## **Lowick Green Management Group** Registered Charity No:- 1161934 Chairmans report November 2024 – November 2025 The Green remains in good condition, unfortunately the closure on the A5084 has resulted in considerable damage to the verges which we will not be able to repair until spring. Drainage. The Green continues to become ever wetter in the centre. Drainage on The Green has been shortlisted as a community project supported by the A595 Improvement scheme. I carried out a site visit with Dave Newton of Storey Contractors, who assessed the job as being suitable for them. However, the final decision lies with the awards committee. Many thanks to Graham Sanderson for alerting me to this offer. Hopefully “clearing existing drains” does not qualify as a “work on common land” Two events have been held on The Green this year. Both featured the UVHS one with recorded music, the other featuring the UVHS Little Big Band. Again, The Green has been well used by children learning to ride bikes and playing football. John Black and myself cleared a fallen willow trunk and several large fallen branches which had rooted back into the ground. This proved to be quite an effort, chainsaws and a couple of hydraulic jacks were involved. Once the trunks were removed, I hand dug about 6 meters of drainage trench. This was backfilled with a length of 75mm slotted plastic drain donated by Chris Harrison and ½ ton of chippings. This has considerably reduced flooding in this area. The drained area has been sown with wildflower seeds and produced quite a good showing in late summer, we hope for a repeat in the coming year. Two Hawthorn trees, a crab-apple tree, a yew tree and three juniper bushes have been planted on the land in front of Hopefield Cottages. These are all low growing and will not affect the view from The Cottages or Hopefield House. Four passes to clear Himalayan Balsam have been made in this area and we finally seem to be winning. Cumbria Wildlife Trust Duddon Support Group helped greatly with this task, in return Peter Jewell, Graham & Sue Nichols, Chris Guest and myself assisted clearance on CWT land. I suspect others from the village will have also helped, please accept my thanks. As agreed at the last AGM I applied to the Hadfield Trust for funds to improve the area in front of Hopefield Cottages. This involved Erecting a hut on site to store tools and materials. The project hit a major problem which will make maintaining the area much more difficult. The hut which would have been key to storing equipment to look after it hit planning issues. Chairman:- Richard Ellwood; Secretary:- Tracey Walker; Treasurer:- Judith Dove There was a hut sited on the area from 1948. We removed what little remains there was, and improved the foundation for the new hut thinking that this was a simple replacement. About a month after the new hut was installed, someone who does not live in the village complained anonymously to the LDNPA Planning department about it. It was found that because we had completely removed the existing building, a new planning permission was required and the new hut and its foundation must be removed or enforcement action would be taken against us. We removed the hut and foundation and put the hut into storage. I looked at applying for planning permission, the LDNPA would not consider retrospective permission and offered to provide written guidance for £800 +VAT. I declined this offer and I consulted with cheaper experts. We concluded that because the hut was on common land the LDNP could not determine the application and it would have to go to the Planning Inspectorate. Talking to someone who has already been involved in this process the estimated legal fees would have been £4000 to £5000, more than twice the value of the project. At this point we concluded that it was beyond our means to proceed. Many members of the village community were extremely upset about the approach of the LDNPA to a simple hut for community benefit and the effort and funding they had given for the project; especially as the same approach had been applied to a nearby bus shelter. We have now sold on the hut at a considerable loss. As I feel responsible for the whole affair, I have personally