News on The Meadow, Newtown Linford Lane

Traffic lights gone and reinstatement of the Meadow is underway

December2024   The media coverage of the recent flooding across the country has been a reminder of the misery suffered by homes and businesses when water enters a property, particularly when it is not just surface water but includes foul water as well. Those residents of Groby who have experienced flooding first hand will be hoping that the money spent over the last 12 months by Severn Trent to alleviate the problems in the village will resolve the problem. The final cost of the work was £2.2 million, £400,000 higher than expected because of unforeseen circumstances.

“Surface water flooding can have a real impact on people, whether through concern over their property, or the inconvenience of not being able to get out to take children to school or get to work because of excess water on the roads,” said Helen Purdy, Community Communications Officer at Severn Trent, when announcing the project. “We know that there have been some instances of surface water flooding in Groby and we hope that this project will provide some peace of mind to residents.”

The focus was on two areas of Groby, with the first installing storm water storage tanks along Leicester Road, close to Dalby Drive/Marston Drive, and the second the installation of new pipes that separate surface water from the sewage network.in the centre of the village near the junction with Ratby Road. “The new pipes help to ease pressure on the sewer network and have been installed from the junction of Ratby Road and Leicester Road to the Ratby Road Allotments.”

The work has been an inconvenience, with travelling disrupted by the major works. The use of the Meadow on Newtown Linford Lane as a project site for the contractors provided a central off-road location for the contractors. Whilst the great holes on the highways have been filled and traffic is back to normal, the restoration of a green open space takes a little longer.

“Sadly the weather has had a major impact on some areas which need to be reinstated and due to this the condition of the Meadow is not as it should be,” explained a spokesperson for Groby Community Interest Company. “The contractors will return to re-grade areas with new top soil and re-seed the muddy areas with meadow grass seed. In the meantime, a stone path has been established along the A50 boundary line to save walkers and people using the meadow being up to their ears in mud. Thank you for your patience.”

This sentiment was shared by Helen Purdy who added “We’d like to say a big thank you to the village of Groby for your patience during our work to alleviate surface water flooding. We’re delighted to say that the project is now complete. There are new pipes in place to separate the surface water from sewage and big storage pipes too that will hold excess water when it rains heavily and release it slowly into our network afterwards. The village should see a real difference in the future.”

Those who don’t travel to the village centre may not have been affected by the disruption, and some local residents who live in areas not affected may even have been unaware that parts of the village suffered flooding.

February 2019

Groby CIC

Groby Meadow News and AGM Tuesday 19th March

Much work has been done over the past year and we must start by thanking the volunteers who have helped to maintain and develop the Meadow. Special thanks to those who persevered with the wild flowers through the long, hot summer which seems a distant memory at this time of year.

Thanks also go to the Thomas Herbert Trust for help with funding for the drainage scheme, Hinkley and Bosworth Council for the Parish Initiative Fund and of course ‘Dan the Digger’ from Manor Hill Farmers who has done a wonderful job on the new drainage ditch.

Thanks go again to Paul from County Contractors for sponsoring the Meadow.

Next an apology. We hoped to get the Meadow open at the end of January but work to make the area safe has taken longer than expected. By the time this article goes to press we hope work will be complete and the Meadow reopened. When you do start using the area again please remember there is an open ditch running across the field ready to catch out the unobservant, energetic children and inquisitive dogs! Please take care and use the safe crossing point.

Although the drainage ditch across the Meadow is complete we are still waiting for Severn Trent to clean the village outfall pipe. This needs to be done to alleviate the potential flooding problem in the centre of the village.

Finally, a date for your diary. The AGM of the CIC will be held on Tuesday 19th March at 7pm in the Parish Council Office at the Village Hall. All share holders are welcome and encouraged to attend.

John Hitchings, Groby CIC

November 2018

Can you help fund a new footbridge at Groby Meadow?

