News

Parish council work in Holbeach gave Coun Paul Foyster the desire to go further and secure a place on the district council. And he achieved that in May this year, one of two members to be elected to represent UKIP on the local authority for the first time. “I like being in local government because you get the opportunity to ...

A former amateur triathlete is calling for more research after he was struck down by a devastating and little-known disease. Ron Flewett, from Weston Hills, was a healthy and active 53-year-old when he was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which has left him unable to take part in the athletic events he used to enjoy. Since his devastating diagnosis ...

New technology is set to make winter road gritting more effective and efficient. The new county-wide system is able to monitor the temperature of individual roads, meaning gritting can be more targeted to where it is needed. Preparations are already under way for the winter, with Lincolnshire’s fleet of 43 gritters venturing out from their depots on a test run ...

Smokers in South Holland could land themselves with a £50 fine after Lincolnshire police said they would enforce a new law. From October 1 it became illegal for drivers to smoke in a car carrying children aged under 18 years old. The law applies even if the windows or sunroof are open or air conditioning is on, although not in ...

Parents and carers now have access to a wealth of information thanks to the school nursing section of the Lincolnshire Healthy Families website, part of Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS). The school nursing service offers support and advice to children and young people in a variety of locations whether they attend a mainstream school, or other types of ...

A new service to help migrant workers integrate more fully into local communities has been launched. The Citizens Advice Bureau’s Reaching Communities project will support foreign workers for its five-year lifespan, with  more than £250,000 funding from the Big Lottery Fund. Face-to-face advice and information delivered in native language and aimed at migrant workers from Poland, Latvia and Lithuania will be available ...

Lincolnshire Police says an 11 per cent rise in the number of complaints made against the force can be seen as a positive. A report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) shows 567 complaints were lodged in 2014/15 – up 57 from the previous year. The 11 per cent rise compares to a national average of six per cent. ...

Network Rail is quietly confident that road users in South Holland may have seen the last of the ongoing problem which has caused level crossings to close for hours at a time. It has taken 12 months to get to this point but the very many drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and businesses frustrated by automatic closures when no train has been ...

Anyone who owns an empty home which could be used to house Syrian refugees is being urged to come forward. Although it is not yet known what impact the Syrian crisis will have on South Holland, the district council is working on contigencies in case of an influx of refugees. And it has urged anyone who could offer an empty ...

by Jess Horn – community development officer at South Holland District Council This month will see Hate Crime Awareness Week take place and our team is keen to spread the word. Research suggests that over 80 per cent of hate crimes are not reported to the police. We want to raise awareness of this project and do what we can ...

There cannot be too many people for whom a 20-hour working day is not just a regular occurrence, but the norm. Hardly a “sell” for getting involved in local government in Local Democracy Week (October 12-19) but, like the late former Prime Minister and fellow Conservative Margaret Thatcher, little sleep is normal for South Holland District Council leader Gary Porter. “I usually only sleep ...

A group set up to help sufferers of brain tumours across Lincolnshire has received the backing of MP John Hayes. Mr Hayes, MP for South Holland and the Deepings, has taken on the role of patron of the Lincolnshire Brain Tumour Support Group with the aim of promoting the vital work it does in helping sufferers deal with their condition. ...

South Holland District Council has vowed to “make improvements where necessary” in light of complaints about changing rooms cleanliness and water temperature at Spalding’s Castle Sports Complex swimming pool. But officers did not say whether any changes had been implemented in the three weeks since issues were first highlighted in The Voice on September 17. 1Life runs the Castle Sports ...

A Spalding off licence caught selling smuggled alcohol has had its premises licence revoked. The action was taken by South Holland District Council’s licensing committee after Lincolnshire Police requested a review of the premises licence for Global Foods, based in Winsover Road. At a hearing last week, the committee was told that police officers visited the store on June 19 ...

A Spalding business owner who made alterations to its premises without planning consent has had his retrospective application refused. South Holland District Council’s planning committee went against their officers’ recommendation and voted 13-1 in favour of refusing Zagros Abdullah’s application for the former Station Gates pub in Spalding, now known as International Food. Much of the property is Victorian and ...

Sutton Bridge Parish Council wants a judicial review over planning consent for a second power station. Last month the government said EDF Energy could build the plant, known as Sutton Bridge B. The development is said to lead to around 1,500 new jobs during construction and around 50 permanent positions once operational. But the parish council – backed by 98 per ...

Pupils from 36 primary schools took the chance to look round University Academy Holbeach as prospective students – and every bit of feedback was extremely positive. A Year 7 student gave a presentation of her first few weeks in school and two sixth formers talked about their life in Year 12. Each department of all subject areas attended the evening ...

South Holland District Council has teamed up with other Lincolnshire authorities to launch a joint crackdown on fraud, starting with false applications for council tax discount or support. The Lincolnshire Counter Fraud Partnership is made up of all seven districts and the county council. The group takes the issue extremely seriously, and have come together to raise awareness, share resources ...

This image and more feature in the first-ever Long Sutton area calendar produced by the town’s Market House Photography Group. Members submitted entries and the group’s committee chose the 13 images for the calendar. Members who have their work published are Carole Kenyon, Roy Ashton, Jackie Forrest, Angela Reeve, Trevor Swift, Sally Goodacre and Michael Andrews. The calendar costs £5 ...

Planned reforms of how police forces are funded would give Lincolnshire a better deal and reward those areas already providing good value for money. Lincolnshire Chief Constable Neil Rhodes and the county’s police and crime commissioner Alan Hardwick have responded to a formal consultation on the new plans, which could see millions of extra pounds in their budget in future ...