2026 Minutes

Billingborough Parish Council  

Minutes of the annual meeting of Billingborough Parish Council held on 12 May 2026 in the Sports Pavilion at the Recreation ground.

Present: Cllrs C Woodhead (Chairman), M Turner, H Middleton, A Volanakis

In Attendance: H Beaver (Clerk). 1 member of the public.1 member of public joined the meeting at 7.33pm.

The meeting started at 19.06

1. Election of Chairman and signing of Chairman’s Acceptance of Office form.

011. Cllr Woodhead was proposed, seconded, and it was resolved to elect Cllr Woodhead as Chairman for the 26/27 year. She signed the acceptance of office form, witnessed by the Clerk.

2. Election of Vice Chairman and signing of Vice Chairman’s Acceptance of Office form.

3. 012. Cllr Volanakis was proposed, seconded, and it was resolved to elect Cllr Volanakis as Vice Chairman for the 26/27 year. Cllr Volanakis signed the acceptance of office form, witnessed by the Clerk.

4. Confirmation of Councillors and signing of Acceptance of Office forms – not required.

5. a) To receive Members’ declaration of interests in accordance with the adopted code of conduct – None received

b) To receive and consider members’ requests for dispensations in accordance with the adopted code of conduct and Standing Orders – none received.

6. Apologies for absence. 

013. Apologies had been received from Cllr Tweddle. It was RESOLVED to accept Cllr Tweddle’s apologies.

7. Approve draft minutes of the meeting held 10 March 2026.

014. It was RESOLVED to accept the minutes as circulated. The Chairman signed the minutes.

8. Appointment of 3 Members to form a HR Committee and elect its’ Chairman – deferred to next meeting.

9. Roles & Responsibilities – to discuss if Members are to continue with the current system of role responsibility, to assign roles if this is agreed.

015. After discussion it was decided to bring to proposal at the next meeting.

10. To Adopt the Council Policies and Procedures, as currently held and reviewed in March 2026: Cemetery Regs, CCTV Code of Practice, CCTV Policy, Cllr expenses Policy, Code of Conduct, Co-Option Policy and Proc, Complaints Proc, Data Protection/Publication /Freedom of Information Policy, Discipline and Grievance Policy, Environment Policy, Equal Opps Policy, GDPR Privacy Notice, Financial Regs, Grants and Donations Policy, Health and Safety policy, IT Policy, Risk management Policy, safeguarding Policy, Social Media Policy, and amendments to Standing orders.

016. It was RESOLVED to adopt the listed policies.

11. To adopt Statements/Terms of Reference: Cllr Statement of Internal Control/HR Comm Terms of Ref’. 

017. It was RESOLVED to adopt the Statements and terms of reference as listed.

12. To Adopt the new induction Resource as circulated.

018. It was RESOLVED to adopt the amended induction resource as circulated.

13. To instigate the inspection of assets as per the asset register. 

019. It was RESOLVED that Cllrs would inspect the same assets as they did the previous year with Cllr Woodhead volunteering to do the areas previously covered by a Councillor who had now left the Council.

14. To review any planning applications received – not required.

15. Finance – RFO

1. 2025/26  End of Year Accounts, Financial Inspections & External Audit & AGAR

1. To receive a report from Cllr Turner for checks on invoices and bank reconciliations for Jan-March 2026.  

020. Cllr Turner reported that a check had been carried out on all receipts, payments, and bank statements for Jan, Feb, and March 2026, on 9 April 2026, with no issues being found.

2. To review and approve the End of Year Internal Audit report.

021.  It was RESOLVED to approve and accept the end of year internal audit report as presented and circulated.

3. To approve and sign the Annual Governance Statement.

             022. It was RESOLVED to approve the Annual Governance Statement 

             2025/26, the Chairman and the Clerk signed the Statement.

iv.        To approve and sign the Accounting Statement.

023. It was RESOLVED to accept and approve the accounting statement, which had been signed and circulated by the Clerk. The Chairman signed the statement. 

