Stamford, Rutland, Grantham and Spalding letter writers share their views with LincsOnline
Readers have been sharing their views on what’s in the news.
Here we share some of the letters, emails and comments that have come in over the week, including this cartoon from John Elson.
Send your news to: news@lincsonline.co.uk
Help raise charity funds
Doris Banham Dog Rescue will be holding a Christmas Tombola and Tabletop sale in the Sir Isaac Newton Centre on Saturday, November 1, from 8am-4pm.
Please come along and help us raise some much needed funds for this amazing charity.
Anne Lockwood
Volunteer at Doris Banham Dog Rescue
A political no-man’s land
Our present government is tying itself in knots , now forced to cover up its previous cover-ups while trapped in the political no-man's land of centre-left politics. The future governing landscape of the UK is now revealed in the recent Welsh bi-election with the two nationalistic parties thrashing the traditional status-quo parties. Plaid Cymru & Reform UK are now bursting the dam of inaction and self-harming bureaucracy.
Our previous governments have created the current financial mega black-hole caused mainly by three suicidal parallel policies. 'The Impossible Triple Choice':
1. The cost of mass immigration driving our population explosion (Grantham's sprawling new housing estates, migrant hotels, etc)
2. The cost of the 'Net Zero' carbon economy. (Lincolnshire farms becoming solar farms)
3. Our tax funded welfare state. (Shrinking Grantham Hospital now loses dementia care ward).
As Bill Clinton used to say "It's the economy stupid" and our government is now facing the 'Impossible Triple Choice'. At least one will have to go, as maintaining all three simultaneously will finish our nation for ever.
Rod Hatherill
Lodge Way, Grantham
Why is Grantham getting less?
In Grantham, there will be unlimited free parking in all South Kesteven District Council car parks on Fridays December 5, 12 and 19.
In Stamford, Cattle Market Car Park will be free for up to four hours on Mondays to Thursdays from December 1 until Christmas Eve.
Councillor Richard Cleaver, who I believe lives in Stamford, said “free parking would benefit businesses and shoppers,” adding: “This will help alleviate the stress of gift shopping and we hope it will encourage many more visits to our towns to give a welcome boost to all of the independent local businesses.
Please can SKDC explain why Grantham drivers only benefit from three free parking days in December yet Stamford will have 15 free parking days, including Christmas Eve? I also hear that SKDC recently increased the number of parking spaces in Stamford yet allowed flats to be built on some of the parking spaces in Grantham’s very popular Watergate car park, thus blocking the former exit onto Swinegate. Grantham also needs more parking spaces to cater for all the new homes being built all over our town
Why are Grantham drivers and shopkeepers being treated so unfairly in comparison to Stamford visitors? I wonder how many people will be encouraged to shop in Stamford rather than Grantham because of the free parking. No wonder Grantham has so many empty shops.
Lynda North
Grantham
A tribute to fallen soldiers
As Armistice Day is fast approaching I wrote this poem for the occasion as a tribute to the many fallen soldiers in the wars.
REMEMBER
The weeks turned into months
The months turned into years
So many battles fought
So much pain and grief and tears!
Now the war has ended
No more fighting, it is done!
Battles are all over
For some the war is won!
Homeward bound brave soldiers
To loved ones, wives and friends
But some will never make it
Their lives are at an end!
Thanks then gallant soldiers
For OUR freedom has been bought
With lives of many loved ones
In the battles that you fought!
REMEMBERING our heroes
Is what we all should do
For dear gallant soldiers
OUR lives are lived because of you!
Carolyn Dewhirst
Grantham
Could drainage cope with new housing?
In Oakham Northwest I have raised questions with Rutland County Council over the adequacy of existing drainage to contain the increased demand arising from the Braunston Road North (BRN) development of 100 homes.
These questions follow directly from Anglian Water’s recent approval of the developer’s site drainage scheme and by extension, the use of existing pipework for sewage and rainwater on the north side of Braunston Road.
