ATM 04-16-24 MINS
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING 16TH APRIL 2024

Held at St. James’ Church, Louth
Chairman – The Mayor of Louth, Councillor Mrs. Julia Simmons
Present – Town and District Councillors, Members of the Public and
Members of Community Groups

1. Welcome from the Chairman, The Mayor of Louth
Councillor JS warmly welcomed attendees to the 2023/24 Annual Town Meeting of Louth, informing attendees that the evening would consist of approving the minutes of the 2023 Annual Town Meeting, a brief update on the Council’s year, presentations from local community groups and finally opening the floor to attendees to put forward their suggestions for the future or to discuss any concerns.

2. Approval of Minutes from the 2023 Annual Town Meeting
Following a proposal by Mrs. EB, seconded by PS, and a vote of those present, the notes of the 2023 Annual Town Meeting were approved as the minutes to be signed by the Chairman forthwith.

3. Brief Report on Mayor’s and Council’s Year
Cllr. JS opened by expressing that that it had been an absolute privilege and honour to have served as Mayor of Louth for the past year, being able to give something back to the town in which she was born and educated and held dear to her heart. She told attendees that, by the time her term in office closed, she would have attended 133 events, which had all been a joy and pleasure to be a part of. She also told of the fantastic support she had received from her husband and Consort Alan. She recounted some the engagements that stood out in her mind, from releasing butterflies in memory of loved ones at St. Barnabas’ Hospice to supporting a local circus, proposing an oak tree to mark the Coronation of King Charles III that the Lord Lieutenant planted in Westgate Fields, visiting the theatre which was her passion and organising events to raise money for local causes, alongside casework in her Trinity Ward. Cllr. JS shared that many events had been held with the aim of raising money for various charities and that she had been astonished at the number of groups and organisations abound in Louth and throughout the county, at the heart of which were the people who gave their time freely and made an enormous contribution to the community. She continued that, as they had travelled around, they had the opportunity so support the local economy and businesses whilst promoting Louth as a fantastic place to live, work and visit, and that, when she had met and spoken to residents, the overriding opinion had been that Louth had so much to offer and that residents should be rightly proud of its uniqueness and friendly atmosphere. Cllr. JS added that, naturally, there was always room for improvement and that the town could collectively aim to do so as and when the need arose in order to continually thrive. She expressed that she had been overcome with the kindness and support shown by the people of Louth that she had gratefully received, along with that of the Council staff and fellow Councillors, and that in uncertain times, both globally and nationally, the community spirit in Louth had remained a constant and true inspiration. Cllr. JS continued that she had been overcome by the people of Louth, their kindness and their support, and that the strength of local communities behind the scenes had been truly amazing. Cllr. JS went on to speak of the unexpected loss of Cllr. Sue Crew in January, stating that she was well known throughout the town as a good and kind friend who was a member of many organisations, and a prominent member of some such as the Louth Lions. She furthered that Cllr. Crew was a valued Councillor who unfailingly volunteered her time and assistance with any and all Town Council events, sharing that, amongst many things, Cllr. Crew was the longstanding Chair of the Council’s Planning Committee and would personally visit almost all application sites to view first-hand how proposals would impact the area. She was also the Chair of the Floral Enhancement Working Group, through which she helped to plant all the troughs throughout the town and helped to run the Lovely Louth and Festive Window Competitions. Cllr. JS added that Cllr. Crew was the Deputy Mayor for 2023/24 and was thoroughly looking forward to her time as Mayor, expressing that Cllr. Crew was sadly missed by many people. Cllr. JS proceeded to inform attendees of the Council’s year, advising that a full Council was compromised of 21 Councillors who worked across the town, which was divided into 7 wards with 3 Councillors for each ward. She informed that Town Councillors do not receive any financial reward and gave their time freely, stating that Councillors work hard in the background and that she wished to thank them for the work they had done over the year and in the past. She said that the Council worked closely with other local authorities such as East Lindsey District Council (ELDC), Lincolnshire County Council (LCC), The Environment Agency (EA), and that Councillors were widely involved in all aspects of the community, representatives of many local groups and organisations, such as Louth United Charities, the KEVIGS Foundation, Louth Navigation Regeneration