Full Council – Tuesday 3 February 2026 at 6:30pm

 Agenda and Minutes

Present: Councillors Sheila Bibb, Mark Binns, Stephen Blogg, Nicholas Coxon, Richard Craig, Caz Davies, Michael Devine, David Dobbie, Richard Doy, Paul Hooton, Paul Key, Douglas Owles, Glenn Puxty, Richard Thompson

In Attendance:
Rachel Allbones                  Town Clerk
Sean Alcock                        Operations Manager

Venue: Meeting room, Richmond House, Richmond Park, Morton Terrace, Gainsborough, DN21 2RJ.

FC26/154  Apologies for Absence
To note apologies for absence.

Minutes: 
Apologies were received from Councillors Bowler, Dannatt, Plastow.

FC26/155  Declarations of Interest
To receive any declarations of interest in accordance with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011.

Minutes: 
No declarations of interest were declared.

FC26/156  Dispensation Requests
To consider any dispensation requests received by the Town Clerk in relation to personal and/or disclosable pecuniary interests, not previously recorded.

Minutes: 
No dispensation requests were made.

FC26/157  Items for Exclusion of Public and Press
To determine which items on the agenda, if any, require the exclusion of public and press under the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 1 (2) and resolve to exclude public and press for these items.

Minutes: 
RESOLVED: to exclude the public and press from items FC26/166 in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 1 (2) due to the confidential nature of the business to be discussed.

FC26/158  Minutes of the Previous Meeting (Paper A pages 5 to 8) (Paper B pages 9 to 11)
To receive and resolve to sign as a true and accurate record the minutes of the Full Council meeting held Tuesday 6 January 2026 and Tuesday 13 January 2026.

Minutes: 
RESOLVED: that the minutes of the Council meetings held on Tuesday 6 January 2026 and Tuesday 13 January 2026 be approved as a true and accurate record and signed by the Chair.
Note: Councillor Binns abstained from voting on the above resolution.

FC26/159  Committee Meeting Minutes
To note receipt of the draft minutes of the Committee meetings and the decisions contained therein.
i. Community Emergency Plan Working Group, Friday 9 January 2026 (Paper C pages 12 to 14)
ii. Property and Services Committee, Tuesday 13 January 2026 (Paper D pages 15 to 18)
iii. Personnel Committee, Wednesday 14 January 2026 (Paper E pages 19 to 22)
iv. Neighbourhood Plan Working Group, Thursday 15 January 2026 (Paper F pages 23 to 26)
v. Community Emergency Plan Working Group, Tuesday 20 January 2026 (Paper G pages 27 to 30)
vi. Planning Committee, Tuesday 20 January 2026 (Paper H pages 31 to 35)
vii. Asset Transfer Working Group, Wednesday 21 January 2026 (Paper I pages 36 to 38)
viii. Finance and Strategy Committee, Tuesday 27 January 2026 (Paper J pages 39 to 44)

Minutes:
RESOLVED: to NOTE the draft minutes of the Committees.

FC26/160  Announcements
To receive and note updates from: –
i. Chair of Council
ii. Leader of Council
iii. Representatives on Outside Bodies
iv. Town Clerk (Paper K pages 45 to 79)

Minutes:
i. Chair of Council
The Chair advised of events he had attended, of the upcoming Civic Service on 8 February, and his Civic Dinner he is organising for 24 April.
ii. Leader of Council
The Leader updated Members on recent meetings attended.
iii. Representatives on Outside Bodies
Cllr Hooton updated Members on the progress of the St John Ambulance Gainsborough cadets group.
iv. Town Clerk
RESOLVED: to NOTE the Town Clerk’s report

FC26/161 Committee Vacancies
To consider making appointments to vacancies on committees.
i. Personnel Committee, one vacancy

Minutes: 
RESOLVED: to appoint Councillor Blogg to the Personnel Committee, and Councillor Thompson as a substitute member for the remainder of the 2025-26 municipal year.

FC26/162  Recommendation made by Committee
To consider the following recommendation from Property and Services Committee meeting held on 13 January 2026 (PS26/071 Richmond House Guttering):
RESOLVED: To RECOMMEND to FULL COUNCIL approval of the quotation submitted by T.G. Sowerby Developments Ltd for the replacement of approximately 40 meters of guttering and 18 meters of downpipe to the front and two sides of Richmond House, at a cost of £10,760.00 + VAT, to be funded from General Reserves.

