News

Lincolnshire Police could be facing a £21 million shortfall in the next two years, the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Marc Jones has said. It follows central government telling police forces across the country they are the ones that need to fund an upcoming pensions shortfall. That shortfall in Lincolnshire is estimated to be at least £1.5 million next year, ...

This week’s budget has been welcomed by Lincolnshire County Council, but the authority will continue its lobbying for more funding. The Government’s announcement of an extra £650m for adult care in the country was particularly welcome. “The cost to the council in providing this service is enormous, and this additional money will hopefully relieve some of the immense financial pressure ...

A rapidly expanding Spalding family firm has been given the royal blessing. Welland Power has been presented with The Queen’s Award in the International Trade category. It’s been earned because between 2014 and 2018, the UK generator manufacturer increased exports and turnover by around 600 per cent. After employees attended a reception at Buckingham Palace earlier this year, the award was ...

The organisation which looks after Peterborough’s hospital has been rated as ‘requires improvement’. North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital-based services for patients. It covers three main hospitals: HInchingbrooke, Peterborough and Stamford and Rutland Hospital. The Care Quality Commission inspected the trust and published its report last week. The inspection took place in July and looked at nine core ...

A councillor says current restrictions on vehicles driving through Spalding town centre should be changed after witnessing six cars in quick succession driving there when they shouldn’t have been. Coun Gary Taylor has said that cars should either be banned permanently, or be allowed to always drive down Market Place and part of Hall Place. He described the current situation, ...

A record crowd gathered in Spalding to see Peter Andre switch on the Christmas lights at Springfields. Around 6,000 people travelled to the centre for the Thursday evening event where the singer and TV presenter joined Heart FM’s Kev and Ros on stage. Father Christmas also made an early visit to South Holland to take part in the festivities. “We ...

Winter arrived with a bang at the weekend as thunder accompanied snow, hail and sleet in south Lincolnshire. Just a week after residents enjoyed above-average temperatures, the heating was on and log-burners lit as the chilly blast arrived on Saturday evening. While there was much greater snowfall further north, the Sutton Bridge area was a picture of winter for a ...

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue had to make £1 million of savings in the last financial year, despite its fire stations costing half of the country’s average to run. The cuts came due to reduced government funding despite the county’s fire service costing the public well below average, according to its Statement of Assurance. But Lincolnshire County Council’s executive councillor for ...

Lincolnshire County Council and Network Rail are discussing the potential closure of level crossings around Spalding. As part of negotiations around the South Western Relief Road, both authorities are working out which crossing or crossings could be lost once the road is open for traffic. “We are currently considering options for the closure of some level crossings in the area ...

Waiting times in Lincolnshire for smear test results are still “unacceptable” but are improving, the NHS has said after being questioned by a county health group. In August The Voice reported that women were facing up to 12 week delays on getting their results for cervical screening tests. It’s because the Derby-based laboratory which examines tests taken within South Holland ...

A Spalding man has been warned that he faces jail after admitting offences involving two 15 year old girls.   Neil Richard Amess, 34, of Gaunt Close, Spalding, pleaded guilty at Lincoln Crown Court to charges of sexual activity with a child, meeting a child following sexual grooming and sexual communication with a child involving one of the girls.   ...

A bonfire and firework display this weekend will help fund veterans and young people attend next year’s D-Day celebrations. Local philanthropist and owner of the Anglia Motel, Harold Payne, is hosting the regular event on Saturday, November 3. All profits will go towards taking local veterans to Normandy for the commemorations, as Harold has done for the last 29 years. ...

A Gosberton gardener is hoping your votes can help him dig a victory. Out of nearly 500 entries, Robert and Claire Bailey-Scott’s West Thorpe Road garden has been named as one of the 11 finalists for the BBC Gardener’s World magazine’s Garden of the Year by the likes of green-fingered gargantuan. The award is voted for by the public, but ...

Balaclava wearing thieves used sledgehammers to steal “several thousands” of pounds from a Spalding town centre building society last night (Wednesday). G4S staff were at Nationwide Building Society’s Hall Place branch when two offenders smashed the glass door at 9.50pm. The security guards were able to close the doors and were uninjured, but the thieves made off with several thousand ...

It turned out to be an expensive day for two Spalding men, one the owner of a Mercedes car and the other a man who was test driving his car with a view to purchasing it. Edgaras Sukvietis, 26, of Spring Gardens admitted driving whilst under the influence of cannabis and to driving without insurance when he appeared at Boston Magistrates ...

A 16-year-old with cerebral palsy is to hit the gym in preparation for an operation that could allow him to walk again after the fundraising campaign for it reached £10,000 in just a week. Kieran Evans and mum Melissa Evans of Pinchbeck, are now hoping an operation to cut the nerves in his spinal cord which are affected by the ...

More complaints about Spalding’s ageing swimming pool have been made this week. As the results of a public consultation on the future of leisure provision in South Holland are being discussed by the council, staff issues have been blamed by the company running the town’s Castle Swimming Pool. The Voice was contacted last week by a grandmother after her grandchildren ...

A couple face an uncertain future after a bid to live on a double decker bus amid their deer and poultry farm was turned down by the council for a second time. A petition has been set up backing Brent and Tracy Usher who say they have been living self-sufficiently farming animals including deer and poultry for three years at ...

Tributes have been paid to a long-serving local councillor who has died. Rita Rudkin (85) was a former member of Holbeach Parish Council and had only recently resigned from her positions there and at South Holland District Council. She was a well-known member of the community and a former deputy head teacher of Spalding Academy, when it was the Sir ...

Two brothers’ bid to raise awareness of the signs of domestic abuse after their father murdered their mum and sister has reached the international stage. Luke Hart was one of the keynote speakers at the One Young World annual summit for young leaders, this year held in The Netherlands. Luke was at The Hague to tell the summit his and ...