©Kirton News 2023

The Editors Letter

It’s time to take action. Right?

We’re all sick to the back teeth of reading reports of yet more vandalism and theft in and around our beautiful village. Small fires, anti-social behaviour and even stones being removed from the church to name but a few.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a magic wand to make any of this go away. It’s not 1950 and we can’t just go up to the perpetrators and give them a good ‘clip round the ear’ and march them back home (as much as we may be tempted to). Home, these days, doesn’t seem to have as much clout as it used to.

It’s a sad fact that there’s so much negativity currently surrounding Kirton mostly from it’s own residents. We chose to live here, we must like something about it (I know I could list many things)!

My only offering is to suggest a Community Action Group. I’ve seen a few people suggesting similar ideas recently. This doesn’t have to be a group to tackle the anti-social behaviour, it could be very general to start with.

“Community groups are fundamental to creating sustainable communities. People coming together to form a group helps to improve a community and aides social inclusion, alleviates exclusion, and increases the amount of people directly involved in their community – all essential ingredients for any community striving to be sustainable”. - From www.brighterfuturestogether.co.uk

Luckily, we all don’t have identical opinions on things (now that would be boring) and we don’t all have the same backgrounds, jobs or lifestyles. Because of this, you could all bring something to the table. If you feel that you need some more information before organising a group of your own, then please contact me. I’m happy to chat with anyone about getting involved in community based activities.

Community Action Groups are a great way of coming together and making a difference (doesn’t matter how big or small or what specific area you want to tackle, see the letter regarding the Friday group on page 9). It could be anything from the problem of dog fouling to money raising ideas.

Please write in with your ideas or feel free to post on the Community Facebook page. I’m sure you will find other like minded folks out there!

Rachael

Walk This May !

Organisers of the Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival are providing plenty of good reasons for everyone to get walking this May!

There are lots of good reasons to take part in the Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival this year, which runs from Saturday 19 May to Sunday 3 June. Walking is proven to be one of the best types of exercise, improving heart health, speeding up metabolism and improving your mood.

National Walking Month, promoted by Living Streets charity, takes place each May aimed at reminding all of us to build more walking into our daily lives. They recommend that just 20 minutes every day can make a positive difference.

Closer to home, the Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival is supported by Lincolnshire County Council’s Access Lincoln initiative; supporting people to use walking and cycling for shorter journeys, which in turn reduces congestion in built-up areas.

Festival Co-ordinator, Natalie Lunt, said:

“This year, there are over 100 walks on offer. You can discover the history of an area with a guided talking walk, try something new with a themed walk, enjoy an energetic ramble, relax with a short stroll, or experience the Wolds in a different light with one of the night walks on offer. Whatever your age and ability pull on your walking boots and join in the fun, there really is something for everyone!”

Those who fancy a challenge can sign up to the ‘Great Walk’, the biggest walk of the festival! This is your chance to walk the Lincs Wolds Way, a 76 miles circular walk in 6 manageable stages, with a rest day in-between.

Along with the challenging walks there are over 40 ‘easy’ walks which are suitable for most levels of fitness. The packed programme also feature routes suitable for wheelchair users and accessible with pushchairs.

Many walks are family friendly and feature fun activities such as shelter building, bushcraft, treasure trails, bug hunts and more, so there’s plenty to keep the little ones busy during the May half term.

For more information about how to take part go to www.woldswalkingfestival.co.uk, check out social media (facebook: @lincswoldswalkingfestival) or pick up a brochure from tourist venues and libraries across the county.

Flowers bloom at Kirton Parish Church

Preparations are already in full swing at Kirton Parish Church as members of the fundraising team get ready for the church annual Flower Festival which is being held the last weekend in June. Festivities start on Friday 29th June at 7pm with Sung Eucharist to celebrate our Patronal Festival. This is followed by a preview of the flower displays and light refreshments.

“As usual it has been a very busy few weeks for us,” commented church warden, Fay Houltby. “This is now our fourth Flower Festival after quite a few years break and each year we to make it even better than before. There will be lots of beautiful displays representing local businesses and groups as well as the schools in Kirton and the nursery. Our theme this year is Childhood Memories.

