01 July 2025
Notes from 15-minute public forum on 01 July 2025
There were six members of the public present.
Statements/Questions raised:
a. Water problems were reported, not being able to use showers, flush toilets and not having enough water to run appliances such as a washing machine. A lengthy discussion took place; County Cllr Arundell will organise a petition for all residents to sign and this will be returned to Anglian Water. It was also encouraged that residents log individual complaints with Anglian Water also. Wrangle Parish Council will investigate inviting a representative from Anglian Water to a meeting or arrange a separate meeting for this. A Freedom of Information request from Anglian Water would also be investigated.
b. Fix my Street – Trees overgrowing and covering road signs had been reported, the issue had been confirmed as resolved, however, not all signs had been cleared. County Cllr Arundell advised he would speak with Highways.
07:27pm The Public Forum was closed, and the Parish Council Meeting began.
Minutes of the meeting of Wrangle Parish Council held on Tuesday 1st July 2025 at 7:00pm in The Parish Hall.
1/7/25 To receive and accept apologies and approve reasons for absence.
Apologies: Cllr Hill
Present: Cllrs Ashton, Dickason, Seymour, Wrisdale, Edwards, Bowles and Law.
Also Present: Borough Cllr Baxter, County Cllr Arundell and Parish Clerk Rebecca Herberts
2/7/25 To receive reports from representatives on outside bodies:
a. Borough Councillors
i. The mayor recently posted on social media that charities etc can apply to him for consideration of being awarded funding.
ii. We met with our new County Cllr and spoke for 2 hours. Outstanding issues were passed on. Most of these were highways. He is going to operate a system whereby he flags up the issues to the County Cllr portfolio holder.
b. County Councillor
There was no report from the County Councillor.
3/7/25 To receive declarations of interest under the Localism Act 2011 and consider any requests for dispensations.
There were no declarations of interest.
4/7/25 Notes of the Parish Council meeting held on 03 June 2025 to be approved and signed as the minutes.
It was resolved that the minutes previously circulated be signed as the minutes.
5/7/25 Clerk’s Report
a. The Clerk’s laptop has had to be sent away for repair, comments from the company who made the repair were that the laptop was a 2019 manufactured Dell computer designed for windows 10 repurposed for Windows 11 and that the laptop was not able to handle the load that the operating system imposes upon it. The primary battery is nearing the end of its serviceable life as is the charger.
b. The LALC AGM is to be held on 03 July 2025 at 6:30pm via zoom, the Clerk asked if anyone would like to attend.
c. A letter had been received from Wrangle Youth Centre formally applying for the ongoing support from the Council by way of an annual grant. It was resolved that grants should be applied for on a yearly basis. The Grants Policy would be reviewed.
6/7/25 Chair’s announcements and any relevant updates
The Chair had nothing to report.
7/7/25 Financial matters:
c. Payments to be authorised.
Date Payee/ Creditor Amount ex VAT VAT Total Expenditure
Reclaimable Non reclaimable
01/07/2025 Salaries/HMRC £661.87 £0.00 £0.00 £661.87
01/07/2025 Clerks Expenses - Printer Ink/Stamps £23.44 £0.00 £0.00 £23.44
01/07/2025 Witham Fourth - Drainage Rates £356.94 £0.00 £0.00 £356.94
01/07/2025 Malc Firth - Grass Cutting April £374.68 £74.93 £0.00 £449.61
01/07/2025 Malc Firth - Grass Cutting May £522.34 £104.47 £0.00 £626.81
01/07/2025 TJW Services - Parish Paths £430.00 £86.00 £0.00 £516.00
01/07/2025 Haines Watts £23.00 £4.60 £0.00 £27.60
Totals £2,392.27 £270.00 £0.00 £2,662.27
Payments for August were also authorised:
Date Payee/ Creditor Amount ex VAT VAT Total Expenditure
Reclaimable Non reclaimable
01/08/2025 Salaries/HMRC TBC TBC TBC TBC
01/08/2025 Clerks Expenses TBC TBC TBC TBC
01/08/2025 Malc Firth TBC TBC TBC TBC
01/08/2025 Haines Watts TBC TBC TBC TBC
01/08/2025 LALC - Internal Audit TBC TBC TBC TBC
Totals TBC TBC TBC TBC
d. To report balances in the bank
Bank Account Balance
Current Account £18278.90
Jubilee Account £688.21
Deposit Account £23897.40
e. To discuss setting up online banking
The bank mandate changes are being finalised the signed paperwork will be posted to the bank after the meeting. The Councillors now on the mandate or being added would need to set up their own individual online banking accounts. The Clerk will send through the details.