Observant residents of the village may have noticed new excavations taking place on the Groby CIC Meadow on Newtown Linford Lane. No, not another visit from the Time Team but work to improve the drainage of the meadow and the village. A new drainage ditch has been created but we need funds to construct a further footbridge across it.

We have been working with Stakeholders for nearly five years on this issue and according to Severn Trent, the existing drainage pipe across the Meadow was blocked and needed replacing. After much discussion it was agreed that a drainage ditch would be more effective and more easily monitored. This is along the line of the open ditch that existed in the 1960’s and followed the line of the drainage pipe.On Saturday 24th November, a team of CIC volunteers and contracted grounds man set about the task. The ditch and a safe crossing point at it’s lower end were completed on the day but there is still extra work to be undertaken by Severn Trent where their pipe joins the Meadow boundary. The CIC is hoping to construct a further footbridge across the ditch when funds become available, and this is why we are appealing for donations or sponsorship offers.Thanks to the Trustees of the Thomas Herbert Trust for their continued support of the Meadow and to the person who made an anonymous donation, thereby ensuring that there were sufficient funds to complete this important work.

The Meadow will be closed until the end of January to allow for the extra work to be carried out. When it re-opens walkers will need to use the slightly redirected footpath and the safe crossing point. Anyone with a lively dog or energetic children will have to be extra vigilant.

John Hitchings (Groby CIC)

November 2014

 Alistair Cooper reports on a year of progress

We had our last working party of the year at our Newtown Linford Lane meadow on Sunday 5th October and 22  shareholders and volunteers attended. Midland Quarry Products had very kindly donated four tonnes of mill waste so some of the time was used in moving this across to the new path between the new bridge and the land adjoining Groby Pool car park. There is now a 'hard' path from the Meadow towards Groby Pool. Completing the link to Groby Pool car park has been a major step forward.  We also carried out some hedge cutting and general tidying up ready for the winter.

This year we have had over 200 hours of volunteer work at the Meadow.  Our thanks go to share holders and staff at GE (Druck) for their efforts.  We would also like to thank the following people and organisations for their support over the last year:

Woodland Trust for the trees and hedging

Stepping Stones Project for supplying plants

Midland Quarry Products for the mill waste

GE (Druck) for the flower seeds and continued support with volunteers

Brian Rigby at the Stamford Arms for the refreshments after the working parties

A local farmer for cutting the hay and hedges

East Midlands Landscaping for helping with rotavating.

Come and help us in 2015

Working parties will start again next April and we look forward to making further improvements to the Meadow. We welcome any offers of help with the work and would very much welcome new share holders from the local community. If you want to become a shareholder email us at grobycic@hotmail.co.uk or contact the Parish Council.   We will be holding an AGM in February or March 2015.

Alistair Cooper, Chair, Groby Meadow CIC

July 2014

Share certificates / Meadow working party 

March 2014   Around 60 shareholders turned out on a winter's evening last month to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Community Interest Company (CIC) that owns the meadow on Newtown Linford Lane. All were very enthusiastic about the project and the progress that has been made.

Additional shareholders will be very welcome, so if you are interested, you can get in touch either through the Parish Clerk or by emailing grobycic@hotmail.co.uk.  Share certificates are now available from the Parish Council office so anyone who has made an investment of £200 but has received no subsequent communications should  use this opportunity to get in touch. 

The Woodland Trust has provided a quantity of hedging and trees, some of which  has already been used to plant a new hedge along the roadside boundary on Newtown Linford Lane. Some hedging has also been planted around the central copse and along the boundary with the old Mineral line. 

“We have started to clear the boundaries and are looking to set up small working parties between 2.00 pm and 4.00 pm on the first Sunday of each month,” explained Chairman Alistair Cooper. “The first one will be on Sunday 6th April. We are looking for volunteers to help with litter picking, weed clearing and general maintenance.”

