Conservatives Strengthen Control on West Lindsey District Council

The Conservatives have retained their grip on West Lindsey District Council, dispite coming second to the Liberal Democrats in the poll of twelve of the twenty five wards of the local authority.

Following today's local election result the composition of the authority is: Conservatives 21 seats, Liberal Democrats 14, Independents 1, Independents (unaligned) 1.

Before the election the Conservatives had 20 seats, the Liberal Democrats 13, there were 2 Independents, 1 Independent (unaligned) and one vacancy.

The Liberal Democrats polled 9,770 votes whilst the Conservatives polled 9,553. Despite this the Conservatives made a net gain of one.

Meanwhile, Labour had their best showing in a poll for West Lindsey District Council with 1,902 votes representing over 8% of the popular vote. The United Kingdom Independence Party also performed well, securing over one thousand votes in five contest across the district - their highest poll since the boundary changes of 1999.

Unfortunately, Leader of the Council since January, Mr. Adam Duguid, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward), lost his seat in a closely contested battle for the Market Rasen Ward. Town Mayor, Cllr. Ken Bridger, Liberal Democrat (Market Rasen Ward) won the seat. Conservatives were celebrating their win in the Hemswell Ward when Cllr. Paul Howitt-Cowan defeated Mr. Scott Pritchard.

In the closest contest of all, Cllr. Mrs. Heather Shore took the Scampton seat by just one vote from Conservative contender Mr. Roger Patterson.

Deputy Chairman (Political), Mr. Giles McNeill, of the Nettleham & District Branch, said:

"We are very pleased with this result. We have managed to hold all the district council seats in the branch area that had a contest, it is good to see Cllr. Ian Fleetwood (Bardney Ward), Cllr. Mrs. Irmgard Parrott (Cherry Willingham Ward) and Cllr. Mrs. Meg Davidson (Fiskerton Ward) all re-elected.

"We are also pleased with the result in the Nettleham Ward, despite it being retained by incumbent Liberal Democrat, Cllr. Alf Frith, local conservatives increased our poll of votes by 341, which is very positive, which represented a 3.2% swing to the Conservatives from the prevous contest for the seat."

Full results are:

• Bardney: Ian Fleetwood (Conservative) elected 604, Robert Smith (Liberal Democrat) 321, Sharon Spicer (United Kingdom Independence Party) 169. Turnout 66.53%
• Cherry Willingham: Irmgard Parrott (Conservative) elected 1,204, Brian Gulliver (Labour) 534, Steven Pearson (United Kingdom Independence Party) 143, Trevor Stephen (Liberal Democrat) 1018. Turnout 73.19%
• Fiskerton: Margaret Davidson (Conservative) 502, Christopher Darcel (Independent (non-aligned)) 240, Clare East (Liberal Democrat) 180, Carol Pearson (United Kingdom Independence Party) 129, Melanie Tointon (Labour) 154. Turnout 71.47%
• Gainsborough East: Melvyn Starkey (Liberal Democrat) 1,019 elected, Timothy Davies (Conservative) 597, Richard Doran (Labour) 606, Thomas Johnson (United Kingdom Independence Party) 224. Turnout 49.21%
• Gainsborough North: Thomas Brown (Liberal Democrat) 1,457 elected, Nigel Bowler (Labour) 608, Julian Myers (Conservative) 854. Turnout 55.78%
• Hemswell: Paul Howitt-Cowan (Conservative) 599 elected, Scott Pritchard (Liberal Democrat) 536, Anthony Wells (United Kingdom Independence Party) 113. Turnout 65.52
• Market Rasen: Ken Bridger (Liberal Democrat) 1,292 elected, Adam Duguid (Conservative) 1,120, Deborah Theobald (Independent Group) 276. Turnout 64.11%
• Nettleham: Alf Frith (Liberal Democrat) 1,763 elected, Giles McNeill (Conservative) 1,098. Turnout 75.83%
• Scampton: Heather Shore (Liberal Democrat) 815 elected, Roger Patterson (Conservative) 814. Turnout 71.6%
• Thonock: Lesley Rollings (Liberal Democrat) 889 elected, Keeley Henderson (Conservative) 592. Turnout 67.72%
• Waddingham and Spital: Jeffrey Summers (Conservative) 1,014 elected, John Beaver (United Kingdom Independence Party) 355. Turnout 72.61%
• Wold View: Thomas Regis (Conservative) 555 elected, David Kitchen (Liberal Democrat) 480, Bernard Theobald (Independent Group) 228. Turnout 65.56%

Giles McNeill vs Alf Frith

The Lincolnshire Echo is today reporting that a young Conservative hopeful is looking to end the 26-year tenure of a Lincolnshire council stalwart in an electoral battleground near Lincoln.

