Minutes for 2024

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
Minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 1st May at 6.30pm in Kirkby on Bain Primary School Hall

Those present:  Councillor Armitage (Acting as Chair), Councillors Midgley, Cole, Russell                                                                                               and clerk, Miss Kulwicki. 

Public:   23 members of the public were present. 

Members started arriving at 6:15pm.The chairman declared the meeting open at 6:30pm. 

   Agenda:
   
1. Welcome from chairman 
The chairman welcomed all present to the councils annual parish meeting he told all that the purpose of the meeting is to get as many members of the parish to attend and the informally discuss and address local issues. 

2. Introduction from Highways and short presentation on local plans 

Lincolnshire county council representatives introduced themselves. Ashley Myers (Flood Risk Programme coordinator) Russell Crockford (Senior Drainage Engineer) and Mathew Harrison (Flood water manager). 

Mathew Harrison told all that the storms that have effected Lincolnshire have been devastating for many. 890 properties across the county have suffered from internal flooding. They are here to show all the programme of works they have scheduled for the area which will take place this financial year  to help address the surface water flooding. It won’t solve local flooding issues but will improve surface water flooding. They work with local agencies and have joint discussions and can take comments back to the EA, they cannot answer questions on behalf of the EA. 

The storms caused the highest river levels in the Bain catchment area and the conditions were exceptional and the county council will collectively look at the issue and put together a plan to deal with this exceptional event.  

3. Introductions from Environment agency and short presentation on local plans
       Not in attendance and no official apology received. 
       
4. Question and answer session to discuss these plans and matters permitting to improving village flood defences (MOP- Member if public) 
a) One MOP asked if these representatives could take some questions back to the team to be put on a county council meeting agenda or at least be addressed and answered. The 3 representatives where handed a copy of the letter. 

Mathew informed him that he would take it back to the council. 

b) County Cllr P. Bradwell attended the meeting and told all that the local residents need to see all involved bodies taking action locally to give them the confidence that something like this wont happen again. She was disgraced to see that the EA did not attend. The local drains did not works as there was too much rain for them to cope with. 

Mathew Harrison told all that the works they have planned will solve a lot of the surface water flooding locally, but will not fix flooding which requires a multitude of innervations to make a real improvement. He cannot speak on behalf pf the EA but to address comment from the public he is happy to liaise with them but he is not able to tell them what to do. 

c) Another MOP was disgraced with the lack of attendance from the EA. As they will be able to answer the wider questions as well as local ones. 

d) A MOP asked when these works would take place that LCC are proposing and if the budget is in place for the works. 
Mathew told them that the budget for this has been allocated and the works will take place in this financial year.

e) A MOP asked where LCC is in the process on dealing with local flooding issues.  
Mathew Harrison informed them that the council will be doing this surface water scheme but breaches and maintenance of the River Bain will be carried out by the EA, should they do this. 

f) A MOP asked about a culvert under Roughton Road which is small in diameter and needs replacing with something wider to allow for good water flow.  
Rusell Crockford told them that as part of this scheme it will be replaced and is in the plans which they have brought with them which parishioners are welcome to look at the end. 

Mathew Harrison informed them that this culvert it now owned by LCC it is riparian ownership but they are replacing it as part of the scheme so not to impede the system. LCC will send some guidance on riparian ownership as they want to raise awareness as most people do not know what it is. 

g) A MOP told all the a valve in the Bain does not work when the river is full which causes the surface water to raise which ended up flooding the Ebrington Arms. 

h) A MOP said with climate change its only going to get worse.

i) A MOP who has lived in KOB since 1948 said the river never overflowed when the old river was in place which bypassed the village completely. 

j) A MOP told all the in 2017 8.4m was put aside for flooding but has been used in the coast which has never flooded but if they could bypass some of the funding to KOB it would make a real difference. 

Mathew Harrison told all that LCC have appointed an independent consultant to review the EA report as it is as though they have marked there own homework at the minute. 

County Cllr P. Bradwell told all that she will take it upon herself to get a member of the EA to attend one of the parish council meetings as they have a duty to attend. 

The chairman thanked all for coming. 

LCC presented plans for people to look at while tea, coffee and cake was served until 8:00pm. Members of the council and the parish had informal chats where they raised their views to councillors and LCC representatives. 

The meeting closed at 8:20pm