Letters to the Lincolnshire Free Press editor: April 13, 2021

Untruths over hotel and marina

Following the attack from messrs Brandon-King, Clery and Middleton in March 30’s Free Press, we feel compelled to put right the catalogue of misinformation and untruths.

Bridge Hotel: the allegations are truly awful. The hotel is in a dire state, but at the moment remains ‘in probate’, which means a compulsory purchase order (CPO) is out of the question. In any case, when a CPO is proposed the authority doing it has to prove that they have a use for the property.

Years ago Chris arranged a site visit from county concerning the hotel. The county council agreed to offer the owner of the almost derelict property what he had paid for it. The owner wanted an additional £230,000! That was, of course, rejected, as the only source for money is council tax payers.

Mr Clery actually proposed that the parish council buy the hotel! Imagine to what level the parish tax bill might have soared!

Cross Keys Marina: when the ‘clause release’ power station money proposal came to SHDC it was to be spent within five years, or returned to the power station. Chris remembers clearly saying ‘five years goes very quickly, I propose it be 10years’. He won the argument and 10 years it was.

Despite being aware, neither Mr Brandon-King nor Mr Middleton (both on Parish at times) made a single suggestion for possible schemes.

Had Chris not succeeded, the Curlew Centre, so dear to Mr Clery, would NEVER have been built!

With little time left, it was agreed to take over the marina proposal. Construction began within weeks of the ten year period ending.

Mr Middleton argued strongly that parish should support the proposal.

Improvement works are shortly being considered. Mr Middleton actually asked Chris to get the letting terms altered for local people, and actually secured a berth.

Improvement works are now being considered.

Let us now work hard to move our community forward!

Michael Booth and Chris Brewis

via email

We’ve been reporting this for two years

I write in response to your article in April 6’s Free Press regarding anti-social behaviour in Long Sutton.

With regard to residents reporting such behaviour to the police, we have been doing this for the past two years.

Nothing has changed and we seldom see a police car in our town.

During the lockdowns there have been groups of up to 15 at a time and, as we all know, this is illegal. Yet we know ofno fines that have been dished out.

At the entrance to Winfrey Park, where most of this aggravation is taking place, we were told that CCTV was being installed. That was last year yet we are still awaiting its appearance.

Every morning, local residents are clearing up smashed bottles from the park and car parks.

This is making the park unsafe for small children to use. Motorcycles are being raced along a private roadway to the houses at the side of the park at all hours.

Obviously, many residents are having sleepless nights due to this and these youths don’t seem to have a home to go to at a sensible time.

We have also read that we apparently have a security guard with bodycam
patrolling the area.

Well, all we can say is, it must be the Invisible Man, as he is nowhere to be seen.

We pay our council tax, of which the police get their fair share, yet we are getting nothing in return. I guess it is all going into improving the station in Holbeach.

Of course, our police need somewhere comfortable to sit, as they are obviously not doing the job, they are being paid for.

Long Sutton resident

Name and address withheld