Cllr. Alf Frith, Liberal Democrat (Nettleham Ward) and Conservative challenger Giles McNeill, are contesting the Nettleham Ward in the West Lindsey District Council election to be held on Thursday, 6th May 2010. The paper declares that with both men at opposite ends of their political careers, the choice is an intriguing one for the nearly four thousand residents of Grange-de-Lings, Greetwell, Nettleham, North Greetwell and Riseholme.

The paper reports that Cllr. Frith has lived in Nettleham since the age of two, spent the last forty-six years as a Parish Councilllor and represented the area at district council level since 1984. The paper reports Cllr. Frith as saying:

"Planning is the biggest issue for the area.

"A lot of residents feel now we have reached a point where, with traffic problems in the village, we have got to capacity.

"Giles has been putting himself around a lot and the campaign is hotting up a bit I'm hoping I will be re-elected, but who can tell?"

At the West Lindsey District Council Civic Dinner, held on Friday 16th April 2010 sources close to senior councillors have said there was considerable rumour and speculation that that Cllr. Frith may not serve the full four year term if elected, and retire after a year.

The paper describe Conservative Candidate and recently re-elected Nettleham Parish Councillor, Giles McNeill, as a long-term Nettleham resident - having lived in the village for two decades. He said:

"I feel I can make a positive difference to Nettleham in four years.

"Cllrs. Leaning and Alf are less Nettleham men at West Lindsey and more West Lindsey's men at Nettleham."

"It's time Nettleham started getting fair funding and has a stronger voice in West Lindsey. You can't vote for change in Nettleham by voting Lib Dem as they are the establishment."

Commenting separately on the rumour regarding Cllr. Frith not serving a full term of office Cllr. McNeill said:

"I think it is a matter for Cllr. Frith to answer. I plan to work hard as the Councillor for Grange-de-Lings, Greetwell, Nettleham, North Greetwell and Riseholme, for the full term I am elected for."

Bernard Theobald Stands for Local Council in Referendum on His Record

The former Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr. Bernard Theobald, Independent (Wold View Ward), together with his wife, Mrs. Deborah Theobald, are both standing for election for seats on the district council.

Cllr. Theobald is hoping to be re-elected as councillor for the Wold View ward on Thursday, 6th May 2010. He stood down from leading the authority last December, blaming an investigation by the Lincolnshire Echo into a planning application he submitted for his decision.

Cllr. Theobald faces stiff competition from Conservative candidate Mr. Tom Regis with Mr. David Kitchen for standing for the Liberal Democrats - who was kicked out of his seat by Deputy Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr. Burt Keimach, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward) in the 2008 local elections.

Mrs. Theobald has thrown her hat into the ring in the Market Rasen ward against current Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr. Adam Duguid, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward), who called for her husband to resign following the publication of the paper's article.

The Mayor of Market Rasen, Ken Bridger, who was kicked out of office last year by voters as the area's County Councillor, has also been nominated as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Market Rasen Ward.

Also joining the poitical battle at this election is Mrs. Cheryl Shore, the wife of Leader of the Opposition, Cllr. Reg Shore, Liberal Democrat (Stow Ward) - who is tardily engaged as the Liberal Democrats Candidate for the Parliamentary seat of the Lincoln Constituency. Mrs. Shore will contest the Scampton ward as a Liberal Democrat against local parish councillor Mr. Roger Patterson. the Conservative candidate. In a ward which was left vacant by the previous Liberal Democrat councillor who resigned in such a way that the ward has been without representation for six months.

The ruling Conservatives hold 19 seats, the Liberal Democrats have 13 seats, Cllr. Theobald's Independent Group has 2 seats and there is 1 unaffiliated Independent (and one vacancy).

A third, twelve in all, of the seats will be decided at the ballot box on Thursday, 6th May 2010 and Cllr. Theobald told the Lincolnshire Echo he was confident he had worked well for his constituents.