The Flower Festival continues on Saturday (30th 11am-4pm) Sunday (1st July 1pm -4pm) and Monday (2nd July 12 -4pm). There will be homemade refreshments served throughout the festival and on Saturday, classic cars will be on display in the churchyard along with stalls including tombola and games for the children and of course the flower displays inside so lots to see.

We have our Grand Prize draw again this year with a 1st prize of £250, 2nd prize £100 and lots of other prizes including vouchers. Tickets are only £2.50 a book and are on sale throughout the festival. ”

The Kirton Church Fund

The May draw takes place on Sunday 27th and the winning numbers will be printed in the July/August magazine.

The June draw takes place on Sunday 24th and the winning numbers will be printed in the September magazine.

No first time winners again this month – both our lucky winners have won before. Congratulations to you both.

Prize money has sadly gone down again this month with the loss of 3 members. The prize fund each month is 1/4 of the money taken each month. The rest of the money goes to Kirton Church. (Over £580 raised so far this year! Well done everyone.) The money is used to maintain our beautiful church and with work needing to be done to repair the roof we need to raise as much as we can. Can you help and enjoy a flutter at the same time? There is plenty of room for more members and a very good chance of winning in the Kirton Church Fund.

The more people that join the higher the prize fund and the more money we raise for the church.

Could you be lucky in our monthly draw? You won’t know unless you join in. Remember you have to be in it to win it! Anyone over 18 may take part. Do come and join us.

You can join at any time during the year and you can do it monthly if you wish at only £5 per month. (£50 if joining for the whole year and £28 for 6 months.)

Registration forms are available at the back of church or from Fay, please ring 01205 723529, or for more information about Kirton Church Fund please give Fay a ring.

Data protection. All information (name, address and phone number) of Kirton Church Fund members is held solely for the purpose of managing Kirton Church Fund and is not passed on to any other organisation or used for any other purpose

April 2018 Winners

1st PRIZE - £35.08- TICKET NUMBER: 1
2nd PRIZE - £11.70- TICKET NUMBER:54

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor

In reply to the letter from Mr Cotton in the last issue of the magazine, Horizon Properties, a local Kirton company formed over 20 years ago, would like to address the issues raised.

Firstly we were contacted by the council and asked if we could crop the tress as they were over hanging the highway and obstructing utility services, which of course we did at our first opportunity.

At that point we sought local professional advice in relation to the condition of the trees and to check if there were any Tree Preservation Orders (TPO). It was confirmed that no TPO`s were registered, but that there could be significant decay inside the main trunks. Therefore a decision was made to remove the trees, due to public safety and at that time frequent high winds.

The trees were cut down but not destroyed, therefore if healthy they will grow again but this time can be managed and monitored in case of decay or safety issues.

As a local company we are fully behind any proposal to protect trees in and around the village and on any planning application, we are involved in, will always try and replace and re-plant where possible.

If there is anything we can do to support tree preservation in the local community please feel free to contact us

Yours Faithfully

Steve Tetther, Horizon Properties

Ten thousand Dog Ends Later . . . . .

I recall a meeting of the Parish Council some 12 or 13 years ago, when the late John Bristow, who was then a Parish councillor, said that he had some time on his hands. The village needed a bit of sprucing up, so he became the first of ‘The Friday Group’. He was then joined by Alan Lee upon his retirement from BT. I don’t know the order, but over the years the group grew and along came myself, Pete Booth, Roger Tetther, Colin Brotherton, Louis Morrisey, John Stanley, Gordon Grey and finally Norman Andrew.

The group is now down to four aged members, but with the occasional bottle of Sanatogen and a whiff of Oxygen we manage to keep going.

When we were more numerous we did take on a few projects. However, we are now down to litter picking, sweeping and shovelling, in support of the village warden, Barbara Westwood, without whom we would be up to our knees in rubbish.

We have found quite a variety of items over time. Mainly, dog ends, tin cans, bottles and plastic. But also quite an array of furniture, Vacuum cleaners, a complete fitted kitchen, golf bags and some things best not talked about!! However the one thing we have never found is any evidence of drug paraphernalia, such as syringes etc.

