Council

A heart attack scare started the ball rolling for a defibrillator being installed at Holbeach St Johns Village Hall. Joan Joyce was so frightened at witnessing the episode during a parish church lunch in January that she set about gathering information. The device was paid for out of the designated member budgets of district councillor Malcolm Chandler and Bob Creese, ...

A Ukrainian was fact-finding at the South Holland District Council election count in Spalding. Yuriy Mironenka had come to the district to witness British democracy in action – visiting polling booths, district and General Election counts, meeting candidates and election officials. Yuriy, who now lives in Russia, said: “I am a member of one of the electoral organisations in Russia trying ...

South Holland District Council has held talks with neighbouring councils about forming a combined authority. A proposal has been put forward for six councils to join together to create a “functioning economic area”, seeking to improve local transport, increase economic development and drive regeneration. South Holland leader Gary Porter is one of the leading politicians behind the plan. Peterborough would ...

New faces on South Holland District Council and some of those who missed out have been giving their reaction to last week’s election results. Paul Foyster was the second UKIP candidate after Spalding pub landlord Pete Williams to secure a seat on the council. He will represent Holbeach Town ward. Coun Foyster said: “It was not a great result nationally ...

The Conservative group on South Holland District Council has increased its control by gaining extra seats. It now has 28 councillors – up three on the position before last week’s election. The Tories begin their fifth term as the ruling group with nine new faces. Meanwhile, UKIP has members for the first time – Pete Williams (Spalding St Mary’s) and ...

Planning permission to extend a controversial proposed off-licence in Spalding has been refused on the grounds of road safety and privacy grounds. A premises licence was granted to Hemen Ahmad for the former sub-Post Office in Bourne Road in January. He then applied for permission to build a single-storey extension to the rear. South Holland District Council said the proposed ...

South Holland District Council now has a new composition for a fresh four-year term. The 37 members covering 18 wards were elected during a count in Spalding on Friday afternoon, following Thursday’s poll. It was a good election for the ruling Conservative group, which increased its number of seats by three to 28. For the first time, UKIP has members ...

John Hayes has been re-elected as Member of Parliament for South Holland and The Deepings. He was returned to the House of Commons for a fifth term with an increased share of the vote. His 29,303 votes was 60 per cent, up a single percentage point from 2010. In a speech moments after the result was declared in Spalding at ...

A former electrical store in Spalding is poised to become an international supermarket. Soran Kareem wants to turn the shabby-looking Paul Taylor DJC Ltd shop in Winsover Road into a butchery, bakery and off-licence. The move would create eight jobs. Mr Kareem, an Iraqi Kurd who lives in Spalding, has applied to South Holland District Council for a premises licence to ...

A lengthy catalogue of food hygiene breaches at a Spalding takeaway – including maggots on a “clean” knife and evidence of rodents – has been detailed in court. One South Holland District Council food hygiene inspector described it as the worst case he had ever witnessed, while the judge hearing the case said it was a “miracle” that nobody had ...

Campaigners are considering a legal challenge against the Government over plans to slash Lincolnshire’s libraries. Save Lincolnshire Libraries group has already announced it is looking a taking further legal action against Lincolnshire County Council, which plans to slash opening hours and close some libraries in a bid to save money. But this week the group said it is now “considering ...

Ayscoughfee Gardens looks fantastic year-round and is one of Spalding’s top attractions. The way it looks and how it is run is down to the hard work and dedication of Dan Cooper and his staff. Head gardener since 2008, Dan (39) has a wealth of horticulture and agronomy knowledge and keeps the gardens in top shape, with the help of ...

John Hayes says he would resign from the government if he is re-elected as MP for South Holland and The Deepings and David Cameron does one of two things Mr Hayes is staunchly against. He told a hustings event in Spalding on April 23 that he would stand down if Mr Cameron reneged on his offer of a referendum on Britain’s ...

Two new houses could be built on land next to a closed pub in Moulton Chapel. James Kilkenny, of The Plough Inn in Woodgate Road, wants planning consent for one four-bedroom property and another with three bedrooms. Permission was granted for the same design following an application in 2008, but it expired in February this year. A statement submitted to ...

With two weeks to go until elections for parliamentary, district council and parish council seats in South Holland, candidates have been busy canvassing for support. The five Westminster candidates are John Hayes (Conservative), Matthew Mahabadi (Labour), David Parsons (UKIP), George Smid (Liberal Democrats), and Dan Wilshire (Green Party). Last Friday the candidates took part in an election hustings in Hall ...

The search is underway to find a company to take over the running of libraries in Lincolnshire – and potentially its heritage and cultural sites. Lincolnshire County Council has taken the decision to begin looking for an external organisation to deliver library services on its behalf, despite the threat of a second judicial review into its proposed cuts. The authority ...

A second judicial review into proposed cuts to Lincolnshire libraries could be on the cards. Campaigners have asked the High Court to review Lincolnshire County Council’s new plans to streamline libraries in a bid to save £2m. In February, the council’s executive agreed proposals for a new-look service in light of changes in the way libraries are used and the ...

Internal work carried out at Spalding Constitutional Club without planning consent has been described as a “crime” against the Grade II listed building. A wall between the reception hall and bar has been knocked down and replaced with concertina shutter doors. The club says it was to safeguard its trading future by enabling a larger area in which to hold ...

A wealth of community projects and other good causes across South Holland have been helped by financial contributions from a district council pot over the past 12 months. Each financial year, all 37 councillors are each given £5,000 as a designated members’ budget to allocate as they wish. One of the largest single projects this year was in Spalding where ...

Lincolnshire has been chosen as a pilot area for the Department for Transport’s Bikeability Plus scheme. Lincolnshire County Council has been awarded £25,000 to deliver a series of modules designed to engage children and families with the opportunities, skills, support and guidance to make cycling part of their everyday lives. Before June 2015, the council will have delivered six modules ...