"We need to look very carefully at the use and misuse of public money.

"I think I have a very good track record which stands me in good stead. I think I have served the public very well in the last 11 years.

"It's the first time my wife has stood and she feels very strongly, again having stood on the sidelines, about what has gone on. She is horrified by what she sees as the misuse of position within councils"

Meg Davidson Begins Re-Election Campaign for Fiskerton Ward

Cllr. Mrs. Meg Davidson, Conservative (Fiskerton Ward), has begun her re-election campaign early. Like David Cameron, the Conservative Party Leader, who announced the first chapter of the Conservative's manefesto yesterday, Cllr. Davidson started her campaign even earlier.

It is understood that Cllr. Mrs. Davidson has circulated a New Year's Message to every household in the Fiskerton Ward which covers the villages of Barlings, Bullington, Fiskerton, Goltho, Holton-cum-Beckering, Langworth, Newball, Rand, Reasby, Short Ferry and Stainton-by-Langworth, between Christmas and New Year's Day.

In her letter wishing residents a Happy New Year Cllr. Davidson says:

"When I was first elected as your District Councillor back in 2002, someone told me, 'It’s mostly rubbish and drains!' Both have featured prominently in my workload over the past year.

The new 'triple bin system' is working well. We are now recycling more than ever before.... I have been working hard to make sure that our area gets the flood protection it needs. There is progress: a lot of work has been done to improve flood defences in Langworth, there are plans for a flood mitigation scheme for Fiskerton and the highway drains are being cleaned more regularly."

Cllr. Davidson mentions her role as Vice Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee, which keeps an eye on health services in the county and that now the microbiology laboratory at Lincoln County Hospital has closed, she is keeping a close watch on the service being provided from Scunthorpe.

Cllr. Mrs. Davidson skillfully deals with the problems the have emerged at the district council saying:

"West Lindsey’s Planning Department has come under the spotlight in recent months. A number of problems have been identified. These are now being put right and a new manager is being recruited. I am optimistic that the service provided will be greatly improved in 2010."

Cllr. Mrs. Davidson also mentions the loss of Post Offices, the difficulties that lie ahead but that a strong community spirit is encouraging and pomises:

"I will do my best on your behalf in the months to come."

This is likely to be the first salvo of the new year in the local elections battle that will come in the months ahead as Liberal Democrats, led once again by Cllr. Reg Shore, (Stow Ward), and Conservatives go to the electorate in West Lindsey with a third of seats up for election. The Conservative Group currently has 20 seats, the Liberal Democrat Group 13 there are 3 Independents and 1 vacancy that will be elected in May.

Giles McNeill Seeks Re-Election

Giles McNeill has announced his intention to stand for re-election as a Nettleham Parish Councillor in local elections scheduled to take place in May 2010.

Giles said:

"I have been proud to serve the residents of Nettleham since May 2006. In that time I have been very pleased by the warm welcome and support I have had from so many local people in the village. It is my intention to seek re-election to the Parish Council so I can continue to work hard for everyone in our community.

"Cautious, sustainable and affordable financial management must be the foundation of everything that we can achieve together. Improving the council's management of public money in Nettleham was my priority and will be, I believe, one of the enduring achievements of my first term. One that I am proud of. One that I will continue to pursue in the interest of the taxpayers of Nettleham.

"I hope that when polling day comes, local residents will support me. There have been some great moments serving the people of Nettleham over the past four years, but I know that better days lie ahead."

West Lindsey Lib Dems Cotton On - Update

Update to West Lindsey Lib Dems Cotton On.

I have been speaking with a colleague from West Lindsey District Council this morning who has confirmed to me that Cllr. Peter Heath (Scampton) is to resign as a coucillor. The date chosen for the resignation is Thursday, 5th November 2009. This date has been choosen because it means that it is too close to the local government elections scheduled for West Lindsey District Council on Thursday, 6th May 2010 and so the villages of the Scampton Ward will be left without a Councillor until the late spring next year. Apparenty the reason given for this decision is cost, but I suspect that the Lib Dems do not want to loose a third by-election in a row to the West Lindsey Conservatives. Cllr. Heath's resignation will become effective on Tueday, 10th November 2009.

In an additional development it was also reported to me that Cllr. Heath did not inform the Liberal Democrats' Leadership, Cllr. Reg Shore (Stow) or his Group of his decision.