Partnership, and the Rural Market Towns Group among others. Cllr. JS continued that the Council held its meetings on Tuesday evenings and that the full Town Council had met 8 times, the Planning Committee had met 15 times, the Community Resources Committee had met 6 times, the Governance and Finance Committee had met 6 times and the Personnel Committee had met 3 times over the 2023/24 period, most of which were preceded by a public forum which gave the opportunity for members of the public to speak on agenda items. Councillors and officers also attended both in person and online at meetings of working groups, meetings with other authorities, charities, and other associations. Cllr. JS shared that the Council was there to represent the people of Louth which had reached a population of over 17,000, making the Council work closely with ELDC and LCC who generally had the responsibility for the bigger issues in the town. She went on to inform attendees that the Town Council operated from the Sessions House which it purchased in 2011, providing office accommodation for the Council staff and a venue for Council and working group meetings. She continued that the building housed the Council’s flag poles where various flags were flown when required, as well as other treasures such as archives, Town Charters, Mayoral Robes and works of art, and that the building had been used for hosting award ceremonies and visited by schools, twinning groups, art groups and local organisations to soak up its history. Cllr. JS told of the Town Council’s responsibilities across Louth. It leased the land on which the Astro Turf pitch was located at London Road to Magna Vitae, who were in the process of relinquishing their lease for both the Astro Turf and with ELDC for the rest of the site, for a peppercorn rent. She explained that, after the lease was relinquished, responsibility of management would be given to a new group called the London Road Sports Partnership (LRSP) which had been formed by the 3 main users of the site: Louth Football Clun, Louth Hockey Club and Louth Cricket Club. The Town Council had been in the process of preparing a new lease between itself and LRSP and was committed to supporting sport in Louth. As such, Cllr. JS divulged that the Council had pledged to make an ongoing annual financial contribution to LRSP to assist it in delivering sporting services for the benefit of the residents of Louth at London Road Sports Ground and Pavilion, agreeing to make a provision in its budget for a maximum annual contribution to LRSP of £20,000, should it be needed. Cllr. JS continued that, in the first year (2024/25), a minimum contribution of £10,000 would be released by 31st December 2024 and an amount up to £20,000 would be considered for release providing that a need was demonstrated. Cllr. JS informed attendees that the Council provided Allotment sites around Louth, including London Road, Mount Olivet and Trinity Lane. It looked after the War Memorial and organised the Remembrance Parade each year, which, historically, was a much revered and well attended event that no one wished to see diminished or disappear. Cllr. JS explained that the format of 2023’s event had been slightly altered following concerns expressed by contingent commanders and local health professionals. Contingents felt that, unless measures were put in place to mitigate their concerns, they would be unable to participate. Therefore, changes were implemented in order to streamline the event and cut down on the amount of time that paraders were required to stand, thereby reducing the risk of injury to those who fainted or fell backwards. Cllr. JS shared that contingents had been pleased with the changes and assured that the processes would be reviewed for the 2024 event in order to fine tune and further improve proceedings. She continued that the Town Council owns or assists with the upkeep of many litter bins, benches, information boards and bus shelters around the town and owns the 7 hand carved town signs which stood at the entrances to Louth. Cllr. JS told attendees that, each year, the Town Council ensured that the town has a Christmas tree, Christmas lights and the Christmas crib. It also planted summer bedding plants in planters that were located throughout the town centre and ensured that bulbs were developing, or primroses were seen. In 2023/24, the Council replaced two of the planters in the Marketplace for ones which were more in keeping with the Conservation Area and heritage of the town. The Council also changed the plants in the planters, adopting a classing colour scheme of simple green and white, using myrtle bushes topiarised into balls and Euonymus Harlequin plants with the intention of providing a beautiful eye-catching display throughout the year. Cllr. JS explained that the Council funded CCTV cameras throughout the town centre and liaised with ELDC and other towns and parishes on a quarterly basis regarding the upkeep of the cameras. She then disclosed that the Council had once again undertook grass cutting of the amenity verges around the town, which was an area in the region of 68,966m2, on behalf of LCC. Cllr. JS went on to explain that the Town Council