Edward Leigh MP Welcomes Eric Pickles' Visit

Mrs. Suzanne Scott, Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP,
Edward Leigh MP and Cllr. Burt Keimach.

Edward Leigh, who represents the Gainsborough Constituency, welcomed the Rt. Hon. Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to the Gainsborough Constituency on Thursday, 13th October 2011 together with fellow Conservatives, Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr. Burt Keimach and Cllr. William Parry, the authority’s Chairman.

The Secretary of State visited the Hemswell Cliff Primary School to open the community’s new ‘Room of Requirement’ – named with the Harry Potter books in mind. Head teacher Mrs. Suzanne Scott said:

Eric Pickles MP is shown Marshall's Yard
in Gainsborugh flanked by Cllr. Keimach
(Left) and Edward Leigh MP (Right)

“It's a great honour to welcome the secretary of state to our school.

“We are looking forward to using this facility along with our community.”

After opening the facility, The Secretary of State, Edward Leigh, Councillors, council officers and other stakeholders were briefed on the need to regenerate dilapidated former RAF bases into thriving communities. Mr Pickles said:

“I will rattle the MoD's cage on this as this is a place we should celebrate.”

Go Ahead For 2,500 New Homes Plan

A major housing development which will help double the size of Gainsborough in the next twenty years has been given the go-ahead.

Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr. Burt Keimach, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward), has welcomed the news. He said:

"This is excellent news for Gainsborough as it means the development that will support the regeneration of the town can be decided locally. It also fits in well with the Government's agenda for people to shape their own future

"We can now proceed to determine the application in line with the Planning Committee's decision and continue the regeneration of Gainsborough."

As previously reported, the council granted outline planning permission for 2,500 homes to be built on land south of Foxby Lane, in the South West Ward of Gainsborough.  However, because the scale of the development is different from the local policy, the final decision had to be approved by the Government.

This week, the council received a letter from the Government Office for the East Midlands. It read:

"In the Secretary of State's view, the proposed (application) does not raise issues of such wider significance as to require a determination by him and he has, therefore, concluded that your council should decide the application."

Plans for the development include two primary schools, shops, a doctors' surgery and a multi-use centre.

The development will be complemented with large open spaces and parks and access to nearby woodlands together with pedestrian and cycle routes.

Chief Executive of the Council Mrs. Manjeet Gill said:

"This new development is another positive sign of confidence in the future of Gainsborough. It will provide a major employment boost in the construction stage and will eventually support 1,500 new jobs in the business, industrial, retail and home worker sectors.

It's crucial we get the plans right by ensuring the right infrastructure and services will be in place to cope with the increase in demand and we look forward to seeing the details of the planning application."

The applicant will now need to submit further 'reserved matters' applications, to deal with the detail of the site.

The timescale for this and the start date for building is in the hands of the developer.

However, it is planned that the development will take 12-13 years to complete with about 200 new homes being added each year.

Echo Reports Lincoln MPs Twitter Misjudgement, But Triumphs On BBC Radio Lincolnshire

The Lincolnshire Echo is today reporting that Karl McCartney MP, Conservative (Lincoln), who posted a message on his Twitter feed has strongly criticised people who oppose plans supported by the parliamentarian to bring horse racing to Lincoln's West Common.

The comments came after the paper reported on the Lincoln Commons Advisory Panel's decision to reject plans for the racecourse and recommend to the City of Lincoln Council's Executive that it does not grant an initial lease.

Above: Karl McCartney,
Member of Parliament for
the Lincoln Constituency

Mr. McCartney tweeted:

"It says a lot that Labour councillors and anti brigade try to judge everyone's motives by their own standards and twisted hate-filled republican logic."

The paper reports that the tweet has left residents and the six hundred people who signed a petition against a racecourse wondering whether Mr. McCartney is listening to them.

Ms Jane Kirman of Hewson Road, voted Conservative in the General Election. is reported to have said:

"He should listen to the people who put him into power."

The Lincolnshire Echo asked Mr. McCartney how he thought people might feel and report that he said:

"I would never insult the six hundred people who signed the petition as they have rightly wanted to have their say, but the premise of the information in the petition is incorrect.

"The problem has been the way the proposals have been wrongly portrayed by those who willfully have done so, aided and abetted by certain media.

"Yesterday's story in the Echo started with the line 'plans to bring back racing on Lincoln's West Common'. This is not the case because the plans put forward are about looking at whether it is viable to do so and do not say it should definitely go ahead at all.

"This has been about The Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company Ltd and Lincoln Racecourse Trust being allowed to investigate if racing is viable."

