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

 Agenda and Minutes

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

In Attendance:
Rachel Allbones                  Town Clerk
Sean Alcock                        Operations Manager
Amanda Clarke                   Communities Officer

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

FC26/173  Apologies for Absence
To note apologies for absence.

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

FC26/174  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.

FC26/175  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.

FC26/176  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:
No items for the exclusion of public and press.

FC26/177  Minutes of the Previous Meeting (Paper A pages 4 to 8)
To receive and resolve to sign as a true and accurate record the minutes of the Council meeting held on Tuesday 3 February 2026.           

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

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

FC26/178  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, Tuesday 10 February 2026 (Paper B pages 9 to 11)
ii. Personnel Committee, Wednesday 11 February 2026 (Paper C pages 12 to 16)
iii. Planning Committee, Tuesday 17 February 2026 (Paper D pages 17 to 22)
iv. Neighbourhood Plan Working Group, Thursday 19 February 2026 (Paper E pages 23 to 25)
v. Finance and Strategy Committee, Tuesday 24 February 2026 (Paper F pages 26 to 29)
vi. Community Emergency Plan Working Group, Thursday 26 February 2026 (Paper G pages 30 to 32)

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

FC26/179  Announcements
To receive and note updates from: –
i. Chair of Council
ii. Leader of Council
iii. Representatives on Outside Bodies
iv. Town Clerk Paper H (pages 33 to 70)

Minutes:
i. Chair of Council
The Chair advised of events he had attended, thanked Members that attended his Civic Service and those that participated with readings, and advised that his Mayors donation from 2024/25 civic year was handed over to Lindsey Lodge.

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

iii. Representatives on Outside Bodies
Cllr Hooton advised Members would be invited to St John Ambulance Gainsborough cadets group.

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

FC26/180  Recommendation made by Committee (Paper I pages 71 to 75)
To consider the following recommendation from Finance and Strategy Committee meeting held on Tuesday 24 February 2026 (FS26/150 Councillor Laptop Use & Return Agreement):
RESOLVED: To RECOMMEND to FULL COUNCIL the adoption of the Councillor Laptop Use & Return Agreement

Minutes:
RESOLVED: To adopt the Councillor Laptop Use & Return Agreement.

Note: Councillors Binns, Dobbie and Doy abstained from voting on the above resolution.

FC26/181  Direct Debit and BACS Payment Approval (Paper J pages 76 to 79)
To consider approval, in accordance with Financial Regulations 7.10, 8.7 and 8.8, for payments to be made by Direct Debit and BACS.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: To
i. Approve, under Financial Regulation 8.7, the use of variable Direct Debit for the payments listed in section 2.2 of Paper J.
ii. Approve, under Financial Regulation 8.8, the use of BACS for the payment listed in section 2.3 of Paper J.

FC26/182  Annual Town Meeting (Paper K pages 80 to 83)
To consider and agree invitees to present at the Annual Town Meeting.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: To invite the following to present at the Annual Town Meeting:
i. The Police and Crime Commissioner
ii. The Mayor of the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority
iii. MP for Gainsborough
iv. The Men Shed

FC26/183  Local Government Reorganisation
To consider any recent updates.
All four proposals are out for consultation. Members of the public may take part via the government’s consultation website before 26 March 2026

Minutes:
There was no recent update, but the live consultation was noted.

FC26/184  Correspondence (Paper L pages 84 to 85)
To note the correspondence previously circulated by email (for information only).

Minutes:
RESOLVED: To NOTE the correspondence circulated.

FC26/185  Items for Notification

Minutes:
i.     Debt Write Off

FC26/186  Time and Date of Next Meeting
To note the date and time of the next Full Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 7 April 2026 at 6:30pm.

Minutes:
RESOLVED: To NOTE the next Full Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday 7 April 2026 at 6:30pm at Richmond House, Morton Terrace.

The meeting closed at 7:18pm.