Lincolnshire readers’ write letters 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
A magnificent night
The Rutland Sinfonia, under the masterly direction of Paul Hilliam, treated the audience at St Peter’s church in Oundle to a magnificent concert on Saturday.
The first half comprised Mozart’s Piano Concerto No24 in C minor which was exquisitely played by Jeremy Young. His nuanced interpretation of the dramatic first and final movements included very virtuosic playing. The apparent simplicity of the second movement was played in a beautifully lyric style. The orchestra balanced the soloist perfectly with their sympathetic accompaniment and the wind playing in this second movement was particularly impressive.
In the second half, the orchestra played Bruckner’s mighty Symphony No4. What magnificent playing from every section of the orchestra from the quietest of pianos to the loudest of fortes. This work demands great technique from all the players and each delivered in abundance. The horn playing was particularly noteworthy. The Finale was spine-tingling!
We are so lucky to have such talented local musicians who give such outstanding performances. I very much look forward to their next concert in Oakham in March.
Vicki Cooper
Rutland
Council surgeries
I would be grateful if you would once again note the fact that the Oakham South Ward Surgery for December will be held on Saturday, December 7, from 10am until midday at The George Hotel in Oakham Town Square. Councillors Diane Ellison, Paul Browne and Ray Payne will be in attendance.
We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Linda Chatfield on her successful election to Rutland County Council as a ward member for Oakham North East. We are certain that she will make an outstanding contribution to both the Lib-Dem group and the council as a whole. Thank you.
Coun Raymond Payne
Rutland County Council (Lib Dem and Green)
The Monthly Surgery for Oakham North West residents will be held on Wednesday, December 4, at the George Inn Hotel, Market Square, between 7pm and 8pm. No appointment is required.
Please note: we are proposing to move to an appointment-based surgery from 6th January.2025.
Please contact us through our Rutland County Council email address.
Appointments will be held in the George Hotel at a time to suit you.
A notice will continue to be posted at the beginning of each month.
Couns Steve McRobb and Ramsay Ross
Rutland County Council (Lab - Oakham North West)
Thank you for votes
Please allow me to thank all those residents of the Oakham North East who took part in the by election for the ward Councillor last Thursday. Particular thanks go to the 394 residents who braved the snow and cold weather to make their way to cast their vote. Councillor Linda Chatfield and I were in attendance at the polling station up until the close of polls. It was gratifying to see so many residents arriving even after 9pm to vote.
Of course, I’m especially grateful to the 237 residents who supported me. It is my lasting regret was that I was unable to repay that support as a councillor on Rutland County Council.
I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the campaign. It really helped with my ’steps’! I really appreciated the time that the many residents I met gave to our conversations. Some of the areas discussed relate to my role as an Oakham town councillor. I will continue these discussions with collogues in the coming weeks.
Once thanks to all those residents who took part on the by election.
Christopher Clark
Conservative Party Candidate in the Oakham North East by-election
Green voters deserve better
As a Conservative committed to delivering robust environmental policies, for example introducing kerbside battery collections, I recently worked with Green councillors at South Kesteven District Council to propose a motion to phase out the use of pesticides on council-owned land. The motion, endorsed by Butterfly Conservation, the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, and the Pesticide Action Network, set clear and ambitious deadlines: a strategy by 2026 and the complete elimination of pesticides by 2028.
Disappointingly, not a single Green councillor supported the motion on the day. Instead, Coun Rhys Baker (Bourne Austerby), Coun Emma Baker (Bourne Austerby), and Coun Vanessa Smith (Casewick) — all of whom stood as Green Party parliamentary candidates in Lincolnshire last July — voted for an amendment that gutted the proposal of any firm commitments. Deadlines were replaced with vague promises of a review process, offering no guarantees of meaningful action.
To make matters worse, Independent councillors laughed and jeered during the debate, particularly when their Green colleagues failed to stand up for environmentalism, further undermining the motion’s seriousness. Green councillors have aligned themselves with these Independents, prioritising political deals and paid positions over genuine environmental progress. It seems power and money speak louder than saving the planet. Alarmingly, a significant number of ruling Independents are vocal climate change deniers. For example, an X account linked to the Grantham Independents — which includes former Green councillor Patsy Ellis (Grantham St Vincent's) — has dismissed climate change as "utter bunkum scaremongering".
This is not an isolated incident. Green councillors also failed to support a modest £60,000 reserve to clear litter from the A1 verges to protect our wildlife. Their actions betray the trust of voters who expect principled environmental advocacy, not cynical political posturing.
Green voters deserve better. If you care about real environmental progress, I urge you to consider voting Conservative in forthcoming elections.
Coun Ben Green
South Kesteven District Council (Con, Isaac Newton)
Is this the best pub in the area or the best landlord?
Last Saturday I took my wife for a meal at the Five Bells Edenham. When I got near the pub I noticed my car pulling to the right. On arrival I soon noticed I had a puncture. I was downbeat and whilst we wined and dined, the landlord went to my car, found the master socket and changed my wheel and put the flat tyre back in my boot. What a kind man. Can anyone tell me of another publican who would do something like this? To this day he wouldn’t accept any payment although I am determined to settle with him. It is nice to think there are such nice people around.