was now the custodian of Hubbard’s Hills and had met maintenance costs to the sum of £49,000 for day to day running in 2023/24, £12,626 on repairs and the installation of new custom made bridges and £172,176 on work to the riverbanks, which covered the entire length of the Hills to shore them up, make them safe, clear the channel and assist the flow of the river. The Council provided storage facilities for the Louth Naturalists’ Antiquarian and Literary Society (LNALS) and the Louth Museum and took part in celebrating and commemorating national events and anniversaries, flew the Union flag throughout the year and hoisted special flags for other events such as Commonwealth Day. The Council had once again organised the Lovely Louth competition to help beautify the town and awarded winners and organised the Festive Shop Window competition to encourage shoppers in the town over Christmas, awarding the winners. Cllr. JS shared that the Council was in the process of organising a church service to commemorate her year as Mayor in office and had discussed and responded to various consultations throughout the year, the most prominent being that of the Active Travel Scheme and the National Grid with regard to proposals to install pylons from Grimsby to Walpole. The Council had met with Magna Vitae, ELDC and LRSP representatives to discuss concerns surrounding Magna Vitae’s withdrawal from the management of London Road Pavilion and had met with the EA to discuss Louth’s Flood Alleviation Scheme and its performance in the storm events during the year. The Council had also met with representatives of ELDC to discuss the future of Charles Street Recreation Ground, and Cllr. JS confirmed that she was pleased to report that the Fishing Pond had been leased by a newly formed, local, independent fishing group who would run and maintain the pond at the grounds, whilst discussions regarding bringing the other facilities on the site back into regular community use were still underway. Cllr. JS explained that the Council had liaised with members of the public and ELDC over concerns with their proposals to place a new 3G football pitch on the site of the existing grass football pitch at the Meridian Leisure Centre, and that it had also received a presentation from Morrisons regarding their plan for a new store in Louth, subsequently supporting the application in principle but requested that the concerns of the local residents be taken into consideration. The Council commented on 169 planning applications and numerous traffic regulation orders, 27 proposed works to trees, 8 street naming proposals and planning enforcements and appeals. Cllr. JS then confirmed that the Council had ensured that properly prepared and approved accounts had been submitted and assessed the risk to the public’s money, appointing a competent, independent internal auditor and ensured that the figures were made available for inspection by the general public. The Council had also collated annual budgets ensuring that the portion of funds collected from the public for its use would increase minimally in 2024/25 by 0.3%. Cllr. JS went on to divulge that the Council had given grants to a number of organisations as part of the Council’s formal grant giving process, where it assessed and made resolutions on applications received, and that it had contributed £1,000 to Citizens Advice Lincoln and Lindsey to assist them in their work. The Council continued to host the Community Payback Team and had continued to cultivate the Meridian Meadow area and the Meridian Orchard, which was a community initiative (containing 26 apple trees, all species native to Lincolnshire, 2 blackcurrant bushes and a mulberry bush) and promoted biodiversity in conjunction with the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Officer. The Council had also continued to pay for the running costs of the Parish Clock and external lights at St. James’ Church and endeavoured to support the Church and its efforts in the community wherever possible. Cllr. JS stated that in 2024/25, the Council looked forward to welcoming new members and that the Council had 4 vacancies which could be filled by co-opting members who could email the Town Clerk at clerk@louthtowncouncil.gov.uk if they were interested in becoming a Town Councillor. Cllr. JS explained that the Council would continue to cut Louth’s amenity grass and liaise with LCC on the Active Travel Scheme and other issues such as highways, bus services and libraries, and that it would also continue to work with ELDC’s Vital and Viable team to enhance Louth’s town centre and other departments for the benefit of the town. Cllr. JS continued that Council would continue to represent the people of Louth and their opinions and concerns and reiterated that the local ward Town Councillors were always there for their residents and told attendees that they should not hesitate to contact Councillors. Cllr. JS finalised by recognising that the coming year would bring many challenges to the community, especially with the rising cost of living, but reassured that the Council would continue to work for the benefit of residents to ensure that improvements are made to serve them.

