Agenda item

The Council noted the Chairman’s engagements.

Cabinet Member for Planning

The Cabinet Member for Planning highlighted comments on the Mallard Pass scheme made at the July meeting of Full Council in his absence. It was suggested at July’s meeting that the decision on this scheme had been taken without government engagement; however, given the Council’s role in planning process was quasi-judicial the Cabinet Member would have raised a Point of Order had he been present to protect the integrity of Full Council.

One of the Cabinet Member for Planning’s first actions on taking office in 2023 (as the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing) was to sign off an official Impact Assessment report listing the positive and negative connotations of the Mallard Pass scheme. On behalf of the Leader of the Council he had also requested an extraordinary meeting of the Planning Committee to consider the Council’s position on the scheme. On 15 June 2023, the Cabinet Member personally addressed Planning Committee on who he felt was best placed to engage with the Planning Inspectorate by lodging a formal objection to Mallard Pass. The view taken at that time was that this Council should not support Mallard Pass and should therefore formally object. The Cabinet Member asked that members think about the potential damage to the reputation of this Council and individual members by voicing comments that were inaccurate.

Leader of the Council

In advance of the tabled motion on winter fuel payments, the Leader had drafted a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP which could be used should that motion be passed. The Council was taking measures to ensure that people were aware of their eligibility for support for fuel payments.

The Leader updated members on the installation of solar panels at Grantham Meres Leisure Centre. Concerns had been raised about the ethical background of the solar panels, and the Leader thanked Councillor David Bellamy for raising these concerns. The issue had subsequently been discussed with Alicia Kearns MP, with a focus on the sourcing of solar panels. The Council did not have a direct relationship to the manufacturer of the solar panels, Canadian Solar. However, work had taken place on finding better, more ethical alternatives through the importer of the solar panels, GO Green, and a new provider, JA Solar had been found. JA Solar had a transparent supply chain; each solar panel had a QR code to enable the purchaser to trace the origins of the panels.

The project to install the solar panels at Grantham Meres Leisure Centre remained on schedule and would ultimately reduce the Council’s carbon footprint.

Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste

The Council was approaching two weeks of kerbside battery collections. During the first week of collections 725kg of batteries had been removed by the Council’s waste team. Further details on the scheme would be available on the Council’s social media channels.

The Cabinet Member had written to colleagues in neighbouring councils with regards to maintenance of the A1 road. Three Executive Members had responded agreeing to partner with South Kesteven District Council on lobbying Highways England and the new Transport Secretary for maintenance funding. Colleagues that the Cabinet Member had spoken to had agreed that the ‘status quo’ for the A1 littering was unacceptable.

On 5 September the Planning Committee approved a Section 106 Agreement with Boothby Wildland, to create and manage biodiversity net gain units. Boothby Wildland was a multi-hectare restoration of grade 3 agricultural land. There were also plans to restore the West Glen River, reducing the local flood risk.

Finally, a new Tree and Woodland Officer was now in post.

Note:  Councillor Susan Sandall arrived.

Cabinet Member for Property and Public Engagement

Members were reminded about how to register to receive flood alerts and text messages.

On 24 September Cabinet approved a pre-Christmas parking scheme in Council car parks, with a two- and three-hour’s free car parking offering on Mondays, Tuesday and Wednesdays in the lead up to Christmas Eve.

Note:  Councillor James Denniston arrived.

Head of Paid Service

The Head of Paid Service thanked members for their support and kindness over the previous two and a half months whilst she had been away from the office.

Members would all have seen a press release from Lincolnshire County Council on the subject of local devolution. The government had announced that the devolution deal for Lincolnshire was supported, and the statutory instrument would go before Parliament in December. A report would be submitted to Full Council in November containing a Terms of Reference for a Joint Committee on the new Combined Authority. There would be mayoral elections in May 2025.