The company, of which Mr. McCartney is a director, is asking Lincoln City Council for a heads of term lease. It is with this lease secured that the company would start to work up a masterplan. But the Commons Advisory Panel, the paper reports, has agreed that if the company wanted to create a masterplan, it should go ahead without the lease, which the company wants to demonstrate the authority is interested in the project.

The authority will decide later in the year whether to accept the recommendation.

Mr. McCartney later edited his Twitter feed to read:

"It says a lot that some Labour councillors and a tiny majority of anti brigade try to judge anyone's motives by their own standards."

Mr. McCartney, early this morning, spoke on BBC Radio Lincolnshire and talked about the Echo's story and vehemently denied that he did not listen to local people and that a deal had already been done.

Market Traders Will Move to First-Class Refurbished Market

Loyal Gainsborough market trader Mr. Flynn Harding ca not wait for the town's £3 million refurbishment to be finished.  The end of the work will mean the traders can move back into their brand new Market Place home on Tuesday, 24th August 2010.

Stallholders will be able to take advantage of a first-class trading environment.  Mr. Harding works on the fruit and veg stall on the market.  He said:

"Moving the market to a new temporary site was always going to be difficult.

"But I am sure it will all be worth it in the end when we have a town centre that will rival any other in Lincolnshire and for miles around."

Mr. Harding has been working on Gainsborough market for 25 years. He said:

"It is a good atmosphere working on the market. You have good banter with people who come back to see you week after week.

"The refurbishment has affected the whole town but everyone is looking forward to getting back to normal.

"It will certainly look a lot better once the work has been completed."

A job of this size is bound to take time, but compared to other areas the Gainsborough work has been done very quickly, to minimise disruption.  Traders and retailers have been fully informed and consulted throughout the whole process.

The council has frozen the Tuesday stall rents since April 2008 and, in response to requests from traders reduced the Saturday rents.  A special family fun day is now being planned to celebrate the official re-launch of the market.  Celebrity Chef Rachel Green, has agreed to return to the town to mark the occasion and will give a cookery demonstration on the day.

Mr. Peter Thurlow, Co-op manager said:

"We are really looking forward to a positive trading performance when the market returns.

"It will look absolutely stunning. There has been a lot of investment in Gainsborough in recent years, especially with Marshalls Yard and it is fitting the town centre has been updated to.

"We hope local residents and people in surrounding villages and towns will continue to support the market."

Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr. Burt Keimach, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward), explained the refurbishments have been carried out to benefit the town and the local traders.

"We need a modern town centre to serve Gainsborough as it continues to grow and prosper over the next 20 years, when the town will benefit from the Growth Point status which means the town will double in size."

Big Improvement Plans for Gainsborough

The cost of bringing all homes in Gainsborough's South West Ward up to the national Decent Homes Standard has been estimated at £5.5 million.

The figure is contained in a Neighbourhood Renewal Assessment commissioned by West Lindsey District Council aimed at making improvements to the whole area.

The report says that on average each property in need of work will cost £6,300 to repair and it is envisaged that only a very small number of properties will need to be demolished - instead the emphasis is likely to be on retro-fitting existing properties to bring them up to scratch.

At a meeting of the Economic Development and Regeneration Committee, councillors agreed to take the next step towards making improvements by holding an open day with residents to discuss the options and gather local views.

Housing and Renewal Manager, Mr. Grant Lockett said:

"The consultation report confirms much of what we already thought. The area contains 1,390 homes and 75% of them are terraced with 85% built before 1919.

"Much of the area has little or no open space or play areas and there is not much in the way of off road parking.

"Sadly, the most common type of crime in the area is criminal damage and this is a common finding in areas with high levels of deprivation."

The area also suffers from high levels of unemployment (7.5% compared to the West Lindsey average of 5.9%) and it is officially the most deprived area in the district. House prices are 38% lower than the district average and 52% below the national average.

Mr. Lockett added: "

In general, local people like the area, they find it friendly with a real sense of community with good access to shops and takeaways.

"And what most people seem to be agreed on is that more green space and children's play areas would be a great boost as would a really good clean up which would improve the way people feel.

"There is quite a lot of litter in the area and when this is coupled with a large number of run down properties there is a feeling that no-one cares - which is really unfair because we believe the residents really do care."

Sadly, consultation has revealed that 50% of over 75s feel very unsafe but any idea that young people are the main 'threat' does not hold true as 35% of them said they too feel unsafe on the streets.

Chairman of the Economic Development and Regeneration Committee, Cllr. Jeff Summers, Conservative (Waddingham & Spital Ward) said that the survey had also revealed that 42% of residents were receiving benefits, 15% were disabled, 25% had an income of less than £10,000 and there is a broad range of house types and ages.

