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
Honeymoon period has ended
Dear Rachel Reeves, Most Governments have an honeymoon period, you ended that within a week. Capitulating to the doctors, they are not a special case. They got a huge payrise in 2008, when the Blair/Brown Brothers doubled their pay. This caused half of them to go part-time and spend the rest of the day in private clinics. Everyone in the country has had the same austerity and not seen year-on-payrises. Margaret Thatcher is remembered as the 'Milk Snatcher', from when she was the Education Secretary. She abolished free milk for school kids. Do you want to be remembered for the deaths of 3,500 pensioners, a conservative estimate of how many pensioners, will perish due to cancelling Winter Fuel Allowance this year?
Well, look on the bright side, not only will you save 1 ½ billion, but you won't have to pay them a pension, (3500 x 10k) 3.5 million, enough to pay for MP's free heating for second homes (3500 x 615) 2.15M, you will have some left over to up MP's pay and the new freebie clothing offset allowance.
It is not too late, Keir is renowned for his U-turns. I'm surprised it has taken so long, but perhaps you are saving it for the budget, when you put up fuel duty instead.
Ian Wells
Oakham
Voluntary Action Rutland transport scheme
Your Local Democracy Reporter, Sarah Ward, recently reported on Rutland County Council’s plan to introduce new, on-demand bus services to cater in particular for the large number of Rutland residents who either don’t drive or who have no ready access to public transport. I’m sure we all look forward to the project, due to pilot next spring, prospering and helping to alleviate the current shortage of public transport in our county.
Without in any way wishing to diminish what is envisaged, may I just add that Voluntary Action Rutland, a registered charity, has run an affordable volunteer car and community bus scheme continuously (including throughout the covid pandemic) for the last 44 years. As well as owning three minibuses and two smaller vehicles that are all wheelchair-adapted, we have more than 60 volunteer drivers who provide a friendly door-to-door service using their own cars to take people to and from hospital and GP appointments, as well as for shopping, social and other trips. We currently have over 2,000 registered users of the service; and, last year, made some 6,000 journeys covering 118,000 miles to and from destinations both within and outside Rutland, figures that we are well on course to exceed this year.
Our scheme is open to any Rutland residents who are elderly, frail, vulnerable or disabled. And, while it is not free, we are very much cheaper than private hire, offer concessions to bus pass holders and are very flexible in accommodating our clients’ needs.
That’s the successful and popular scheme we’ve been running all these years for the benefit of the Rutland community. And, once the Council’s new bus scheme is introduced, we see it as continuing to offer a service that will complement and support it.
For more information on the affordable transport services VAR offers, please call us on 01572 724705 or email enquiries@varutland.org.uk.
Carsten Pigott
Chairman, Voluntary Action Rutland
No place for party politics at this level
Following the sad loss of Councillor Hannah Edwards, a by election has now been called for Oakham NE ward. Rutland is a small county and with only 27 elected councillors, has all the same responsibilities as our much larger neighbours in Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.
As a group of independent councillors, we see no place for party politics at this local level and believe that all councillors should use their skills and experience to work collaboratively to achieve the best for Rutland residents. We all stood in 2023 as individuals who care deeply about our county , and in our group offer mutual support to independents who do not have the backing of a party machine.
Being a County Councillor is hard work, often frustrating, but a rewarding role.
The deadline for nominations is Friday, October 25, at 4pm. We hope that all candidates will show the same level and commitment as Hannah, are prepared to work constructively with other councillors focussing on local issues and that we can keep national party politics out of any election campaigning.
Rosemary Powell, Samantha Harvey, Andrew Brown, Kevin Corby, Nick Begy, Tracy Carr, Oliver Hemsley
Rutland County Council Independent councillors
An open letter to the residents of Oakham North East
You will have received leaflets from the Conservative Party over the past two weekends, in support of their campaign for the up-coming by-election in your constituency.
In these leaflets they claim thatthe Labour Group are in coalition with the ruling Lib-Dem/Green Coalition. This is not true.