Although ‘The Friday Group’ was originally a Parish Council initiative, the sad loss of Alan Lee seems to have severed all contact from that area.

However, we will carry on and maybe just maybe we will pick up a new member or two along the way.

George Davies

Kirton Kids Club

Dare I say – ‘summer is here?’ Or should I just whisper – ‘what a wonderful few days we have had!’

The children love being outside – we have some lovely outdoor play equipment for them to use, large sand and water play areas and lots of grass and astro turf. They also eat their snack out there in the afternoon on our picnic tables and benches.

It’s wonderful to watch them make up games, socialise with each other, make friends and simply enjoy themselves and ‘be children’.

The Kids Club takes on a new vitality in the summer months – the inside play is great and the children get lots of exercise walking to and from school each day, but the warm days of Spring and Summer seem to give them even more energy to do all the things they want to do.

Our places are limited at the moment due to the high numbers of children using the facility but if you would like a look around or want to ask about spaces please phone 07583 762072 and ask to come in and take a look at what we do, where we are etc.

Kirton Primary School Receives Letters
of Congratulations from Town Government Ministers

Kirton Primary School has received two letters of congratulations from Government Ministers. The first letter came from the Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for School Standards. He wrote: I would like to congratulate you, your staff and your pupils on the very high level of progress that pupils in your school have made in their reading, writing and mathematics… Your school is amongst the top 2% of schools in England in terms of the progress your pupils make.

The second letter came from the Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP, Secretary of State for Education. He wrote: I was delighted to read about the school’s achievements and was particularly interested in your Learn and Earn initiative. Extra-curricular activities like this are an excellent way to broaden children’s knowledge and help them develop vital skills in later life.

Learn and Earn Update

Kirton Primary School’s unique Shop and Bank system (Learn and Earn) has been receiving attention, not just locally, but from around the world. The school has appeared on the BBC’s Newsround, Look North and Inside Out programmes, as well as having featured in national and local newspapers and magazines. They have been interviewed by Radio Lincolnshire – and even a radio station in Colombia - and have received visit requests from schools across England. The Welsh Forum also shared the BBC’s video clip with members of the Welsh government.

The school has put a selection of articles and videos on their website under ‘Learn and Earn’ and ‘Recent Successes’ should anyone from the village wish to view them.

Kirton Primary Shortlised At The Tes Schools Awards 2018

The most outstanding individuals and institutions that the state and independent sector has to offer have been recognised in the shortlist for the 2018 Tes Schools Awards.

It’s been revealed that Kirton Primary School has been shortlisted for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Team of the Year award.

Tes editor Ann Mroz said: It is wonderful to see such innovative ideas and best-practice emerging from our schools and teachers, despite the current squeeze on funding. We had a record year for entries and the standard was the best so far – all those shortlisted should be very proud: it’s an extraordinary achievement. 

The winners will be revealed at our gala awards evening at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London on  Friday 22 June 2018

To see the full list of who’s in the running, pick up a copy of this week’s Tes, or visit: tesawards.co.uk

The View from the Vicarage

Dear Parishioner,

Our parish church of SS Peter & Paul stands proudly at the very heart of our village and yet it is sometimes easy to forget it is there, we almost take it for granted.  But it is there and has been for some nine hundred years, serving our community as it still does today.  It is the focal point for many village events; not only for Sunday services, but for those Christmas, Harvest and Carol Services when we gather together.  It is also there to welcome our parishioners and visitors for some of the most important occasions in our lives - our baptisms, weddings, and funerals.

Because our church is there for us now, we tend to take it for granted and probably assume that it will always be so.  Unfortunately, we will only be able to maintain the building in its present condition, continue with our current services and the same level of priestly support if we are able to pay our share of the associated costs.

The monthly cost of maintaining our Church’s presence and ministry in Kirton at present is around £2,420.

Ongoing running costs, including insurance, heating, light, maintenance of worship services, and minor repairs are heavy on a building this size and age, so it should come as no surprise that this equates to £605 per week, that is £86.50 per day and £3.60 every hour.