The Committee hopes to be able to lease from  the Borough Council a small area of land that adjoins the Meadow next to Groby Pool so that the footpaths to Groby Pool from the village  can be extended. “We are planning to install a gate and small bridge across the stream about half way down the right hand boundary,” Alistair added.

So with Spring  in the air there's the chance to get down to the Meadow, help tidy-up and perhaps make some new friends on April 6th..

A new bridge now  links the northern corner of the Newtown Linford Lane meadow with the field behind Groby Pool car park.    This creates a pathway to the Pool which avoids the road between the meadow entrance and the car park and a circular off road route for those who return across the field to Markfield Road. The work was completed by GE Druck volunteers and several shareholders.   "The lease for the additional land towards the Groby Pool car park was signed last week and the feedback from people who have been using the area has been great," said Chairman Alistair Cooper.

New gate fitted at the Meadow

Security has been improved at the Meadow on Newtown Linford Lane with the fitting of a new gate and height barrier.  "Secure-A-Field have supplied and fitted a great product and Tony Onions, with help from Steve Pash and Stu from Ratby, did a fantastic job in preparing the site and finishing it off ," said Alistair Cooper for the CIC.  The improvement has been funded by a grant from the local community forum.

July 2013

 A successful bid for community funding for the Meadow

The bid made for £3454 at the Markfield, Ratby and Groby Community Forum held in Ratby on 27th June was successful, despite the disappointing attendance by local residents and shareholders in the project. The Meadow project was the third most popular and with 37% of the votes must have been supported by a large number of residents from other parishes, given the low Groby turnout. The funding bid was to cover the cost of providing an entrance gate height restrictor pedestrian gate, a kissing gate, a bridge over the stream, land clearance entrance hard standing and a fence repair on boundary

The gaps that have been created in the undergrowth indicate that people are using the meadow to make short cuts, therefore to establish proper paths will help promote its' use. The money is needed to facilitate the management of the site and realise the benefits of the land being properly secured and developed as a natural meadow.

Happily there is no long wait for the cash. “The funds have already been received into the Parish Council account and we are looking to have the first phase of the security work completed at the beginning of September,” explained Alistair Cooper. “We are in discussions with various groups regarding some of the other work and would hope to move this forward in early Autumn, after an AGM of the CIC shareholders.”

In an unexpected twist to the process of creating the Community Interest Company(CIC), Companies House would not allow the Parish Council to be the Asset Locked Body required for such projects. “We have continued with the CIC registration without one, Alistair added. “This will be addressed once the CIC is formally established. All the signed paperwork has gone off and I would like to think that we should be up and running by the time the Spotlight goes to print.”

An agreement has been reached with a local farmer and he is cutting the grass and hedges in return for the hay. It's felt that has worked out well for this summer and it's hoped this will continue for the next few years or more. Some fence repairs and more rubbish clearance is planned for the next few months.

June 2013

How you can help raise £3454 

Put the 27th June in your diary

Two years after the purchase of the meadow on Newtown Linford Lane by a consortium, made up of residents that bought shares at £200 each and Groby Parish Council, the work to create the Community Interest Company(CIC) that will own the land continues. When this is completed the Parish Council will still have an interest but with limited voting rights. The aim of the organisation is to preserve the meadow, protect it from commercialism and have it as an amenity for the Parish for all to enjoy.

But money is needed to facilitate the management of the site and so a bid is being made for funds at the Markfield, Ratby and Groby Community Forum to be held in Ratby on 27th June at 6pm.

With the publicity given to the efforts of Prince Charles to protect existing meadows and create meadows across the UK this bid could be quite timely. Prince Charles has expressed alarm at how many meadows had been lost across the country following a report that examined wildflower losses over the past 60 years. Around 97 per cent of wildflower meadows have been lost due to the spread of intensive farming and urban development since the1930s. "This year we are celebrating my mother's coronation so surely there is no better moment to end this destruction and to stimulate a new mood to protect our remaining meadows and to use them as springboards for the restoration of other sites and the creation of new meadows right across the UK," he said.