My concerns are whether Anglian Water (AW), in arriving at its present decision, were made aware of the high risk of surface water flooding, in terms of:
• recent flooding incidents, arising as a result of Storms Henk and Babet et al, in the form of over-flowing drains in Braunston Road
• increases made to the capacity of the SuDS for the Braunson Road South site, since its original approval and whether they (AW) have carried out a measured assessment of existing pipework capacity:
• given flooding through the manhole covers; and
• to the junction with West Road, given the pipework transition between the Lonsdale Road junction and West Road, an area historically prone to flooding
To put these issues in an Oakham context, excluding the continued expansion of Barleythorpe, current or proposed developments amount to around 420 homes, including Brooke Road.
Now in June AW completed its £1m investment — a modest sum, given we had 554hrs, equivalent to 23 days of discharges in 2024 — in a new storm tank at the Oakham Water Recycling Centre (OWRC), to reduce the risk of untreated wastewater flow into Rutland Water in times of flood. Note, this will only reduce discharges from the OWRC.
In June 2025, as part of RCC’s consultation on the new Local Plan, AW considered that the OWRC would support the housing needs proposed, with a planned investment of £13.9m to 2030, albeit this timing is currently under review.
It is therefore reasonable to assume that for the next five to six years, we will be at increasing risk of flooding events on our roads and discharges of untreated water into our water courses.
This situation arises because, since privatisation in 1989, there has been no statutory requirement for water companies to make sufficient investment in drainage provision for new housing developments; fines for discharges are simply a cost of doing business.
What we urgently need is legislation to ensure that there is no substantive development, without adequate drainage capacity.
I would therefore urge residents with new housing developments in their area, to write to our MP, making your concerns clear.
Coun Ramsay Ross
Rutland County Council - Leader of the Labour Group
Signage will be replaced
Having highlighted the fact that the signage at Herring Lane is incorrect for the traffic regulation order that has recently been put in place for Spalding town centre, I have been informed that shortly into the new year the signage will be replaced. Whilst this seems a long time it is far quicker than the original TRO (traffic restriction order) and hopefully will clarify for those who have been caused confusion by the signage that is currently in place some clarification. The traffic regulation order is in place between the hours of 10am and 4pm when the town centre is a pedestrian area. Any parking in the town centre during these times is illegal and will be ticketed. Before 10am and after 4pm, parking within the town is allowed as normal.
I hope this brings clarification to everyone who has been asking questions around this and helps clarify for businesses who have been struggling with deliveries and times as to when these can take place. To clarify a point that I was unaware, the security vans that attend the banks are allowed in during the times that the TRO is in place so these vans are allowed into the town centre during the times of 10am and 4pm as they are considered an essential service but other delivery vans are not. I hope this brings clarity for people currently and once the correct signage is in place (shortly into 2026) we will all understand the rules and regulations clearly.
Anyone who has been ticketed previously outside the times of 10am and 4pm whilst parking in the town centre parking spaces will have the ticket rescinded, they should have an automatically, but if there are any issues with this they can contact the council and the ticket can be dealt with accordingly. I have been told that the enforcement officers have now been given the correct information and are correctly ticketing cars between 10am and 4pm which are parked illegally in the TRO zone.
Hopefully this will help to clarify things for anybody who is still being confused by the incorrect signage.
Coun Ingrid Sheard
Spalding councillor and Lincolnshire’s deputy mayor
Plea to refuse application
Some time ago I wrote to my MP, Sir John Hayes, and to the planning committee at South Holland District Council stating my objections to Merkur Slots setting up premises in Spalding.
Although the council listened and opposed the application, it was upheld on appeal.
Now I understand that they want to open 24 hours a day. Why, if not to make even more money from the desperate people of this town?
Would we allow - or even want - shoe shops to open 24 hours a day? Or butchers? Or pubs?
There is a move afoot in this lovely town of ours to make things better for everybody - safer and clear and a great place to live and visit. I attended a presentation by Spalding Town Board with this laudable vision in mind in the South Holland Centre.
With all this in mind, I would like to ask our elected representatives to refuse wholeheartedly this application by a company that only peddles misery and addiction in our town.
Mrs J Woods
Pinchbeck
Send your letters to: news@lincsonline.co.uk