritage, agriculture and landscape.

In February 2015 we held a workshop event at The Barn, where representatives of local interest groups were invited to learn about the work and ambitions of the South Lincolnshire Fenlands

Partnership. We discussed the benefits we gain from the local landscape, what the different interests represented at the meeting want from the area and the balance of land-use we would like to see here in the future. We also looked at the policies set out in the Lincolnshire County

Council Minerals and Waste Local Plan. The meeting report was forwarded to Lincolnshire

County Council.

We appreciate local involvement and welcome ideas and comments on our work. Working with the support of local communities, farmers, businesses and organisations is important

and will help to shape and realise the partnership’s aims and vision for the fens.

Amanda Jenkins

4.

BASTON ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP

We are now in the eighteenth year of our inauguration in May 1997. Our objectives are consistent: - maintaining and improving the environment in and around Baston and adjacent

Parishes. We work with the BPC, residents, landowners and industrial groups to ensure that the village retains its environmental heritage for future generations. Membership of the Lincolnshire

Wildlife Trust brings change, especially being a founding partner of South Lincolnshire Fenlands

Partnership. Progress with access to the developing wetlands as a result of gravel extraction is on-plan with viewing sites along Baston Outgang Road and the Sites of Special Scientific

Interest along part of the Glen bank base to Wards farm being developed. Access to the Freeman

Lakes with linked pathways, routes and bird hides should come as the extraction process ceases.

Our core Parish Paths Partnership (3Ps) role is allied to the LCC and the British Trust for

Conservation Volunteers. These supportive groups have enabled BEG to carry out annual clearance work and repairs to 6 designated public footpaths, their hedgerows and open spaces within the parish. New trees have been planted. The Kissing Gate on Baston No. 1 (Aveland) is being repaired. Encroachment and changes of direction of these public pathways has been averted. BEG studied the policies set out in the Lincolnshire County Council Minerals and Waste

Local Plan to 2031. Our views to LCC are no different from the previous 5 years of this process and we now await the vastly important ‘Call for Sites’ detail to become available yet again. This will show how intrusive new applications for extraction might impact on our village life and sight-lines. Village action may be needed.

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Archaeological details in the Baston PC area continue. The excavations at the housing extension to

Aveland are complete with the identification of ancient ritual a site of 2000 BC, plus detailed evidence of

Roman, Viking and Anglo-Saxon habitation. The on-line flood check on the Glen during rain storms continues. The relevant flood maps for surface drainage and river/sea floods should see little or no change, to the flood component cost of house insurance. Presentations to village groups continue.

New active members are welcome – it costs nothing to join. The current team – small as it is, is getting older and needs younger blood to spill – on thorns etc. it would energise us!!! Thank you for the physical help of PC members and support of the team.

Chairman – Peter Rayner. 560 895

5.

Rainbows

Rainbows are the youngest member of the Girl Guiding Family

Rainbows

Brownies age 5-7 age 7-10

Guides age 10-14

Senior Section age 14 upwards

Adult leader age 18 upwards

At 1 st Baston Rainbows we meet on a Monday evening at The Barn from 6 pm to 7.15 pm.

Various activities are planned with the aid of the girls – they choose most of the things we do each session, playing various games, bats/balls, parachutes, chair games and even some board games, craft, singing, sports and much more!

Every term a rota is sent to the parents as we need help to run the evening and we have found that when parents join in they thoroughly enjoy themselves and are excited by what the girls achieve during an evenings’ activity. This is not compulsory, however Rainbows at Baston cannot run unless I have help from parents and it is only once a term – usually! I also have 3 very talented and helpful young ladies who assist me. These girls are doing their Duke of Edinburgh Awards through school and are volunteering at Rainbows – they are only supposed to volunteer for 3 months however the girls are doing so well and enjoying themselves they have decided to complete a full year and this has proven most helpful (and made my life a lot easier!).

So far this year (from September) we have:

 been on a Christmas sleep over (Santa visited) and the girls had Christmas dinner cooked by the adult leaders, lots of craft, played tag by torch light and ‘cinema’ session with hot chocolate and marshmallows.

 celebrated Chinese New Year at a local Chinese Restaurant (courtesy of Baston Parish Council’s donation of £150)

 visited Tesco for Farm to Fork – the girls enjoyed being behind the scenes and the large freezers out the back are not a place to stay too long!



Tobogganing at Tallington Lakes (courtesy of Baston Car & Bike Show’s donation of £250

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Further activities are being planned for the rest of the current year (ie ending in July), as I am hoping to take the girls possibly to laser tag (at Spalding) or bowling (at Peterborough) and we end the year with our Rainbow Barbeque where the parents and siblings of the Rainbows are invited to join us in a party.

Should you require any further details please feel free to contact me, Debbie, on 07908 816109 or alternatively going to www.girlguiding.co.uk

and click on Join Us to put your daughters’ name on the waiting list.

Debbie Pryde

6.

Baston Baby & Toddler Group

At Toddler Group we are open to parents, grandparents and carers, offering a friendly atmosphere and an opportunity for the children to play with various toys, enjoy lots of different crafts, dressing up, a chance to get messy, stories, singing and much more.

