Nettleham Parish Council Elected

The twelve members of Nettleham Parish Council have been elected following a contested election on Thursday, 7th May 2015. The count took place at the West Lindsey Leisure Centre, Gainsborough on Saturday, 9th May 2015 following the general and district council election counts.

The result of the election is as follows:

• 6th - Janice Clayton* 1,013 Elected
• 8th - John Downs* (Company Director) 935 Elected
• 7th - John Evans* 936 Elected
• 11th - Susan Harland* 774 Elected
• 3rd - John Hill* (Chartered Engineer) 1,037 Elected
• 2nd - Malcolm Leaning* (Retired) 1095 Elected
• 5th - Giles McNeill* 1,029 Elected
• 13th - Peter McNeill 617
• 14th - Richard Porter* 54
• 10th - Roger Sharp 829 Elected
• 12th - Joseph Siddall* 711 Elected
• 9th - Michael Spencer* 880 Elected
• 1st - Angela White (Independent) 1,155 Elected
• 4th - Terry Williams* (Environmental Lawyer (Rtd)) 1,040 Elected

*Seeking re-election to the parish council.

Two ballot papers were rejected because more candidates were voted for than permitted. One hundred and seventeen were rejected being unmarked or wholly void for uncertainty.

There was an electorate of 3,053 within the parish of Nettleham. 2,156 ballot papers were issued. Turnout was 70.62%

'Shock and Anger' As Labour Council Candidate is Convicted of £100,000 Fraud

Labour Parliamentary Candidate for the Gainsborough Constituency, David Prescott (son of former Deputy Prime Minister John (now Lord) Prescott), has taken to twitter to distance himself, and party leader Ed Miliband, from a convicted fraudsters' standing as a Labour Council Candidate.

Above: David Prescott (Labour Parliamentary Candidate

for Gainsborough), Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband and

Ms Charmaine Bowers, Labour Party Candidate for the

Gainsborough North Ward

Mr. Prescott tweeted:

"I'm shocked & angry one of our council candidates has pleaded guilty to fraud. She has been suspended by the party."

The Grimsby Telegraph reported yesterday that Labour District Council Candidate Ms Charmaine Bowers, of Laceby Road, Grimsby and her mother Mrs. Tina Bowers, both pleaded guilty at Plymouth Crown Court to six counts of fraud by false representation and has been jailed for a festival ticket fraud involving more than £100,000.

Prosecutor Andrew Maitland said the pair, who came from Tavistock but now lived in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, were involved in the "sophisticated" fraud between December 2012 and July 2013.

He said Charmaine had falsely claimed on a Facebook page she modelled for Nuts magazine and had access to promotional tickets. He said she had also claimed to earn £8,000 per month modelling for Dior and MAC cosmetics. He said:

"This was a carefully constructed fraud" and the former Face of Plymouth contestant "presented herself in this glamorous life".

Mr Maitland said records seized by detectives found there were "at least 311" people who paid up-front for a unique entrance wristband and confirmation slip.

Lib Dem District Councillor Defects to Labour

Councillor Mark Binns, who was elected in a by-election in mid February 2013 as a Liberal Democrat, has choosen to defect to the Labour Party in the final few days of campaigning before the General and Local Elections - which will see him retire as a District Councillor.

Above: Labour Parliamentary Candidate for
Gainsborough, David Prescott, with Cllr. Mark
Binns (Gainsborough East Ward).

Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Gainsborough, David Prescott, said he was:

"Proud to welcome West Lindsey Lib Dem Councillor Mark Binns to the Labour Party."

Leader of the Labour Group on West Lindsey District Council, Cllr. Nigel Bowler (Gainsborough North) confirmed his defection simply saying:

"Yes he has."

Liberal Democrat Agent, Cllr. David Cotton (Saxilby), said:

"Mark Binns has had a leave of absence and is not standing for the District Council. I am not aware that anyone knew or had any prior knowledge of his moving to Labour.

"To be honest I think this is a non event and if the best that [Labour] can achieve in a defection it's not a great story or event."

However Cllr. Binns came in for criticism from a number of sources, noting his alleged poor health, his track record of attendance at both Gainsborough Town and West Lindsey District Councils since his election had been exceptionally low.

Nettleham Parish Council Faces Contested Election

The parish of Nettleham is one of eleven parishes in the West Lindsey District that will have a poll to determine who will serve as the twelve members of Nettleham Parish Council for the next four years.

The candidates are:

• Janice Clayton*
• John Downs* (Company Director)
• John Evans*
• Susan Harland*
• John Hill* (Chartered Engineer)
• Malcolm Leaning* (Retired)
• Giles McNeill*
• Peter McNeill
• Richard Porter*
• Roger Sharp
• Joseph Siddall*
• Michael Spencer*
• Angela White (Independent)
• Terry Williams* (Environmental Lawyer (Rtd))

* Indicated that this individual has previously served as a member of Nettleham Parish Council

Electors will be able to cast up to twelve votes in the election on Thursday, 7th May 2015 which is being held concurrently with General and District Council elections. The count is to be held on Saturday, 9th May 2015.

New Year's Message

It is with continued pride that I serve and represent the people of Grange-de-Lings, Greetwell, Nettleham and Riseholme on West Lindsey District Council.

The obvious highlight of the year was the Royal visit in March to Nettleham of His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent. He came to officially open the Bishop’s Palace Site which Nettleham Parish Council has been working to make into an amenity area. If you haven’t visited the site yet, it is well worth taking a stroll through.

In February I was very pleased to act as Agent for Conservative candidate Mrs. Pat Mewis in a by-election to the Scotter ward of West Lindsey District Council. I am pleased to say that Pat and her team’s efforts secured victory for her and we welcomed her on to the council, early in the year.

The Conservative administration at West Lindsey, acutely aware that the benefits of growth and an improving economy are not being felt by everyone, once again froze our portion of the Council Tax.

I was surprised, pleased and delighted to be elevated to the Chairmanship of the Governance and Audit Committee at West Lindsey District Council in May; having previously been Vice-Chairman in the preceding year. I continued my role as the administration Chief Whip. 

If there has been one issue that has been most prominent in 2014 it has been planning. Be it new homes to be developed, the Lincoln Eastern By-Pass or Wind or Solar Farms; they have all generated considerable interest from local people. As a member of the Planning Committee at West Lindsey I have tried, within the constraints of the planning system, to get the best possible results. Planning decisions must always be determined on planning grounds. The best representations that we receive at the committee are when people come armed with our local planning policies and demonstrate how a proposed development conflicts with those policies. Based on the number of appeals, which have been upheld by the Planning Inspectorate, in the council’s favour; I think we are doing a very good job for our residents.

It was with sadness that I learnt of the death of Nettleham Parish Councillor Allan Bonney in October. He will be much missed. I have been pleased to support and welcome his successor Mr. Richard Porter to the council, who will formally sit with us for the first time this January.

As we approached the end of the year my time, and that of my colleagues, has become increasingly focussed on getting the district council’s budget to balance. It has not been easy. Tough decisions continue to lie ahead and that means that the local elections in May will be terribly important. They will be a choice between a competent Conservative administration that has weathered the choppy waters of austerity and has a plan for the future or the risk of the untried and untested alternatives. 

I have very much enjoyed the past two years as a district councillor for the Nettleham Ward. I hope that local people will be kind enough to re-elect me in May so that I may continue to keep our community at the forefront of the minds of local decision-makers.

For each and all I offer my sincere wish for health, prosperity and happiness in 2015.

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.