Fun Farm at Weston wants to add a high ropes trail. The hexagonal frame would be ten metres high and have walks at 3m and 8m. Fun Farm owner Albert Slator said the Skytrail would appeal to all ages from seven upwards. Planning permission is being sought from South Holland District Council for the structure, which would be sited in ...

The Food Hygiene Ratings Scheme tells us about standards in restaurants and other food businesses. The ranking system goes from 0 (lowest) to 5 (highest). In South Holland, 97.3 per cent of food outlets have a rating of 3 or better. Here, district council food safety officer Mandy Baker gives an account of a day of unannounced inspections… 9am: Check ...

A proposal to dual a short stretch of the A17 at Holbeach has come under fresh scrutiny. Plans for two new roundabouts – one at Peppermint Junction (A17/A151) and another on the A151 near the travellers’ site – have been submitted by Lincolnshire County Council. Creation of dual carriageway between the proposed A17 roundabout and Boston Road roundabout does not ...

A Pinchbeck firm is working hard to ensure youngsters are inspired to consider a career in engineering. Bulk materials handling manufacturer Guttridge says it is seeing “extremely encouraging results” from the Imagineering initiative it is running with Spalding’s Monkshouse Primary School. The after-school club has been so popular that three times the number of children expressed an interest in joining ...

Spalding independent shop Welec will close for good on January 16. The camera and binocular specialist in New Road had planned to finish on December 31, but still has stock to sell and has extended its closing date. As previously reported, business owners John and Jean Wellband, who are both in their 80s, have decided to retire after almost 50 years. ...

Pupils at two Spalding primary schools are benefiting from new kitchen pods providing hot and nutritious lunches. St Paul’s and St John The Baptist were two of seven schools in the county to have stand-alone, fully equipped kitchen pods installed after Lincolnshire County Council won a £1.2m bid from the Department for Education under the universal free school meals programme. ...

The winners in a competition to design smoke free signs have received iPad prizes. The competition was run between South Holland District Council and The Voice, which highlighted the passive smoking health concerns of nurse and Spalding dad Mark Le Sage. More than 160 entries were received and the signs will go up soon at schools, nurseries and play areas. ...

The South Holland and the Deepings branch of UKIP held the second of its “Leave the EU” campaign meetings at The Punchbowl in Spalding. The party’s spokesman on agriculture and the environment, Stuart Agnew, gave an address. A branch spokesman said: “His mastery of the brief shone through, no doubt helped by a lifetime’s experience as a Norfolk farmer. “An ...

UPDATE (Thursday, 4pm): South Holland District Council is hoping to buy Moulton Park. At a meeting of the full council on Wednesday, it was agreed that a bid to buy the 23 acres of land would be submitted before the closing date for tenders tomorrow (Friday, December 18). If the bid were to be successful, the council would then negotiate with ...

Food safety is important all year round – and a little planning will ensure this Christmas is not remembered for all the wrong reasons. Nearly a third of people will be eating Christmas dinner with more than seven guests and 45 per cent will spend over five hours preparing and cooking. South Holland District Council has teamed up with the ...

Futsal sessions for youngsters will be resuming at Spalding High School sports hall on Tuesday, January 5. It follows a successful first trial by Elite Sports Academy. Open for ages 5 to 13, these are the only futsal sessions in the area. Becoming ever more popular, the sport is an adapted version of indoor 5-a-side football, where the balls are smaller ...

Long Sutton’s Christmas tree was blessed by Father Jonathan Sibley, of St Mary’s Parish Church. He also said a prayer before the switch-on of the town’s lights. Also pictured (from left) are Long Sutton Parish Council vice-chairman and town crier Coun Charles Moore with daughter Olivia, chairman Coun Ruth Barber and Paige Haynes, winner of the parish council’s Christmas brochure ...

Spalding is being blighted by an increasing amount of rubbish and buildings falling into disrepair, according to a longtime resident. Paul Matten (69) says his efforts to get the town tidied up and to have more waste bins to sited in his neighbourhood have so far fallen on deaf ears. And he claims the problem of unsightly mounds of black ...

With the setting of new year goals on the horizon, a charity with a base in Spalding is reminding people how its free services can give a helping hand in 2016. Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service’s involvement can range from pointing groups towards a fund that is likely to support what it is trying to deliver, giving advice on what an application ...

About 40 members of Spalding’s Broad Street Methodist Church Lunch Club enjoyed its Christmas meal last week. Pictured: Back (from left) – leaders and helpers Judith Dodd, Dorothy Basford, Barbara Howard; front – Marjorie Gant, Kathleen Martin, Barbara Pett and Sylvia Parsons Photo: VNC091215-28

Artists in South Holland have a wonderful opportunity to showcase their work in the forthcoming Open Arts competition. The prestigious contest has been running since 1999 and is designed to showcase the work created by professionals and amateurs across the region. Artists can submit their work and an independent panel of judges will choose the pieces which will be displayed ...

More than 90 senior citizens enjoyed a free Christmas party organised by Spalding and District Round Table. In the first of what is hoped will become an annual event, the Table invited guests from some supported housing schemes in Spalding. A three-course meal by Whaplode firm The English Takeaway was laid on at Surfleet Village Hall, alongside festive performances from ...

Schools contributed to the annual Christmas tree festival at Spalding’s Broad Street Methodist Church. All 40 nursery pupils at Monkshouse Primary School made “stars” with their faces on, and went along to the church last Wednesday to see them in place on trees. The festival fundraises for Mission Direct. Forthcoming at Broad Street Methodist Church: Family nativity service on Sunday ...

Welland Ward at Spalding’s Johnson Community Hospital is looking a lot brighter this Christmas thanks to donations by local firms. Birchgrove Garden Centre at Pinchbeck, Festival Garden Centre at Springfields and Baytree Garden Centre at Weston all donated festive items. Spalding Lions Club gave £100 for decorations and Spalding Signs are making festive banners. Meanwhile, staff nurse Jo Neal is ...

Work to try and make Spalding’s rundown former sorting office a safer building has taken place – but does not go far enough. Within a couple of days of The Voice calling for action on December 10, exposed shattered windows had been covered with boards again. It is not clear who carried out the work, but South Holland District Council says ...