KINGTON LANGLEY ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
TUESDAY 27 MARCH 2007

LYTES ALMSHOUSES REPORT
CLLR. Mrs. BETTY BIRD

The 6 Lytes Almshouses in the main street of Kington St. Michael are run by the Kington St. Michael United Charity Trustees.

The Trustees are 2 ex-officio members, the Reverends James Denniston and Geoffrey Hewitt; Maureen Hall, Kington St. Michael Parish Council; 2 co-opted members, Colin Coles, Secretary and George Barnes, Treasurer; and myself representing Kington Langley Parish Council. I am Chairman solely because I live away from the Almshouses and the Vicars chose not to do the job.

All 6 houses are occupied and all the allotments behind them have been taken. During the year we have been searching for grants towards the cost of extending the 2 end houses to make them more user-friendly for disabled and elderly residents. Our search to get grants to help with the extensions has had mixed success. So far we have received small grants locally and £5,000 promised from a Trust.

The cost is high because it has to match the other stone built houses. When completed it will mean the end houses have kitchen, bathroom and bedsit on the same level and leave room for a carer or partner.

At present, bathroom and kitchen are on one level and there are 2 steps down to living room and then stairs to bedroom. One cannot alter this as they go back to the reign of Queen Anne.