Council Gets Tough On Extra Green Bin Charge Evaders

Above: Green waste wheelie bins are emptied in
West Lindsey, each extra bin costs £27.90 per annum.

Residents throughout West Lindsey who are using more than one green garden waste bin could soon be facing an additional bill.

When the council's popular Triple Bin refuse collection system was introduced almost two years ago everyone in the district became entitled to have one green bin emptied for free. Additional bins could be provided but there would be a charge. But now the Council has been alerted to the fact that some properties are leaving out more than one green bin for collection even though no payment has been made for additional bins.

Waste Services Manager, Mr. Glyn Pilkington, said:

"Letters are going out to residents explaining that additional bins have to be paid for at the current charge of £27.90 a year or the bin will have to be returned to us.

"We appreciate that some householders may have been getting the service unknowingly. For example there may have been two green bins at the property when new occupiers moved in or an extra bin may even have been delivered to the property when we rolled out the Triple Bin collection scheme.

"The reason for the extra bin being there is really not the point. What we are trying to do is make sure that we are fair to everyone who is paying for an extra bin and to do this we are asking for a payment from everyone who has more than one bin or the bin will have to be returned to us."

The letter to residents tells householders that if they want to continue using the extra bin they should ring the Council's Customer Service Team on (01427) 676676 to arrange for a payment to be made.

If the Council does not get any response to its letters it will assume that people want to keep the extra bin and an invoice will be sent out. Mr Pilkington added:

"People who want to return the additional green should also ring the Customer Service Team and we will arrange free collection."

Conservatives Maintain Control of West Lindsey District Council

The Conservatives have maintained their overall control of West Lindsey District Council, and have topped the poll of all twenty five wards.

In the first 'whole' council elections to take place in the district since 1999 the Conservatives emerged as the clear winners of the contest increasing their share of the vote by more than seven percentage points.

Almost 250 presiding officers and poll clerks worked throughout the day, as people cast their votes from 7:00am to 10:00pm.


Support staff also toured the district, which ranges from the Lincoln fringe villages of Saxilby, Nettleham and Fiskerton in the south to Gainsborough and Caistor further north.

Approximately 100 cross-party activists crowded around the rows of tables at the West Lindsey Leisure Centre’s sports hall, in Gainsborough to observe the count of the ballots.

The first box arrived just fifteen minutes after the polls closed, triggering a steady stream of ballot boxes.

The Counting process began at 11:00pm and following more than three hours of verifying the papers, the first result was announced at about 2.45am, with Conservative Ian Fleetwood holding his seat in the Bardney ward.

The former Conservative Group Leader said:

"I am feeling elated. The brilliant news for the taxpayer is we are now on a four-year election cycle and it will cut down on election expenses.

"I will still continue to serve them in the best way possible."

Above: Conservatives celebrate as Roger Patterson takes
Scampton ward from the Liberal Democrats.

The Liberal Democrats had a bad night losing three councillors, including: Scampton, Gainsborough North and Gainsborough East. In Scampton ward Roger Patterson won by just ten votes - a considerable achivement having lost by one vote last year. In Gainsborough North and Gainsborough East Labour had elected it's first two councillors since Irene Tyson was elected in Gainsborough North in the local elections of Thursday, 2nd May 2002.

Council Leader Burt Keimach was quietly confident his party's track record and policies to make at least £1.5 million available to community projects would lead them back into power.

Despite losing £2.5 million of Government funding over the next two years, he said there would be no redundancies in 2011-12 and the authority was aiming to be entrepreneurial by inviting businesses to bid for £3 million.

This would be in the form of a "Dragon's Den-style" initiative, in which the Gainsborough-based authority receives a stake in a company in return for providing money.

The biggest, and saddest, shock came for the Conservative group when one of the council's most widely respected members lost her seat. Mrs. Meg Davidson was ousted by Cllr. Chris Darcel (Independent), who had led a bitter, personal campaign against the mild-mannered, hard working, councillor in the Fiskerton ward contest; losing by just 19 votes.

