Alvingham Parish Council
Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on 8th September 2026
Present: Councillor N Ashley (NA
Councillor G Cummings (GC)
Councillor A Graves (AG)
Councillor V Stratford (TS)
In Attendance: Councillor N Hastings (NH)
Councillor E Mossop (EM)
Clerk: Mrs T Bradshaw (TB)
Apologies Councillor S Shucksmith (SS)
Cllr Ashley opened the meeting at 7.30pm & welcomed all those in attendance
Minutes of meeting held on 7th July 2026
The minutes from the Annual Parish Meeting on 7th July 2026 were read and Cllr Cummings proposed they be approved with Cllr Graves seconding this. Cllr Ashley signed them as a true copy.
Matters Arising
Pot Holes / Road Repairs – Abbey Road has now been resurfaced, and whilst it appears to be an acceptable job in the main, it was noted that the side edges of the tarmac have been left unfinished. There is a 3” drop along both sides of the road, and the first time a heavy vehicle goes off the edge, the tarmac will break, ultimately leading to the surface to fail, and we’ll be back to where we started. The question was raised as to why the road planings were not retained and used to fill the gap between the road edge and the verge? It was agreed to leave matters until the next stage of the village road repairs (insertion of a drainage gulley and re-profiling of the carriageway on Highbridge Road) had begun in November, at which time Cllr Hastings will raise the matter once again with LCC Highways Dept.
Flood Diary - Recording of all evidence relating to surface water / sewerage flooding within the village over the last few years has begun, together with information on poorly maintained ditches and drains.
Parishioner Mr Graham Hill was in attendance, who has been collating data with regards to the Louth Canal over a number of years. He had raised his concerns about the lack of maintenance and the associated flood risks. Cllr Hastings has already been in contact with various departments and agencies regarding this, and he and colleagues had visited Tetney Lock to view the hydraulic gates, which unfortunately appeared to show they had not been opened or tested in many years, and would surely fail if and when they were actually required. LCC have confirmed they have nothing on their flood risk file for the area. Louth Canal is designated an Environment Agency main river, so flood risk management falls directly to the EA, although the hydraulic gates appear to be the responsibility of Anglian Water. Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board have the responsibility of the smaller tributaries, the maintenance of which they carry out well. Cllr Hasting committed to continue his investigations, and put pressure on LCC to hold the relevant authorities to task.
Parishioners Mr & Mrs Babbs were also in attendance, and raised the issue of flooding on the corner of Highbridge Road. There are 2 metal culverts there, one of which is completely blocked, and it is thought the underground pipe is broken. Surface water runs down Highbridge Road, and off the fields, but there is too much volume for only 1 culvert to manage. The open ditch / gulley along the side of Highbridge is overgrown and not maintained, which adds to the issue. Cllr Mossop believed the gulley carried riparian rights to the householders, but would enquire with LMDB to see if it was, or could be, adopted. Cllr Hastings asked for an official request from the PC so he could raise the matter with LCC Highways to get the gulley cleared.
Churchyard Funding – Cllr Cummings advised that due to continued fundraising by individuals and several community events and activities, all but £500 of the £14k required had now been raised. Cllr Cummings had requested the £300 grant offered by Cllr Hastings back in July be donated to the fund. The Parochial Church Council was applying for a further grant to make up the shortfall. The Lincoln Diocese had at last granted permission for the works to be carried out.
Treasurers Report
Cllr Cummings confirmed that the current balance in the account stands at £6,322.84, with a cheque for £25 issued to cover the prize fund of the annual garden completion.
As agreed last year, £100 will be used to buy more ‘lamppost poppies’ from the RBL to ensure that together with the poppies from last year, we now how sufficient to cover the whole village.
It was noted that we can not rely on a donated Christmas Tree each year, so a budget of £500 was set to ensure a tree and any decorations could be sourced when needed.
Correspondence
Nothing to report
Any Other Business
War Memorial – Clerk had been introduced to someone who repainted head stones. Although the memorial was originally constructed with lead lettering, quotes for repairs are too expensive, is it worth considering a cheaper option of paint just to ensure the memorial can continue to be legible? Clerk to investigate options
Next Meeting Tuesday 3rd November 2026 7.30pm
Cllr Ashley thanked everyone for their attendance and closed the meeting at 8.45pm