News

Former South Holland District Council officer Jim Scarsbrook will feature in the election results in May. But instead of reading them out – as he was four years ago – he’s planning to be one of the candidates announced as “duly elected”. Mr Scarsbrook (61), who is standing for the Independent Group, was returning officer at the last count in ...

The 4th Spalding Scout Troop can buy new camping tents, tables and lamps after a £980.50 donation by Spalding Round Table. Table’s ways and means officer Jason Parnell said: “We are proud to be able to support 4th Spalding Scout Troop and help them purchase much needed new camping equipment.” The cheque was presented to scout leader Rob Buck by ...

Four men believed to be illegal immigrants from Syria have been arrested after arriving at a fruit importer and distributor on Tuesday. Police said: “Just before midday, police were called to Empire World Trade, Enterprise Way, Pinchbeck. “Four adult men, believed to be from Syria, were arrested on suspicion of entering the country illegally.” The men were due to be ...

An extremely generous reader of The Spalding and South Holland Voice has pledged £50,000 to enable Hovenden House to replace a stolen minibus. The anonymous donor called the Fleet care home after seeing our story last week. They felt moved after reading how distraught the residents were by the theft from the home’s car park of the minibus, a Y-registration ...

A campaign has been launched for a footbridge to be built next to the Winsover Road railway crossing in Spalding. It is hoped that the space left by the demolition of the former signal box last weekend could be put to good use for a bridge, which could benefit pedestrians, and wheelchair users as well as encourage more people to ...

MP John Hayes has been criticised for leading a government bill that ended the moratorium on fracking. The Green Party parliamentary candidate for South Holland and the Deepings, Dan Wilshire, has criticised Mr Hayes for leading the bill, saying: “This is irresponsible behaviour from an MP supposedly representing a rural constituency. “We have seen in America the adverse effects that ...

Five men will be sentenced next week after a series of ramraids, including ones in Long Sutton and Crowland, which netted a total of £400,000. Joseph Upton, John Smith, Albert Smith, John Christopher Smith and Alfred Stanley, all from Cambridgeshire or Bedfordshire, carried out raids at 12 banks in 2012. They used JCB diggers to smash into businesses before ripping ...

Homes in Spalding and Crowland have been the target for a spate of burglaries during Tuesday and Wednesday. Three properties were burgled in Spalding and there was also an attempted break-in. A property in Chestnut Avenue was burgled some time between 5pm on Tuesday and 7am on Wednesday (police incident 45, March 4) and a house in West Elloe Avenue was ...

“Intensive support” is still needed to improve standards at South Holland primary schools a year after almost half were found to be “requiring improvement”. During the summer of 2013, it was identified that 17 of the district’s 35 primary schools (48 per cent) needed to improve – compared to just 20 per cent in the whole of Lincolnshire. It led ...

A fourth consecutive cut to South Holland District Council’s share of the council tax bill has been unanimously agreed by members. South Holland is one of only half a dozen councils in the country to deliver year-on-year reductions in council tax which, when added to the freeze introduced in 2010, means a real terms cut for the district’s residents of ...

A man died after being pulled from the River Welland on Tuesday. Police were called to Welland Bank in Crowland at about 11am. The man, who is believed to be from the Peterborough area, was pronounced dead at the scene. His death is not being treated as suspicious.

Millions of pounds could be saved from the national policing budget if other forces adopted the “Lincolnshire Way”, according to the chief constable. Neil Rhodes made the bold statement to the Government’s policing minister during a visit by him to the county to discuss in-depth the challenges faced in Lincolnshire in relation to funding. After the meeting, also attended by ...

More than 90 per cent of children have received offers for their first choice of secondary schools. Offers for places at secondary schools have been made available to parents today. Of the 7,507 offers made to secondary schools, 93 per cent of children will receive their first preference school (6,948 children). The figure for second preference offers is 5.7per cent ...

Spalding businesses are pleading with shoppers not to stay away after a quiet first Saturday of five weekends’ rail maintenance. With trains diverted through South Holland due to part of the East Coast Main Line being shut, it had been feared that some town centre roads would be gridlocked due to a huge increase in level crossing barriers downtime. However, ...

Lincolnshire Chief Constable Neil Rhodes has said that he and the Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Hardwick are looking forward to welcoming Policing Minister Mike Penning to the force for his promised visit today (Monday). “The Commissioner and I said after our return from the meeting in Westminster last month that it was our intention to continue to make the ...

Three men have been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of burglary. The men were arrested on Friday night (February 27), in the Park Road area of Spalding in connection with two burglaries that had been reported a short time earlier. All three have been interviewed and are now on bail pending further enquiries. Community Policing Inspector Jim Tyner warned: ...

The fight for a better road infrastructure in South Holland will take a further step next month. Richard Davies, Lincolnshire County Counci’s portfolio holder for highways and transport, will meet key businesses and organisations pressing to see action. It follows a “fresh produce summit” with local MP and Transport Minister John Hayes in Spalding last Friday. For the past 12 ...

Around 60 new jobs are to be created in Spalding as part of a restructuring at a food company. The Produce World Group has announced its intention to form a joint venture to grow, harvest, pack and market brassicas with Lincolnshire Field Products (LFP), based at Wykeham. The new venture would be responsible for growing and harvesting as well as ...

“Astonished” Long Sutton Parish Council is seeking a judicial review over a planning decision by South Holland District Council. The parish council was angered by the way an application for 87 eco homes on the former Butterfly and Wildlife Park was handled. The parish council said: “The council have made an official complaint to the district council and the ombudsman. ...

A leisure development with 12 fishing cabins is planned in Fleet Hargate. It’s hoped that, if the proposal receives planning permission, it could provide a boost for tourism in South Holland. The “small scale” two-bedroom properties would be on a site near Hovenden House, near Lowgate. A statement submitted with the plans said: “The cabins will provide accommodation for holidaymakers ...