What they did not tell you was that earlier this year, in coalition with the Independent Group, they approached us to join with them to remove the current Lib-Dem led grouping. In exchange for our support we were offered one cabinet position. We declined their offer.
It is noteworthy that Conservatives and Independents have had the privilege of leading successive administrations in our county over the 105 years since the introduction of universal suffrage in 1918. A lengthy period over which the economic prospects for residents in employment in Rutland have gone backwards. The Lib-Dem / Green Coalition have been in power for 18 months.
We were elected as Labour Party candidates, and we will always work in the best long-term interests of our constituents and our county, without fear or political favour.
Couns Steve McRobb and Ramsay Ross
Rutland County Council - Labour, Oakham North West
Mentoring is my mission as director
Thank you so very much to Sheila Blankley for your wonderful review of Ruddigore which Stamford Gilbert and Sullivan Players presented recently at the Stamford Corn Exchange.
We are indeed very blessed that we have so many enthusiastic and talented youngsters in our group, many of whom you saw delighting the audience playing principal roles!
This was the fifth show I’ve directed for the society and since then I have made it my absolute mission to personally mentor these incredible youngsters as they take their passion for all things Gilbert and Sullivan forward so that future generations can continue to enjoy these great works.
I spend a lot of time with them at home, in the rehearsal room and in the theatre passing on my many years of stage experience and teaching them how to become the best performers they can possibly be.
It is so rewarding watching them grow in confidence under my direction and has become one of the greatest pleasures in my life.
The individual and personal letters of gratitude I received from them after the show were truly moving.
I am so proud of each and every one of them for listening to me and learning from me, and in doing so improving their stage craft and I am so very excited for what the future holds for them all!
Ruth Palmer
Director of Stamford Gilbert and Sullivan Players
Costs are much higher
Coun Cleaver is being economical with the truth regarding St Martin’s Park in Stamford.
Much more than £10m has been wasted on this scandal - £10.8m was the figure SKDC mention a lot for the purchase price. This fails to account for the well over £1m spent, so far, on the ludicrous and unnecessary electricity supply deal which will cost another £210,000 a month until at least March 2025.
No account is taken for the hundreds of thousands of pounds spent on unbudgetted demolition, environmental and site clearance costs.
No mention is made for the costs of security at the dangerous site while rubble clearance is underway or for the costs, until March 2025, while the overhead power cables, and associated works, are completed. Who is paying for that?
No professional fees have been factored in to this long-running saga.
The cost of borrowing to fund it all has not been included.
No staff time/opportunity costs have been accounted for either.
Finally, it's quite clear that SKDC aren't going to get the £2.8m site cleaning grant. The fact that they needed it shows how catastrophically they had underestimated site pollution from the start. Additionally, such grants also often require matching sums from the applicants.
The truth is that these shadowy developers, with whom SKDC have been discussing the sale for six months, will shoulder those costs. You can imagine that they'll demand an appropriate reduction in the purchase price. You might also imagine that there will be other conditions/financial adjustments required for them to take this six year old white elephant from SKDC.
There may well be other, undeclared, costs of this farrago that I haven't mentioned/dont know about.
What about the costs, for example, of the three nearby council houses which are being quietly folded into the scheme?
There ought to be a public inquiry on this financial, economic and business planning nightmare.
Ian Dodd
Sovereign Way, Stamford
An open letter to Grantham MP Gareth Davies.
I am/was a lifelong supporter of the Conservative Party and as such I must lay the blame about the sorry state this country is in firmly at the door of the Conservative Party. They lost the General Election because of their endless bickering and constant in-fighting, the General Public just had had enough, and they got rid of the one true LEADER they had.The 'Hamilton Affair' pales into insignificance when I see the sleaze inside this Government, but where are the howls of protest from the Tory benches, is the Party content to leave it to the press??? I am not impressed.
Mike Cook
Grantham
Thank you to all involved in events
I recently attended two events in my capacity as Ambassador for Grantham. The Kings Boys Speech Night at St Wulfram's Church and Grantham Players performance of the play 'Pygmallion'.
