News

Residents in Lincolnshire are to be asked whether councils across the county should be scrapped in favour of a new approach to local government. Amid increasing financial pressures for local authorities, county council leader Martin Hill claims a move to a unitary authority would save £150million in its first five years, while not affecting frontline services “one iota”. He said: ...

The premises licence for The Chequers Hotel in Holbeach has been revoked by South Holland District Council. A panel of councillors presented with evidence of fraud and smuggling came to the conclusion that “those running the premises have little or no regard for the authorities”. The premises licence has been held by The Chequers Hotel Ltd since June 2009. Neither of the ...

GP surgeries across south Lincolnshire are planning expansion and improvement projects as patient numbers continue to rise, alongside ongoing countywide recruitment challenges.   Beechfield Medical Centre, in Spalding, alone has taken on 4,000 additional patients since 2011, rising from 13,500 to close to 17,500. Building work is imminent there, at The Abbeyview Surgery in Crowland and Munro Medical Centre’s Pinchbeck ...

Kind-hearted strangers responded to a public appeal to attend the funeral service of a World War Two veteran with few family members. There were about 60 people paying their respects to RAF veteran Edward Scott, who died aged 91. RAF Association said Mr Scott served in the 154 Squadron as an engineer. It said before Tuesday morning’s service at South Lincolnshire ...

Council tax looks set to rise by at least £50 on average in South Holland from April. Lincolnshire County Council is recommending to push forward with plans for a 3.95 per cent increase in  its portion of the bill, equivalent to a £45 increase for a band D property. South Holland District Council has planned a £5 annual increase in ...

Photographs taken at Castle Sports Complex swimming pool show that it is in urgent need of a deep clean, says an angry user and Voice reader. The pictures, which show mould and grime in changing room and shower areas, are said to have been taken four weeks ago. South Holland District Council says 1Life, which manages the leisure centre on behalf ...

The Norwich and Peterborough Building Society branch in Spalding is to close. The brand is being abolished by owner Yorkshire Building Society, which is closing 28 N&P branches and 20 Yorkshire Building Society branches from September this year. More than 400 jobs will be at risk by the move. The society plans to close its N&P current accounts to existing ...

The Spalding branch of retailer Hughes Electrical has been praised for transforming a large blanked-out window into an attractive and interesting storyboard of the site. The Sheep Market shop was one of several town centre premises highlighted by Spalding and District Civic Society as having unattractive windows – many by utilising “garish” vinyl. Hughes senior salesman Graham Boor approached the society to ...

Residents in Spalding are to be surveyed on whether they would like a town council. Spalding is not parished and, therefore, does not have a town council, but South Holland District Council’s transformation programme, Moving Forward, includes a pledge to investigate if there is an appetite to have one. Spalding Town Forum has district councillors and representatives of community bodies ...

Former patients of King’s Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital are being urged to return medical equipment in an amnesty period on now. Hundreds of frames, walking sticks and crutches are loaned out to support patients in their recovery. The hospital maintains up-to-date records of its three-month loans but many patients do not return equipment after the period is up. This week ...

A petition launched in Spalding calling for streetlights to be switched back on across Lincolnshire has more than 200 signatures. Signatories are stating they feel vulnerable and anxious and fear for the safety of road users, cyclists and the frail. The roll-out of a countywide money-saving programme to switch off streetlights in many areas between midnight and 6am recently reached ...

Residents in Lincolnshire will be asked for their views on adopting a unitary system of local governance – potentially saving £150million in the first five years. The two-tier system that currently exists in Lincolnshire comprises one county council and seven district councils. All eight would be abolished under the proposal and a new, single one formed. Leader of Lincolnshire County ...

Drivers caught using a mobile phone at the wheel face a tougher penalty from March 1. Motorists will receive six points on their driving licence and a £200 fine. This change will have a significant impact on young drivers in particular as they risk having their driving licence revoked following a first offence. Motorists will no longer be offered the ...

A huge Spalding landmark is finally to be repainted later this year. Anglian Water has confirmed it will soon start work on sprucing up Chatterton Tower. Repainting of the building in Winfrey Avenue was the subject of a 2,000-signature petition in 2010, in a campaign spearheaded by Spalding Castle district councillor Gary Taylor and clean-up campaigner Sandra White, who has since left the town. ...

Police want to trace these two men about a theft from Lincolnshire Co-op Food Store in Holbeach. The incident happened at the Fleet Street store at around 8.30pm on Tuesday , January 17. A couple of meat items and two bottles of red wine were stolen. Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Steve Kirtley on 101, quoting incident number 351 of January 17.

The RAF Association is calling on people to attend the funeral of RAF  veteran Edward Scott who has passed away aged 91. Mr Scott served in the RAF as part of 154 Squadron during the Second  World War as an engineer. He has few known family and it is feared  that he will have no one to commemorate him as ...

A motorist who caused a fatal crash when he overtook an HGV and drove straight into a moped rider has been jailed for two years.   Philip Paddington-Wheatcroft struck the moped being ridden by teenager Jessica Danby as she was making her way from her home in Donington along the A52 on her way to work at Café Nero in Boston.   ...

The premises licence for The Chequers Hotel in Holbeach has been revoked by South Holland District Council. A panel holding a hearing on Thursday (Jan 19), which was presented with evidence of fraud and smuggling, came to the conclusion that “those running the premises have little or no regard for the authorities”. The premises licence has been held by The Chequers Hotel Ltd ...

Shoppers are spending more than ever at Springfields Outlet Shopping, as a drive to attract affluent customers starts to pay off. Latest figures released by owner UBS Triton Property show that centre turnover was up ten per cent and spend per head rose by seven per cent in the final quarter of 2016. Last year is described as a “transitional” ...

Trustees at Holbeach Hospital are pressing ahead with plans for an eight-bed expansion of the site. An application for planning permission has been submitted to South Holland District Council and, if approved, there is a hope the extension could be in use by the beginning of next year. The extension is expected to cost £600,000 to £700,000 and may create ...