ATM 04-22-25 MINS
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING 22ND APRIL 2025
Held at The Sessions House, Louth
Chairman – The Deputy Mayor of Louth, Councillor Mr. Darren Hobson
Present – Town and District Councillors, Members of the Public and
Members of Community Groups
1. Welcome from the Chairman, The Deputy Mayor of Louth
Cllr. DH welcomed attendees to the meeting. He informed those present of the fire assembly points, requested that phones were turned off or to silent, and went through the order of the meeting.
2. Approval of Minutes from the 2024 Annual Town Meeting
Following a proposal from Cllr. PS, seconded by Mrs. EB, the notes of the 2024 Annual Town Meeting were approved as the minutes after a vote of Councillors present and were signed by the Chairman.
3. Brief Report on Mayoral and Council Year
As the Council approached the end of its current year, Cllr. DH took the time to reflect on both successful and sometimes challenging times for Louth Town Council throughout 2024/25. He began by addressing the start of the 2024/25 term, when the newly re-elected Mayor of Louth, Cllr. Mrs. Julia Simmons (JS) announced that she was suffering from illness but would endeavour to do as much during the year as she was able. Ultimately, Julia passed away in December 2024, which, whilst anticipated, still came as a tremendous blow to the Council and community. It was subsequently decided that, as Deputy Mayor, Cllr. DH would fulfil the obligations of the office of Mayor for the remainder of Cllr. JS’s term of office. Cllr. DH shared that it had been a privilege to speak on behalf of the Town Council at Cllr. JS’s well attended funeral in January. Cllr. DH shared that he had the pleasure to meet many of the amazing people and organisations in the community, as well as representing Louth at Civic occasions across the county. He said that the local occasions included the annual Remembrance Sunday services, Carols for All at St. James’ Church and the raising of the flag on Commonwealth Day. He went on to say that he had the opportunity to meet staff, volunteers and users at a fundraising event at the St. Barnabas Wellbeing Centre and found out more regarding the services and facilities they offered. He mentioned that he had attended two concerts performed by the students of Entertaining Activities Lincs which was a local group that provided social opportunities and a place for students to express themselves in a supportive and inclusive environment. Cllr. DH then spoke of attending Louth Academy Trust’s first art showcase and presentation which was held at their headquarters in the town. Cllr. DH divulged that himself and the Deputy Mayoress, Mrs. Sarah-Jayne Hobson, had the pleasure of attending concerts including the Lincolnshire Young Musician of the Year competition, as well as those which had been organised by the Louth Male Voice Choir, the Meridian Singers and Louth Choral Society, plus BoxClever’s productions at the Riverhead Theatre. He attended the Louth Run for Life presentation evening after having also participated in the inaugural Santa Run for Life which had been organised by Louth Rotary Club in conjunction with the Run for Life Team. He divulged that he had also attended the Louth Rotary Club and Louth and District Lions Club annual charter dinners. Cllr. DH reported that he had represented Louth Town Council at a number of civic services elsewhere in Greater Lincolnshire, including East Lindsey District Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, South Kesteven District Council, West Lindsey District Council, Barton upon Humber, Bourne, Gainsborough, Immingham, Kirton in Lindsey, Mablethorpe and Sleaford. He said that it was always a pleasure to hear about the hard work that goes on in other communities and talk to colleagues about what they do to celebrate their areas. Following tradition, Cllr. DH and Deputy Mayoress visited the patients and staff on the Archer Ward at Louth Hospital on Christmas day to wish them well, followed by a customary visit to the Louth Salvation Army for their Christmas Day church service and to assist them in serving lunch to the community and providing their company. Cllr. DH shared that other events had included enjoying the Louth Community Panto Group’s production of Robin Hood, Endeavour Louth’s annual children’s Christmas party and taking part in Specsavers World Hearing Day event. He took the opportunity to thank all those who had been supportive during an unexpectedly busy year for himself and the Deputy Mayoress, granted special thanks to those across the community who gave much of their time and efforts so willingly to ensure that others had opportunities that they might not otherwise would have had access to, and looked forward to meeting many of them again during the upcoming year. Cllr. DH then addressed the Town Council’s year, divulging that the Council was slightly down on numbers and that there were seven vacancies. He encouraged any attendees who might be interested in joining the Council to look on the Louth Town Council website for more information and contact the Town Clerk. He continued that there had been a number of acquisitions by the Town Council over the last 12 months, the most notable being Hubbard’s Hills which the Council received back into its direct control after 15 years following the dissolution of the Hubbard’s Hills Trust which had previously run the area on behalf of the Town Council. He explained that the additional responsibility of Hubbard’s Hills had brought a number of challenges which the Council staff and a newly established working group had prioritised and begun dealing with. Cllr. DH said that it was the Council’s desire that the well-loved and much-used recreational space remained available for continued public use for many years ahead and hoped that it would go from strength to strength. In addition, Cllr. DH shared that the Town Council had recently completed the purchase of the Trinity Lane allotment site, safeguarding its future use by current and prospective users. The allotment was another much-utilised site in the town and would continue to be managed on behalf of the Town Council by the Louth Cottage Garden and Allotment Association. Cllr. DH then disclosed that conversations had been