News

Schools in South Holland should all be ready to offer free meals to children from September. At the start of the new year, all schools will be obligated to offer free school dinners to all pupils in reception and years one and two as part of a Government project. The scheme is aimed at ensuring all children receive at least ...

Rail bosses have defended themselves against claims people were not properly informed about current crossing closures. Since last Friday a number of rail crossings, including Spalding’s Park Road and Mill Green in Woolram Wygate, have been fully or part closed while the £280million Great Northern Great Eastern project work is carried out. The scheme will see track improvements as well ...

It was a busy end to the school year for Spalding Lions when they visited the town’s Garth and Priory schools. Lions Eileen Robson and Denise Walker went along to the schools to present two very surprised students with the Spalding Lions’ Walk Tall Award. This award is given in recognition of working in circumstances that require “true grit” – ...

Surveying the damage to his family home of 50 years caused by a car which went airborne, Paul Wilkinson said he has no axe to grind with the driver. Arguments rage on social media about the speed the Vauxhall Corsa might have been travelling to leave a main road, clear a hedge and collide with the first floor of the ...

Spalding’s magistrates court could close for good at the end of a public consultation on its future in just a couple of weeks’ time. No cases have been heard at the court since January, but Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal service (HMCTS) is now inviting anyone with an interest in the court to have a say on its plans to ...

“Selfish” vandals have damaged flower displays set up for Holbeach’s In Bloom entry for the third time. Volunteers put hours into creating displays which impressed judges for the East Midlands in Bloom competition recently. But all their hard work and effort has been thrown back in their faces after plants were left strewn across the pavement and foliage damaged in ...

The Castle Sports Complex swimming pool in Spalding has been forced to close for more than 24 hours after a ceiling light shattered. The incident happened on Wednesday afternoon, with debris landing in the main pool and the learner pool. Specialist divers are recovering it to prevent the pools needing to be drained and refilled. Contracts manager Richard Johnson said: “We’ve ...

Spalding Cycling Club’s 2014 grass track event was a resounding success over the weekend. The Sir John Gleed School was the venue once again, with riders of all ages and supporters travelling from as far as Colchester, Chesterfield and Great Yarmouth – as well as more locally – to enjoy a varied and exciting race programme organised by Shane and ...

A major new development in Spalding – labelled Lincs Gateway Business Park – has been granted outline planning permission. The plan includes a Premier Inn hotel, Brewer’s Fayre pub, restaurant/cafe, conference and function centre and fuel station. About 2,000 jobs would be supported with Ashley King Developments’ scheme, which will be on land either side of Barrier Bank, next to ...

Sutton Bridge residents against plans for a £300m gasifier in the village have been making their feelings known with a moving protest and petition. Around 60 cars and motorbikes took part in a protest in Sutton Bridge on Saturday, following the presentation of a 940-signature petition to Robert Clark, chairman of South Holland District Council last Wednesday. Further protests are ...

A police helicopter was drafted in to trace an occupant of a car involved in a crash in Deeping St Nicholas on Saturday night. Officers were called to reports of a two-vehicle collision in Hay Barn Road just after 9pm. A silver Vauxhall Corsa had collided with a lamppost and the driver/passenger had left the scene. It’s understood that a ...

Hundreds of new jobs are on the cards for Spalding thanks to plans for a state-of-the-art business park on the edge of town. The Lincs Gateway Business Park would comprise 60 acres of business units complemented by a restaurant, hotel, conference centre and petrol station on land just off the A16 towards Cowbit. Big names already signed up to the ...

There was a big moment for Holbeach United Youth last week when the first sod was cut for its new £504,000 facility, named Kings Academy. Members of the many junior football sides joined trustees of Holbeach United Community Sports Academy at the Pennyhill site to see Holbeach county councillor Nick Worth do the honours. The scheme started seven years ago ...

Time is being called at a Spalding pub heading for conversion to residential flats. Fortunes of The Vine in Commercial Road have fluctuated recently, and now plans have been drawn up to make it into five one-bedroom homes. RS Properties has applied to South Holland District Council for a change of use for the property. Little would change to the ...

A footbridge over the railway line in Spalding has been vandalised for a second time in as many months. Writing in white paint has been daubed on the sides of Stepping Stone Bridge, which links King’s Road with Park Road. A nearby resident, who claims the area around the bridge is attracting other unsavoury behaviour too, said: “Now that it ...

Local volunteers from the National Citizen Service rounded off their valuable help for Spalding’s In Bloom effort this year by donating £461.24. The young people – part of a scheme to learn skills for work and life – worked with In Bloom committee member Jan Whitbourn to tidy areas around the town in the run-up to judging. Fellow committee member ...

VINCImouchel has been awarded the contract to supply property services for Lincolnshire County Council, delivering savings of more than £2m over five years. The council’s Executive agreed to award the contract to the new joint-venture company set up between VINCI Facilities and Mouchel Ltd during its special meeting on Tuesday. The contract is valued at £35-45 million over five years, ...

A building society in Spalding was unable to open on Monday after a vandalism attack over the weekend. The Hinckley and Rugby branch in Sheep Market had its glass front door smashed in the early hours of Sunday. CCTV images from the building society show a man throwing something at the door. Spalding Police are investigating. Anyone with information should ...

Almost 3,000 working people aged 20 to 34 are living with their parents in South Holland. The figure has been revealed by a survey carried out by homeless charity Shelter, which looked at how the recession had affected young people trying to get on the housing market. The figure (2,823) equates to 25 per cent of working people in the ...

A carer who defrauded an elderly couple out of £20,000 has been warned she could face jail even if she repays the money. Caroline Davis took the money from Rodney and Lily Crowder while she was looking after them. Caroline Bradley, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court that Davis first became involved with the couple when she became Mrs Crowder’s hairdresser. ...