New Year's Message

I would like to wish all the people of Grange-de-Lings, Nettleham and Riseholme, the people that I am pleased to represent on West Lindsey District Council, my best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2016.

Edinburgh, Scotland

In January I was pleased to represent the district council at the Association of Public Service Excellence's (APSE) Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh. Despite having written my dissertation at university on devolution of the Scottish Parliament, this was my first visit to Scotland, and post the independence referendum of the preceding autumn, it was with a renewed sense of pride that I arrived in the capitol of this part of the United Kingdom.

By February the processes for both local and general elections were well underway. Having been appointed by Sir Edward Leigh and the Gainsborough Constituency Conservative Association to be Agent for their campaigns I found myself particularly busy running a parliamentary campaign, and thrity-seven district council candidates - including myself - in elections. Fortunately the alignment of general and district elections being held on the same day will not happen again until 2035.

Above: Giles McNeill enters the polling

 station at the Old School, Mill Hill,
Nettleham

It was, on a personal level, my highlight of the year that I was re-elected as a district councillor. I was proud to top the poll with 54.5% of those who voted backing me. It was the first time that a Conservative had topped a poll in a district council, local election for our area since 1979. I am particularly grateful to so many people who supported me, helping me secure re-election as one of the Nettleham ward's two district councillors. I will continue to work hard for all residents.

Local government continues to face a tough financial settlement with central government and your local councillors are very much on the front-line. West Lindsey is well placed to adapt to the changes that reducing monies from central government will necessitate. But it means that we are having to make genuinely difficult choices about what services stay and what services have to go. I do not envy colleagues who are less well placed. County Councillors are consistently and continually criticised for cutting services; yet it is a triumph, albeit not necessarily one of their own making, that there will be more libraries open in Lincolnshire, for longer periods, than three years ago. Nevertheless with responsibilities to an ageing population the county council must choose to provide services to the vulnerable and elderly, fulfilling statutory responsibilities.

I was very pleased to be offered the opportunity to continue my service as Chairman of the Governance and Audit Committee by the Council's Leader, Cllr. Jeff Summers and also to continue in the role as the administration's Chief Whip.

In October I had the good fortune to have lunch with the Prime Minister, David Cameron MP, and we spoke in congratulatory tones on the successes of the election campaign.

Above: (Left to Right) Nettleham Parish
Councillors Joe Siddall, John Evans and
Terry Williams present the Nettleham
Neighbourhood Plan to West Lindsey
District Councillors Steve England and
Giles McNeill.

I was pleased with the progress that has been made in tackling issues in the district council's planning department. As a member of the Planning Committee and a Nettleham Parish Councillor I have been engaged in and followed the process of the emerging Nettleham Neighbourhood Plan. On Thursday, 28th January 2016 local residents will be able to have their say on the plan in a referendum. Then in May we will once again be invited to go to the polling stations to vote in elections for the county's Police and Crime Commissioner. I am certain that participation will be higher than the paltry 15.3% achieved in the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections. Decisions are made by those who show up, so I would encourage everyone to go and vote and if circumstances require I would urge you to consider if obtaining a postal vote is the right thing for you. I am backing Marc Jones for the post as he has the passion and vision to really move Lincolnshire Police forward, unlike the lack-lustre, poor performance of the current incumbent, widely expected to retire at the election.

In 2016 I hope we can renew our commitment to make our communities better, putting aside partisan tendencies, and working with one another on the many things we agree upon. For each and all I offer my sincere wish for health, prosperity and happiness.

Giles McNeill
Working hard for the Nettleham Ward

Meeting with Minister Provides Hope for Hawthorn Road Users

Sir Edward Leigh MP has welcomed assurances from the Rt. Hon. John Hayes MP, Minister of State for Transport, following a meeting with local county, district and parish councillors and representatives of the campaign to save Hawthorn Road from closure, about the scheme's funding from central government.