ongoing throughout the year relating to the future of Old Mill House on Crowtree Lane. Cllr. DH addressed that it was a sensitive issue involving third parties, therefore details could not be discussed, but he reassured attendees that the matter was being dealt with by the Council’s solicitor who was keeping the Council up to date with progress. Cllr. DH went on to share that the Town Council had agreed to take ownership of the electricity supply box situated in the Market Place, ensuring that the electricity supply remained available via the Council for use by the community should it be required, as well as for the town’s Christmas Tree. The Council was also working with ELDC to ensure that the raised decorative streetlamp in the Market Place was fixed for the Town Council to take ownership of. Additionally, Cllr. DH imparted that Louth Town Council had committed to supporting the endeavours of other groups and organisations in the town, agreeing to assist the London Road Sports Partnership with £20,000 following Magna Vitae’s decision to withdraw from the pavilion and facility on London Road at the town’s southern edge. He explained that this commitment would provide much-needed financial support over the forthcoming years for those who have taken on the operation of the site for the community. Additionally, town councillors had agreed in principle to take ownership of a site off Park Avenue for development into a play park. A working group had been established to explore how it could support and assist the formation of a community group who would take the project forward. Cllr. DH reported that the Town Council had welcomed the reformation of the Louth Branch of the Royal British Legion and that the Council looked forward to working with the newly formed committee in the coming months. Conversations had already taken place and the Council had been pleased to support the branch with advice and assistance in relation to the upcoming VE Day 80 commemorations, including help with road closures, funding to assist the event, agreeing that the Council’s beacon could be lit by the British Legion on the evening of 8th May, providing propane for the beacon, providing electricity for the PA system to be used at the War Memorial and providing support from staff in tidying afterwards. Cllr. DH said that Louth Town Council had continued to operate a grant scheme which was open to organisations and allowed groups to apply for funding towards projects. The Council had supported seven applications during the 2024/25 Council year, and, in addition, it had agreed to trial a revised version of the scheme for 2025/26 which would allow organisations to apply at any time during the year rather than within a narrow window. Cllr. DH said that the Council would be welcoming some of the organisations which they had supported during the year throughout the evening and looked forward to hearing about how they had made use of the funding received. Cllr. DH went on to share that crime and disorder continued to be at the front of the Council’s mind and that reports had been provided by the local neighbourhood policing team to the Council regarding issues which were proving to be challenges within the town. He then mentioned that the Council had also begun to consider the impact on crime and disorder when assessing whether to support planning applications. He went on to say that elected members and council staff had attended emergency planning training during the last year and were working with colleagues from the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum to complete a new emergency plan for the town and provide a basis to support the community should the need arise. In order to support many of the initiatives, the Town Council took the decision to increase its precept for 2025/26 by 10.3%, having only increased it by 3.2% over the course of the previous three years. Cllr. DH explained that part of the increase would fund a new member of office-based staff which the Council had recently agreed was needed to support its existing team to deliver on the significant number of ongoing projects the Council had committed to, as well as to assist with the day-to-day operation of the Town Council to ensure its core functions could be managed effectively. He said that the Council looked forward to appointing the new member of staff to join its hardworking and dedicated team soon. Cllr. DH continued that, with local government reorganisation on the horizon in the coming years, Louth Town Council had begun to anticipate its future needs and potential additional responsibilities. It was also working towards attaining Quality Council Status which was the first step on the ladder to achieve a foundation accreditation under the Local Council Award Scheme which would ultimately benefit the community, the Council and principal authorities.
4. Presentation: London Road Sports Partnership
Mr. Ewan Findlay began by introducing himself, informing attendees that the London Road Sports Partnership was formed after Magna Vitae withdrew from the running the London Road Sports Pavilion, explaining that the three home clubs wanted to reassure that the sporting facilities would be there for years to come. He said that East Lindsey District Council were funding the Partnership’s first five years, and that there were 700 to 800 members in the hockey, football and cricket clubs. He informed attendees that the Partnership had re-negotiated utility contracts and re-decorated the Pavilion after receiving a grant which had allowed for renovations. He went on to say that they had upgraded the astroturf lighting and were redoing the interior lighting. Mr. Findlay stated that the Partnership had changed the heating using the grant provided by Louth Town Council. He went on to mention that they had also done work to the drainage. He said that they were looking into reducing the running costs for the site, as well as maintenance contracts and investigating whether they could carry out the work themselves rather than relying on contractors. Mr. Findlay disclosed that the Pavilion costs around £150-160,000 to run annually. He said that they were looking for volunteers for roles such as secretaries and tradesmen. He finalised by expressing thanks to the meeting.