Aims of The Coronation Meadows project

1. The identification of a Coronation Meadow in each county. Over 80% of the 60 meadows identified so far can trace an undisturbed history beyond the Coronation. The oldest so far is Loughborough Big Meadow which can be traced back to 1762.

2. Identify sites within each county where green hay and seed from the Coronation Meadow can be used to restore or recreate new meadows, so fulfilling the Prince’s original vision.

3. Map the UK’s remaining meadows with the help of the public.

The Coronation Meadows website explains what it hopes can be achieved over the next three years. “Each Coronation Meadow will be used to literally ‘seed’ new meadows within each county. This will usually be done by collecting “green hay” from the donor meadow which is then spread onto the receptor site. Green hay is ordinary hay that’s cut just before it’s normally ready. By harvesting in this way, more seed is retained within the hay bales and more is transferred to the new meadow, increasing the chances of success.

Green hay has many advantages over commercial seed. By using seed from the donor site, the local character of each meadow is retained – the mix and proportion of different flowers that make each meadow unique. So a Wiltshire meadow established with green hay will remain full of Wiltshire character, and a Yorkshire meadow will retain Yorkshire character. As well as being cheaper, the range of species is also greater and the seed is fresher. There is also evidence to suggest that green hay is a good way to encourage colonisation of new meadows by orchids and other rare species.

During 2013, we aim to get restoration underway using green hay from Coronation Meadows in five counties. Over the next few years, more and more new Coronation Meadows will be established as donor sites are found and work gets underway.”

How the Community Forum works

Timely though the grant application is supporters of the Meadow Project will need to be prepared to travel to Ratby to vote at the meeting to be in with a chance of success, as the allocation of funds follows a secret ballot on the night.

Markfield and Ratby both have 3 projects each seeking funding but this is the only Groby bid amongst the nine community projects which will be competing. Anyone who pre-registers to attend will be entitled to vote for their favourites at the meeting. The County Council guidelines say that “you are welcome to encourage further project supporters to attend.” A spokesperson added that “only people that live in the Markfield, Ratby & Groby Community Forum area will be able to vote on the night. We welcome as many residents to come along and take part in the evening.” If there are more applicants than voting places there will be a draw for the places, but this is unlikely.

Those bidders that are best able to motivate their supporters to attend stand a better chance of winning. Supporters of a particular project may also be tempted to give preference to other projects from their home village or to do deals and use tactical voting. On the other hand everyone who attends may be completely altruistic and cast their votes on the basis of the merit of each of the projects, which is no doubt the hope of the County Council. But some of those who have attended previous award nights have formed the opinion that the merits of the project are not the deciding factor and the only way to get a bite of the apple is to ensure you have as many supporters there as possible. Registering as soon as possible and attending the Forum is important if you would like this project to win all, or part of, the funds it needs. In total there is £12,500 available for distribution on the night.

The CIC bid

The bid document does not associate itself with the Coronation Meadows Project and concentrates on the immediate issues of site security. The grant application says that since the ground has been cleared it is apparent that local people are using the land for exercise and recreation. The gaps that have been created in the undergrowth indicate that people are using the meadow to make short cuts, therefore to establish proper paths would go further to promote its use. There would be benefits from the land being properly secured and developed as a natural meadow.

“The Meadow is strategically placed and can link several footpaths to enhance existing paths. It is the first thing people see as they enter from the bypass and the aim is to present a pretty meadow, which enhances the entry into the village.”

The project is to develop land purchased by people of Groby for the enjoyment of all and the objectives are the

• • Protection of the local environment and promotion of wildlife flowers.

  • Provision an amenity for parishioners and visitors to use with footpaths that link with existing paths

  • Protection the land from commercialisation.

“Access to the Meadow and paths would be via gates and entrances which would allow disabled access, some paths would be developed to ensure that people with limited mobility could at least use parts of the meadow. The project will provide a secure green area which can't be developed or abused.”

