LETTERS – Concerns over parish council

We are all aware that the PM has taken the step to suspend Parliament and assume Executive Control.

Here are two examples from Pinchbeck.

Firstly just before the district elections there was a meeting with an agenda item to set up an affordable housing committee.

I objected as councillors may alter after the election and a housing needs survey also needed to be done.

This seemed to have been accepted, but then we were informed by Coun Allen that we had been in discussion with Larkfleet about providing them and with the Homes and Community Agency who have confirmed that funding is available.

Coun Allen did not mention that he is a director of Pinchbeck Community Land Trust who now own the freehold of the former parish land on Maurice Chapel Way and receive the lease payments from Lincs Rural.

The current chairman of PCLT Ltd has been on BBC Look North stating a need for 139 more affordable houses in Pinchbeck.

SHDC has reduced the quota of affordable housing on new builds from 33 to 25 per cent – are we to make up the difference?

There was an emergency council meeting on September 10 with the police in relation to the local crime spree in Pinchbeck, West Pinchbeck on last figures presented has a very low crime rate.

At the last council meeting it was decided that the Chairman of Cemetery Committee would have executive powers, it took less than two seconds to propose, second and elect Coun Allen to this post who immediately produced his plans for the cemetery, ie it appeared to me that the chairman and plans had been decided previously.

He has previously suggested it will cost about £500,000 to complete.

As my suggestions never appear in the minutes this is my attempt to represent the people and get best value from our assets.

Firstly I suggested that as there is a shift towards cremations less space will be needed and an extension into Rotten Row field on an as and when stage would suffice.

Strangely this has now been proposed by another councillor and seems to have been accepted.

This was rejected by chairman Coun Dobbs, also a director of PCLT Ltd who insisted we need seven acres for it. It is a coincidence that Spalding’s cemetery is also nearly full.

Could it be that we are being asked to provide for Spalding? We do charge extra for internments from outside the parish but the point I made that SHDC should pay a proportion of the considerable maintenance cost in the same ratio was rejected.

As it is intended to do the work in stages I suggested that solar park, life expectancy 25 years, be set up. Network Rail being an obvious customer on some of the site and pay the market price for the power.

This was rejected on the grounds that we wanted a green space between us and Spalding.

Is it a coincidence that we are now Pinchbeck ward of SHDC and no longer a parish council.

Douglas Dickens
Pinchbeck