We are open term time only on a Thursday morning, from 10am to 11.30am. We have a rota system for people to volunteer to help set up (from 9.15am), along with kitchen helper, cake maker (gets free entry) and tidy upper once the session has ended.

With effect from April, after the Easter holidays, the entrance fee will increase to £2.50 per family (1 adult and 2 children). Any additional adult and/or child will incur an additional cost of

50p.

We have various fund raising activities during the year; commission from a local photography firm, Christmas party, Easter Fun Day and Teddy Bears Picnic in July, all of which raise money to buy new toys for the children, craft materials and leaving presents for the children who start primary school in the following September.

If you would like to join us we re-open after the Easter holidays on Thursday 16 th April 2015 at

10am – see you there!

Best wishes

Tina Manning & Debbie Chadwick

7. Baston Cricket Report To Parish Council 2015

2013 was an extremely successful season for Baston CC in South Lincs and Border League

Division One. The club finished 3 rd in Div 1. Taken in context this result really was punching above our weight as a small village team.

The 2014 season was one of mixed blessings. From a result prospective we had an overall disappointing season, finishing bottom of the league. The club also competed in the

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Peterborough Midweek T20 League, also finishing bottom of the pile. It certainly wasn't all doom and gloom though, with several excellent wins and some very pleasing individual performances.

The club can look back on fantastic performances to defeat a strong Long Sutton team twice.

This included defending 96 in a thrilling game at The Shrine, and posting an impressive 177-7 away from home, thanks to a century opening stand between openers Mark Richardson and another villager Joe Malton.

There was also some success on the bowling front, spinner John Lamin once again finishing in the top ten of the league wicket-takers, set up by a wonderful 6-8 early in the season.

One of the most pleasing aspect of the season was the introduction of two 14 year-old's from the village into the side, both of whom scored their first runs and took their first wickets for the club. We look forward to seeing their progress this year, and hopefully encouraging more local youngsters to take up cricket. Other villagers have also become involved both as players and members of BCC.

From Baston Fireworks and other donations we have a newly erected all weather nets that has been well used by villagers.

This year BPFMC paid for significant post season maintenance of the cricket square that will continue to provide a much improved playing surface.

To further entice and retain youngsters we must continue to improve the square.

This requires not just effort but continued investment in machinery and materials.

With a new committee we are perusing different avenues to raise the funds necessary to continue the club’s improvement. Main areas as follows:

1. I ncreased players’ match fees

2. Applied for a grant to purchase covers so the wickets can be protected and prepared to the highest standard.

3. Seeking sponsors for home games to offset the cost of ground hire, teas & preparation

4. Seek contribution to offset the league membership & insurance costs

Our application to The England & Wales Cricket Trust (EWCT) Small Grant Scheme has resulted in an offer to fund £2,500 towards the £4,080 required.

As a club we have to find the remaining £1,580

To allow our fund raising activities to go towards this shortfall we are requesting a contribution from BPC of £255 to the pay for our league fees & balls.

Our fixture list is on our website and frequent game reports will be posted.

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Yours Sincerely

Lloyd Stewart

8.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, BASTON

It has been a difficult year, financially, as we have work on our Quinquennial to do and not enough money to do it all! It has been a matter of prioritising the work.

We have managed to raise donations to enable the work on the church clock to be carried out and we are grateful to the Parish Council for their contribution.

2014 was the first year in over 20 years we have not been able to pay our full Parish Share to

Lincoln. The Parish Share covers the Incumbent’s salary, pension, housing, training, mission etc.

We had 6 Baptisms, 3 Weddings and 7 Funerals.

During 2014 we had our Lunches in Lent which were very successful, Coffee Mornings, Heritage

Weekend, Tea Dance, Bottle Game and Children’s Tombola at Baston in the Blitz, Harvest

Auction and Christmas Tree Festival.

Our Services continue in a regular pattern, first Sunday 10.00am Holy Communion, second

Sunday 8.00am BCP Holy Communion and 10.00am Family Service, third Sunday is 10.00am

Holy Communion with Healing Prayer in rotation with Langtoft and Thurlby and fourth Sunday

10.00am we have a Family Communion as sort of halfway house between Family Services and

Holy Communion.

Diane Savage

Hon. Secretary

9.

BASTON Against Over Development Group

This is the eighteenth report to the PC of the Baston Against-Over Development Group. An informal group, running now for 20 years, it has a continuing objective to stabilise the development of housing, factories and infrastructure in the Parish. Working on behalf of residents and landowners – all of us villagers – encouraged by the objective that the village should retain its heritage for future generations.

Villagers will be aware that the Planning Laws of 2013 allow for permitted developments, extensions and building works within certain parameters for you and your neighbours. Check online to see the detail: rights apply between 30 May 2013 and 30 May 2016 . Interesting infringements should be discussed with SKDC– so if you believe building work is being carried out that could benefit from an official oversight, do call SKDC Planning or Building Regs. staff.

An early understanding of additions to your neighbour’s property can save you ‘grief’.