Presentation: Louth and District Concert Society
Mr. Clive Rhodes introduced himself and told attendees that the Louth and District Concert Society had been running for 81 years and had brought a wide range of music to Louth. He said that it was a registered charity which used volunteers to organise between six and seven concerts a year. Mr. Rhodes explained that the Society tried to keep the atmosphere informal and friendly, and that they used spaces in the Conoco Rooms, St. James’ Church and the Riverhead Theatre. He then disclosed that they were working with the church to see about using St. Michael’s as a potential performance venue. He went on to say that a wide range of instruments were used, such as bagpipes and panpipes, and that local people had been helping with performances. Mr. Rhodes said that the Society were trying to be proactive, obtaining funding from charities to find new talent and that they had been gifted a violin which had been restored. He told attendees that the Council’s grant contribution had helped to reduce the cost of a concert held at the Riverhead Theatre, which was well attended, and that they wanted to develop a space to use regularly and eventually acquire a grand piano. He finished by thanking the meeting.
Presentation: Spout Yard Management Trust
Ms Katy Mansfield began by explaining that Spout Yard consisted of four elements: the playground; the garden; the kiosk and the gallery. She said that the facility was run by volunteers and was founded around 25 years ago. She described it as a special place in the heart of Louth, which had been rebuilt in 2023 with new trustees and that they were working with Virginia House and St. Bernard’s to provide volunteers. Ms Mansfield disclosed that they had used the Council’s grant to purchase a coffee grinder for the kiosk which had allowed volunteers to serve good quality coffee. Ms Glen Bullman spoke of the Spout Yard Gallery and explained that it had been purposely built and was run by volunteers and was open for a minimum of 9 months throughout the year. She enthused that they had held some stimulating exhibits throughout the year and informed the meeting that they were fully booked for next year, with a waiting list. She said that the new Wi-Fi gave a boost to activities and enhanced learning at Spout Yard, commenting that the gallery was a valuable community resource. Ms Bullman thanked the Council for their support.
Presentation: Louth Friendship Festival
Mrs Amanda Watts started her presentation by thanking Louth Town Council for their grant, which helped with insurance and promotional materials, children’s activities. She explained that this was the third year of the Festival, which had expanded from its original venue of the Priory. She continued that the Festival was to be held at nine different venues throughout the town of Louth, including: the Priory Hotel; Spout Yard; Louth Museum; Orme Almhouses; St. James’ Church; Louth Methodist Church; Hammond House Gallery and Louth Jazz and Folk Club. Mrs Watts said that there was no charge to enter the venues on the day of the festival. She went on to share that she had worked with the museum to create a walking route with a quiz with prizes to be given which had been donated by Co-op, who were also providing refreshments to the venue. Mrs Watts hoped that there would be something for everybody at the Festival.
Presentation: Louth Run for Life
Mr Simon West introduced himself as the Chairman of Louth Run for Life, a position he had held for 18 years. He explained that they were a group consisting of 18 volunteers and 70 volunteer marshals which held events to raise money for cancer. He said all the money raised by entries and sponsorship went directly to Cancer Research, whilst grant money from Louth Town Council and the Sports Association went to traffic management, first aid, race medals, race numbers, water and goodie bags. He added that they received donations of services from local businesses and had local sponsors. Mr West informed attendees that the first Louth Run for Life was held in 2006 and had around 300 participants who raised around £3,000, which had increased to £12,000 in 2007. He explained that the 2012 London Olympics gave a boost to race, which raised £40,000 and, by 2019, the total accumulative funds raised totalled £460,000. Whilst there was no Run for Life in 2020 due to Covid, Mr West said that they still managed to raise funds of £35,000, with the run returning in 2021 raising £52,000 and £48,000 in 2022. He continued that, in 2023, they raised £160,000, including £20,000 of match funding, and shared that, in 2024, they had again raised a total of £160,000 through entries to the Run for Life race, various collection and donation stations, a charity ball, a ladies cricket tournament, a charity cycle ride, a Race for Life merchandise stall, a bucket collection, Turn Louth Pink, Louth Santa Run and Louth Tractor Run. Mr West divulged that the total fundraising from 2006 to 2024 came to at total of £855,000 and said that they were pushing towards raising £1million. He went on to announce the dates of upcoming events, which included the main Run for Life on 29th June 2025, the Louth Santa Run, taking place on 7th December and the Louth Tractor Run, taking place on 21st December. Mr West then shared some statistics around cancer mortality rates and treatment, urging the importance of fundraising. He finished by thanking attendees for listening.
