Chairman's Report 2024
Irnham Parish Meeting 24 April 2024
Chairman’s Report
Thank you for attending our VILLAGE meeting this evening and welcome.
I feel that as a community we are very lucky in that we are a small parish where generally we all muck in to get “things” done.
There are many jobs carried out which go un-thanked and perhaps even un-noticed but if they are not done the village becomes scruffy.
It can also be seen that gardens are looked after well.
In the recent past we have won an award for the appearance of Irnham and for this award the ‘golden’ litter bin was presented to us.
Walking around the village today I noted how nice the appearance of the Griffin and its garden is, and how much better the renovations of the houses and the village gardens make the village look.
Perhaps this is another year that we can win a village award, which, if we win, also contributes towards the parish funds.
At this meeting I am required to report on the work carried out by the parish council during the last year.
Our main event was the Coronation Lunch where we enjoyed a pork roast, with some wonderful puddings donated by parishioners with the Stamford Stompers Jazz Band playing in the background. During these proceedings a special competition was held for our younger people to keep them entertained. Flags and bunting decorated the venue and the village roads in the parish.
All this does not just happen, it takes effort for which I would like to thank everyone who helped to organise, and who contributed to, this special event.
Prior to the Coronation celebrations we managed to have the telephone boxes repainted – as you know they are no longer telephone boxes but are now owned by the parish and used as a book swap in Irnham and information centre in Bulby.
Maintenance has been carried out on our notice boards and changes have been made to our web site to make it more in line with other parishes in the county.
We keep our pressure on Lincolnshire County Council and South Kesteven District Council to have potholes attended to, and the villages deep cleaned. Also, for their relevant departments to endeavour to correct flooding, which has been a problem this last winter, but in Irnham less than it may have been with the replacement culvert built under Hawthorpe Road.
Bulby still has very inconvenient problems after heavy rain and this is being investigated. It also creates a build-up of stones and silt along the verges and at the ford.
Several villagers from Irnham, Bulby and Hawthorpe spent a day working on ‘the Bulby Clean Up’ where the kerb stones were exposed to show the true width of the road and clean the street.
As you know: This year is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France, and Nationally the weekend of the 7th to 9th of June has been designated as a weekend to volunteer.
So, we are arranging a ‘Parish Clean Up’ on the 7th and 8th of June where we will ask for your help to tidy our parish – followed by a BBQ on Sunday 9th with the support of The Irnham Park Residents Association - details to follow.
The Parish Council are looking for ideas from parishioners for future ways of enhancing our parish – as a reminder your Parish Council, in the past, have carried out the following:-
• Installed a country seat by the stream in Bulby.
• Taken over the telephone boxes from BT.
• Planted daffodils in the verges.
• Installed a digital speed indicator in Irnham.
• Installed ‘gateways’ in Bulby and Hawthorpe.
• Recovered the old water pumps in Irnham as a feature.
• Installed the flagpole in Irnham in remembrance of our late Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.
• Held a Queen’s Jubilee lunch.
• Installed the ‘Knight’ village sign, to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles.
I would like to thank my fellow parish councillors and our residents for their help in making this a fabulous community to live within.
Thank you.