"Throughout the consultation, unemployment was a common factor and many thought this was the major contributor to many of the other issues suffered in the area. More than 70% of people thought that unemployment was a big problem.

"People told us that the main barriers to getting a job were the low number of opportunities available, poor transport links, a low skills and education base and a benefit culture which means there is little incentive for people to find work."

Another plus point was that 57% of people in the area believed the police are providing an above average service and 58% believe that the refuse collection service is above average.

But dog fouling, vandalism and the misuse of drugs were all considered to be problems and more than half the business owners felt the Council could do more to help them make improvements to commercial buildings.

In terms of the homes themselves, the survey revealed that 90% of properties would benefit from having new central heating installed. This would also improve the energy efficiency and reduce running costs to householders.

The major hazard of excess cold was found in 48% of properties, 35% had a danger of a fall on the stairs and 15% had the danger of a fall on the level. There were also major problems with electrical hazards, food safety and the presence of carbon monoxide.

As a result of all these issues, the average price of a house in the area in 2009 was £61879 - well below the national average of £160,000 and the Lincolnshire average of just under £130,000.

Cllr. Summers added:

"There is no doubt that there is much to be done in South West Ward but we believe that with the co-operation and understanding of local residents we can make real and very tangible improvements."

Shopping Centre Plans Demonstrate More Confidence In Gainsborough

Plans for a shopping centre including a convenience food store in Gainsborough have been approved by West Lindsey District Council.

Applicants Tillbridge Developments and Thonock & Somerby Estates have got the green light to develop a former commercial site that has now been cleared off Corringham Road close to the Trent Valley Academy and opposite a modern housing estate.

A food store will be the main building on the site and there will also be five other units and parking for thirty-three customers and ten staff.

Leader of the Council, Cllr. Burt Keimach, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward) said:

"At a time when development throughout the country is still largely stalled as a result of the recession, this is another massive vote of confidence in the future of Gainsborough. It is vitally important that the largest town in West Lindsey will now act as a focal point to create jobs for the entire district that will benefit many families in all our communities.

"The fact that the town has Growth Point Status which will see Gainsborough double in size in the next twenty years will continue to make the area attractive to investors and I look forward to seeing more schemes like this which will ultimately benefit the whole district."

A report from planners warned of the need to protect the viability of the town centre from out of town developments, but approval came after a study calculated the catchment area for the Tillbridge development as being from the railway and The Avenue in the west, to the A631 in the east and from The Belt in the north through to Whites Wood Lane in the south.

Cllr Keimach added:

"Properties in this area are within a fifteen minute walk of the site which is the accepted guide. There are currently no convenience outlets in the main catchment area so as well as being a good new facility for local people, I think this scheme will also be well placed to serve new development planned for the area."

Permission has been granted subject to conditions including layout and design of an access road, landscaping and approval of a drainage system.

A spokesman for West Lindsey District Council's planning department confirmed that a second application, from a company called Morbaine in Cheshire, had been submitted for a site also at Corringham Road.

During pre-application discussions, Morbaine had been told that officers felt that the scale of their application was too large, but they applied anyway and the scheme was refused.
The latest position is that a written request has been received from a ward councillor that the new application should be reported to the planning committee rather than be dealt with by officers under delegated powers.

If this course of action is agreed the earliest date the councillors could consider it would be the July meeting. An objection has been received to this second application from Marshall's Yard.

The Council stressed that the authority needed to be sure that the scale of the development was in line with the local neighbourhood it would serve and that it would not have a negative impact on the town centre.

West Lindsey Committee Appointments Made

Following West Lindsey District Council's Annual Council Meeting on Monday evening the committee appointments have been made for the comming year.

Chairman of West Lindsey District Council

Cllr. Owen Bierley, Conservative (Yarborough Ward)

Vice-Chairman of West Lindsey District Council

Cllr. William Parry, Conservative (Scottor Ward)

Leader of West Lindsey District Council

Cllr. Burt Keimach, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward) - Leader of the Conservative Group

Deputy Leader of West Lindsey District Council

Cllr. Mrs. Irmgard Parrott, Conservative (Chery Willingham) - Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group

Leader & Deputy Leader of the Opposition*

Cllr. Reg Shore, Liberal Democrat (Stow Ward) - Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group
Cllr. David Cotton, Liberal Democrat (Saxilby Ward) - Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group