The security of the land is the first stage of the project to ensure it is sustainable.

The costs are as follows -

Entrance gate height restrictor pedestrian gate £1,964

Kissing gate £320

Bridge over Stream £470

Land clearance entrance hard standing £450

Fence repair on boundary £250

Total project cost and amount requested - £3,454

At the forum the individual project sponsors will have 2 minutes each to sell their bid to the voters. If you would like to see up to £3454 come to Groby and have an interest in the Groby meadow or the Prince's meadows initiative it could be a couple of hours well spent, as you also get to hear of projects planned for neighbouring villages. And participating will cost you nothing.

Find out more

You can read about all 9 projects online at http://www.leicestershireforums.org/markgro/your-voice--view-and-comment-on1.html where you will be able to add your comments. 

 You can also register online to attend at http://www.leicestershireforums.org/markgro/cfb2013-booking-form215.html, but you must do this by noon on Thursday 20th June at the latest. 

 To find out more about coronation meadows visit http://coronationmeadows.org.uk. 

November 2012 

Draft Articles of Association consultation

The protracted legal process of transferring the meadow at Newtown Linford Lane from Groby Parish Council to a Community Interest Company (CIC)is taking another step forward. An initial period of public consultation on the draft Articles of Association has commenced and will end on December 14th.

But what is a CIC?

Community interest companies (CIC) are a type of limited company designed specifically for those wishing to operate for the benefit of the community rather than for the benefit of the owners of the company. This means that a CIC cannot be formed or used solely for the personal gain of a particular person, or group of people.

CICs can be limited by shares, or by guarantee, have a statutory “asset lock” to prevent the assets and profits being distributed, except as permitted by legislation. This ensures the assets and profits are retained within the CIC for community purposes, or transferred to another asset-locked organisation, such as another CIC or charity. In this case Groby Parish Council is the nominated asset locked body.

A "community interest test" and "asset lock" ensures that the CIC is established for community purposes and the assets and profits are dedicated to these purposes. Registration of a company as a CIC has to be approved by the Regulator who also has a continuing monitoring and enforcement role. The Government, however, expects the Regulator to exercise a “light touch” and to encourage the development of the CIC 'brand' and provide guidance and assistance on matters relating to CICs.

Where can I read the draft Articles?

The draft articles are available on the Groby Parish Council website www.groby.com, in the local library and also in the Parish Office at the Village Hall. A letter from the Council to all residents is published in this edition of the Spotlight. Comments may also be sent to the Parish Council by mail or email. Comments should be submitted by Friday 14th December 2012

What about shareholders?

Shareholders are those residents who made a personal payment of £200 per share towards the purchase of the land. They will be written to individually about the consultation but, despite the hard work that has gone into building a database with the details of everyone who has made a personal financial contribution towards the purchase, there are still concerns that it may not be 100% complete. It has been said that some shareholders have commented that they have not received any communication since they made payment and the steering group are anxious to resolve any outstanding issues. “I would ask anyone who has contributed but not received a letter by late November, to contact to the Parish Council or email me,” advised Chairman Alistair Cooper. He can be contacted at grobycic@hotmail.com.

What kind of matters are included in the Articles?

The draft articles extend to 22 pages and cover all aspects of the CIC and give the objects of the Company as carrying on activities which benefit the community and in particular to acquire interests in land to be used for events or uses with a community focus. The Company “may borrow or raise and secure the payment of money for any purpose including for the purposes of investment or of raising funds if agreed by the Company Secretary or by two thirds of the shareholders.”

The powers and responsibilities of directors are outlined, along with their appointment and retirement. The decision making processes for both directors and shareholders are included. The Directors must comply with the requirements of the Companies Acts and the minutes of the company must be kept for at least ten years from the date of the meeting, resolution or decision they record.

