04-08-25 TC MINS

MINUTES OF THE EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF LOUTH TOWN COUNCIL
HELD IN THE OLD COURT ROOM, THE SESSIONS HOUSE, LOUTH
ON TUESDAY 8th APRIL 2025

The Deputy Mayor, Cllr. D. Hobson (DH) (in the chair).

Present Councillors: Mrs. E. Ballard (Mrs. EB), J. Baskett (JB), L.M. Cooney (LMC), J. Drake (JD), H. Filer (HF), G.E. Horton (GEH), Mrs. J. Makinson-Sanders (Mrs. JMS), D. Moore (DM), K. Parsons (Mrs. KP), P. Starsmore (PS).

Councillors Not Present: M. Barnes (MB), Mrs. P.F. Watson (Mrs. PFW), D.E. Wing (DEW).

The Town Clerk, Mrs. L.M. Phillips, the Town Clerk’s Assistant, Mrs. S. Chitauro-Adlard, Mrs. E. Maddison, East Lindsey District (ELDC) Cllr. R. Jackson, and 11 members of the public were also present.

Public Forum
• A lady addressed the Council as a resident and teacher advocating the proposed project to install a play park off Park Avenue. She said that local councils are tasked with delivering services to meet resident’s needs, represent the community and improve the quality of life and community wellbeing, and thanked the Council for its continued commitment to the local area and the project.
• A second lady representing EDAN Lincs expressed her support of the proposed project believing it would be beneficial to all children in the area, including those who resided in the refuge situated close to Park Avenue.
• Mrs. E. Maddison, who previously presented the project to the Council at a meeting held 25th March 2025, thanked the Council’s Working Group and the Councillors who attended a virtual meeting regarding the project. She stated the factors and benefits of the Council taking on the project, including the transferring of the land, planning permissions, the funding and the Town Council being a reputable body with knowledge and access to resources, which, would make the Town Council the ideal vehicle to take the project to fruition. She updated the Council, confirming with Mr. Saul Farrell, Senior Program Manager for Local Growth and Grant Funding, South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, that the solicitor’s fees for the transfer of ownership of the land could be included within the grant application along with up to 18 months of public liability insurance and maintenance safety checks. She informed the Council that she had received information regarding tenancies of Platform Housing in each ward, many of which were in the Trinity Ward. Mrs. Maddison said that the equipment had been thoroughly researched with all ages and abilities and durability in mind. She finalised by asking the Town Council to take on the project and stating that a shared partnership would also be considered.
• ELDC Cllr. R. Jackson spoke in favour of the Park Avenue project and felt that it was important the Town Council assisted with the project as the deadline for considerable grant funding was to open at the end of April and could close soon after. She disclosed that demand for grant funding was very high and expressed concern that the community would suffer from the loss of investment. Cllr. Jackson believed that establishing a community group to oversee the running of the park would take time and reiterated the importance of the Town Council assisting with the project.
• Cllr. Mrs. JMS provided an update regarding the London Road Sports Partnership and London Road Pavillion.

T94. Apologies for Absence
Apologies for absence were received from Cllr. Mrs. PFW.

T95. Declarations of Interest / Dispensations
There were no declarations of interest or dispensations made.

T96. Proposed Project to Install a Play Park on land off Park Avenue
Cllr. DM began by providing the Council with an update from the Working Group, which had attended a site meeting at the land off Park Avenue, followed by a virtual meeting attended by the Working group, Mrs. Maddison, the Land Director of Gleesons, who owned the land at Park Avenue, and ELDC Cllr. R. Jackson. He explained that Gleesons had assured them that they were in favour of giving the land to Louth Town Council or a community group and would be flexible with their timescales. Cllr. DM imparted that the general view of the Working Group was that the project would be best run by a community group as there would be more funding available to a community group and the community’s investment in the project would ensure that the park was better looked after. Cllr. JD expressed that he was happy to accept the Working Groups recommendation, affirming that Louth Town Council would provide assistance to the community group but believed that the ultimate goal should be for the park to be overseen by the community group itself.

Cllr. HF agreed that a community group would be best served to maintain the park long-term but voiced concern that initial funding opportunities could be missed if the Council did not support the project now. She stressed that Louth needed resources and facilities for young people. She said that, if a community group was formed, Louth Town Council needed to provide support and resources for the group to be successful.

Cllr. LMC said that she had spoken to Mr. Saul Farrell who had indicated that funding was not guaranteed. She said that the area was a wasteland and that it was dangerous due to antisocial activities, affirming that something needed to be done with the area but shared concerns that the area was in its current condition due to Gleesons not being able to do anything to it. LMC informed the meeting that she had researched Grassroots Scheme funding and UKSPF Funding, confirming that funding was indeed available. She suggested that the Council could potentially secure the land in the short-term, maintaining it as a green space, then later establishing and working with a community group and transferring the land to them at a later date for play equipment to be installed.

Cllr. Mrs. EB expressed concerns regarding the cost of maintaining and replacing play parks and their equipment.