Planning Committee

Chairman
Cllr. Chirs Underwood Frost, Conservative (Scottor Ward) -

Vice-Chairman
Cllr. Stuart Curtis, Conservative (Sudbrooke Ward) -

Members
Cllr. Owen Bierley, Conservative (Yarborough Ward)
Cllr. Alan Caine, Independent (Caistor Ward)
Cllr. Ian Fleetwood, Conservative (Bardney Ward)
Cllr. Alf Frith, Liberal Democrat (Nettleham Ward)
Cllr. Malcolm Leaning, Liberal Democrat (Nettleham Ward)
Cllr. Mrs. Judy Rainsforth, Liberal Democrat (Gainsborough South West)
Cllr. Lewis Strange, Conservative (Kelsey Ward)

Community and Waste Services Committee

Chairman
Cllr. Mrs. Jackie Brockway, Conservative (Saxilby Ward)

Vice-Chairman
Cllr. Geoff Wiseman, Conservative (Middle Rasen)

Members
Cllr. Owen Bierley, Conservative (Yarborough Ward)
Cllr. David Cotton, Liberal Democrat (Saxilby Ward)
Cllr. Stuart Kinch, Conservative (Torksey Ward)
Cllr. Angela Lawrence, Conservative (Caistor Ward)
Cllr. Mrs. Jessie Milne, Conservative (Lea Ward)
Cllr. Mrs. Judy Rainsforth, Liberal Democrat (Gainsborough South West)
Cllr. Mrs. Lesley Rollings, Liberal Democrat (Thonock Ward)
Cllr. Mrs. Heather Shore, Liberal Democrat (Scampton Ward)

Organisation and Resources Committee

Chairman
Cllr. Mrs. Meg Davidson, Conservative (Fiskerton Ward)

Vice-Chairman
Cllr. Mrs. Anne Welburn, Conservative (Cherry Willingham Ward)

Members
Cllr. K. Bridger, Liberal Democrat (Market Rasen Ward)
Cllr. Mrs. Jackie Brockway, Conservative (Saxilby)
Cllr. Tom Brown, Liberal Democrat (Gainsborough North)
Cllr. David Cotton, Liberal Democrat (Saxilby Ward)
Cllr. Burt Kiemach, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward)
Cllr. Reg Shore, Liberal Democrat (Stow Ward)
Cllr. Jeff Summers, Conservative (Waddingham & Spital Ward)

Performance Management & Scrutiny Committee

Chairman
Cllr. Mike Tinker, Liberal Democrat (Gainsborough East)

Vice Chairman
Cllr. Stuart Kinch, Conservative (Torksey Ward)

Members
Cllr. David Cotton, Liberal Democrat (Saxilby Ward)
Cllr. Mrs. Irmgard Parrott, Conservative (Cherry Willingham Ward)
Cllr. William Parry, Conservative (Scottor Ward)
Cllr. Tom Regis, Conservative (Wold View Ward)
Cllr. Mrs. Diana Rodgers, Conservative (Welton Ward)
Cllr. Kristan Smith, Liberal Democrat (Gainsborough East)
Cllr. Mel Starkey, Liberal Democrat (Gainsborough East)
Cllr. Mrs. Anne Welburn, Conservative (Cherry Willingham Ward)

Economic Development and Regeneration Committee

Chairman
Cllr. Jeff Summers, Conservative (Waddingham & Spital)

Vice Chairman
Cllr. Mrs. Diana Rodgers, Conservative (Welton Ward)

Members
Cllr. Paul Howitt-Cowan, Conservative (Hemswell)
Cllr. Mrs. Jessie Milne, Conservative (Lea Ward)
Cllr. Malcolm Parish, Conservative (Welton Ward)
Cllr. William Parry, Conservative (Scottor Ward)
Cllr. Mrs. Lesley Rollings, Liberal Democrat (Thonock Ward) Cllr. Mel Starkey, Liberal Democrat (Gainsborough East)
Cllr. Mike Tinker, Liberal Democrat (Gainsborough East)
Cllr. Trevor Young, Liberal Democrat (Gainsborough South West)

Audit Committee

Chairman
Cllr. Mrs. S. Rawlins, Conservative (Dunholme Ward)

Vice-Chairman
Cllr. Mrs. G. Bardsley, Conservative (Gainsborough North Ward)

Members
Cllr. Ken Bridger, Liberal Democrat (Market Rasen Ward)
Cllr. Mrs. Meg Davidson, Conservative (Fiskerton Ward)
Cllr. Paul Howitt-Cowan, Conservative (Hemswell Ward)
Cllr. Burt Kiemach, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward)
Cllr. Pat O'Connor, Liberal Democrat (Gainsborough North Ward)
Cllr. Kristan Smith, Liberal Democrat (Gainsborough East Ward)
Cllr. Mike Tinker, Liberal Democrat (Gainsborough East Ward)
Cllr. Chris Underwood Frost, Conservative (Scotter Ward)

*Not a Council confirmed appointment.