The Liberal Democrats vote was down considerably (8.62% points) as was the Labour vote, due to the limited number of candidates fielded. Independents came third in the poll with 7.58% of the vote.

The result of the election means that the Conservatives are in a commnding position to lead the authority for the next four years whilst the Liberal Democrats, Labour and various Independents will struggle to have a significant impact.

The final result is Conservatives 21, Liberal Democrats 11, Labour 2 and Independents 3.

Home Recycling Growth Means Extra Sites Can Close

Expensive to run recycling sites throughout West Lindsey are set to close now that the district council has extended the range of materials that can be recycled from residents’ homes.

Recycling sites at places including supermarkets and village halls have been successful in the past for collecting paper, glass and cans, but now all of these materials can be recycled in blue domestic wheelie bins or plastic sacks, the authority has seized the opportunity to save £18,000 a year.

National cuts in Government funding have hit councils throughout the country and West Lindsey has been left with a funding gap of £2.5 million over two years.

New 'Green Living' Homes in Bardney

An exciting opportunity to acquire new 'green' properties will be available this month.

The properties, off Wragby Road in Bardney, have solar panels already installed and are built by the Kier Partnership Homes division of the Kier Group in partnership with West Lindsey District Council and Acis Group.

This new development, known as Saxonwood, is offering 17 two and three bedroom houses for social rent and two two-bedroom houses on a rent to homebuy basis.

Housing, Renewal and Community Safety Service Manager Grant Lockett said:

"The properties are due to be completed and ready to move into by the end of March and will be managed Acis, a Registered Housing Provider.

"This is good news for the local people of Bardney, and it will help them to get a home and also get a start on the property ladder."

To qualify for one of these homes you need to be registered on the West Lindsey Housing Register and have a local connection to Bardney.

A local connection means you were either born in Bardney or you are a permanent resident now. If you used to live there but had to move away because of the lack of affordable housing or you are employed in Bardney, also qualifies you. If you live or have lived in one of the villages next to or close to Bardney, may also count.

For more details and information on how to register contact the Home Options Team at West Lindsey District Council on 01427 676676.

The comfortable and spacious properties comprise of an entrance hall, cloakroom, lounge, spacious kitchen/diner, useful storage, two or three bedrooms, family bathroom and an enclosed rear garden with shed.

The scheme was funded by a Social Housing Grant from the Homes and Communities Agency, a Government funding body for Registered Housing Providers (RHP) that supports investment; regeneration and the development of good urban and rural social housing.

The Rasens Recycling Centre Marches to Opening

A new facility will soon be opening its gates in Market Rasen. Construction commenced in May 2010 and will open on Friday 4th March 2011.

The site will be open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays. The site is closed at all other times, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The Rasens will provide a user friendly site for residents to bring their household waste. The Household Waste Recycling Centre will be able to receive approximately 30-35 types of waste to maximise recycling and minimise landfill tonnages. The types of waste it can receive and redirect for recycling include:

• Green waste (grass cuttings/ hedge clippings, etc)
• Waste engine oil
• Cooking oil
• Car Batteries
• Small batteries
• Fridges and Freezers
• Electrical Appliances
• Wood (MDF/ Laminate etc)
• Rigid Plastics
• Cardboard and paper

Local Conservatives Visit Hill Holt Wood Social Enterprise

Today, Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr. Adam Duguid, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward), Cllr. Mrs. Meg Davidson, Conservative (Fiskerton Ward) - Chairman of the Council's finance committee and Giles McNeill, paid an impromtu visit to Hill Holt Wood to see how West Lindsey District Council's support was training young people in new skills and leading them into work.

Right: Cllrs. Duguid and Davidson inspects plans a student is following to construct wooden bollards with Co-Founder Nigel Lowthrop.

Hill Holt Wood is a small, 34 acre woodland operating as an environmental social enterprise and controlled by a voluntary board of directors representing local communities and councils as well as local and national businesses.

