Spalding Guardian Letters:
Coun Graham Dark bows out:
Last Wednesday evening’s full council meeting was the last in the current four-year cycle and there will be elections on Thursday May 2 to elect a new council for South Holland.
I would like to pay a special tribute to Coun Graham Dark, who since he was first elected in 2005 as Independent councillor for Spalding St Johns, has done a tremendous amount for his ward and Spalding in particular and is not seeking re-election.
Graham soon discovered a gap in things to do and his taking over of the Over-50s club at Castle Sports Centre every Friday morning saw membership quickly increase to more than 500 members. Many singles and residents who had suffered bereavements found the club a lifesaver and over coffee, games of bowls, cruises, and holidays, many new friendships were formed.
Graham for ten years also arranged the Sunday afternoon band concerts in Ayscoughfee Gardens - a 'must visit' event. He was delighted with the feedback from residents nearby who were unable to visit Ayscoughfee, but who could enjoy the music in their nearby homes.
For the past 10 years, Graham has organised RAF band concerts at South Holland Centre, raising funds for Help for Heroes and Scotty’s Little Soldiers. He has raised more than £50,000 and many will miss the wonderful music and vocals from the band and its members. He rightly takes particular pride when at the last concert, a representative of Help for Heroes attended to present him with a recognition award for the outstanding amount he has raised for this particular Service charity.
This is not to forget the lives he has touched in the day-to-day work he did for residents. He was an excellent councillor - chairing and working on task and finish groups, dealing with various issues including the disgusting state of the district's toilets, the inferior state of the swimming pool and leisure facilities and the use of the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field to name just a few - often rooting through red tape in an effort to improve community service.
In addition to receiving a County Order of Merit for service to the community prior to his election, he received numerous other awards and we were delighted he was awarded BEM by The Queen for services to the Spalding community and charity fundraising. His hard work will be missed.
Coun Angela Newton
Spalding
Thanks for your replies:
I wish to thank all of the people that contacted you on my letter requiring information of the wartime pilot that lived in Spalding. Especially Guardian photographer Tim Wilson and Valerie Dodimeade.
I knew of Paul Hart as a bulb seller but did not remember the connection, as it was such a long time ago from being a 12-year-old child.
I wished that I was at Spalding when Simon Weston gave his talk and then maybe I could have got a picture of them both together. I have great admiration for Simon Weston and all wartime heroes.
Thank you once again all who got in contact.
Maureen Humberstone
Boston
All good with Pilgrim:
We would like to endorse the new parking arrangements and thankfully have not experienced any issues!
From day one, we subscribed to the good2go website by confirming personal & vehicle details. This seems to work very well but people are just not aware of this option to pay!
We have written to them suggesting that advertising be placed by the pay stations because at present details are only available in the car parks and that, really, is not sufficient!
We have a blue badge and prefer to pay the standard rates in the main car parks because, quite honestly, who requires parking all day!
The introduction of a camera at the blue badge areas would cut down the need to struggle to a reception for payment!
Sorry but we cannot confirm anything other than stating that the new system works for us!
Candi M and Bernard W Hobbs
by email
Draconian Nonsense:
I am astonished that all council tenants have been sent new conditions of tenancy and that the 'consultation period' for this ends on April 28th, effectively denying any involvement of councillors, both departing and new.
The pages are long and complex, so I will just raise one item . . . no tenant may store ANYTHING in their 'loft' !
A requirement to make sure that authorised persons can access any facilities or utilities in the loft is, I think, reasonable.
As the loft is part of the tenancy, can council tenants now expect a reduction in rent? Will secure storage locations be provided for objects such as, for example, Christmas decorations ?
What unbelievable arrogance?
Wonder where this one originated (Breckland ?) or how many of the outgoing councillors are even aware of this extraordinary document.
Several tenants have approached me. I believe they all ought to respond in the strongest terms possible to resist this draconian nonsense.
Coun Chris Brewis
Sutton Bridge
Training is paying off:
Last week saw another group at the Castle Sports Complex for the Community Speed Watch Training Session.
Leading the initiative in South Holland as the Community Speed Watch police support volunteer for South Holland, this initiative is certainly working. It gives volunteers the power to track speeding motorists, Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Marc Jones thought this would be a great idea for Lincolnshire.
Many villages can now see their efforts are already showing, the team have concentrated on areas given to them and feel they have now started to achieve the aim which they set out to do. Many have said how pleased they are in the way the teams have grown and how amazed they are of their achievements to date. Parish Clerks have expressed their interest from the beginning in this initiative and immediately got involved thinking it will be a fantastic opportunity to encourage drivers passing through villages to keep within the statutory speed limits. Within days of them launching many residents have come forward, offering to give up their time to attend the Training Session to volunteer.
All volunteers who are interested in carrying out the speed checks and working as a team are being encouraged to get in touch and will be invited to another Training Session on 29 th April 2019. Once volunteers have attended the training session, three volunteers at a time will be able to take readings in places designated by the Community Speed Watch co-ordinator. Volunteers will be able to move around different locations in the community and work closely together.
The data recorded by the guns is sent to Lincolnshire Police who immediately send out letters to those found to be breaking the speed limit. A third letter to a particular driver is hand delivered to the door by a police officer. In South Holland we are already seeing the changes, a small percentage of first letters have been sent to speeders, as yet no third letters have been given.
It is a well known fact, here in South Holland, the majority of those found speeding in speed watch schemes are those that live in that area. This is about educating drivers and challenging their behaviour. In other areas it rarely gets to a third letter stage so it shows that the scheme has an effect but speeding is still one of the most significant challenges here in South Holland. We are working with the Council to help get teams for Spalding Town Central and hope people will come forward to work together in teams in areas they are concerned about.
We are still encouraging volunteers to come together to work with speed guns which Lincs Road Safety Partnership and the police feel will improve safety in built up areas around South Holland.
If you would like to get involved, call me on 07779 895388 or email jan@tulip-events.co.uk.
Coun Jan Whitbourn
Spalding
