Lincolnshire readers’ views on our news for Stamford, Spalding, Grantham and Rutland
Readers have had plenty to say 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.
Don’t forget, you can always get in touch by emailing news@lincsonline.co.uk
Thank you for getting hedges cut
May we through the Journal thank councillor Linda Wotton for her help in approaching the correct authorities to get the overhanging hedges cut back to a better level over the footpath on Belton lane between Sunningdale and Green lane.
We appreciate the work that has been done.
Tony and Kate Davis
Wentworth Drive, Grantham
Litter picking has resumed
After hundreds of bags of litter were collected between 2020 and 2023, litter picking has resumed by concerned individuals.
The picture shows what four people can achieve in a two-hour period, the area is around Gonerby services which is the scene of previous collections.
The litter collected is only that which can be reached through the brambles and hedgerows. All of the slip roads leading into and out of Gonerby services remain a disgrace, as do most of the slip roads leading into local villages.
Graham Matthews
By email
Dirty shops seem to be acceptable
I seem to remember an ad on TV? saying "It is as it says on the tin". Perhaps someone can remind me of which firm it was. Was it Dulux?
Why do I mention this? Well the bright new young retailer had her shopfront painted, as it says on the tin, OLD GOLD. This has made the once dowdy black fronted shop, once run by multi national shop that failed, into an an attractive and inviting shop front. I take it the Mercury called it 'yellow-gold' as per the description of the complainers, not as their assessment of the colour. How on earth can old gold (as it says on the tin) be described as yellow unless you are trying to invent a complaint, or of course if you are colour blind.
There are 4 or 5 white fronted, often dirty, in the same street much more intrusive but seemingly accepted. As a retired shop keeper of near 60 years I know the advantage of an attractive, but not loud, shopfront with attractive stock displays in the window. Stork has it all and hope that the council / civic society will leave Stork alone. It is in every way the sort of retail outlet that will attract both residents and visitors. I know of visitors, and customers in the shop who have travelled especially to Stork to buy something for their new child that they could not find anywhere else.
We need to move to the present not be rooted in the past with 50 year old rules.
George Hetherington
Kettering Road, Stamford
‘Nothing to see here’
Following the recent confirmation from Highways England that the proposed link road for Stamford North will not require any improvements to the A1 junctions, effectively advising ‘nothing to see here’ and no safety concerns in respect of the significant increase in both residential, commercial and HGV vehicles commuting in an out of Stamford in order to service the projected growth in Stamford, one can’t help but wonder on what parallel universe National Highways reside?
RCC and SKDC produced a Statement of Common Ground in October 2023 for the Development of a Strategic Development Area at Stamford North, some 12 months after the current planning applications were submitted. A bipartite Project Board was established committing the strategic planning and democratic resources of both Councils to work together in the joint planning process for Stamford North.
According to the Terms of Reference this board would meet once a quarter, and with regard to reporting, minutes, attendees and actions would be made publicly available on the Authority website. It also states that the board will liaise with town and parish councils as appropriate, to act as a liaison between the board and local residents.
I raise this as within this Statement of Common Ground, on the subject of transport implications for the A1 and local highway network, it clearly stated that both SKDC and RCC had carried out transport assessments in order to understand the impacts of proposed growth for Stamford, which concluded that improvements to links to junctions and to the A1/A606 junction would be required. There would appear to be conflicting assessments and, if this indeed the case, transparency needs to be provided.
For those that have to go through the daily commute in accessing and egressing the A1 throughout the morning and evening peak times, or trying to get around Stamford on the all to regular occasions where there has been an accident on the A1and Stamford is gridlocked, the question of ‘at what point do our Highways Authorities consider the A1 to be a safety concern’ come into play?
To date, certainly within my ward, there has been no liaison, and therefore no opportunity to discuss any evidence raised by the LA’s own transport assessments from the Project Board, along with other concerns raised by residents either directly or through the Protect Quarry Farm team, who have to be commended for the work undertaken on residents behalf.
The question must also be asked as to why there have been no further meetings, or if there has, why have the minutes and actions of those meetings not yet been made available for public scrutiny?
Kevin Corby
Rutland County Council (Ind - Ryhall and Casterton)
A waste of public money
Over the last three or four weeks visiting Spalding town centre, I have had the pleasure of seeing the demolition of the old and construction of the new seating or resting area taking place.
I do understand it's not completed yet.
Seriously I'm shocked at what I've seen so far.
It seems to me, it's a reincarnation of the old seating area, the only difference at the moment is that the regulars have moved round the corner waiting to return.
I'd like to know the full costs of this construction along with: what meetings were held and expenses claimed along with the entire construction from start to finish. This needs to include materials and labour.
South Holland District Council, you should hang your heads in shame! Don't you realise this is public money you are wasting?
David Barfoot
Shepeau Stow
