Spalding, Stamford and Rutland letter writers share their views with LincsOnline
Readers have shared their thoughts 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 letters to: news@lincsonline.co.uk
An aid to voters
You will shortly be receiving leaflets through your letterbox and knocks on your door, seeking your vote in the upcoming by-election. It is always valuable if you have a few questions ready, so candidates can support their promises of delivering change.
Here are a few suggestions:
Your party has been in control of this Council for many years prior to May 2023 and yet you failed to deliver even a modest number of affordable homes. Your party also presided over a local economy that shrank by more than 28% over a 10 year period.
Can you tell me what has changed in your approach and why?
Your party has said that it will reduce council costs. What costs will you cut?
Your party has also said that our council is inefficient. Why do you not accept the
findings of the independent annual ‘Value for Money’ report on our council?
When your party was elected in May 2023 you promised to be more open with residents than the previous administration. How do you think that has gone, now that you are in power?
Use each question as you consider appropriate to the specific candidate.
And should a candidate cough and splutter in response to your question, always give them time to recover their composure.
Councillors Steve McRobb and Ramsay Ross
Rutland County Council (Labour)
Race for Life support
Having been able to donate £3,291 in sponsorship after participating in Stamford's Race for Life last week, I would like to thank The Jolly Brewer, London Inn and Golden Fleece pubs for providing free soft drinks during my training, and especially The Millstone in Stamford, which also held a fundraising raffle.
Big thanks too to everyone who sponsored me through the pubs or directly. It was my pleasure to run with everyone at the event in Burghley Park.
Having run at various marathons and other distances to raise money for worthy causes, I am now going to hang up my trainers and have a rest.
Paul Childe-Freeman
Stamford
Events decision must be reviewed
I am pleased to see Ayscoughfest being put on again this year.
Huge thanks needs to go out to Coun Mark Le Sage, who organised the stage and bands and without his commitment and time we would not have seen this event taking place in 2025.
A big thank you to SHDC Communities Team who this year have been brought in to organise all the other family events in and around Ayscoughfee on the day.
I hope it will attract many people to this fabulous music event, as it attracted over 2,500 people in 2024, and I hope many more of the events that were planned in the Ayscoughfee 2025 diary prior to the portfolio holder Coun Henry Bingham advising that Spalding Town Forum and district councillors were not allowed to provide events at Ayscoughfee, will be looked at.
It is a great shame that many local brass bands and musicians had to be cancelled out of the diary on Sunday afternoons throughout this summer.
It was also planned to bring a Halloween event and various other events throughout 2025 for people to enjoy.
I look forward to this being reviewed and hopefully the portfolio holder working with Spalding Communities Team to lay on as many events for people to enjoy as possible for the rest of this year.
Perhaps reviewing his decision to not allow the events to be put on by councillors using their own time and resources to bring enjoyment to the residents of South Holland might be a consideration.
Coun Ingrid Sheard
Spalding
Restore fountain to town centre
With more and more heat waves forecast as a result of climate change, it’s a pity that the Johnson Drinking Fountain has been kept in Ayscoughfee Gardens instead of restoring it to the town centre.
In the Market Place, say, where a free supply of cool drinking water would have been a far more apt memorial to Miss Johnson’s intentions then having the fountain stand dry and functionless where it is now.
John Charlesworth
Spalding