Cllr. JB said that an estate would usually set up a management company which the surrounding residents would pay to maintain a communal area and asked whether this was an option for the park due to the facility benefiting everyone in the area. He supported the idea of the park and felt it was desperately needed but also expressed concerns about the cost and complexities of maintaining and insuring a safe play park. Whilst unsure that the Council was the right mechanism for the project in the long term, Cllr. JB reiterated his overall support for the play park and felt that Louth Town Council could support a community group by providing expertise and grants.

Cllr. KP informed the Council that it was her understanding from the virtual meeting that Gleesons would not maintain the land off Park Avenue, they would only maintain the attenuation pond and fencing and that the maintenance would be the responsibility of whoever owned the land. She agreed that an open space would be an invaluable resource for Louth and that there could be milage in a shared partnership but ultimately felt that a community group should be the ones to oversee the project which should be facilitated by Louth Town Council.

Cllr. PS expressed his support for the project, stating that Louth was fighting for green space. He shared his concerns about the immediacy of the proposals and felt that the project needed to be carried out slowly to ensure that the asset was secure for the local community and for future generations. He disclosed that, whilst Gleesons had confirmed that they would give the land, the land had no value, which was a concern for match funding. He said that if the land had no value, the Council would have nothing to match in terms of the value of funds it would apply for, however he acknowledged that other funding schemes could be applied for. He said that there were no doubt members of the Council who would independently set up a group to help with the transferal and securing of the land imminently and would set up a focus group to get the project in motion. Cllr. PS remembered that the land had once been used for car boot sales which could also provide income to a community group. He continued that there were many ways to draw funding and felt that the Council should not be pressured into one option as there was no guarantee that the funding would be obtained regardless of how likely it may seem. He said that Louth Town Council should first focus on securing the land for the community, and that equipment and insurance would not be cheap and would need to be worked towards. Cllr. PS concluded that he was sure that the Council could offer money to facilitate the transfer of land and could indeed have a hand in its operation but believed that it needed to be approached steadily to ensure it was delivered correctly.

Cllr. GEH stated that he believed the scheme was a good idea as the nearest play area to Park Avenue was some distance away at Mount Pleasant, however he expressed concerns around the cost of maintaining the park, particularly as there was uncertainty surrounding the future of the existence of the District Council, which could lead to Louth Town Council having more responsibilities. He disclosed that, whilst he liked the idea of a community group, he was unsure of how the project would take off when the future is uncertain.

Cllr. Mrs. JMS divulged that she had asked Gleesons as to why they had not provided a play park on the land themselves, to which they responded that it was not big enough to accommodate one. She continued that ELDC had funding readily available and that there would also be other funding opportunities in the future. She believed that the process needed to be taken slowly and properly to ensure a positive result for the community and future generations.

 

Cllr. DM spoke of his concerns regarding the cost of legal fees, believing that the legal fees spent on the transferring of land would be better spent on the park itself. He disclosed that he had researched play park maintenance and found that there were several companies who would set up, maintain and service the park annually. He agreed with Cllr. PS that the project needed to be approached slowly and thoughtfully.

Cllr. JD informed the Council that he had previously been the Chairman of Trustees at Spout Yard Park which was entirely community run and received funding from various sources. He explained that the land was owned by ELDC for which the Trust paid a yearly peppercorn rent. He continued that the total yearly expenditure for Spout Yard Park was around £6,000 including all insurance and maintenance, and that to raise £6,000 through the precept would be around half a penny per week. He felt that Louth Town Council could acquire the land at Park Avenue and let it to a community group, allowing the Council to have the final say on what happens to the land and its future, preserving it if the community if the group failed. He continued that the Council could help to subsidise the group’s initial costs and would support the group in its formation. He concluded that, whilst Louth Town Council would have more responsibilities if ELDC ceased to exist in the future, it would also have access to more funding.

Cllr. JMS told the Council that LCVS was a service funded by ELDC which would assist with the establishment of a community group and provide guidance. She disclosed that the land at Park Avenue was in perpetuity and earmarked for sport and leisure meaning that it could not be built on or used for other purposes. She believed that community groups would have access to funding that was not available to the Council and felt that the project would be more successful if it was led by the community and volunteers.

The Town Clerk clarified that, before the Council acquired the land it would be better to ensure that there was an appetite for the community to establish a group who would install the play park and oversee its running and maintenance, as Louth Town Council did not have the funds or staffing to oversee the project long term which could result in the land going to waste. She suggested that the Town Council could take ownership of the land and lease it to the community group after an agreement between the two was made.

It was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED after a recorded vote to secure the site and ownership of land contingent to the establishment of a community group who would undertake the day-to-day running of the land, with the Working Group to assist with the establishment of the community group and confirm its set-up with the Council.

The recorded vote took place as follows:

Cllr. Mrs. EB For
Cllr. JB For
Cllr. JD For
Cllr. HF For
Cllr. GEH For
Cllr. DH For
Cllr. Mrs. JMS For
Cllr. DM For
Cllr. Mrs. KP For
Cllr. PS For

The Meeting Closed at 8.02pm.

 

Signed_______________________ (Chairman) Dated_________________________