Holbeach Parish Council meeting includes discussion on former staff member

A council has refused to say whether it has paid off a member of staff.

Holbeach Parish Council was quizzed on whether it had made a severance payment to the town’s park keeper by Paul Poll at Monday’s meeting – but he was told by Coun Rachel Flood that the authority does not discuss staff members.

Mr Poll, who also raised an issue with windows in the historic chapel, said: “If it is true that you can’t comment as it is a HR matter – what on earth is this council doing paying someone off?”

Coun Sophie Hutchinson said that there was a £10,000 payment to a staff member on the payment list.

She also stated: “Surely we can say whether a member of staff has left our employment?”

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Coun Flood stated: “We cannot talk about staff, past or present.”

*Objections will be made to South Holland District Council’s plans to raise the car parking charges in Boston Road South.

Speaking in the annual parish meeting, Coun Hutchinson said: “Amanda Cook set up a petition about car parking increases received and got a number of signatures.

“She would like to make a proposal at this meeting that the parish council objects to the increases and support the petition.”

Chairman Rick Stevens told the meeting that the council had not been consulted on this.

He is going to write to the district council, as a parishioner, to object to the increases.

*The state of ‘dog poo alley’ - Barrington Gate - was also raised during the meeting.

Coun Hutchinson said that the road had been sorted by the district council but ruined by the National Grid - and nothing has happened

since.

*She also questioned if parish meetings should be held at a different time as there maybe confusion among residents.

*Coun Stevens stated that the council had been subjected to a ‘spam attack’ last week.

*Coun Flood reported that there had been some anti-social behaviour in Carter’s Park and vandalism to the toilets.

*The meeting also discussed the costings of repairing or replacing a damaged hoist in the changing places toilets.