At Hill Holt Wood the approach of the management of the woodland is in a traditional sense, as a habitat to be conserved but we also look to the future and utilise the natural resources to achieve employment, education and training goals. Hill Holt Wood is a centre for learning for a diverse range of learners of all ages and abilities.

Through support from projects such as Hill Holt Wood and the Future Jobs Fund, 150 unemployed young people will be trained in the green building industries of the future.

Left: Cllrs. Duguid and Davidson in the almost complete Community Hall and beyond, through the doors, the 'rammed earth' meeting hall.

We saw the building work that is afoot on the new Community Hall, Refectory and Meeting Room - made from rammed earth, a technique not seen on these shores since the Romans. The building is being created using entirely sustainable materials sourced locally where possible and utilising many innovative building techniques. We saw how plastic-slate tiles are being used which are partly-made from recycled plastic and were given an invaluable insight into the many possibilies that eco-developement will potentially afford West Lindsey in the future.

Initially the Community Hall will be heated by split-log boiler the logs for which we will source locally. This energy will be stored in the form of hot water and released into the underfloor heating system - very Roman.

Right: Cllr. Duguid and Giles McNeill at the Hill Holt Wood sign.

An excellent project really demonstrating the very best of what can be achieved by Social Enterprise.

Green Wheelie Bin Overpayment Rebate

One of the central campaign promises of the Conservatives when they won in the Local Elections in 2008 was a promise to scrap the £24.50 annual charge for Green Bins, initially for pensioners and when council finances permitted, for all users of the service.

The introduction of free green bin collections to everyone in the district means that those who had paid in advance have effectively overpaid. The Conservative administration of the Council have now decided to reimburse those who have been disadvantaged.

The cost of the refunds is being met from the savings that are being achieved by the triple bin waste collection. Repayments will be for as little as £2 up to more than £22. Because of the relatively small amounts involved, customers are being urged to allow their refunds to be credited against their Council Tax.

To make your claim please use the form here.

Having Dinner with Roger Helmer MEP

I had the good fortune to be sat next to Roger Helmer MEP at the Nettleham & District's Branch Annual Dinner earlier this evening.

We talked together for some time, even getting into the intricacies of the D'Hont Method used for the Election of European Parliamentarians from Britain and associated territories - which I found absolutely fascinating, and imagine would render most people bored senseless. European Elections are scheduled for June 2009 next year.

Roger explained his views regarding climate change. Despite what may be printed in the press Roger believes, rightly, that there is climate change; he is however, sceptical about the effect of climate change and the amount of conflicting evidence that can be presented to bolster any number of different positions. So he, like myself prefers to keep an open mind on the question of Global Warming.

One year on: higher taxes, services cut and communities gagged

Giles McNeill comments on end of year report for Gordon Brown

Giles McNeill, Nettleham Parish Councillor, this week delivered his verdict on Gordon Brown’s first year as Prime Minister, highlighting Government policies which are adding to the rising cost of living, bringing about the closure of local services and silencing the voice of local communities.

· Soaring taxes at time of rising cost of living: Families and pensioners are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, but Government taxes are making it even harder. Families have lost out due to the 10p income tax debacle and rising council tax bills. Higher, retrospective car taxes and new bin taxes are on the way. The housing market is slowing, tied up in the new red tape of Labour’s Home Information Packs and hit by Gordon Brown’s punitive stamp duty, compounding the effect of the credit crunch.

· Cuts to local services: In a Government programme of massive cuts, 2,500 post offices are being closed across the country. 1,000 shops which double up as post offices are expected to close if their post office business is axed. Another 3,000 post offices are under threat due to the end of the Post Office Card Account. On top of this, 1,700 family doctor surgeries could close down across England, under Labour plans for large and remote ‘polyclinics’ to replace local GPs.