Cllr. JS introduced the first of the presenters.

4. Presentation: Amanda Watts – Louth Friendship Festival
Amanda Watts of Louth Friendship Festival began by giving background on the Friendship Festival, which began in 2023 on a shoestring. Ms Watts told the attendees that by receiving a grant from Louth Town Council, they had been able to make the 2024 event more professional, use publicity to open the event to more people and buy a banner which was erected at Newmarket. Ms Watts explained that they would be raising money throughout the year, and that the 2024 Louth Friendship Festival would be held on Sunday 5th May at the Priory Hotel. They had printed 1,000 leaflets containing a QR code and the artwork had been provided free of charge by Priory Hotel supporters. Ms Watts shared that the idea behind the festival was to get as many community clubs, organisations, charities, and support groups together as possible so that people could interact with each other and so that local people, people who were new to the area, or who may want their children to join a club could be made aware of what they could participate in. Ms Watts continued that the festival also allowed people who were shy to make new connections and gave people who experience problems a way of contacting organisations, charities, or support groups. She explained that they were in the process of creating a pocket guide that would list the clubs, charities, support groups and organisations that were attending the festival and that the guide would be updated yearly and would be available on social media. Ms Watts finished by thanking the attendees for listening and that she hoped to see them at the next event.

Presentation: Rev. Mike Croft
Reverend Mike Croft started by expressing his joy at moving to Louth, that he was astonished at the range of things happening in the town and that he was glad to be working in partnership with the Town Council and others. He explained where he hoped the church would be headed in terms of commitments with two visual aids. The first was the St. James’ Church itself, of which he stated had been the most significant building for many miles for hundreds of years. He continued that he considered it the people’s duty to keep the Church as an expression of God’s grace, and that it belonged to the people. He then presented a processional cross, stating that it belonged to the people of Louth and was a commentary on the history of the place. The Reverend went on to consider 3 themes for the Church of England Churches in Louth to reflect on, the first being excellence and deducing what the people of Louth can do together well and celebrate. Rev. Croft explained that Louth was a diverse and rich place where there must be partnership and collaboration. The second theme was pilgrimage. He told attendees how St. James was the patron saint of pilgrimage, and that he wanted St. James’ to be developed as a place for pilgrimage, where people could learn and grow together. The third theme was prophecy, listening to the voice of God in communities and finding hope in it. Rev. Croft finalised by expressing that the Church of England, St. James’ Church and the Council working in partnership would bear fruit. He thanked the attendees.

Presentation: Clive Rhodes – Louth and District Concert Society
Mr. Rhodes began by thanking the Mayor for inviting him to speak and to Rev. Croft for allowing the use of the Church for the meeting. He explained the Louth and District Concert Society brought music of all types to the people of Louth. It was celebrating 80 years of establishment in 2024 and was a registered charity wholly dependent on volunteers, elaborating that the organisers offer accommodation and transport which artists could take advantage of. Mr. Rhodes stated that the aim of the Society was to offer a broad spectrum of music in an informal atmosphere, and offered engagement to local artists, some of which were preeminent. He told attendees that the Society tried to maintain links with schools, retirement homes and the Ukrainian expat community in Louth. He said that they were proactive in society and had retained subsidies from music charities who specialised in new talent, and that they had recently held a concert in St. James’ Church featuring the music of Bach to raise money for musicians whose careers had been jeopardised by the pandemic. Mr. Rhodes expressed that they were honoured to receive grants from the Town Council in the past and had recently received £300. He said that they were always conscious of the pressures on local authorities and stressed that the Louth and District Concert Society operates on very slender reserves. He finished by advising the attendees to get in contact with him if they were interested in helping, volunteering, or attending any performances.

