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South Holland District Council under fire from readers




Here are the letters from the Spalding Guardian of Thursday, May 12, 2022...

Eight people can and do overrule the majority

Both letters pages in last week’s Guardian were full of letters all on street art, or more generally, the running of our district. I don’t want to go into the detail of the policy and am fully aware that members of the public would be on both sides of the discussion, what I did want to point out is the process this has gone through and the near collapse of the policy due to a small handful of senior councillors.

The petition for a street art policy was started by a South Holland resident. In gaining over 1,300 signatures, two artists were able to present the case to full council.

Full council agreed, with little opposition, to set up a small steering group to put the policy together. The steering group achieved this is a short amount of time and presented it to the relevant portfolio holder, chairman of the Town Forum and the chairman of the Civic Society.

The policy then went to the Spalding Town Forum (12 members) and Policy Development Panel (16 members) with little resistance raised before going to the Cabinet.

By this point the street art concept had been accepted by nearly all that had engaged with it, approximately 1,400 people, before it went to Cabinet.

At the cabinet, eight members had a vote and were close to voting it down. If this had happened, it may have gone back to a panel but it would pretty much have been dead in the water. So, eight executive members could and often do (drinking fountain, market stalls to name a couple) overrule the majority.

We can now all see how few people run our district. In addition, where was our leader? Not present at the Cabinet meeting. In fact he hasn’t been present for three out of four of the last Cabinet meetings. Is this how we want our district to be run?

I am a firm believer that politics has no place in local government – our council should be made up of local people trying to do their best for our area.

Next year you will have an opportunity to vote for someone who represents you locally. We have some good councillors (on both sides) but if yours is a dinosaur, just doesn’t listen, isn’t forward thinking, changes their allegiance after you voted for them, never speaks up or even show up, then please vote them out.

I’m sure over the next few months we will start to hear the same old rhetoric about improving our towns, lots of spending promises, talk of a new sports facility (for the umpteenth year in a row).

We have heard all these empty promises before. Councillors attended a meeting in June 2019 to be told we would “be cutting the ribbon” on a new sports facility before the 2023 election.

I know Covid will be sited as the reason for not finishing but I wonder what the reason is for not starting? We haven’t even made a decision on what or where we are having this new facility – I am pretty sure we could have made decisions whilst working from home.

The South Holland Independents would love to give you an option in every ward next year.

We have many seats taken already but if you fancy standing and would like to join our group please get in touch. You will find support, advice and guidance, you will not find a leader dictating what you do or a whip telling you how to vote.

All you need to be able to stand is a willingness to help support residents and the wider South Holland, the cost of a leaflet (less than £70), time to deliver the leaflet, and some spare time in the evenings for meetings if elected.

In return you get thesatisfaction of helping others, a member budget of £3,000-a-year to help charities and events in your specific ward and are remunerated just over £6,000 for your hard work.

If you would like more information, contact myself or Angela Newton at shindependents@yahoo.com

Coun Robert Gibson

District Councillor for Spalding St Paul’s Ward

We need to move on the older heads

I am very glad people are showing an interest in what happens to our town and calling out our councillors.

It does appear that some of them are now so far out of touch with residents you do wonder why they are on there.

It’s clear it must be for their own ego trips rather than making here a better place to live. For too long residents have been shot down or ignored and quite rightly Couns Coupland Grocock have been pulled up.

I notice some of our younger councillors aren’t running the council and wonder whether they should be given the opportunity to take the council forward.

We need to move out the older heads, who want this town to remain in the 1960’s and 70.

Can we please see these given a chance to improve the area.

Please can Couns Coupland and Grocock be replaced at the earliest opportunity?

The fountain is a prime example where we have been conned and cheated.

Jason Beavers

Spalding

They put two fingers up to everyone

Having seen all the letters in last week’s Spalding Guardian, I am glad some people have called out two of our councillors.

I am really confused as to how the fountain is going back to Asycoughfee. When it was removed we were promised that it would be back in place in Spalding town centre.

What a waste of money. I really hope that us tax payers here that we aren’t going to be expected to pay for this. I cant see how vandalism is an excuse – we all want it back in the town so why would we vandalise it. I just worry about all the wasted money that’s gone into messing this around. I also read that they put two fingers up to everyone on street art. Just what are these two playing at. I do question whether they should be sitting in the council.

I just hope sense prevails and these two aren’t seen again after next year. They should hang their heads in shame.

Like your previous writers I just hope they are voted out.

Neil Johnson

Spalding

We want people who care

Just how dysfunctional is our council? When I read about street art I was dead against it but when people petition you have to listen.

Clearly the councillors who didn’t are being sent a strong message by the people who live here.

I keep seeing the same names over and over again in the paper just doing what they want and not what we want.

Having seen the recent district election results all over the country it’s clear that if we want to send a message to these two, we have to do it at the ballot box.

If these two appear on the ballot paper next year then don’t put an X next to them.

We want people who care about where we live and these two don’t seem to show that.

I hope I can be proven wrong but from what I read these two just want to do what they want.

Please, for the good of the area, step down or at least don’t stand again. You do not represent us any more.

Steve Cook

Holbeach

Give fresh blood a chance

I am really pleased that people have stood up and called out the two troublemakers for the area, Couns Coupland and Grocock (Readers’ anger over street art votes).

Coun Grocock assured us he would put the fountain in the town. To not do so now is ridiculous. Him and Coupland need to be removed from the council as soon as possible. If the Tories force them upon us next year I urge people not to vote for them. We need to send a message that if you break promises or stand in the way of what people want you will be kicked out.

I couldn’t believe they voted against street art. Their dictatorship of telling us what they want and not listening must come to an end.

I would like Couns Coupland and Grocock to come out and publicly apologise and agree that the fountain goes in the town. I welcome the fresh blood we have in the background of the council and they should be given a chance. Please put these oldies to rest and give us a fighting chance of bringing success to our towns.

R Martin

Deeping St Nicholas



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