· Silencing the voice of local communities: Under new planning laws being pushed through Parliament, local councils will lose any say over large, controversial planning applications. A new Labour quango – the Infrastructure Planning Commission – will take control, enforcing planning rules imposed by Ministers with no say for Parliament. The people of Britain have also been denied any say over the European Constitution (also known as the Lisbon Treaty), after Gordon Brown went back on his promise to hold a referendum.

Giles said:

“One year on from Gordon Brown becoming Prime Minister, the country is going in the wrong direction – with looming cuts to local services, a soaring cost of living fuelled by higher taxes and local people consistently ignored by Whitehall.

“Gordon Brown has no big vision for Britain and no answers to the long-term challenges we face. People in this country are desperate for change: to improve the NHS, to raise standards in schools and to fight back against crime. They need a government that is on their side and not on their backs like Gordon Brown.”

Campaign Diary - Friday 25th April 2008

It has been a busy week. But there is no time to relax. From tomorrow there will be just 127 hours remaining until the polls open, only 142 hours before the polls close and in just 150 hours time we will know whether local residents want change or more of the same.

A reduced version of my election address, which is being delivered to homes as I write, has been published in the Gainsborough Standard. It also contains comments from the numerous other candidates (excepting the UKIP candidate who submitted nothing). What is clear is that only the Conservatives in West Lindsey are putting forward policies that will make a difference to the quality of people's lives.

I had the good fortune to chat to Chris Heaton-Harris MEP earlier this afternoon who wished my colleagues and I luck in the local election on May 1st. Chris is the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Daventry and like West Lindsey they have elections every year. He reports that they have a solid grip on the council which they hope to improve; I will just be grateful if we secure a majority.

Today has also seen the launch of my latest election video. I am very pleased with the result. I hope should local people elect me on May 1st that I will be able to make a regular video blog about my activities on local resident's behalf, I also hope to contribute a regular column in the Nettleham News as a District Councillor and distribute regular 'In Touch' Newsletters twice a year.

Vote Blue, Go Green - and Save Money

On 1st May, voters in many parts of the country will be going to the polls to decide who runs their councils. These elections are really important. Local people and communities expect their council to deliver good service and value for money, and they expect them to help improve the quality of life locally. That’s why, increasingly, people are choosing the Conservative Party.

Today, we have the highest number of Conservative councillors since 1985, with more councillors in England than Labour and the Liberal Democrats combined. The reason is simple: Conservative councils deliver better services and better value.

So our message in this local election campaign is simple: vote blue, go green – and save money. That’s the kind of change people really want. Conservative councils are greener, helping to improve the local environment and protect green spaces in our towns and villages. And crucially, at a time when Labour’s economic incompetence is pushing up the cost of living, Conservative councils offer better value for money. On average, Conservative councils levy lower council taxes than their Labour or Liberal Democrat counterparts. They’re also safer, fighting the crime, anti-social behaviour, vandalism and graffiti that ruin people’s quality of life.

This election is a chance to vote for change and to send a message to this failing Labour Government. A new Conservative Government will deliver value for money by improving the way public services are run.

We’ll improve the NHS, raise standards in schools and fight back against crime. And we have a long-term plan for the economy to fix the country’s finances and make sure public money is spent properly. That’s the only way to get taxes down and get a grip on the cost of living.

We have a clear vision for Britain’s future. We want to see a country where people have more opportunity and power over their lives; a country where families are stronger and society is more responsible; a Britain which is safer and greener.

We have the new ideas and the long-term policies to make it happen: every Conservative vote on 1st May will help to turn these aspirations into reality.






David Cameron

David Cameron Launches "Vote Blue, Go Green... and Save Money' campaign

David Cameron will today launch our Local Election campaign.

The launch document, entitled Vote Blue, Go Green - and Save Money, highlights how Conservative councils deliver better services and better value.

And it gives examples of Conservative councils across the country being greener, cleaner and safer.

David will say, "This election is a chance to vote for change and to send a message to this failing Labour Government."


He will be joined at the launch by Caroline Spelman, the Party Chairman, and Eric Pickles, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.