Presentation: Andrew North and Malcom Kerridge – Louth Male Voice Choir
Mr. North introduced himself and informed attendees that the Louth Male Voice Choir had been established for 50 years and was a registered charity with the objective of the advancement of public knowledge and appreciation of choral music by means of concerts and other performances. Mr. North said that this was achieved in a number of ways, with the group usually performing in 12 concerts a year in Louth and the surrounding areas, most of which were to raise funds for other organisations. Mr. North explained that the Louth Male Voice Choir had sung in Holland and maintained a friendship with the Albatross Choir and was hoping to travel to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Mr. North continued that the Choir met on a Tuesday evening at 7.30pm at the Town Hall and that all were welcome regardless of experience and background. He informed attendees that, at the time, there were 37 members, whose total years of membership added up to over 800 years. He explained that the Choir usually raised money for other organisations but held a concert in St. James’ Church to raise money for themselves to cover the bulk of the annual costs for the Choir. Mr. North told attendees that, whilst there was not a definitive record of funds raised for organisations over the years, he estimated it to be around £500,000. He informed the meeting that the group had an emphasis on young people, and usually oversaw three main events; one in St. James’ Church, which would next take place on 22nd June 2024, its Young Musician of the Year event and its Children in Need Event, which he stated they had raised around £7,000 for since they began in 2017. Mr. Kerridge introduced himself and told attendees that the major event for the Louth Male Voice Choir was its Young Musician of the Year competition which usually took place on Armistice Day and was held at the Methodist Church. He said that the competition started in 1987 as a district competition but was opened to the whole of Lincolnshire 3 years ago. He continued that the competition was divided into vocalists and instrumentalists which were then divided into three age groups: under 11’s, intermediates, and seniors. Mr. Kerridge informed the meeting that the 2023 competition had 46 participants who each performed 2 pieces, meaning that a total of 96 pieces of music were played from when the competition began at 9.30am to when it closed at 9.30pm. He thanked the Town Council for the grant they awarded last year as it helped to pay for the medals and certificates issued to all the young participants in order to make the competition a friendly and positive experience for them. He mentioned that Magna Vitae and Specsavers had also sponsored the Choir. Mr. Kerridge said that Louth benefited from the event as it brought visitors to the town, and that, when he had been interviewed on BBC Radio Lincolnshire, the presenter had referred to Louth as the ‘music capital of Lincolnshire’. He then told attendees that there would be another Young Musician of the Year event held on 9th November and that he hoped there would be even more participants. He finished by thanking the Town Council for their support on behalf of all the members of the Louth Male Voice Choir.