This is the briefest of overviews and anyone interested is advised to read the full document before submitting comments on the draft articles. After the consultation any comments received will be considered before the document is finalised under the legal guidance of solicitors Josiah Hincks.

August 2012

The meadow on  Newtown Linford Lane

Just along Newtown Linford Lane is the meadow opposite the A50 slip road. Many readers may have whizzed past this in their cars and wondered what the sign on the new notice board says. If you want to take a nice walk to Groby Pool and read the notice as you pass then read no further and move on to the next item.

It's an open letter to local residents from Alistair Cooper, chair of GrobyCIC the legal entity which will own the meadow. The land was purchased last year with the help of funding from the Parish Council and by individual contributions from local residents. “Once the company is established we will be issuing shares to all those people who have made a financial contribution and canvassing ideas for the use of the meadow,” writes Alistair. “We are still looking for more residents to become involved with the project, so if you would like to make a financial contribution, so that your thoughts and ideas can be heard, please contact us at the email address. Our initial thoughts are that we would like to return the meadow to its former status as just that, a meadow. This would be for the benefit of all Groby residents to enjoy with their families, as an area to walk, enjoy the natural environment and relax.” He goes on to outline the priorities for the coming months and thanks everyone for their patience. The contact email address is grobyCIC@hotmail.co.uk.

May2011

More land for sale as meadow purchased

All residents of Groby now have a financial interest  in a 4 acre meadow on Newtown Linford Lane, north of the A50, land which was scheduled to be auctioned on April 20th. Over two thirds of the purchase price of £60,000 was raised directly by subscription with individuals contributing £42,000 by buying shares at £200 each. The balance, a contribution of up to £25,000, came from the village as a whole from Parish Council funds.

 Following discussions with the vendor an agreement was reached on the purchase price thus avoiding the auction, and completion of the purchase was scheduled for May 11th. The price per acre of around £15000 is said to be around twice the market value but significantly less than the £25,000 per acre which some forecast if there was a bidding war at auction.

The land will ultimately be transferred by the Parish Council to a Village Community Trust and although the Council will be the largest single contributor early indications are that the Trust will be structured to ensure that there is a ceiling on it's voting rights. Residents will continue to be allowed to buy shares if they wish and this will also reduce the proportion held by the Council.

It is anticipated that the Community Trust will consult widely on the use to which the land will be put and local resident Alistair Cooper, who led the bid to buy the land, told the Leicester Mercury it was about giving control back to the residents, adding that it will will not be for building on. As soon as the deal was signed action was taken to prevent unauthorised access to the land by the excavation of a deep trench.

Fishing lakes offered at £480,000

Within a day of the purchase a more substantial piece of land in the same area came on the market for £480,000, around £9,000 an acre. The 53 acres on offer, which include the fishing lakes and the former pick your own site, are divided into three lots. Lot 1 (19.90 acres) includes the three fishing lakes and the agents say it has potential, subject to consent from the Caravan Club, for a an informal privately-owned caravan site for up to 5 touring caravans. The fishery business currently has a turnover of approximately £15,000. Also included is planning permission for a new facilities building which could house a clubhouse and café, as well as a new car parking area. The area of land between Pheasant Lake and Kingfisher Lake has been identified for the construction of 3 fish rearing ponds. Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council have confirmed that prior approval of the proposed development is not required.

Lot 2 (18.05 acres), which is pasture, has planning permission for the removal of the hedgerow and construction of 2 new agricultural storage sheds (5,295 sq ft) in the south western corner of the field. The land is laid to pasture and arable and enclosed by mature hedgerows. The third lot (14.94 acres) benefits from 2 entrances off Newtown Linford Lane, a direct access and a shared access through the entrance to Lot 1 and via a small paddock on the roadside. This pasture land land also has permission for a new cattle shed (2,775 sq ft) on the northern boundary and some footings have been excavated to trigger development.

Tim Howard, at Howkins and Harrison, who are handling the sale said that although the land has only been on the market for a few weeks there have been many enquiries.