4. To approve the end of year accounts.

024. It was RESOLVED to approve the end of year accounts as circulated.

5. To approve the proposed dates for the public’s right of inspection.

025. It was RESOLVED that the dates for the public’s right of inspection should be set as being from 3rd June 2026 – 14 July 2026.

2. To Approve the previously circulated accts to the end of April 2026

             026.It was RESOLVED to accept the accounts to the end of April 2026 as

                                circulated.

                     To approve payment of expenditure listed on the payment schedule.

                             027. It was RESOLVED to approve the items on Schedule C for payment.                                   

16. Clerk’s Report and any matters arising. 

028. The Clerk reported that as of the 30 April 2026 the total monies in both bank accounts was £68, 557.54. Notable income received in the first month of the F/Y  includes the precept of £20500, rental payments of £240 and £5600, B.A.G.S. £700, part one of the Community Cleaner Grant £926.64. See Schedules A and B for all transactions since the last meeting. A resident had informed the Council of their concerns about the parking on the junction of Birthorpe Rd, the High St and Brewery Lane, and also that the van that collects from the boxes outside Dobson’s often parks at right angles to the kerb whilst collecting. The resident was advised to report this directly which had now been done. All loose or damaged Kickboards had been removed from the tennis courts and the netting had been removed from around the wildflower area. The Clerk advised the meeting that as the webmaster vacancy had not yet been filled, Cllr Volanakis had agreed to help with this. Regarding the grass that was growing in the Spring Wells it was felt that currently no action was required. Cllr Woodhead agreed to organise the pest control measures at the pavilion to be monitored monthly.

17. Village matters:. 

1. Flood/Emergency Plan – to consider the update from the Local Lead Flood Authority, any updates from the BFG and the Emergency Plan team – reviewed in Parish Meeting.

18. Recreation ground:

1. To review the annual inspection report and agree on action required.

029. It was RESOLVED that as all issues raised were low or medium risk, the caretaker should be made aware of the report in order that the issues raised can be considered at the time of the weekly inspections and any issues should be reported immediately to the Council.

2. To receive results of the annual legionella risk assessment of the pavilion – deferred to next meeting

3. To receive results of the annual fire safety risk assessment of the pavilion – deferred to next meeting.

4. To consider works required to the CCTV camera.

030. It was Resolved not to get the issue fixed at this time.

5. To consider the request for making the recreation ground a “dogs on lead only” area.

031.It was RESOLVED not to act on this proposal as any ruling couldn’t be enforced. Another plea would be put in the newsletter.

6. To consider the request for use of the grounds for youth football training.

032. It was RESOLVED to agree to this request in principal but to include the Cricket Club in joint discussions as to how it would work operationally.

7. To consider a request for maintenance works to the fencing at the play park.

033. After considerable consideration it was Resolved that no contribution could be made to the repair of the fence as the boundary fence was the resident’s responsibility, but that the Council would re-address the maintenance schedule on that side of the play park. Clerk to advise resident.

8. To receive any update to the proposed recreation ground project - not required.

19. Spring Wells – to consider any quote for works on the sluice gate 

034. The meeting was informed that the sluice had been lowered by approximately two inches by a volunteer and was being monitored so there was no requirement for any further action currently.

20. To consider any applications for co-option.

034. There was one application to consider. The Chairman proposed that The Parish Council resolve to exclude members of the press and public under the Local

Government Act Schedule 12A and the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 to enable it to discuss the merits or otherwise of the applicants. It was RESOLVED to go into closed session and one member of the public left the meeting. The Council asked the remaining applicant questions before asking him to leave the meeting whilst voting took place. The Chairman reconvened the meeting in open session and Councillors voted unanimously to accept the application. The applicant re-joined the meeting, was welcomed to the Council and signed an acceptance of office form witnessed by the Clerk.

            APPENDIX A: Payments from 1 March- 30 April 2026

APPENDIX B: RECEIPTS RECEIVED  1 March– 30 April 2026

APPENDIX C: Transactions for authorisation on 12 MAY 2026

SIGNED: CLLR WOODHEAD

SIGNED: CLLR VOLANAKIS

Next meeting: Tuesday 14 July at the Pavilion, Recreation Ground.