Presentation: Molly Amour – Louth Community Arts Centre Project (LCACP)
Ms Amour introduced herself and began by informing attendees that she had recently started supporting the LCACP, which was steered by local professionals who wished to transform the disused Royal British Legion (RBL) building in Louth. She said that the LCACP was an ambitious project to revitalise the hall and transform it into a thriving community and arts centre, explaining that the hall had been a focal point of Louth for over 160 years but had fallen into disrepair. She went on to say that the LCACP recognised the importance of preserving the hall as a community asset and had already had the building listed as an asset of community value after receiving over 1,200 signatures, allowing 6 months to raise funds for purchase. She explained that the LCACP’s vision for the hall was to create a vibrant and inclusive space to bring people together, to foster creativity and celebrate community and to be a place where people of all ages and backgrounds could connect, collaborate and contribute to the social and cultural fabric of Louth. She stated that the group’s first objective was to preserve the heritage of the hall as a community space and that they would undertake extensive renovations to the hall to address structural issues, the upgrading of facilities and ensuring that the hall would be accessible to all. Their second objective was community engagement, and that the active involvement of the local community was central to the project. Ms Amour continued that the hall would offer a diverse range of artistic programming, including classes, performances, exhibitions and events from visual arts to musical theatre, dance and varied workshops. Ms Amour stated that the LCACP’s last objective was sustainability and hoped to retrofit the building with energy efficient and sustainable materials using eco-friendly practices. She affirmed that the RBL hall would serve as a hub of activity that offered a wide range of services to meet the diverse needs of the community and that its unique offerings would include visual arts and music education, workshops and classes, performing spaces for showcases, flexible rental options of meeting spaces and offices for businesses, organisations and individuals, space for therapy and a large indoor area for markets, rehearsals and more. Ms Amour went on to say that, to support their mission and long-term sustainability of the project, the group were to form a charitable organisation to oversee the management and operation of the hall and would be responsible for fundraising, governance and strategic planning as well as engaging stakeholders and the wider community to ensure the hall would continue to meet the needs of its users. Regarding budgeting and finance, Ms Amour explained that, to realise the groups vision for the hall, they would need to obtain funding for various expenses including renovating, programming, staffing and operational costs. She continued that they had explored grants, donations, sponsorships and community shares, and that they had received support from local business and Louth Town Council, for which she thanked them for their grant awarded to the LCACP. Ms Amour concluded by stating that the revitalisation of the RBL hall represented a unique opportunity to breathe new life into a cherished community asset and that, by forming a charity to support their mission, they could ensure that the hall would continue to thrive.

Presentation: Alison Eades – Louth Navigation Trust
Ms Eades introduced herself and thanked the meeting for allowing her the opportunity to speak as many people in the town were unaware that Louth had a canal. She explained that the Louth Navigation Trust was a charity limited by guarantee with 8 trustees wo worked on projects and held monthly committees at the Navigation Warehouse, often in partnership with organisations within the town and the Town Council. Ms Eades told attendees that their biggest partnership was with the Louth Navigation Regeneration Partnership, but that they also worked with East Lindsey District Council, Louth Town Council, Louth Drainage Board and the Environment Agency. She continued that the canal was complex and that there were many people, such as stakeholders, involved. Therefore, the more people were aware of the canal, the better, as it led to results quicker. Ms Eades told attendees that East Lindsey District Council bought the Navigation Warehouse a few years ago and expressed thanks to them for doing this. She said that the Louth Navigation Trust’s general aim was to open up the canals water, towpath and warehouse for greater community use. She informed the meeting that they regularly ran ‘work parties’ in which they complete work such as installing information boards and clearing pathways. Ms Eades explained that Louth Navigation Trust oversaw work parties, which were regular gatherings in which volunteers completed work such as installing information boards and clearing paths. She told attendees that the LNT also partook in walks, talks in schools and held regular fundraising and music events in July and September, which were often held in partnership with other organisations. Ms Eades reported that, last year, the Trust consulted with a canal expert with regard to strengthening the canals infrastructure, and that the expert had helped them to divide the canal into 4 major projects which were lock restoration and renovation, particularly Ticklepenny lock at Keddington, riverhead renewal, a towpath which could potentially be turned into a multiuser path and the 7 mile level, where they hoped to add a slip way into a 7 mile stretch of canal that had been unused for 100 years in the hope of it coming back into usage. Ms Eades finished by reminding attendees that the Navigation Trust needed volunteers and said that the canal could be used to boost Louth’s economy.

