Reports from Working Party Meetings

Report from a Ruskington Parish Council Working Party Meeting held on Thursday 22 January 2026 at 6.30pm at Ruskington Parish Office.

Present: Cllr Ditch, Cllr Cox, Cllr Cunningham, Cllr Harrison, Cllr Hislop, Cllr Sheldon.

Also present: Mrs. Kathryn Locke (Clerk to Council), Ms Kirsty Sinclair (Deputy Clerk & RFO)

Apologies: Cllr Bain

1. Election of a Chairman for the meeting

Cllr Cox was appointed as Chairman for the meeting.

2. Apologies

Cllr Bain had been unable to attend the meeting and had sent apologies.

3. Declarations of interest – All members must declare interests on any matters arising during discussions.

No declarations of interest were declared at this time or at any point during the meeting.

4. To consider the function, format and frequency of the meetings.

Cllr Cox, who had proposed the informal working party meetings of full Council, suggested that the meetings provided an opportunity to discuss current projects outside of formal meetings, to share ideas for future projects, and to prioritise the order for new projects to be considered.

3. To review/revise the draft Terms of Reference for the Full Council Working Party meetings.

This was not reviewed or revised.

4. To receive Council’s three-year action plan.

An updated action plan had been circulated prior to the meeting and was displayed on the screen. A couple of projects had been recently completed, such as the renovation of the lychgate and the new accessible path in the Garden of Remembrance, and other projects had commenced such as the pavilion renovation and improving the surface of the MUGA. A couple of projects required costing, such as a new surface for the uneven drive at the office which was used by pedestrians to access the rear business units, although a ballpark figure had been included in the budget for 2026-2027.

5. To consider ideas put forward for future projects for Council to consider and prioritize.

The following ideas were put forward for future research/ feasibility and consideration by the relevant committee:

• Cllr Cox - An adventure trail, assault course on the north field at Parkfield, which could be incorporated with a trim trail that council had previously considered as a project.  
• Cllr Sheldon - Direction signage to the play areas, playing fields etc., to raise awareness of the facilities.
• Cllr Sheldon - Increasing the range of activities possible Parkfield playing fields to promote inclusivity and accessibility, and a surface suitable for skates and wheels.
• Cllr Hislop - To locate an outdoor exterior clock on the apex of the Pavilion (as viewed from the car park) as a functional timepiece and to improve the appearance of the building.
• Cllr Cunningham - The possibility of a post box for the Flaxwell Fields development, as the former nearest post box at the junction of Manor Street and Lincoln Road had been removed following damage.
• Cllr Cunningham - For LCC to repaint the lettering on the crossing on High Street North. (The RFO reported that LCC and Cty Cllr Wright had previously advised that due to monetary restraints this could not be done.)

Other matters discussed:

• The declining condition of the car park at Parkfield and the possibility of resurfacing this as part of the pavilion renovation.
• The overgrown hedge, litter and appearance of the village hall car park and village hall and finding ways to support the village hall management committee.
• Weed growth and the general appearance of the village.
• The proposed housing development off Tomlinson Way, and how work had stopped soon after it had commenced.
• The possibility of LCC Highways reversing the direction of the one-way system on Jubilee Street and Silver Street (impacting on Station Road) and if this could be safely reversed to improve the flow of traffic. Parking issues in these locations were recognised.
• The possibility of arranging a business breakfast to build positive relationships with village businesses.
• The need to prioritise current projects and to improve Council owned and maintained facilities before commencing new projects.

a. To create a conservation area for the village centre – Cllr Hislop. (Information previously circulated.)

Cllr Hislop had undertaken research on this proposed project and created a detailed report. It was hoped that the creation of a conservation area would fit in with the NKDC’s Heritage Strategy for 2025-2035. The proposal and report were favourably received.

It was thought it would be useful if NKDC could be invited to attend a meeting of the Estate Management and Planning Committee to explain the process, the rules and regulations and any resident consultations required.

6. To agree a date for the next Full Council Working Party Meeting.

The date was to be confirmed. It was suggested that as well as providing an update on projects and proposed projects, that any possibly contentious issues or those requiring detailed consideration could be discussed at a full council working party meeting prior to a Council meeting to enable informed and timely decision making at Council meetings.

The Chairman closed the meeting closed at 8.06pm.