Minutes: 
RESOLVED: To approve of the quotation submitted by T.G. Sowerby Developments Ltd for the replacement of approximately 40 meters of guttering and 18 meters of downpipe to the front and two sides of Richmond House, at a cost of £10,760.00 + VAT, to be funded from General Reserves.

FC26/163  Recommendation made by Committee (Paper L pages 80 to 85)
To consider the following recommendation from Personnel Committee meeting held on 14 January 2026 (PC26/045 Neonatal Care Leave Policy):
RESOLVED: To RECOMMEND to FULL COUNCIL to adopt a Neonatal Care Leave Policy.

Minutes: 
RESOLVED: To adopt a Neonatal Care Leave Policy.

FC26/164  Recommendation made by Committee (Paper M pages 86 to 89)
To consider the following recommendation from Asset Transfer Task & Finish Group meeting held on Wednesday 21 January 2026 (AT26/016 WLDC Property and Asset Review)
RESOLVED: To RECOMMEND to FULL COUNCIL that conversations commence with West Lindsey District Council to explore, in principle, the transfer of the following sites:

Minutes:
RESOLVED: That conversations commence with West Lindsey District Council to explore, in principle, the transfer of the following sites, and approve the letter to WLDC:

Operational

• Marshalls Sports Ground – Building and Land
• Levellings
• Richmond House and Gardens
• Roses Sports Ground – Building and Land

Possible Future Operational

• Cox’s Hill Nursery Site
• General Cemetery Land
• Queensfield Playing Field
• Richmond House Lodge

Protection of Public Green Spaces

• Land at Ashcroft Road (Play Park)
• Baltic Mill Land
• Whitton Gardens
• Caskgate Street Land (Former Guildhall site)
• Corringham Road (The Gap)

FC26/165  Recommendation made by Committee (Paper N pages 90 to 94)
To consider the following recommendation from Finance and Strategy Committee meeting held on Tuesday 27 January 2026 (FS26/139 Councillor Laptop Use & Return Agreement)
RESOLVED: To RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL the adoption of the Councillor Laptop Use & Return Agreement.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: To remove the words “for party-political purposes or” from 3.3, ask WLDC for a copy of their agreement and refer back to Finance and Strategy Committee.
Note: Councillors Bibb and Craig left the meeting at 7:38pm.

FC26/166  Richmond House Condition Report and Feasibility Study (Paper O pages 95 to 107)
To consider working jointly with WLDC to commission a condition survey and feasibility study carried to for Richmond House and the surrounding Park.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: To
1. Approve the Town Clerk continuing to work collaboratively with West Lindsey District Council to jointly commission:
o an updated condition survey of Richmond House; and
o a feasibility study to explore the future potential use of the building.
2. Approve the allocation of funding from earmarked reserves to meet the Council’s share of the agreed costs.
3. Note that a further report will be brought back to Members once the surveys and feasibility work have been completed, setting out findings, options, and any recommendations for future action.

FC26/167  Annual Civic Service Date
To consider booking All Saints Parish Church on an annual basis for third Sunday of September for the annual Civic Service.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: To book All Saints Parish Church on an annual basis for the third Sunday of September for the annual Civic Service.
Note: Councillor Devine abstained from voting on the above resolution.

FC26/168  Annual Town Meeting (Paper P pages 108 to 110)
To consider and agree invitees to present at the Annual Town Meeting.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: To
i. Invite STEP Fusion to present
ii. Invite WLDC to present about LGR
iii. Invite Andys Man Club to either present or have a stall
iv. Invite St John Ambulance to have a stall
v. Invite Gainsborough Neighbourhood Plan to either present or have a stall
vi. Set the format to have an interval for attendees to look around the stalls

FC26/169  Local Government Reorganisation
To consider any recent updates.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: to NOTE the update from the Town Clerk regarding the WLDC Briefing she attended on Monday 2 February.

FC26/170  Correspondence (Paper Q pages 111 to 112)
To note the correspondence previously circulated by email (for information only).

Minutes:
RESOLVED: to NOTE the correspondence circulated.

FC26/171  Items for Notification
To receive any items for notification to be included on a future agenda (for information only)

Minutes:
i.     Debt Write Off

FC26/172  Time and Date of Next Meeting
To note the date and time of the next Full Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 3 March 2026 at 6:30pm.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: to NOTE the next Full Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday 3 March 2026 at 6:30pm at Richmond House, Morton Terrace.

The meeting closed at 8:09pm.