July 2025 DRAFT Minutes
Timberland and Thorpe Tilney Parish Council Meeting Minutes (Draft)
Date Monday 21st July, 2025
Start time: 19:00
Close: 20:42
Meeting Location Timberland Village Hall
Attendees:
PC Councillors Lenton (Chair), Slater, Audis, Thompson-Ayerst and Ayerst. Clerk – K Harvey
Apologies for Absence: PC Cllr D Nash, District Cllr A Whittle
1. Parishioner open forum
Four parishioners were present at the meeting.
Two parishioners from ‘Wild Fen’ attended asking for support from the PC to purchase some land that is for sale in Timberland, one priced at £425k and another at £125k. The proposal is to re-wild the area and make it available for use by parishioners for walking and recreation. Wild Fen is looking for PC support for the proposal including any financial contribution that can be provided. The PC support the proposal however we will need to discuss in further detail any financial support.
Action: Clerk to contact Wild Fen to ask for business plan and forward to the PC for debate/discussion
A representative from the FFD organisation team attended to advise it was a successful day and in the next week or so will provide us with the cash amount from the day so it can be deposited into the parish Family Funday account.
A parishioner attended the meeting to personally congratulate the Family Fun Day team for all of their hard work on what was a challenging day weather wise. The parishioner also advised of some broken temporary street signs that need collecting,
Action: Clerk to report signs and ask for collection
2. Apologies for absence
Cllr D Nash and District Cllr A Whittle
3. Declarations of interest
Cllr Thompson-Ayerst has advised us that she is related to the Chair of the Village Hall as is Cllr Ayerst.
4. Minutes of previous meeting
Minutes of meeting held on Monday 19th May 2025 were approved.
Proposed: Cllr Audis, Seconded: Cllr Thompson-Ayerst. All Agreed
5. District & County Councillor remarks
Nothing to report as County Cllr Kendrick was not present at the meeting.
6. Planning
Nothing to report.
7. Highways
• A report has been made to Cllr Audis that 4 Martin Road Timberland has an over hanging tree making it difficult to access the footpath
Action: Clerk to write to the resident requesting the tree being trimmed.
• Cllr Lenton has written to the Countryside Alliance for support on culvert at the bottom of Church Lane as currently still in disrepair, we await a reply.
8 Standing Parish items
8.1 Timberland Green
• Cllr Lenton has received confirmation from the TVG lease holders that we are allowed to adjust / make safe the pathway between the Church and the village green. It has been agreed by the PC that both sides of the gate will be made safe. The outstanding action is now closed.
• ROSPA inspection has been booked in and confirmed to take place sometime in August.
• Cllr Ayerst-Thompson has asked to confirm what our obligation is regarding the nets attached to the football goals and if someone should trip or hurt themselves. Also, the same obligation for the swings.
Action: Clerk to look at the Parish Insurance and with ROSPA to see if there is anything specific in relation to play park equipment.
• Cllr Thompson-Ayerst asked if the PC are still considering the replacing the shelter. A decision is required soon to ensure that the lease agreement is not compromised as no new structure can be built. This needs to be agreed at the next PC meeting
Action: Clerk to add this to the next PC meeting agenda.
8.2 Timberland Village Hall
Nothing to report
8.3 Family fun Day 2025
• Cllr Thompson-Ayerst reported that the Family Fun Day went ahead as planned despite inclement weather and was a hugely successful and well supported event. The FFD team will provide an update report when the full details of the event are confirmed.
8.4 Grounds & dyke maintenance
• Cllr Audis has submitted the half season cost for grass cutting and the Clerk has prepared and sent the invoice to LCC.
• Cllr Audis has trimmed and tidied the hedge by the footpath on Bayfield Road has overgrown.
Action: Clerk to request another cut from LCC
• The dyes alongside Church Lane and Timberland Green are overgrown again. The PC will once again contact the owners of the properties on Church Lane to request that they comply with Riparian Rights and clear the dykes ahead of the poor weather arriving later in the year. The PC will make arrangements for the dyke alongside Timberland Green to be cleared.
Action: Clerk to send Cllr Lenton the previous letter to the effected houses so we can readjust wording and resend the letter.
