GEDNEY HILL PARISH COUNCIL: Village faces long wait for answer on sewerage system

A decision on whether a new sewage disposal system will be installed in Gedney Hill is unlikely until next spring at the earliest.

Anglian Water has been working in the village over the summer after complaints about low water pressure, burst water mains and leakages.

At the same time, water engineers met with parish councillors to assess whether septic tanks which carry sewage from homes in the village could be replaced with a new drainage system.

Coun Paul Redgate, parish council chairman, said: "Anglian Water attended the village recently to survey the issues with mains drainage.

"The visit was very positive and they have initially agreed to take this to the second phase which is a feasibility study.

"I understand that Anglian Water has to make a decision by March 31 as to whether the size of Gedney Hill warrants an investment in a new mains sewage disposal system.

"The initial application was submitted by residents but any new system won't be done for the next five years at least."

An Anglian Water spokesman said: " “This summer we have undertaken work in Gedney Hill to improve our water supply and make our network more resilient.

"We have invested £400,000 into the area by laying a brand new 1.8km mains water pipe along Highstock Lane.

"The new mains will improve water supply to customers in the area by reducing the risk of future bursts which will also help to reduce leakages and incidents of low pressure."

. Concerns about the state of roads in Gedney Hill are to be put to county highways managers.

Highstock Lane, North Road and Station Road were three of the places mentioned by parish councillors as having suffered from the growing volume of vehicles coming through the village.

Coun Paul Redgate said: "Given the shrinkage in the ground because of the warm summer this year, there has been cases of severe subsidence reported on numerous roads through the village.

"These have been reported to Lincolnshire County Council's highways department."

. A new "rolling cycle of maintenance" for the clock inside Gedney Hill's Holy Trinity Church has been agreed.

Work on the clock, which has told the time for nearly 120 years, is to be spread out over a four-year period.

Parish councillors agreed to the maintenance plan after a clock specialist estimated that a one-off repair would cost nearly £3,550.

. Villagers have given their backing to two sources of information in Gedney Hill.

A quarterly newsletter, launched by the parish council in July, and a new notice board outside McColls shop in North Road were both welcomed at Monday's parish council meeting.

Coun Paul Redgate said: "I had my own expectations for how the notice board and newsletter were going to look.

"But they have exceeded my expectation and I'm really pleased that everybody in the village have been so positive about them."

. A chance to learn how to use a defibrillator and help save lives is taking place in Gedney Hill next month.

The village's Memorial Hall is to host a defibrillator refresher training course on Monday, October 15, from 7pm until 9pm.

There is room for 12 to 15 people on the course and anyone who would like to go should call the Parish Clerk, Dominique Leedham, on 01945 700417.