The Speech Night was inspiring as the hard work of the boys, teachers, school staff and parents was revealed through the incredible record breaking exam results. But achievement in other areas sports, music, IT and English was also recognised. A visitor with me assumed it was an event held by a public school. It was with great pride I explained that Kings Boys is a historic local state school. Grantham is fortunate to have such a wide range of good educational establishments, including Grantham College. All reflecting the various talents and needs of our children and society.
'Pygmallion' performed at the Guildhall Theatre pulled together an array of such talent. With excellent acting, clever stage setting and lighting, stunning colourful period costume design under imaginative direction. It was a wonderful performance of George Bernard Shaw's play.
A huge thank you to all involved.
Charmaine Morgan
Town and District Councillor
Event was a success
Thank you to all the people involved with organising the colourful parade on Saturday evening as part of the community market, especially Anne Marie who made the frameworks for the 30 sheep, two large horses, the carriage and the very cute highland cow. They were amazing. The light projections onto Lindpet House were brilliant. We loved the children’s life size artwork projections and all the other pictures too. The street artists were very entertaining, as were the choirs and bands on stage. Even the weather was perfect for the afternoon and evening events and it was definitely well worth attending.
However, I’m still not convinced that any of last Saturday’s events could not have taken place without spending nearly £1 million and disrupting the whole area for months in order to raise the road level. The money could definitely have been spent more wisely elsewhere. Eg replacing almost invisible road markings, especially at the very dangerous Trent Road/Harlaxton Road junction. I also live in hope that the Conduit toilet block will soon be refurbished, as was promised in the original Market Place plans. We definitely need public toilets available if we are going to have similar events in future.
Thank you.
Lynda North
Grantham
Immoral to cast Convention aside
The article concerning Robert Jenrick's visit to Spalding, hosted by Sir John Hayes, listed several topics for discussion, including leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The UK was a signatory to the ECHR, and this came about because of the displacement of people and the genocide that occurred in World War Two, something that all the signatories did not wish to see repeated.
The purpose of the Convention was to guarantee the rights of refugees.
I am deeply disappointed that Sir John and many in the Conservative party now view the terms of the Convention as inconvenient and an impediment to their political goals.
In my view this is unacceptable, and indeed, immoral.
It was only the resistance of our armed forces and the physical barrier of the English Channel that prevented the UK from being invaded by the Nazis and suffering the same fate as mainland Europe. There must surely be a better and more humane way to treat refugees than to withdraw from this Convention that was designed to guarantee their rights as refugees.
Sir John and his friends must re-examine their attitude.
Previously I was virtually a life-long Conservative, with a small `c,' but with the experience of the last five years or so, have had to re-think.
Johnson was a disastrous populist. While Queen Elizabeth II mourned her husband, sitting alone in the cathedral, Johnson and his friends had their parties. In my view he is morally bankrupt.
Truss was arrogant and refused to listen to advice and we are still paying for that. She has expressed no remorse for the hardship her actions caused. Sunak was a safer pair of hands and I believe he wanted to do the right thing for the nation in general, both as Chancellor of the Exchequer, and as PM.
Unfortunately sleaze and nepotism were the watchwords of so many in charge of the Conservative Party, from PPE contracts given to friends who neither knew of its provision nor cared of its quality, to abrogation of the UK's responsibilities in relation to refugees. Sir John was part of that apparatus. I would be interested to know whether he tried to apply a brake to all that was wrong. I suspect not.
On the subject of pylons, I understand that to use these rather than bury power cables underground, the cost is about six times less, at £2 billion. If this is the case then common sense dictates power is routed the cheaper way. This compromise is necessary for energy resilience and for the national economy and will not deprive the use of much agricultural land.
This year I welcomed the result of the General Election. Sir Keir Starmer is, I believe, much better suited (pardon the pun) to running the country responsibly. The Conservatives made many of the right noises but produced no meaningful results. I believe that under Labour we shall see some material benefits to our country.
Matthew Harvey
Spalding
Crazy thinking
The staggered junction on the A16 near Crowland never ever should have been made like that.
The coroners, police, doctors, councillors and hauliers and farmers all said that years ago.
Crazy insane thinking .
Tony Fisher
via email