8.5 Emergency Planning
Nothing to report
8.6 Social media
Action: All PC to review the website and send suggestions to the Clerk for updating.
Updates have been done on the website, documents are now up to date and old information removed. (Action remains ongoing and should be prioritised as the website is in urgent need of updating. It was agreed that the website should be used primarily for sharing documents and updates with parishioners.)
• It was reported that the PC Facebook Page is increasing in popularity, and the number of followers is increasing rapidly. It was agreed that the approved PC meeting minutes will be posted on the site in addition to the PC website. Cllr Slater will organise going forward.
8.7 Parish Council
• There is still one vacancy for a PC and new adverts will be designed and placed in notice boards and on website
Action: Cllr Slater to repost advert on Timberland PC Facebook in August
• Cllr Lenton advised that the Timberland village green notice board has blown Perspex making it hard to read the notices
Action: Cllr Lenton to investigate cost of replacement and all agreed this would come out of CIL monies
8.8 Human Resources
Action: Clerk to contact LALC regarding expected salary increases in 2025. (No update as clerk unavailable.)
8.9 Correspondence
Action: Cllr Nash to provide installation info to British Heart Foundation when he has it. (Action update: now completed
9 Finance Status Update
9.1 Accounts Status / Finance update
• Bank Balances reported by the clerk as follows: Community Account £5492.00, Reserve Account: £10,497.85 (includes £2,978.46 CIL money), Family Fun Day Account £915.98
• Cllr Lenton has provided the financial tracking spreadsheet and the PC is on track with spending for the FY
9.2 Payments for Approval
The following payments were discussed and agreed by the PC.
Proposed Cllr Ayerst, Seconded Cllr Thompson-Ayerst. All agreed.
|
Payee |
Amount |
Details |
|
Clerk |
£600.50 |
Salary – 10 weeks |
|
Clerk |
£20.00 |
WFH expenses |
|
Clerk |
£17.59 |
Printer ink |
|
Litter Picker |
£122.10 |
Salary |
|
Cllr Audis |
£31.86 |
Reimbursement for mower fuel |
|
LALC |
£42.00 |
Induction Course for Cllr Thompson-Ayerst |
9.3 Community Infrastructure Levy
A request has been received from St Andrew’s church asking if the PC can contribute to the repair work required to allow the church to reopen. This was discussed but a decision was not taken due to time constraints. This will be discussed outside of the PC meeting with a view to making a decision asap, which will be ratified at the next PC meeting.
Action: PC to further discuss possible donation
• As previously actioned, the clerk provided details of the CIL money received to date and any outstanding amount. No further CIL money is due at the current time. Action updated: Amount received since 2024 is £3244.10
Action: All councillors to provide suggestions on the PC WhatsApp site as to what the CIL money should be spent on. (Update Carried forward to be discussed at the net PC meeting.)
• The Clerk has started a ‘wish list’ of spending suggestions for the CIL fund and will keep updated and circulate to PC
10 Supplementary Items
10.1 Bus Service
• Cllr Thompson-Ayerst has asked if we understand the frequency and reliability of the bus service that currently comes through the village. There are several villagers who would like to use a bus service should it be available.
Action: Clerk to investigate and advise Cllr Thompson-Ayerst
10.2 Drainage Survey for Church Lane
• Cllr Audis reported that District Councillor Kendrick met with two representatives from the highways department on site in Timberland. They are still having discussions with the landowner to carry out the full dyke and culvert survey. They are going to update the Clerk when they have further news.
Action: Clerk to contact County Cllr Rob Kendrick for details on the outcome of the survey.
10.3 Village Container Keys
• Cllr Slater has suggested we need a secure key safe for keys to the gate at the green and the container where emergency sandbags are available for the EMT.
Action: Cllr Slater to investigate and purchase a key safe – all agreed to go ahead asap
10.4 Mower
• Cllr Slater has suggested we have someone else that can use and work the mower as a standby if Cllr Audis is unavailable. Cllr Nash is talking to Cllr Audis to arrange mower instructions.
• Cllr Audis to talk to Cllr Nash to discuss help with maintaining the village green
11 Agenda items for next meeting (15th September 2025)
CIL and Reserve Account spending
12 Meeting Close
Meeting closed at 20:55