8/7/25 Audit for the year ended 31 March 2025
The Audit has been completed, and everything has been sent through to the External Auditors, Pkf-Littlejohn.
9/7/25 To receive an update on the siting of two bus shelters on the A52 in the area of Sea Lane junction.
There had been no further updates regarding the grant applications. The Clerk has also applied for a UKSPF Grassroots Grant.
10/7/25 Recreation Field:
a. To receive an update on the Tree/Hedge work
Following on from the June meeting two quotes were received for the tree in the entrance to the Recreation Field. Quote one to reduce the tree by 50% to reduce the chance of complete failure and monitor was £1176.50 ex VAT. Quote 2 to completely remove the tree was £1895.50 ex VAT. The company carrying out the work was asked to carry out quote one and reduce the tree by 50%, this work would be carried out before Wrangle Show on Sunday 6th May.
b. To discuss quotes for cleaning dykes and the culvert pipe
Quotes were still being requested.
c. To discuss quotes for Litter Bins
The Clerk has chased BBC again and the neighbourhood services team with no response. Borough Cllr Baxter would speak with Borough Cllr Butler.
d. Any other matters
The resident carrying out the Litter Picking in the village had raised concerns again around litter and fly tipping. Borough Cllr Baxter said he would speak with Borough Cllr Butler with regards to CCTV on the Recreation Field.
11/7/25 To receive update regarding Community Speed Sign
a. The Clerk has applied for a UKSPF Grassroots Grant. Cllr Ashton asked if we could purchase a new sign without waiting for information back with regards to grants. The budget would be reviewed first.
b. A resident had emailed with information of a traffic reduction scheme that had been looked into some time ago for the A52, following the accident in Wrangle on the A52 they asked if this would be revisited – This was discussed, and information would be sent to County Cllr Arundell to look into and he would also look into a possible pedestrian crossing.
12/7/25 To discuss Streetlights on Chapel Lane, Wrangle
The quote had been returned. There is an electricity pole near the boundary of Emmadales and Sleepy Hollow which would be suitable for the installation of a new pole mounted streetlight, the quotation to supply and install a new 1m pole bracket complete with a 18w LED lantern controlled by a part-night photocell including a new plastic supply box, double pole isolator and overhead electricity service connection would be £800.00 + VAT. Residents close to the boundary would be contacted. It was moved, seconded, and resolved to go ahead with the quote if the feedback from the residents was positive.
13/7/25 To discuss The Handyman
A job description/advertisement has been drafted and shared with all Councillors. It was resolved that the advertisement for ‘Self-Employed General Maintenance Contractor’ would be advertised with a 4 hour per week requirement to carry out tasks for Wrangle Parish Council with an hourly rate of £13.00. This would be discussed with Old Leake Parish Council for their agreement of hours and pay.
14/7/25 To receive an update regarding gov.uk email addresses.
There were three councillors that still needed to log into their new gov.uk email addresses and make sure they were happy with them.
08:11pm 4 members of the public left the meeting.
15/7/25 To discuss Grass cutting contracts.
A draft Grass Cutting Contract had been put together. It was resolved that Common Road, Village Square, Recreation Field & Play Area and Wrangle Common Playing Field & Play Area would remain on one contact, an additional contract for the Parish Paths would remain in place but with the addition of the Community Orchard. A third contract would be drawn up for hedge cutting on the Recreation Field. All should be 2-year contracts.
