SEPTEMBER NEWS 2010

September News from your local, Independent Councillor,

MARIANNE OVERTON


Giving Local support

Coleby Play Park
Congratulations to Cathy Ainsworth, Karen Appleton, Julie Martin and to many supporters of the Coleby Play Area, who have worked steadily over a long time. The park will be installed by September 17th and the launch is on Friday 24th Sept 3-30pm. All welcome.

Branston play area
Well done to all involved in planning, funding and fund-raising for the new play area, now in place. I wrote in support and LCC contributed £15,000 of the £56k needed. This is an important investment in our young people.

Sue Lord
Congratulations to Sue Lord for outstanding services to Mrs Smith’s Cottage. Below: Presentation at our recent AGM.

NKDC at 99.3%
This year NK residents are the best Council Tax payers in the country and our rates are among the lowest. NKDC collected 99% of that due, taking a fair and diligent approach

Leadenham Music Festival
Tom Lane and helpers organised a fantastic three day music festival at The George, in Leadenham. Top musicians came from all over the country to play country and western, rock and jazz. Hundreds of people flocked in for all or part of the event, hosted by Michael & Karin Willgoose.


Harmstock
Congratulations to hosts, Julie and Alison on another brilliant annual 2-day event over the bank holiday weekend at the Thorold Arms in Harmston, raising funds for the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance. Their website has events or ring 01522 720358.
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Cycling for LIVES
Stuart Suddaby, of LIVES, cycled 200 miles in 2 days to raise funds for LIVES, arriving back at Harmston in high winds at around 8pm for the finale of Harmstock. Fantastic effort. If you would like to add sponsorship or a donation to LIVES in the Cliff Villages, it is very easy. Google “Just giving Navenby” and select the first option. It works well. www.justgiving.be/NavenbyFirstResponderGroup

Welbourn 10K and Fun Run
Well done to everyone who took part and to the organisers, Chris Smith and Dave Raynes who did a brilliant job. 186 people entered and about £800 raised for Help for Heroes and the smart new Welbourn Village Hall. Hospitality followed at the Joiner’s Arms.

Information
Road repairs on the A607
Work starts in October to repair the worst parts of this road. Thank you for your letters in support. We have fought hard and now got these improvements, despite cuts elsewhere.

Nocton dairy
Thank you for your correspondence on this contentious issue. I have forwarded your letters to ensure they are properly considered. Once a new application is received, you will be able to respond on “NKDC planning on line”. Twenty-one NKDC councillors visited the Withgill dairy in Lancashire to see the processes in this smaller 2000 head dairy, which looked tidy. It was necessarily a show case event, but councillors saw it as a fact-finding mission to understand the processes better. I have written to ask the Chief Executive to ensure fairness by hearing both sides equally.

More New Council Houses: Branston
The Homes and Communities Agency has come up trumps and given us £750,000 after all. Thus the 16 homes for Sleaford and for Archer Road, Branston are funded, half from the grant and half from NKDC borrowing against future rents.

NKDC has invited Boothby Graffoe and Welbourn to take part in a search for more land for housing and a survey of need.

MOTO X Events Wellingore
The one event published for this year was monitored by NKDC staff and found no contraventions of the abatement notice.

Local Tourism
Overall in Lincolnshire visitor economy increased slightly last year to £971 million or 14% of the county's overall economy, second only to the food industry. This includes Lincolnshire people visiting local tourist sites.

Your opinion wanted
New Council parking area Wellingore
Replacing the Council garages with useful parking has been a challenge. I voted against losing the Council garages and together with others at NKDC have worked hard to get improvements in place that will keep the area attractive for current and future residents. There has to be a compromise, but we encouraged staff to do a really thorough consultation and have looked closely at all options and feedback. It will go to planning next, so let me know what you think.

Care Homes- The future of 8 more homes?
LCC Executive is now considering the future of the last 8 homes owned by LCC, run by the St John’s Trust.

Budget Cuts
Thank you for your letters in support of the 3 museums, for which funding is to be cut from next year. The govt. demands big cuts, not just reductions, so discussions include which services to cease, with the challenge to get the diminished private and voluntary sector to take on more but for less money.

Reducing concessionary fares and evicting council tenants if their circumstances improve (e.g. they get a job) are two proposals put forward by government ministers.

There is just time to voice your opinion in on the Budget priorities consultation for NKDC at www.north-kesteven.gov.uk/priorities.
For you to recommend national spending cuts, use tuinyurl.com/34wekan. Please send me copy, so I can also support good ideas.