Presentation: Louth Male Voice Choir
Mr M. Kerridge of the Louth Male Voice choir shared that he organised the Lincolnshire Young Musician of the Year Competition which took place annually at the Louth Methodist Church on the Saturday before Armistice Day. He said that the competition had been running since 1989 and that 36 young people divided between three age groups from across Lincolnshire had competed in last year’s competition, performing to an audience of around 250 attendees. Mr Kerridge went on to thank the Deputy Mayor for presenting the trophies last year and thanked the Council for its grant award. He shared that the Louth Male Voice Choir hoped to organise something locally, holding an event for singers and instrumentalists over the last week of the summer holidays, and expressed hope that more young residents of Louth would take part, as the participants are predominantly from outside of the town. He said that all were welcome to come to the events and ended by thanking everyone.
Presentation: Endeavour Louth
Mr M. Harrison began by informed attendees that Endeavour Louth started 18 months ago by launching Operation Lifeboat, an initiative that collected toys with the support of local businesses and community. He explained that Endeavour had also set up a wellbeing walking group sponsored by Co-op as well as a bereavement group which met once a month. He continued that, unfortunately, some of the group’s funding had been withdrawn. Mr Harrison went on to share that the group had set up an emergency foodbank initiate and started Homeless to Home, which was created to support people who needed to move suddenly, supporting them by providing basic furniture or emergency food and worked with various agencies such as Citizens Advice Bureau and Framework to do so. He expressed that Endeavour wished to start a food pantry in Louth, consisting of a shop where people would pay a small subscription in exchange for a choice of items, which would bring dignity and choice back to those in need. He went on to say that Endeavour would hopefully be signing the lease for a building on Queen Street imminently, which would have basic furnishings in one area and a pantry in another. He called on attendees for their support and thanked them for listening.
Presentation: Louth Navigation Trust
Mr Roger Subden opened his presentation by thanking the Council for their continued support. He went on to share that the Louth Navigation Trust was founded in 1986 and was based at Riverhead, with their original intentions being to reopen the canal, protect what remained of the infrastructure of the canal and increase use of the canal for leisure activities. He said that, unfortunately, whilst they had not succeeded in reopening the canal, they had success with protecting the infrastructure at Ticklepenny Lock, which was in the process of being restored and was in better condition. Mr Subden went on the say that, whilst Keddington Lock had been a failure, there was some success with reinstalling a cascade. He divulged that this year, the Navigation Trust had been awarded £100,000 to install aa slipway at Austen Fen, which was now in use after being completed on time and on budget and told attendees that its official opening would be on 25th May 2025. He mentioned that they had purchased a paddleboard using the grant from Louth Town Council and that this would be available to use on the day. He went on to share that they aimed to do more at Riverhead, which needed refurbishment, and that they hoped that people would be able to canoe and paddleboard in the area but to achieve this they needed funding. Mr Subden said that the grant from Louth Town Council would be used towards reinstating and renewing the viewing area Riverhead to make it more a thoroughfare in the future. He mentioned that they had a low number of volunteers, around six, and finished by thanking the Council for their support.
5. Public Forum
a. A gentleman thanked the Council and town for its support of Louth and District Help for Homeless, which was a small charity that gave loans and grants to those in desperate need, in conjunction with East Lindsey District Council and Citizens Advice Bureau. He continued that, whilst they had gift aid facilities, they had few sources of funding, relying on fundraising and grants. He asked for attendees to contact him if they wanted to set up a standing order or had any questions.
b. A second gentleman shared his dismay at Louth often not receiving good press from local outlets, feeling that more press could benefit organisations in the town. A Councillor suggested using more social media, whilst another gentleman suggested the town started a Louth-specific communications role for the press. Another Councillor responded that there was a young journalist scheme run by East Lindsey District Council which could bring potential journalists to be signposted in the town.
6. Close Meeting
Cllr. DH ended proceedings by thanking those present at the meeting for their attendance and time helping the community.
The meeting closed at 7.45pm.
Signed_______________________ (Chairman) Dated_________________________
Attendees
Councillors: Mrs E. Ballard (Mrs EB), J. Baskett (JB), L.M. Cooney (LMC), J. Drake (JD), H. Filer (HF), D. Hobson (DH), Mrs J. Makinson-Sanders (Mrs JMS), D. Moore (DM), Mrs K. Parsons (Mrs KP).
Other: The Town Clerk, Mrs L.M. Phillips, the Town Clerk’s Assistant, Mrs S. Chitauro-Adlard, Mr E. Findlay, Mr C. Rhodes, Ms. K. Mansfield, Ms. G. Bullman, Mrs A. Watts, Mr S. West, Mr M. Kerridge, Mr M. Harrison, Mr R. Subden.