16/7/25 To discuss the Wrangle Parish Magazine
The Clerk would speak with the PCC Secretary to arrange a meeting.
17/7/25 To report on the Asset/Site Audit 12 June 2025
a. The Parish Paths need further investigation to find out which ones are being cut and to see if any require adding to the contract, the Clerk will speak with the contractor.
b. Behind the Toilet block on the Recreation Field needs attention some clearance and strimming
c. The Community Orchard does this require a thorough prune including mulch around the trees. The Clerk would investigate this.
18/7/25 To discuss maintaining the Parish Website
LALC offer a webmaster service, blocks of hours can be purchased. The Clerk advised she was able to upload the minutes and agendas and make slight changes but some of the more complex changes that needed carrying out the Clerk was unable to do due to limitations with her profile. It was moved, seconded, and resolved to purchase a block of 10 hours through LALC at a cost of £180.00 + VAT to have an overhaul of the website.
19/7/25 To review the Clerk’s hours.
Cllr Ashton proposed that this item be moved to the last item on the agenda and that the Council move into confidential session. It was moved, seconded, and resolved to make this the final item on the agenda.
20/7/25 To discuss Storage options for records/paperwork.
The Clerk has spoken with Store box at Boston, they could offer a 25sq.ft room on a 12-month contract, 1st month £52.93, 2nd month £45.03 and then after £80.76 per month.
Cllrs Ashton and Dickason would discuss this with Old Leake Parish Council to discuss a potential share scheme or alternative storage. It was discussed that an archive ledger requires setting up so that files can be tracked easily.
Cllr Ashton advised he is in possession of some old minute books which would benefit from going into said storage. It was resolved that a quote would be sourced for restoring and rebounding past minutes.
21/6/25 To report any highways matters.
The gravelling and re-surfacing of the A52 was discussed. The dust conditions and the fact the work was carried out at School leaving time. It was asked if the drains would be ok following on from this.
22/6/25 Planning applications received for a decision at this meeting (All plans can be viewed at www.mybostonuk.com)
1. B/25/0244 – Statutory Consultation Notice under section 42 of the Planning Act 2008 and the infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedures) Regulations 2009 to Boston Borough Council for project EN020036 for the proposed Grimsby to Walpole Project (the Proposed Development) at Grimsby to Walpole.
2. B/25/0167 – Application for Hazardous Substances Consent at Staples Brother Ltd, Marsh Farm, Sea Lane, Wrangle – No objections from the Council, although comments in response for highways to check would be to make sure the A52 can cope with additional traffic also, the issues of pot holes, mud on the road and no verges in places.
23/6/25 Planning Decisions received from Boston Borough Council
There were no decisions for this meeting.
24/6/25 Correspondence received, not covered on the agenda.
There was no other correspondence.
25/6/25 Matters for next agenda
a. A review of the Allotments and Paperwork
b. To consider applicants for co-option onto the Parish Council
26/6/25 Date of next meeting
The next Parish Council meeting will be held on 02 September 2025.
Confidential Session - 19/7/25 To review the Clerk’s hours.
Cllr Ashton proposed that this item be moved to the last point on the agenda and that the Council enter confidential session. The proposal was moved, seconded, and RESOLVED.
RESOLVED: That, in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, the public and press be excluded from the meeting due to the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.
The Council discussed the Clerk’s working hours, following an advisory from the Internal Auditor recommending that the Clerk’s contracted hours be reviewed and potentially increased to address concerns previously raised.
It was agreed that the Clerk would complete a timesheet detailing hours worked. This would be monitored on a meeting-by-meeting basis to inform any future decisions regarding contracted hours.
It was resolved that the Clerk would discuss Pension options with Haines Watts who carry out the payroll.
There being no other business the meeting closed at 09:10pm.