Above: (Left to Right) Mrs. Sally Lidbury, Mr. Peter Moore, a
civil servant, Rt. Hon. John Hayes MP, Minister for Transport,
and Sir Edward Leigh MP

Concern has been raised by local residents that the scheme, as currently proposed, will lead to the closure of Hawthorn Road in Greetwell, just prior to the boundary of the city of Lincoln, having a detrimental effect on the ability of local people to commute to and from Lincoln. The group protesting the closure does not question, nor oppose, the bypass. However, they consider the retention of the road, as a carriage way, essential.

One of the group's spokesmen, Mrs. Sally Lidbury, told the minister:

"Our objective is to seek support from the Department for Transport to facilitate a minor change to the current scheme. We are not here to ask for additional funding, or short-cuts in the policy process. We strongly support the Lincoln Eastern Bypass but object to the closure of Hawthorn Road. We feel that residents will be disproportionally disadvantaged as a result of the closure under current plans."

Following the meeting District Councillor Giles McNeill, who represents the parish of Greetwell where the proposed closure is designated to occur, said:

"I think Lincolnshire County Council have been unsure as to the security, after the end of the current financial year, of the £49.5million being supplied to the project by central government. The minister has been able to reiterate the assurances of the Secretary of State that the money - key to making this project happen - will not automatically disappear in March next year. I am confident that Lincolnshire County Council will want to be absolutely certain that the cost of retaining the use of the road for motor vehicles is not prohibitive, but would expect that a revision is now very much something the county council will want to pursue."

Cllr. Ian Fleetwood, who represents Cherry Willingham and Reepham, at Lincolnshire County Council, said:

"If the money is not going to vanish I can’t see why the county council will not engage with the local residents to see if an affordable option is open to them. The minister was able to point us in the direction of the Local Enterprise Partnership which has just got additional monies from central government, and may be able to support the marginal additional cost of a road bridge, estimated at around £100,000 on the £96million scheme."

Sir Edward Leigh MP said:

"This meeting has been very positive and productive. I welcome the minister's offer to help support the common sense of retaining the vehicular access on Hawthorn Road. I hope to work with Lincoln's Member of Parliament, Karl McCartney, to persuade Lincolnshire County Council to think again and make this minor change and am fully prepared to bid for money from the LEP."

The minister agreed to write to the county council to provide additional details regarding the funding arrangements.

Tragic Deaths of Two Individuals at Cherry Willingham Level Crossing

Two people have been killed after being struck by a freight train at a level crossing in Cherry Willingham.

The pair died after being hit by a freight train at the Cherry Willingham level crossing just before noon today.

The train is understood to have been heading to Immingham Docks.

British Transport Police said the incident, at Croft Lane in the village of Cherry Willingham, was reported at 11.57am and Lincolnshire Police and East Midlands Ambulance staff also attended.

East Midlands Ambulance Service attended but both people involved in the accident were pronounced dead at the scene.

A British Transport Police spokesman said:

 "Both people have been pronounced dead at the scene. Officers are now working to establish the full circumstances of the incident, which is currently being treated as non-suspicious. 

"The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has been informed."

A spokesman for Cherry Willingham Community School, close to the crossing, said:

"We have been told by the British Transport Police that we can't send children who live in the village home that way, and we have told all parents as much as we can."

Ms Annette Atkinson, a shop worker at Maddison's News in Cherry Willingham said:

"Several customers have been in saying they heard a train sounding its horn for a long time prior to this. 

"We heard the train hit a person at Green Lane, but took until Croft Lane to stop." 

Sir Edward Leigh MP for Gainsborough said:

"It is with shock and deep sadness that I have learnt of these tragic deaths today, in Cherry Willingham. Words will never adequately express the grief that will be experienced by the friends and family; a grief shared by the residents of Cherry Willingham and our wider community. I am confident that those in need of support at this terrible time will find it and that answers will be forthcoming to determine what has gone so tragically wrong. My thoughts are with the family, friends and community at this time."