Presentation: Paul Snowden and Mike Benton – Louth Athletics Club
Mr. Paul Snowden introduced himself as the chair of the Louth Athletics Club, and informed attendees that the organisation was run solely by volunteers and compromised of 60 members aged between 8 and 74 years old, 2/3 of which lived in Louth. He explained that the Athletics Club funded themselves through annual subscriptions and fundraising events, and that they were based at London Road which was home to a track, a cross country course and a clubhouse. Mr. Snowden stated that the Louth Athletics Club’s primary objective was to encourage participation in amateur athletics in the community. He said that they held weekly training sessions for junior athletes which were provided by qualified athletics coaches and that they encouraged all members to participate in competitions. Over the last 12 years, several athletes had represented at County events. Mr. Snowden continued that the Louth Athletics Club hosted the annual Lincolnshire Schools Cross Country Championship and had also hosted county championship and county league matches. He disclosed that all events were organised by the Athletics Club themselves and volunteers. He said that they competed in road races, track and field events, ultra-marathons and offroad and on-road events, and informed attendees that the Athletics Club was nearing completion of their new long jump pit and shotput circle, which was built and funded by themselves, volunteers and donations. Mr. Snowden explained that Louth Athletics Club held their annual 8 week ‘Couch to 5k’ event which was for non-members to prepare for the Louth Run for Life. He continued that the Club strived for physical and mental wellbeing and that he had felt supported by the Club when going through stressful times. Mr. Snowden informed attendees of the midweek running events open to all members of the public, one of which was held at Hubbard’s Hills every 2nd Wednesday of the month. He also mentioned the Boxing Day and Easter Sunday run held at Hubbard’s Hills. Mr. Mike Benton then introduced himself as secretary to the Louth Athletics Club. He thanked Louth Town Council for their grant award of £310.00 which the Club used to purchase 10 trophies to be presented annually to the winners and runners up of the Wolds Dash Series. He then presented a trophy to attendees. Mr. Benton went on to inform attendees that the Louth Athletics Club held twice weekly runs for all adults on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and stated that there was no obligation for those who attended to become members. He relayed that the runs during the winter months were held in town and that they were held in the countryside surrounding Louth in the summer months. Mr. Snowden spoke of the challenges that the Louth Athletics Group faced, including increasing compliance of protocols from the government such as welfare and safeguarding. He also spoke of financial constraints and indicated that there had been a recent incident out of the Club’s control which had cost them £3,500.00. Mr. Snowden continued that the Louth Athletics Club also had issues with access to parking areas, but assured attendees that they were working with the nearby allotments and London Road Sports Pavilion to alleviate issues for car users and pedestrians. Regarding future plans for the Louth Athletics Club, Mr. Snowden stated that they intended to continue to further development of athletics in the community for people of all ages and further develop the facilities on offer at the Club. He finished by thanking Louth Town Council for their support and attendees.

5. Public Forum
a. One man commented on the lack of tourist information centre in town. He explained that he volunteered at the Louth Museum and people often enquired as to where the tourist information centre for Louth was. He asked why the tourist information centre closed and urged Councillors to consider opening a new tourist information centre. Rev. Mike Croft responded by saying that he similarly had 3 different people ask about tourist information recently at St. James’ Church and stated that people would often come to the Church for tourist information. He continued that St. James’ was a public space for information and divulged that the Church was looking into how the estate and property of St. James’ could be developed into a tourist information centre.

6. Close Meeting
Cllr. JS thanked all for attending and supporting the meeting, thanked presenters, and wished attendees a safe journey home.

The meeting closed at 8.10pm.

 

Signed_______________________ (Chairman) Dated_________________________

 

Attendees

Councillors: Mrs. E. Ballard (Mrs. EB), J. Baskett (JB), J. Drake (JD), H. Filer (HF), D. Hobson (DH), D. Moore (DM), Mrs. K. Parsons (Mrs. KP), P. Starsmore (PD), Mrs. P.F. Watson (Mrs. PFW).

Other: The Town Clerk, Mrs. L.M. Phillips, the Town Clerk’s Assistant, Miss. S. Chitauro, Mike Croft, Amanda Watts, Molly Amour, Andrew North, Paul Snowden, Mike Benton, Clive Rhodes.