Call for Spalding speed cameras, criticism for MP, Santa Sleigh thanks and politics in this week's letters

These drivers are abusing the safety of all who walk, cycle and exercise their dogs along this road.

Children of all ages use the route to school. The traffic is very busy as children walk to and from school and this is the only time when traffic is travelling at a suitable speed.

At all other times during the day and night the noise of speeding traffic is horrendous.

My suggestions would be to a) erect speed cameras along Halmergate so that speeding drivers are prosecuted and fined. The revenue collected from this measure would undoubtedly fund upgrading the road surface which would also reduce the danger to pedestrians and the small number of drivers who do adhere to the speed limit, and b) consider reducing the speed limit to 20mph during school hours.

The revenue from (a) would definitely fund road surfacing and the further speed restriction. I welcome readers’ comments!

Julia Lawson

Spalding

I felt so sad to read comments by our MP

I have great respect for the work that Sir John Hayes undertakes in this constituency, and for the breadth of his contribution to the House of Commons.

I am sad, however, to see the misleading comments he made in his article on December 30.

To describe the Human Rights Act of 1998 as ‘constitutional vandalism’ is deeply unfair. The Act enshrines 16 basic rights; the fact that these rights may have been applied on occasions to a few undeserving people is a regrettable but inevitable consequence of being a decent civilised society.

To claim that the present Government was elected ‘to challenge the subversive politically correct leftist assumptions beloved by the liberal bourgeoisie’ is frankly nonsense. It campaigned on the simple and ludicrous promise to ‘get Brexit done’.

I grew up in a single parent family surviving for many years on state benefits, and I have no part in this mysterious ‘bourgeoisie’.

But I do not accept that ‘pressing the Government to tackle the wave of illegal immigration’ is something to be proud of.

The appalling Donald Trump grasped power with his vicious nationalism and his ridiculous promise of a Mexican wall. We deserve a government that looks honestly at the plight of refugees fleeing persecution.

One of the most often repeated themes of the Old Testament scriptures was this: ‘Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.’

The last episode of the Christmas story records the flight to Egypt of the infant Jesus and his family, to escape from a murderous regime.

When dedicated nurses, doctors, theologians, and teachers - I speak of people I know personally - contemplate leaving the UK because they no longer feel welcome, it has to be said that there is something deeply rotten in our society. A government that vows to put that right would get my support.

Steve Weatherly-Barton

via email

Santa Sleigh collection raised more than £7,000

President George Clement and members of South Holland Rotary would like to put on record our sincere thanks to the generous people of Spalding who contributed to our Christmas Sleigh Collection last December.

2021 was another unusual year so we were unsure of what to expect in the way we would be received. Despite any Covid-19 restrictions and the rising cost of living we were determined that Santa would be able to go on his usual routes for the sake of the children, even if we collected nothing at all but, again, we got a wonderful reception wherever we went.

Because of Coronavirus restrictions we had fewer collectors than in previous years, but we were able to achieve a grand total of well over £7,000 - the vast majority of which will be used for the benefit of the local community. We say a huge “thank you” to everyone who helped us reach that sum and we especially thank those members of other local groups who came out to collect with Santa in our ever-growing town.

Over the next few weeks, we will be distributing funds to local deserving causes in South Holland. We have already supported many other charities with local connections, a refuge for the victims of domestic abuse, hospices, foodbanks and international disaster relief funds for example. We are always keen to hear of local good causes in need of our help.

We wish to thank Lidl on Holbeach Road for allowing our static collections at their store, South Holland District Council for permission to collect in Hall Place and Bush Tyres for their generous help in getting Santa’s sleigh ready to take to the road for the season. This year we especially thank the Bridge Farm Group for providing us accessible, secure, warm and dry overnight storage for the sleigh between outings. It was a tremendous help.

Last, but not least, President George thanks all members, friends and family who contributed to making this year’s collection a success.

We continue to join Rotary International’s fight against that other virus polio and after more than 30 years, together with The World Health Organisation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Governments including our own, we are getting closer to the end of the battle. Our efforts will continue until the disease is eliminated.

Thank you once again, everyone, for your support. Please stay safe and we hope to see you all next year.

If you would like to learn more about the work of Rotary or you are interested in joining or helping us, please see our website: southhollandrotary.org.uk or look us up on Facebook or you can contact our secretary Ian Smee on 01775 714722.

Steve Colby

South Holland Rotary Club

This was one of our best years we’ve ever had

Spalding Lions would like to say a big thank you to everyone and to the residents of the villages that we recently visited with Santa.

We have had one of the most successful years of raising money and it would not be so without your kind donations. We would also like to say a big thank you to Morrison’s supermarkets for supporting us. Thank you to all those businesses that offer support for helping the sleigh run smoothly, special thanks to Chislett Hire, Spalding and Euro Concept International (UK) Limited. The money that we raise is to help our community in Spalding and the surrounding areas.

This is the busiest time of the year for Spalding Lions joining together to bring some festive cheer to the community. Santa is warmly welcomed by all on his visits, he makes sure that those that wish to speak to him are given the opportunity where possible to let him hear their Christmas wish. Volunteer helpers join us on this mammoth task making it possible that a wide area of the district is visited.

All these organisations will receive a donation from Spalding Lions.

Once again a big thank you to all of those involved with our Christmas activities. We will be doing various fund raising events during 2022 and we hope to see you all there.

Wishing you all the very best for 2022.

Spalding Lions

Families will face a £1,200 hit to their incomes

Millions of families are facing a “cost of living catastrophe” due to soaring energy bills and rising taxes, an economic think tank has warned.

The Resolution Foundation said that from next April, families would typically face a £1,200 a year hit to their incomes as the energy price cap is raised and a 1.25 per cent increase in National Insurance Contributions [NIC] comes into effect.

At the same time, the rising inflation forecast set to peak in the spring at 0.6 per cent - means that real pay levels are set to stagnate, with real wages next Christmas no higher than they are this year.

Foundation chief executive Torsten Bell said the “squeeze”on living standards was likely to be so severe that Chancellor Rishi Sunak will come under intense pressure to alleviate the economic pain.

The latest warning comes amid fears among Tory MPs that a new year “cost of living crisis” will further undermine voter support for the Government, already badly dented by reports of Downing Street parties in breach of Covid rules.

The foundation said the peak of the “squeeze” looked set to be in April, when the cap on energy firm failures would add another £100 to consumer bills.

The price rise will disproportionately affect low income families who spend more of their income on energy.

The freeze to income tax thresholds and the increase in personal NICs would cost the average household £600 a year.

The foundation also said that real wages, which were flat in October, had almost certainly started to fall and would not pick up again until the last quarter of 2022, leaving real pay just 0.1 per cent higher than it was at the start of the year.

By the end of 2024, real wages would still be £740 a year lower than if Britain’s already sluggish pre-pandemic growth continued.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “ Families and pensioners face a devastating new year cost of living crisis, yet Boris Johnson refuses to act.

A government spokesman said ministers had put in place £4.2 billion worth of “decisive action” to help support families with the cost of living.

But let’s be honest about this situation, the simple truth is families are worse off under this Conservative government.

Rodney Sadd

Crowland