Document Date
08/04/2026
Created by
Parish Clerk
Category
Meetings
Wollaston Parish Council
Wollaston Parish Council
Document Date
08/04/2026
Created by
Parish Clerk
Category
Meetings
WOLLASTON PARISH COUNCIL
PLAYING FIELD & PARKS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON
Wednesday 8th April 2026, 7.00pm
At The Village Hall, High Street, Wollaston
VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT
Green, Jones, Mitchell, Perry, Savage (Chair), and Mrs S. Grant (Clerk).
PUBLIC PRESENT
None.
APOLOGIES
Apologies received from Mr Atkinson, Mr Cotter, Mr Hodson and Mr Silsby.
MINUTES
The minutes of the last meeting from 11th March 2026 were agreed unanimously and signed as a correct record.
FINANCES
Finances to end of March had been circulated together with the year-end to March 31st budget.
New play equipment at St Mary’s and the tree audit work has been the main cause of exceeding the budget by £2,154.53.
PLAY EQUIPMENT AND ADULT GYM INSPECTION/MAINTENANCE
Mr Savage confirmed that he had inspected the play and gym equipment and submitted the inspection sheets to the Clerk.
All urgent repairs identified at St Mary’s and London Road play parks during the annual audits conducted in June and August of last year have now been completed by the contractor. The toddler swing bolt has been repaired and is now secure. Annual audits for St Mary’s and London Road Play areas have been booked for June.
MUGA UPDATE
Awaiting confirmation from The Playground Company on maintenance dates in April to be provided to Mr Perry.
The basketball hoop was damaged during recent high winds but has now been straightened; the net requires replacement. A complete spare unit is available in the compound, and it has been suggested that components from this are used for replacement during the summer.
The gate bolt has come away; Mr Savage will follow up with Mr Silsby regarding a potential repair solution.
Rubbish levels within the MUGA have been high over the Easter holiday period.
POCKET PARK
Mr Thompson continues to work hard keeping the garden tidy and the brown bin is being emptied fortnightly.
SPORTS ASSOCIATION REPORT
Mr Perry advised that utility costs for the start of the year were significantly higher than expected, which is unexplained given that only one home game took place in January. Frost heaters were in use; however, following works carried out this year, loft heaters will be switched off next winter due to the installation of new heated cables. Electricity supply is with YU Energy.
The football season is progressing well, with two finals scheduled: the Vets County Cup at Corby and the Saturday league final at Thrapston. The pitch is in excellent condition. The final home game will take place on 25th April, which will coincide with the first cricket fixture.
Two primary school cricket festivals, organised by N.Sport are scheduled for 30th April and 7th May. Wollaston Secondary School will hold a cricket festival on 8th July.
Wollaston Youth Football will hold their outdoor presentation event on 28th June on the youth pitch.
There is an issue with the cricket door alarm sensor; Lynx will attend on 9th April to carry out servicing.
Mr Green has a viewing arranged for the large wooden hut in the football compound on Sunday. If the hut is required, it will need to be emptied, including the relocation of two memorial benches, old bench slats, and a spare basketball unit. It was agreed that a working party will need to be organised.
PURCHASES REQUIRED
Annual Bollard service due May 2026.
FIELD MAINTENANCE/MATTERS RELATING TO THE FIELD
Clerk to chase Quintin Allen for an update on the S106 monies progress for the 2-year ground maintenance plan and the hybrid cricket wicket.
Clerk is in receipt of the annual insurance (01.06.26-31.05.2027) at a total cost of £3,563.12 which is a 7.16% increase on last year. This % increase has been applied to the Cricket Club (£559) and Sports Association (£335) and to the Playing Fields (£1,328.33) to cover the MUGA, Tractor and gym/play equipment. Clerk to send out invoices. A further quote has been requested from Clear Councils for comparison, but due to the Clubhouse not having an electrical inspection within the last 5 years they have decline to cover the building.
Missing bid lid has been replaced by a resident, and all lids are now wired to the bin.
Bleed kit is now located with the de-fib cabinet with clear 999 instructions.
Rabbit control will increase as the weather improves.
Wooden pallets need to be removed from beside the small container. Mr Perry to chase Mr Silsby.
It was noted that contact had been received from a Wollaston resident requesting the addition of further gym equipment of their own. It was agreed that this is not possible due to space constraints and insurance/audit compliance requirements.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Wednesday 13th May 2026 at 7.00pm at the Village Hall, High Street, Wollaston.
There being no further business the Chair thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting at 7.50pm.
Signed ……………………………………………………………..
Date ……………………………………………………………….