At present we are not paying our full Parish Share to the Diocese to cover clergy stipend and all the daily back up we receive from the Diocese in terms of legal support, safeguarding and the care of the Church building. If we were to pay our full share this would add another £12,500 per annum to our budget, making the figure of £123.60 per day, that is a staggering £5-15 every hour

SS Peter & Paul is not a wealthy parish church.  The Church of England ministry we offer, which is available to the whole community, is funded mainly from the generous giving of the regular congregation, donations from visitors and the annual fund raisers. 

We know that many of you support the church in a variety of ways already, for which we are immensely grateful.  However, we need to face the reality that the church needs your help to get onto a secure financial footing.  Ideally, we need to do this through regular giving to assure the Parochial Church Council of a regular source of income when managing church finances.

We feel we must do all we can to preserve our church for future generations.  Some in our wider community share this sentiment and contribute regularly to ensure that our Church continues to serve the whole village.  We hope that you might wish to join them by giving a sum, however small, on a regular basis. As your parish priest, I am not asking you to do anything that my wife Maggie and I are not doing ourselves. We give to the Church by Standing order every month, and I ask you to consider the same as part of your support to our ancient village Church.

Our Treasurer, Sally Jordan will be happy to answer any questions that you might have about the church’s financial situation and how you can help.  Please feel free to call The Vicarage on 01205 624128 for further details on how you can support our historic Church. All correspondence and discussions will, of course remain confidential. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

Yours sincerely, Fr Paul F Blanch

Other News

As part of our ongoing fund-raising initiative we invite you to join us for the Annual Flower Festival and Patronal Festival. June 29th – July 1st   On Friday 29th June we invite you to join us at 7:00pm  for a Festival Sung Eucharist & Preview in honour of St Peter & St Paul our patron saints. A visiting choir will be providing the music at this service.  Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st Church open 11:00am – 4:00pm and Monday July 1st 12 noon till  - 3:00pm.  REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE & EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

On July 14th at 7-30pm  in Church the Kirton Brass Band are giving a Concert for a Summer Evening followed by a Summer Buffet Supper. Tickets are £10 each with £7 for concessions.

Also watch this space for an Italian Evening in the Town Hall.  Great authentic Italian cuisine and entertainment with licensed bar.

Kirton Parish Council Meeting Minutes - March 2018

Public Forum

No residents attended

Consider whether to co-opt to fill Kirton Holme Parish Vacancy.

It was resolved to co-opt Sarah Swann-Smith as the Kirton Holme Parish councillor.

Chairman’s comments

The Chairman reminded those able to attend about the Victoria Cross commemoration which is next Thursday at 11 am at the War Memorial.

The Chairman reminded all to send apologies for meetings called which members could not attend. He also reminded all that they must remember to keep their declaration forms up to date.

Apologies for absence and reason given

Cllrs M Brookes, D Smith and J Edwards sent their apologies and reasons for absence which were accepted by the Council.

Receipt of any declarations of interest in accordance with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011, and to consider any written requests for dispensations in relation to members’ disclosable pecuniary interests.

Cllr Bemrose declared a personal interest in item 12. Town Hall on the agenda as her mother is Chairman.

Cllr Ransome declared an interest in Planning as she is on the planning committee at the Borough, she will take no part in discussions in this item. Cllr Ransome is also vice-chairman of the South East Lincolnshire Local Plan committee.

Cllr Rylott also declared an interest in Planning as she is on the planning committee at the Borough, she will take no part in discussions in this item. She is also a member of the South East Lincolnshire Local Plan committee.

Cllr Austin also declared an interest in Planning as she is on the planning committee at the Borough, she will take no part in discussions in this item. She is also a member of the South East Lincolnshire Local Plan committee.

Cllr Brotherton declared that he is also on the South East Lincolnshire Local Plan committee.

Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting

It was resolved that the notes of the meeting held on the 15th February 2018, previously circulated, should be recorded as the minutes. Proposed by Cllr Brotherton, seconded by Cllr Ransome agreed by the remainder.

Police Matters

No Police attended.

