Full Council – Tuesday 7 April 2026 at 6:30pm

Agenda and Minutes

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

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

FC26/187  Apologies for Absence
To note apologies for absence.

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

FC26/188  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.

FC26/189  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.

FC26/190  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 accordingly.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: to exclude the public and press from items FC26/197 and FC26/202 in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 1 (2) due to the confidential nature of the business to be discussed.

FC26/191  Churches Together Project Presentation
To receive presentation from Judi Swannack from Alive Church regarding the Churches Together Project.

Minutes:
Members receive a presentation from Pastors John and Judi Swannack from Alive Church regarding the Gainsborough Churches Together Project.

FC26/192  Minutes of the Previous Meeting (Paper A – pages 4 to 7)
To receive and resolve to sign as a true and accurate record the minutes of the Council meeting held on Tuesday 3 March 2026.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Council meeting held on Tuesday 3 March 2026 be approved as a true and accurate record and signed by the Chair.

FC26/193  Committee Meeting Minutes
To note receipt of the draft minutes of the Committee meetings and the decisions contained therein.
i. Property and Services Committee, Tuesday 10 March 2026 (Paper B pages 8 to 12)
ii. Personnel Committee, Wednesday 11 March 2026 (Paper C pages 13 to 15)
iii. Planning Committee, Tuesday 17 March 2026 (Paper D pages 16 to 21)
iv. Neighbourhood Plan Working Group, Thursday 26 March 2026 (Paper E pages 22 to 25)
v. Finance and Strategy Committee, Tuesday 31 March 2026 (Paper F pages 26 to 29)

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

FC26/194  Announcements
To receive and note updates from: –
i. Chair of Council
Minutes:
The Chair reminded Members about conduct and respect at meetings and his upcoming Civic Charity Dinner.

ii. Leader of Council
Minutes:
The Leader updated Members on recent meetings attended.

iii. Representatives on Outside Bodies
Minutes:
Councillor Davies reported on civic events attended as Deputy Mayor.

iv. Town Clerk (Paper G pages 30 to 67)
Minutes:
RESOLVED: To NOTE the Town Clerk’s report.

FC26/195  Recommendation made by Committee
To consider the following recommendation from Planning Committee meeting held on Tuesday 17 March 2026 (PL26/238 Foxby Hill Entrance Gates
RESOLVED: To support as it improves safety and RECOMMEND to FULL COUNCIL to use £5,594.00 of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds to appoint Moulds Fencing to remove the existing gates and supply and install new gates and fencing at Foxby Hill Allotments, but to raise concerns about the amount of CIL funds that have been spent on the allotments.

Minutes:
At the request of Councillor Dobbie a recorded vote was taken as follows: –
For: Councillors Blogg, Puxty
Against: Councillors Bibb, Coxon, Craig, Devine, Dobbie, Doy, Key, Owles, Thompson, Woolley
Abstained: Councillors Binns, Davies, Hooton

Recommendation FALLEN.

Note: As recorded in PS26/081 should this recommendation not be supported by the Planning Committee and subsequently Full Council, the works will instead be funded from budget line 8000/8 – Foxby Hill Allotments (Gate Reset).

FC26/196  Community Asset Transfers (Paper H pages 68 to 69)
To note correspondence received from West Lindsey District Council.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: To NOTE correspondence received from West Lindsey District Council regarding community asset transfers.

FC26/197  Roses Sports Ground Lease (Paper I pages 70 to 72)
To consider and resolve following correspondence received from West Lindsey District Council.
Exclusion of public and press recommended due to the confidential nature of the discussion.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: To support West Lindsey District Council approach for the Town Council to withdraw from the current lease arrangements at Roses Sports Ground in order for them to be progressed directly.

Note: Councillor Davies and Devine abstained from voting on the above resolution.

FC26/198  Local Government Reorganisation
To consider any recent updates.

Minutes:
No update received.

FC26/199  Correspondence (Paper J pages 73 to 74)
To note the correspondence previously circulated by email (for information only).

Minutes:
RESOLVED: To NOTE the correspondence circulated.

FC26/200  Items for Notification

Minutes:
i.     Debt Write Off

FC26/201  Time and Date of Next Meeting
To note the date and time of the next Full Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 5 May 2026 at 6:30pm.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: To NOTE the next Full Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday 5 May 2026 at 6:30pm at Richmond House, Morton Terrace.

 

Supplementary Agenda and Minutes

FC26/202  Aisby Walk TNLCF (Paper K pages 2 to 9 Report to Property and Services Committee) (Paper L pages 10 to 31)
To consider Stage Two of The National Lottery Community Fund (TNLCF).
Exclusion of public and press recommended due to commercially sensitive information.

Minutes:
Members considered Stage Two of The National Lottery Community Fund (TNLCF).

At the request of Councillor Dobbie a recorded vote was taken as follows: –
For: Councillors Bibb, Binns, Blogg, Coxon, Craig, Davies, Devine, Dobbie, Doy, Hooton, Owles, Puxty, Thompson, Woolley
Abstained: Councillor Key 

RESOLVED: To
i. Approve a budget allocation of £21,815 for the appointment of Addison Hunt to support the Aisby Walk project, including Stage Two submission requirements and procurement preparation. Budget to come from CIL funds subject to WLDC confirming this is allowed, if not funds to come from General Reserves.
ii. Authorise the Communities Officer, Town Clerk, and Operations Manager to work with the appointed Project Manager to prepare and publish a tender via Find Tender, in accordance with the Council’s Financial Regulations.
iii. Appoint Councillor Davies to be present at the opening of tenders.
iv. Appoint Councillors Craig, Dobbie and Hooton to serve on the Tender Scoring Panel, alongside the Town Clerk, Operations Manager, Communities Officer, and Project Manager, to evaluate submissions and make a recommendation to the Finance and Strategy Committee.

The meeting closed at 7:59pm.