Full Council – Tuesday 6th January 2026 at 6:30pm

 Agenda and Minutes

Present: Councillors Sheila Bibb, Stephen Blogg, Nicholas Coxon, Caz Davies, Michael Devine, David Dobbie, Richard Doy, Paul Key, Douglas Owles, Glenn Puxty, Richard Thompson, Kenneth Woolley (arrived at 7:11pm)

In Attendance:
Rachel Allbones                  Town Clerk
Sean Alcock                        Operations Manager

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

FC26/141  Apologies for Absence
To note apologies for absence.

Minutes:
Apologies were received from Councillors Binns, Bowler, Craig, Dannatt, Plastow.
Councillor Woolley would be late due to dealing with Council business.

FC26/142  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.

FC26/143  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.

FC26/144  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:
No items for the exclusion of public and press.

FC26/145  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 Fell Council meeting held on Tuesday 2 December 2025.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: that the minutes of the Council meeting held on Tuesday 2 December 2025 be approved as a as a true and accurate record and signed by the Chair.

Note: Councillors Bibb, Dobbie and Owles abstained from voting on the above resolution.

FC26/146  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 28 November 2025 (Paper B pages 8 to 9)
ii. Asset Transfer Working Group, Thursday 4 December 2025 (Paper C pages 10 to 12)
iii. Finance and Strategy Committee, Tuesday 16 December 2025 (Paper D pages 13 to 17)
iv. Planning Committee, Wednesday 17 December 2025 (Paper E pages 18 to 22)

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

Note: Councillor Key abstained from voting on the above resolution.

FC26/147  Announcements
To receive and note updates from: –
i. Chair of Council
ii. Leader of Council
iii. Representatives on Outside Bodies
iv. Town Clerk (Paper F pages 23 to 55)

Minutes:
i. Chair of Council
No update received.

ii. Leader of Council
The Leader updated Members on recent events attended.

iii. Representatives on Outside Bodies
No announcements.

Note: Councillor Woolley arrived at the meeting at 7:11pm.

iv. Town Clerk
RESOLVED: to NOTE the Town Clerk’s report.

FC26/148  Recommendations made by Committee (Paper G pages 56 to 78)
To consider the following recommendation from Finance and Strategy Committee held 16 December 2025 (FS26/114 Draft 2026 / 2027 Budget)
RESOLVED: to RECOMMEND to FULL COUNCIL the draft proposed budget for 2026/27 with a precept of £748,220 which equates to a 3.69% increase.

Minutes:
Note: Councillor Woolley left the meeting.

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

RESOLVED: to approve the draft proposed budget for 2026/27 with a precept of £748,220 which equates to a 4.72% increase (following revised Tax Base from WLDC).

FC26/149  Recommendations made by Committee
To consider the following recommendation from Finance and Strategy Committee held 16 December 2025 (FS26/124 Richmond House Conservatory Removal)
RESOLVED: to RECOMMEND to FULL COUNCIL: to approve the tender submitted by T.G. Sowerby Developments Ltd at the maximum cost of £34,750, having achieved the highest overall score and represents the best balance of quality, compliance and value for money.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: to approve the tender submitted by T.G. Sowerby Developments Ltd at the maximum cost of £34,750, having achieved the highest overall score and represents the best balance of quality, compliance and value for money.

FC26/150  Local Government Reorganisation (Paper H pages 79 to 80)
To consider any recent updates.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: to NOTE the update.

FC26/151  Correspondence (Paper I pages 81 to 82)
To note the correspondence previously circulated by email (for information only).

Minutes:
RESOLVED: to NOTE the correspondence circulated.

FC26/152  Items for Notification
To receive any items for notification to be included on a future agenda (for information only)

Minutes:
i.     Debt Write Off

FC26/153  Time and Date of Next Meeting
To note the date and time of the next Full Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 3 February 2026 at 6:30pm.

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

The meeting closed at 7:39pm.