East Midlands Conservatives Launch European Parliamentary Campaign in Lincoln

The Conservatives' launched their East Midlands European Parliamentary Campaign today in Lincoln. 

Grant Shapps MP, the Chairman of the Conservative Party, joined the party's has five candidates, Emma McClarkin MEP, Andrew Lewer, Rupert Matthews, Stephen Castens and Brendan Clarke-Smith who are looking for victory in the election on Thurdsay, 22nd May 2014.  Also in attendance were several of the county's Members of Parliament - Sir Edward Leigh MP (Gainsborough), Karl McCartney MP (Lincoln) as well as Mark Simmonds MP (Boston & Skegness); together with local councillors and activists.

Mr. Shapps said that only by voting Conservative can people take part in a referendum on Britain’s place in Europe.

“Most people did not get a say in the last referendum on Europe in the 70s, which people thought was about joining the Common Market. It is time to give people a proper say. 

“A referendum means voting Conservative.”

Emma McClarkin MEP, commenting on the rise of UK Independence Party, said:

“We are fighting this election every step of the way. The reality is UKIP has no MPs, no power and no plans for the future.”

The press launch was well attended by numerous local media outlets. Despite the damp weather a large body of candidates and activists headed from the Lincoln Hotel on Eastgate, to Castle Square and then down Steep Hill, on to the High Street, in what was described by one organiser as a 'Mob-Canvass'.

Sir Edward Leigh MP Protests Library Cuts

Sir Edward Leigh, the Member of Parliament for Gainsborough, has protested the scale of cuts to libraries in Lincolnshire. Writing to Lincolnshire County Council, the MP called local libraries “an absolutely vital local resource” and said they “inculcate in the young a sense of the adventure of learning and provide access to new avenues of knowledge for them to explore”.

“No one disagrees with the need for savings to be found and for cuts to be made.

“But it is necessary we in Lincolnshire think about the long term. If we close too many libraries now we are ending a long and organic tradition that has been cultivated for generations. When prosperity returns, it will be much more difficult to restart these libraries and the services they provided, especially if property is sold off to become residential or commercial units.

“I’m sure an analysis of the long-term costs and benefits would show that it would be immensely wiser to make cuts elsewhere in budget and keep as many of these libraries open as possible rather than to cut off innumerable future generations from the immeasurable benefits of a local library.”

Sir Edward also pointed out that the County Council could be more pro-active in finding solutions for libraries to remain open, citing the case of Nettleham where the parish council have sought a minimum five-year lease in exchange for operating their local library, but have been turned down.

“Nettleham Parish Council are being perfectly reasonable in their demands, and they deserve a much more favourable reaction from the County Council.”

The Save Lincolnshire Libraries campaign has sought judicial review from the High Court regarding the County Council’s libraries plan.

Cllr. Giles McNeill, Conservative (Nettleham Ward), and a member of Nettleham Parish Council, said:

“I welcome Sir Edward's intervention. The way the Parish Council and the local community are being treated by Lincolnshire County Council is not what I would expect. Cllr. Nick Worth, who is the portfolio holder at Lincolnshire County Council with responsibilities for the library service, should re-consider his intransigent position. Surely we both want the same thing. Nettleham Library to remain open, run by community volunteers.”

Edward Leigh MP Knighted

Local Parliamentarian for the Gainsborough Constituency has been named in Her Majesty the Queen's Birthday Honours List as a recipient of a Knighthood.

Sir Edward Leigh MP has received the honour for public and political service. He said:

"Naturally, I am delighted to be honoured in this way by the Queen. It is quite undeserved and I feel it is much more due to the efforts of others, particularly in Lincolnshire, than anything I have achieved, particularly their loyalty over thirty years"

Sir Edward has served the constituency of Gainsborough (formerly linked with Horncastle) for thirty years. He was a widely-respected Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, and - according to the National Audit Office - saved the taxpayer around £4bn during his eight year tenure.  His long career in public service includes work as a local Councillor and as a junior Minister. He remains a passionate speaker on religious issues and on the management of the European Union.