Michael Adcock
Ingoldsby
Thank you for your help
On behalf of the Skells Trust I would like to thank Alex Rodway and Dan Wilby of Alex Rodway Builders for righting, re-assembling and re-positioning the stone corner marker in St Michael's churchyard at no cost. Another example of a local firm volunteering to help make our town better.
Max Sawyer
Skells trustee
Check your receipts carefully
Till receipts are your only instant proof of what you have been charged whilst shopping and the best way to prove if you have been overcharged. This has happened three times to us in Grantham in the last month, resulting in a potential loss of around £20. Fortunately our vital till receipts meant we were not out of pocket, but without them we would have not been able to point out and rectify the retailers’ mistakes.
One Sunday in October we visited The Farrier restaurant where the teenager in our group ordered a pizza, only to be told they are not available on Sundays, so he chose a different meal. We were shocked to find the £12 pizza had been included on our bill which listed the prices for six meals when we had ordered only five! Never pay a restaurant bill without checking you have only been charged for what you have eaten!
A couple of weeks ago we were tempted to buy several Asda Rewards special offers. Despite the till operator scanning all the correct Rewards digital tokens, we were not given the 75p discount for an advent calendar, but this was quickly rectified by the customer services team after we had checked our till receipt and spotted the mistake.
This week we saw multiple signs in George proclaiming Get £5 off when you spend £20 on men’s clothing and shoes, which I had photographed. It is always a good idea to photograph such offers to back-up any queries at the till! My friend was tempted by the bright yellow posters and duly spent £21 on several items after checking with an assistant that the offer applied, even if he bought some reduced items. Imagine our disappointment when we reached the self-service till to find that the £5 discount was not given. Several till assistants tried to sort this out for us, but none could find any record of such an offer other than the bright yellow posters on display in George, so nothing could be remedied at the till. My friend reluctantly paid the full amount and then visited the lovely lady at customer services who reimbursed the £5 when we showed her the receipt, but then ordered that all the £5 off posters must be removed as the offer didn’t appear to be available!
In these days of ever rising prices and technology problems it really is important that everyone collects AND checks their till receipts carefully or you too could potentially be pounds out of pocket on every shopping trip you make! Take care and never assume your till receipt must be correct as even computers make mistakes.
Lynda North
Grantham
Questions over wellbeing hub
I want to highlight some questions and opinions that have been brought to me in recent days since the report of the changes to the plans for the new South Holland Health and Wellbeing hub at the Castle Sports Complex in Spalding.
I think all of these questions warrant answering before finalisation of the plans.
I believe we currently have an ideal opportunity to get this hub right and fit for purpose for our community, not only in Spalding, but for the surrounding areas.
I believe it’s shortsighted to not consider making this hub into something that is appealing and suitable for competitive sport especially swimming competitions.
This would be an ideal opportunity for us to create something, using valuable resources that are being offered to us, that bring people from outside Spalding into the town on a regular basis and offers all our residents an ideal platform to be motivated and inspired to compete at a high level in a variety of sports.
These questions need answering and these opinions need considering before any plans are finalised:
Has any analysis been done on projected user numbers in line with the expansion in population within South Holland District Council?
Currently, swimming at certain times is impossible due to maxed out sessions.
It does not make sense to build a pool the same size as we already have as it does not allow for any extra usage.
An extra two lanes would have provided another 12 swimming slots an hour.
Competitive swimming galas will not be able to go on as it does not meet standard for short course events.
Also water polo and scuba clubs will be affected despite being consulted on their needs to continue.
Why is there no health suite being considered in the plans?
There is evidence to show that saunas and steam rooms etc are good not only for the body but also mental health.
This would also provide extra income from users.
What is the business case for not including a health suite when this is meant to be the health and well being hub?
Building a pool this size does not future proof it for youngsters now as this facility will have to last a minimum of 30 years.
Have the options been considered for building a larger pool?
What are the negatives for building a larger pool?
What are the positives for keeping a pool the same size as what we already have?
We need to ensure that we get this right.
Have all of the external facilities being reviewed to ensure that they will best serve purpose?
The running loop will it be able to be used for competitive running?
The ‘Go Ride’ circuit, is this purely going to be for people taking a leisure ride or have we contemplated people who perhaps do cycling more competitively?
I do believe that currently we are quite shortsighted with this and I do feel that public opinion has been voiced, but unfortunately has been viewed that it’s a step too far to be able to alter the plans at this stage, but as the previous report shows alterations can still be made.
This is our chance to get this right and to spend the money most effectively.
I hope Coun Gary Taylor, the council’s project sponsor, reads this and and reviews what is going to be submitted in January.
There is currently an opportunity to change things. Let’s get this right.
Coun Ingrid Sheard
Spalding Monkshouse ward
Alternatives to pylon proposals
We are totally against the pylon proposal from the National Grid PLC .
We live in Whaplode st Catherine. Our tiny village will be absolutely surrounded with 50m pylons — so close we will hear them and see them from every home in the village!
We didn’t choose to live near a pylon, this choice will be taken from us!
Our house prices decimated, who would want to buy a home surrounded with this?
Wildlife will move on, everything we moved here will be taken from us!
There are alternatives, subsea and underground, but these alternatives are over looked.
The infrastructure is not here!
We do not want to live on an industrial site for years, and all to deliver electricity to the south!
Our lives will be ruined. It has to stop.
Net zero is never going to happen.
Use subsea cables and plant trees.
Donna Prince
via email
