A councillor has called for emergency funding to be put in place following severe flooding earlier this week.
While discussing Grantham Town Council’s budget and precept for 2025/2026 in a meeting last night (Thursday, January 10), Councillor Charmaine Morgan (Ind) questioned whether an emergency fund could be considered in the budget.
Coun Morgan referred to severe flooding earlier this week, which resulted in Belton Lane residents having to leave their homes as a result of damage.
A drone view of flooding in Belton Lane, Grantham. Photo: James Clark
She said: “This is critical and we need a budget for it.
“It is an emergency. We could have flooding again in a week’s time.
“Even if it was a £1,000 strapline, it will give us a holding figure in an emergency.
Grantham Independent Councillor Charmaine Morgan.
“We could get sandbags as a town council. If we have no budget, we have no plan.”
Coun Morgan stated she had notified the finance committee, which held a meeting on Tuesday (January 7), of her proposal to be discussed in the meeting which she was not able to attend.
However, Coun Paul Stokes (Ind), said this note was received after the meeting was held, therefore why it was not brought up in Thursday’s meeting.
Coun Tim Harrison (Ind), as chairman, also reminded Coun Morgan that the issue should have been brought to the finance committee before.
Coun Morgan reiterated to councillors she did notify the committee of the “understanding it went through”.
Coun Rob Shorrock (Lab) agreed with Coun Morgan that she was right, but said it was “not the place at this moment in time” to be discussing the issue.
He said: “On the issue of something happening like floods, it’s terrible but fundamentally we have not passed a policy as a town council of providing flood defences.
“What has been tabled here is the proposal around the budget, the difficulty we are going to get into is the changes we can make are going to be quite limited and the reason they are going to be quite limited is we have got to work within that model of the precept.
“Although I totally agree with you, it is not the place at this moment in time. That is for another meeting.”
As a buffer, Coun Stokes suggested, if an emergency was to happen, the council could “dip into” its contingency.
He said: “My view, that in the short term if we really need to, we have a contingency proposed here of £2,000.
“If we needed to look at the potential of doing something absolutely urgent, there is that.
“I think in the short term we have something we could dip into, not in a perfect world, but we could do it.
“In the long term, we could all get together and come up with a plan.”
Coun Harrison reminded councillors if this was considered, it would need to be subject to the town council agreeing in the future.
A vote was taken for Coun Morgan’s proposal of including an emergency fund, but it was voted against.
However, it was recorded that the council would discuss a “contingency plan” in the future.