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The Lincolnshire County Council Minerals and Waste Local Plan sets out details for Minerals excavations and Refuse site allocations and especially for Restoration, in Lincolnshire to 2031.

It covers work since 2008, with various stages, halts and starts, comments from the public, call for sites and deliberations. Another ‘call for sites’ for landowners and gravel extractors and waste disposal companies should be completed this May. On publication BAOD will bring this to the attention of villagers before the complete LCC document is finalised for Gov. Approval in

2016.

The BAOD commitment to ensure no ‘windmills’ appear in this Parish has not changed. A possible proposal for a Solar Array west of the village may yet occur. Built effectively and with care this could be good for villagers.

We work directly with your councillors at District and County and our MP on all developmental issues that affect the Parish. Our objective is for BAOD to become inactive. But I doubt this will happen as plans change and a local check needs to be made continuously. A new Local Plan is underway by

SKDC. It needs your input.

Chairman – Peter Rayner.

The detail of Baston life is available from archived documents from AD 650; it is digitised for analysis.

Church records since 1540 are digitised along with 32 separate deeds and documents of the village cottages. Right now I have the Tax maps of 1904 as they show all the tax payments and details of each property at that time – so we shall use these, plus the Inclosure ‘land’ document of 1813.

764 homes in 2015 is nigh! Baston has over 550 homes, so w

The installation of superfast broadband to some e might all get a 30Mb speed, but can we type or view faster

10.

CAMEO REPORT APRIL 2015

Cameo continues to flourish with around 26 members. During the last year we have welcomed three new members. Sadly we lost Tony Lewis who had in the early years of Cameo been a regular member.

Some members attend on a regular basis and others attend when they can. There is always a lovely joyful atmosphere at Cameo and everyone enjoys the laughter and feeling of real friendship and support at meetings.

We have had many ‘musical’ meetings. Baston School Choir came to sing twice; We had a wonderful group called Millstone Grit; HMS Welland singing Sea Shanties and Alan Wood normally comes to sing twice a year.

Eileen Mort, Peter Rayner and Alan Hutchins came to speak and their support is appreciated. Eileen now provides our lovely printed posters, calendars and letter headings.

Averil Rate organises our yearly outings and the Christmas Meal. She also oversees the Bring and Buy

Stall.

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Cameo is a worthwhile and successful group in Baston.

Anyone is welcome to come on the third Wednesday of a month to see what Cameo is about and what it provides.

Sandra Taylor, Leader Cameo

11.

Traditional Music & Song at The Barn in Baston Review of the year 2014/15

Monthly concerts of folk and acoustic roots music at The Barn have been happening since

November 2004. These events are organised by Alan and Maggie Wood from Manor Drive, with help from John Reynolds and Stewart Goldsmith from Thurlby. They are self financing and non profit making. All the proceeds are used to bring top professional artists from the UK, Europe and, occasionally North America, to perform in a small concert environment.

The Barn is now recognised as one of the top ‘small venues’ for this type of music in the East

Midlands and we routinely book the very best established, and new, traditional music acts on the national folk music scene. Our tickets prices reflect this policy and our regular audience appreciates the quality, and wide range, of live music which is promoted. Some regular members of our audience travel from as far a field as Kettering, Kings Lynn and Leicester. A significant number, however, come from Baston and the surrounding area. Most concerts ‘sell out’ well in advance. We routinely have an audience of between 80 and 100.

We enjoy close links with the annual Whittlesey Straw Bear Festival and occasionally participate in their educational and promotions programmes. This involves music and dance in local schools and talks to Historical Societies and WI’s etc.

Alan is a music tutor for The East Anglian Traditional Music Trust and continues to offer free introductory tuition for the melodeon for those wishing to take advantage of our instrument hire scheme. ( See the website for more details )

We also organise occasional free music sessions in local pubs and several of our instrumentalists are members of Ceilidh bands playing for dances in the area. Members of our audience also support Carol Singing in the village and provide music with accordion, fiddle and guitar. Alan also provides entertainment for the Cameo group on a fairly regular basis. The

‘Bumps’ playgroup in Langtoft also enjoys regular visits from our musicians.

In 2014 we hosted 10 concerts in The Barn. The full list of artists can be seen on our web site ( just Google ‘Baston Folk’ is the quickest way to access ). All our booked guests are professional and many have international reputations for excellence in this genre of music. In 2014/15 they have included The Outside Track from Canada, Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies and Les Barker. All these artists are either recipients of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards or international equivalents.

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In November we organised our fourth traditional singing competition for solo performers. This was to compete for The Oscar Preston Memorial Trophy and the winner was Northamptonshire singer, Bob Fisher.

Our 2015 programme is already proving as popular as ever. Future concerts this year at The

Barn include many top names from the national folk music scene including Aly Bain, The Urban

Folk Quartet and The Coal Porters.

We usually ‘sell out’ and it is always necessary to book in advance with Alan or Maggie on

01778 560497.

Alan & Maggie Wood

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BASTON ANNUAL PARISH MEETING held in The Barn, Thursday

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