made up the deficit of the value of the hut. For transparency of accounting, I have done this via the LGMG accounts. Ali Harrison has asked me to apply for a grant to replace the allotment fencing which is in poor condition. I checked the status of the allotments with Svetlana Bainbridge, the Commons Registration officer for W&F Council. She could not tell me the date when they were fenced in, but no complaints have ever been received. Oral tradition has it that that tenancies were given to solders returning from the war for a peppercorn rent. Whether this was in 1919 or 1945 is not clear, but the minutes of The Lowick Village Hall Fund records their existence in 1947. The allotments are still part of Lowick Common and, as such, both the fence and all the structures are illegal and we could be forced to remove them on a single complaint. Quality fencing along the edge of the A5084 would greatly improve the appearance of the village. We need to tread carefully here I have received a number of informal comments about the growing number of structures and we do not want to end up removing fencing and repaying another grant in the event of a formal complaint. I attended the K-B walk presentation where The Group received an award for £400. This is especially welcome as it is a donation rather than a grant and can be used for revenue expenditure rather than a specific project. Special thanks to simon for making the application. Chairman:- Richard Ellwood; Secretary:- Tracey Walker; Treasurer:- Judith Dove The annual cut of the wildflower areas was carried out in October; this has become progressively easier as we get the brambles and willow shoots under control. Once again, we face a possible decline in our membership as both Rob & Judith and Simon & Tracey are planning to leave Lowick. Last year we appealed for new members, I asked several people, but only Bianca Hanlon agreed to join. We welcome Bianca and her considerable professional ecological knowledge. Richard Ellwood, Chair. Chairman:- Richard Ellwood; Secretary:- Tracey Walker; Treasurer:- Judith Dove Incom• Friends K2B Parish Councll Village Hall Commlttee Donations Rathbone Grant Shed Sale Total 144.00 350.00 360.00 200.00 140.00 2000.00 1400.00 4594.00 Insurance Shed Shed base Tree posts Seeds Grass ¢uttlng Bank charges Total 176.20 1489.99 600.00 236.97 20.99 850.00 45.50 3421.95 2025 2024 Balance from 2024 Add Total Income 4268.35 4594.00 8862.35 3421.95 5440.40 Balance from 2023 Total Income 4334.12 1504.00 5838.12 1569.77 4268.35 Less Total Payments Less Total Payments Summary. Balance Nov 2024 Income 24125 Total 4268.35 4594.00 8862.35 3421.95 5440.40 Less payments Carrled Fwds • After the £1400.00 has been refunded to The Hadfieid Trnst. we wiu start the new y•arwith £4040AO ioavlng u8 wlth a shortlall of £227.95. Balance Bfoutht F•xward £4268.35 11.11.24 29.11.24 29.11.24 (E.12.24 10.12.24 23.12.24 29.12.24 Friends Nichols Keswick2Barrow 12.00 4280.35 4630.35 4625.35 4449.15 4461.15 6461.15 6455.75 6467.75 6472.75 6223.78 6235.78 6295.78 6U).78 6302.78 5702.78 5782.78 4292.79 4287.79 4299.79 Bank Charges Insurance 176.20 Friend8 Nichols Rathbone inv. mgmt 1100 20(KI.00 BaTrkChatge8 09.01.25 29.01.25 Friends Nichols 12.00 Bank Charges R. ELlwood. Posts 08.02.25 238.97 10.02.25 20.02.25 01.03.25 10.03.25 11.03.25 Friends Niehols P Crowe. Chipper Hire 12. Bank Charges Friend8 Nichols 11th) Ben. Shed bas¢ 12.03.25 Donation. C.Thomley 24.03.25 29.03.25 W*•W.8he(Istor8 Bank Cha 1489.99 10.04.25 Friends Nichols 15.04.25 29.04.25 12.05.25 Boston Green Seeds 4278.80 4273.80 Bank Charye8 Frlends Nlchois 11(M) 4285.80 14.05.25 JMH SeNice3- gT8J3 8ank Charges 4085.80 4080.80 4092.BO 4087.80 29.05.25 10.06.25 Friends Nicho18 1100 29.06.25 Bank ¢￿[g8S JMH SeMce8-gra58 01.07.25 07.07.25 10.07.25 21.07.25 25.07.25 11.08.25 250.LK) 3837.80 4197.80 4209.80 5609.80 5604.80 5616.80 5816.80 P8rish council &Yant Friends Nichol8 R.Ellwood. shed 12.(Kl 1400.00 BankCh8rge Friend8 Nicho18 Wiliage Hall grant 12.(M) 27.08.25 08.09.25 10.10.25 29.10.25 JMH SeMce8 5516.80 Friends Nicho[8 12.1)0 5528.80 5528.40 B&nk Cha￿e 25.10.25 FrierKls Nichols 12. 28.10.25 Gra88 Cutting 100.C 5440.40 Total Balance 4268.35 3421.95 5d40.40 08.11.25