2022 Chairman's Report
Due to the Covid restrictions the last Annual Meeting was only last Oct , but it was the first time we had been able to meet in public in well over a year, so this report now only covers the last 6 months, as the first half of our year was reported at the Oct meeting. Sadly since the last Annual Meeting Cllr Colin Harvey has passed away. He had been on the council for over 13years. Our condolences go to his wife, Sonia.
We have now co-opted Mr Drysdale to fill the vacancy and welcome his contribution to help with the future care of the village.
We are currently working on a speed reduction on the B1188. Since Christmas the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership have carried out a survey of the road within our village boundary and the results showed that although the vast majority of the traffic has been found to be travelling within the 50mph limit, the average came out at 42mph. It is still our request to have the limit be reduced to 30mph to protect the children crossing the road from the bus stop. This is now with the road safety team and we are awaiting further progress.
We have also been planning to improve facilities within the village and carried out public consultation on the designs for new outdoor exercise equipment for the playing field. Several different schemes were displayed before the New Year and the questionnaires completed have helped with the choice of the equipment and application for the funding. We have applied for funding from FCC Communities Foundation, they are responsible for the land fill sites in this part of Lincolnshire. We have been notified that our application has been a success and we will be progressing with the installation of the equipment as soon as it can be manufactured. This is one part of our plans for village improvements during the Queen’s Jubilee year.
We have already planted several trees within the playing field as part of the Queens Green Canopy project and have obtained quotes for repairs and repainting of the existing wooden equipment, again as part of the improvement projects for the Queen’s Jubilee. We are just awaiting a commencement date.
Since the last report we have met and had a ‘Village Walk About’ with LCC Highways, several areas of repairs were identified and from this Harrowby Close received a total re-surface. Some urgent footpath repairs have been carried out, with several others been added to a scoring list. The request for a School Safety Zone is with the Road Safety Team and after months of requesting we have still not have received confirmation of the maintenance contract on the new flood relief scheme. We have requested via our County Councillor that this be sorted, urgently. We have received information that Fen Road will be surveyed for resurfacing and patching and the road edges reinstated.
As was reported at the last Annual Parish meeting, we have been in consultation with the Environment Agency regarding the maintenance of the Beck. Finally the results of the consultation were released in January and regardless of our many requests for the maintenance to be improved there is to be no change to the current programme. They are looking at trying to ‘Slow the Flow’ of the beck into the village but this is dependent on adjoining landowners co-operation. There are plans for EA to produce digital information packs on how residents can protect their own homes, but we have not received any confirmation on this to date.
The Parish Council has been able to offer grants and in the last six months have given a contribution towards the black metal ‘Tommies’ outside the village hall and a contribution towards the insurance for the Village Hall. A further grant has been given to the Digby Elves to go towards the packaging of the mince pies they thoughtfully delivered for Christmas to every household. It was also a pleasure to take part in the Christmas tree festival held in the Church.
And finally, as you may have noticed there has been some marked changes to the village hall garden. Many of the shrubs had become overgrown and it was agreed to remove all the prickly bushes as when they were pruned, the thorns created problems and got stuck in dogs’ paws. We are pleased to say the regeneration of the garden is another project to be completed to mark the Queen’s Jubilee and will be an asset in the centre of the village. The final scheme planned is to name and erect signage for all the adjoining footpaths/snickets around the village to join to old parts to the new. Some paths already have historic names but have no signage, so it is proposed mark them all with signs bearing the Queen’s Jubilee emblem as a future reminder of this date.
Any Questions.