Cllr Sharp raised his concern over lazy parents who are showing their children it is okay to cross the road where they want to rather than the proper crossing areas. Cllr Austin told members that this is something the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership could help with, as they will visit schools to educate children. Clerk to get in touch and ask for some help with education.

Cllr Austin reported that with Community Speed Watch about to launch, it may well be prudent to wait a few months and then get feed back from those Parishes that have taken part and see how effective they thought it had been so far.

The Police have been busy in the village recently and the Parish was grateful. Cllr Danby thanked Cllr Turner for the time he has taken to get the Police to put the dispersal order in the Park recently. However, this had been tainted somewhat with the publication of the fact prior to the order being put in place.

Clerk to send a reminder to the new Police Inspector who promised more patrols in the Park area once the nights get lighter.

Viewpoints on questions from members of the public

No members of the public attended.

Report from the minutes of the previous meeting/Clerk’s report

A. Footpath damaged and mud on it at London Road reported to LCC.

B. Follow up report made by Clerk regarding the torn-up verges on Holme Road from Willington Road – new number given to record fault 101000262849

Correspondence received which the Council are invited to resolve on

a) Planning @ Boston Borough Council – notice that from 1st April 2018 we will no longer received paper copies of planning applications, they will only be emailed to the Clerk – paper copies can be requested but only at a cost to the Parish.

- This information was reported by Borough Councillors to be wrong as the date has been extended to 2019 – however, after a vote, members resolved to allow paper applications to be received and not request paper copies as they will need to get used to this method anyway.

b) LCC report on fault 101000262999 – immediate action will be taken to make this safe.

c) National Association of Local Councils – Parliamentary Briefing – re Data Protection Bill

Matters for the attention of Lincolnshire County Council/Boston Borough Council from/to County/Borough Councillors

Cllr Rylott reported that she had cleared away another 20+ wine bottles along the hedgerow going into Kirton Holme.

As there were a couple of new Parish Councillors, Cllr Rylott gave a brief overview of what she is involved with at the Borough and offered help if needed.

Highways have informed Cllr Brookes (via email to Clerk) that they are unwilling to revoke permission for lorries/heavy vehicles to use Bungley Lane as permission had already been given. However, a temporary fix will take place making the road more passable until the Persimmon development is complete and then the road will be fixed properly. Cllr Brookes also reported that work at Dennis Estate has begun to improve drainage there.

Planning applications:

B/18/0057 – Construction of 4 n. detached buildings comprising 16 no. industrial units at Land adjacent to Avalon Road, Kirton Distribution Park, Kirton – this was seen by a planning committee formed on 20th February – NO OBJECTIONS – BBC informed 20.2.18

B/18/0077 – Erection of single storey detached residential dwelling at Land between Burnham Lane and Marsh Lane, Skeldyke, Kirton – OBJECTIONS: WITHIN GREEN BELT SO SHOULD NOT BE BUILT, NOT WITHIN THE VILLAGE CURTILAGE, NOT IN KEEPING WITH SURROUNDING AREA/PROPERTIES.

Accounts for payment

Cllr Bemrose proposed that the accounts as per payment sheet 12/12 dated 15th March 2018 be paid, this was seconded by Cllr Sharp and agreed by the remainder.

Cllr Rylott also asked for £120 towards the defibrillator for Kirton Holme. This was resolved to also be paid.

Town Hall

Nothing to report

Cemetery

Nothing to report

Reports for Various Bodies

Cllr Ransome reported that Kirton Primary has been voted the best in the County.

Cllr Danby proposed that the Xmas committee and the OAP Xmas Party committee merged into one committee as most of the same members are on both committees and it would make it a better use of time.

Cllr Sharp reported the bollards at the end of King St before the A16 have been damaged. Clerk to report to LCC.

Parish matters

a) Inspection Rota

b) To consider CCTV contribution/actions to take – it was resolved to postpone this item until the next meeting as the visit to the suite was yet to take place.

c) War Memorial –update on VC preparations

d) Reports from committee meetings held since last Council meeting.

Cllr Bemrose updated members on the Xmas committees.