Stamford, Spalding, Grantham and Rutland letter writers share their views with LincsOnline
Readers have shared their thoughts 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.
Send your letters to: news@lincsonline.co.uk
Give Rutland an economic chance
I have believed for many years, that the development of the Woolfox site, on a mixed-use basis, represents the best opportunity for the economic rejuvenation of Rutland. Only this site allows the appropriate infrastructure, the required number of truly affordable homes and consequent of its scale, the necessary upgrading of the A1. Its’ development would greatly reduce the piece-meal expansion of our existing settlements, many of which have a road layout that dates from medieval or Victorian times, with existing drainage and water treatment scaled for lower population numbers and a climate of lesser extremes.
This brings me to the latest mega solar farm proposal for our little county, a county heavily dependent upon tourism for employment. The Kilnside solar farm, together with the earlier Mallard Pass development will dominate the North East of the county for over 50 years, and what will we gain in return; virtually nothing in comparison to the returns generated for the developers. And why have Kilnside chosen this particular location; because we have failed over the past 15 years to develop our grid to address the transmission of renewable energy and are only now, belatedly, making the necessary investment. Consequently, both solar farms will use the same grid connection.
Government needs to recognise that we are not nimbys, having already accepted the Mallard Pass and Pilton solar farms, with another proposed at Exton. This also ignores that we have accepted the flooding of much of our county for Rutland Water.
We have already done our bit!
Enough of economic decline and unaffordable housing for Rutland, we must demand a re-set. Kilnside will only damage our tourism sector and do nothing for your children or grandchildren. Our Labour government must, instead, prioritise our economic development by rapidly progressing Woolfox for a better future for all.
Ramsay Ross
Leader of the Labour Group, Rutland County Council
Milestone is forlorn
Last year’s Stamford Mercury, the subject of disrepair and neglected sites in Stamford was brought to the letters page - someone complaining about the derelict site on North Street near Nags Head Passage (still a derelict site). I sent a letter raising another item of disrepair, including a sketch of the ramshackle building in Red Lion Street (still ramshackled), I must admit I like drawing old things.
This brings me onto the next subject. The Milestone on Casterton Road.
It stands forlorn, on the left hand side going up the hill away from town, slowly disappearing under the undergrowth. “90 miles to London, 20 miles to Grantham, 1 mile to Stamford” it says, a charming little feature showing weary travellers how many more miles to go.
I wonder what the history of this is? It is worth looking after. Who is responsible for its upkeep? It is a shame to see it waste away. Could someone please clean it up? We need another Joyce Lucas.
Trevor Wissen
Braemar Close, Stamford
Taxpayers deserve answers
On October 10, 2024, SKDC proudly announced that the St Martin’s site would be 'cleared'. Little has happened and the old office block still stands (just) but is a crumbling and dangerous structure unprotected by suitable security fencing.
Coun Cleaver added that he was 'aware about concerns over lack of progress'. The site is fast becoming Stamford's first wild life park.
On November 12, SKDC dizzily announced that 'contracts had been exchange with developers and builders'. Not a sod has been turned since then.
It's just over six long years since the site was bought by SKDC amidst a barrage of impressive marketing material, uplifting talk about 'potential' and wonderful opportunities' and all the other guff that comes with stuff like this.
The site was valued at £6.2m and, yet, SKDC paid £8m for it. Cllr Baxter said, as reported by the BBC on 19 Feb 2024, that, 'the Council paid more than the asking price for the site'. No credible explanation has been provided about the reasons why this egregious overpayment was made.
Since then, of course, wasting money has become quite the forte of SKDC. As below;
£1.5m on unbudgetted demolition costs.
Over £1.5m on unnecessarily securing an electricity supply that no-one else wanted or would want.
Seeking a government grant of £3.8m for clean up costs. The grant was unsuccessful but, assuming the clean up has been/will be carried out, the money will have to be spent and you can bet it won't be the new buyers who foot the bill.
I'm sure that there's much more we don't know about, including, but not limited to, the cost of money to fund this and the cost of the staff time spent on it.
Adding all the above up, there's a total of at least £8.6m more than the original purchase price that SKDC have spent on this white elephant.
The detail of the sale price to the lucky new owners can't, of course, be divulged as it is 'commercially confidential and sensitive'. However, I'd imagine that it's been netted off the sale price and the taxpayers of SKDC will be paying for it.
I regularly write to senior management at SKDC and a range of councillors. They invariably fail to respond in any meaningful way, if at all, and never engage.
I think that the taxpayers in SKDC deserve an explanation; other than the whining 'we just inherited this mess from the last lot' which seems to be the standard response.
Ian Dodd
Stamford
Thank you for help with SUNday FUNday
Trustees of the Grantham Journal Children’s Fund would like to thank everyone who helped put on the SUNday FUNday at Wyndham Park on Sunday. Grateful thanks go to Grantham Disabled Children Society; Jeff Dixon, Mick Eldred and Simon Morley; St John Ambulance; Kathy and Billy Rose; Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue; the Grantham Light Armoured Division; and the Beth Cresswell School of Dance. We would also like to thank South Kesteven District Council and the Wyndham Park volunteers, who were simply fantastic and whose help is much appreciated. Thanks also to all those who brought their attractions to the event, and to the families who visited. We hope you had a wonderful time.
Roy Wright, Marie Bond, Sharon Evans and Rosemary Dixon
Grantham Journal Children’s Fund trustees
MP has grasp on risks with assisted dying
I was pleased to read that Sir John Hayes has such a strong grasp of the risks associated with Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide bill.
He was right to point to international examples of where similar laws have been introduced.
I’m not aware of a single place where such laws have been introduced where there haven’t been tragic case studies involving vulnerable people being coerced into premature deaths.
If Leadbeater’s flawed Bill makes its way into law, this country would be no exception.
Christine Smith
Fairfields
Lincolnshire
Send your letters to: news@lincsonline.co.uk
