The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Our Lincolnshire County Council are responsible for providing well maintained safe highways, transport, planning, passenger transport, social care, libraries, strategic planning and waste disposal.
Almost 80 per cent of our services are supported by our CC and they get the lion’s share of our Council Tax. My share this year being £969.04, so like you I want to see value for money and good quality services. But currently that is not the case.
That is why on the May 6 our vote will be vital in getting the right representative for our area of Lincolnshire in the LCC elections.
We have all experienced a year like no other and restarting our local economy will be key for our local small businesses. But don’t let the pandemic be the main reason for the demise of our High Streets.
The demise has been a result of over a decade of neglect and under investment.
For 2020/21 the county’s capital maintenance grant was £51m, compared to £38.7m for 2021/22. That is almost a 25 per cent reduction.
This has resulted in the Lincolnshire County Council having to call upon reserve funding in the region of £10m for road repairs and maintenance.
Also, a further £12m for small business that have not benefited from the government COVID-19 support scheme.
Again, millions of pounds from CC funding reserves.
Our CC cannot keep filling the black hole that has been left over the years by central government cuts. How long will it be before local authorities are left on their knees? It’s totally obscene.
Years of Tory austerity hasn’t worked, and CC reserves will not last forever.
These funding cuts are a worrying trend as this will mean less road resurfacing, fewer potholes filled, and more angry road users.
Surely prevention is better than cure but compared to London councils Lincolnshire are getting the leftovers from central government funding.
I am not saying please sir can I have more, I am saying we need a County Council that will fight and challenge this Conservative
Government for a fairer funding deal for Lincolnshire and shine a light on the broken promise of a so called levelling up of the county. Although Lincolnshire is a massive county it is still dealt a raw deal compared to larger cities.
There must be a better way, and this can be possible by supporting and voting for a candidate who cares for a better deal for Lincolnshire.
Make voting safer, vote by post. Who cares wins?
Rodney Sadd
Union delegate for South Holland & The Deepings CLP
