Parish Plan

Welcome to the Alkborough & Walcot Parish Plan. Many of you may be wondering what prompted the parish council to begin the development of a Parish Plan for Alkborough & Walcot.

There were several reasons - not least the challenge of the Flats Project and the possible impact on the village; the loss of the village shop and some other important issues affecting the community as we have outlined in the plan. Change was upon us and it seemed a good time to start to plan the strategies and activities which are needed to support Alkborough & Walcot into the future, particularly as DEFRA funding was available to kick start the process.

We are very fortunate to live in one of the few remaining unspoilt villages in the UK with commanding views over the three rivers, beautiful local countryside and relatively low levels of crime. There has been little change until recent times, as you will see from photographs used on this site and in the plan.

There was never any question among the large majority of local people that the recent flood alleviation work carried out by the Environment Agency was essential to combat rising tides and to reduce flood risks further up the river. The subsequent plans to develop the Flats into a large scale nature project proved more challenging. The majority of residents were happy to live on the edge of a beautiful environmental nature reserve - after all, we had already been doing this for generations. The problem was managing the potential impact this would have on our highly coveted way of life.

The Parish Plan initiative also gave us the opportunity to examine development and sustainability issues. The housing stock in Alkborough increased by 100% since the beginning of the last world war. Unchecked, this continued level of development will severely affect both the nature and tranquillity we all currently enjoy. The other side of this coin is that our exclusivity has driven up house prices and our own young people, on reaching adulthood, must move away. Of course, this doesn’t just apply to Alkborough & Walcot, its happening in remote rural locations all over the country.

The recent closure of the village post office and shop was a heavy blow to the community and the loss of this vital resource was felt by many local residents.

On a positive note, local people care passionately about our village and 80% of residents completed the Parish Plan survey ensuring the results were truly reflective and representative of the wants, needs and thoughts of our local community. The challenges ahead are about balance - preserving our local heritage and community with development and tourism. Change is always difficult but, without change everything eventually dies. We are all custodians of the future and the aim of this parish plan is to ensure that any changes have limited impact, protects our local heritage and secures the long-term sustainability of Alkborough & Walcot for generations to come.

A downloadable version of the Alkborough & Walcot Parish Plan Is available by clicking on the image.