— Updated on July 6 with *petition numbers and **LRRC statement
Dozens of Lincolnites have signed an online petition against the proposed racecourse on the West Common. The petition, titled Hands off our West Common, aims to make those “who have decision-power aware that this is not a change that we want for the local community.”
116 Lincoln residents have signed the petition at the time of writing, with more expected to join as the link to the petition is now propagated through the Twitter and Facebook social networks.
The Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company (LRRC) unveiled on June 11 its proposal for the horse racing course in the West Common area, which would include the renovation of the existing Grandstand, construction of new stable blocks and associated buildings. The course would bring investment of over £12 million over the next five to seven years, say the developers.
‘Not in the public interest’, say petitioners
“What a disgrace this would be, I can’t believe the [City] Council would ever contemplate this ridiculous idea, there are plenty of courses in the area, Market Rasen being the nearest not 15 miles away. The West Common is far to precious to lose,” commented David Joyce on the petition.
“There are so few green spaces in the city already, we need to maintain this area so that families can continue to use and enjoy it. There are other racecourses within travelling distance of the city; another one is completely unnecessary,” wrote Carol Callinan. “This is not in the public interests and would ruin the scenery of this wonderful part of the city,” Dominic Burford added.
“Racing on the West Common has zero business potential. If we change the use of this beautiful resource, the land will become littered with houses, shops and filling stations,” commented Naomi Marriott.
Under the proposed plans, the existing Grandstand would be renovated.
LRRC anticipates that racing will only take place a maximum of 16 times per year, at various times of the week, specifically between March and October, with up to 5,000 people attending per event. The full document of the proposal (PDF) was made available to the public on June 11.
“I have read the company’s proposal and believe it will have a devastating effect on the West Common. The development required, by way of buildings/roads, etc. will result in a major loss of natural environment, and the disturbance on race days (including litter/clearing up afterwards) will be significant. The Lincoln Commons are a precious asset for Lincoln and its residents and significant development like that proposed by the LRRC should not be allowed,” argued Mike Norman.
“I remember the races as a kid,” recalled Kate Bartlett. “Our house was near one of the jumps. It was annoying not being allowed to play on the common during race meetings. […] It would be nice to see the Grandstand put to good use again. It does look very sad and shabby. However horse racing would not benefit most of the people who live in the West End.”
West End residents are also worried about the reduced parking facilities during racing days. “I live next to the West Common and like many other West End residents have been forced into paying for Residents Parking, which is only operational on working days, Monday to Friday,” said Kevin Smith.
“The plans for race meetings to be held only on Sundays and bank holidays mean that parking will be extremely difficult to impossible unless the Residents Parking scheme becomes applicable on these days as well. I also walk on the Common every day and sincerely hope that I will not be prevented from doing so if the proposed plans go ahead,” Smith added.
In April 1946, jockeys bunched together in the first furlong of the Lincoln racecourse.
City Council and MP await feedback
“It is important that people from across the city have their say on the proposals to investigate the feasibility of bringing professional flat horse racing back to Lincoln,” said Lincoln MP Karl McCartney, who initially backed the racecourse plans.
“The valid points raised in this petition (as in any other) would rightly be taken up in any feasibility exercise for any proposal that would effect a major change within the City of Lincoln,” McCartney added.
“As the MP, I want the best possible outcome for the majority of my constituents, and would support any inward investment to our city that might offer economic regeneration, transport infrastructure improvements, generate employment and improve the area in which it was based — but obviously only if it also adhered to the planning regime and various regulations that governed any such proposal.”
The West Common has not changed much since last used for horse racing in 1965.
“The City of Lincoln Council’s position about this proposal has been made clear since these ideas were first muted. Like any organisation, the Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company is entitled to put forward a proposal for the council’s consideration, however I must stress that the proposal has not been commissioned by the City Council,” said John Bibby, Director of Housing and Community Services.
“We have made it clear to the company concerned that we are not in a position to commit any financial resources to the development of these proposals. The council is currently studying the proposals and is seeking comment from the Commons Advisory Panel. The next step is to take the findings to the council’s Executive. Following this, a formal response will be made to LRRC.
“There are a considerable number of factors that the City Council will no doubt need to take into consideration before deciding whether it enters into formal discussions with the LRRC, or any other organisation, to re-open the racecourse.
“A petition against this scheme can be formally presented to the council, as is the process for any other petition. If the council decides it is minded to further explore this proposal, any development will need to be subject to extensive public consultation and the provisions of the Lincoln City Commons Act including consideration of any necessary planning consents,” Bibby concluded.
The stated aim of the Lincoln Racecourse Trust is to return professional flat racing to Lincoln.
An extraordinary committee meeting of the Lincoln Commons Advisory Panel has been arranged for Wednesday, July 14, beginning 6pm. This meeting will take place in Committee Rooms 1, 2, and 3 at the City Hall.
The discussion will be between City councillors who are members of this panel, and serving committee members who represent various bodies in the West Common, and a representative of LRRC. Like with other council meetings, the general public are not allowed to take part in the discussions. Councillor Helen Heath is one of three serving City councillors for Carholme Ward who will be chairing this meeting.
Racecourse company has no definitive answers**
“We understand that many residents have specific points they would like us to answer but unfortunately we are not able to answer them at the moment because we simply do not know the definitive answers,” said Karen Rastall, the spokesperson for the The Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company.
“It is essential that we carry out these detailed plans to do so, and for us to commit to spending the tens of thousands of pounds to achieve this, we need to be assured that the Council would be prepared to consider granting a lease subject to a full planning consultation.”
“We are currently awaiting discussions with City of Lincoln Council to determine if they would consider giving us the opportunity to work up a clear detailed plan, which will address the many issues relating to a project of this scale, including such matters as an environmental impact study, and a full traffic feasibility study for our preferred location,” Rastall added.
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Lincolnshire Police are investigating an attempted sexual assault after a woman was found in a distressed state on Mitre Lane in Boston.
The incident was reported to police on Sunday, August 1, and investigating officers now want to speak to any witnesses in the area between 4.30am and 5.20am.The suspect is described as white, slim build, with short, cropped, brown hair. He was wearing or carrying a hooded blue gilet (or body warmer).
Police believe the suspect headed towards John Adam’s Way via Pump Square following the incident.
Officers are specifically asking for any drivers with a dashcams, who were in the areas mentioned (Mitre Lane / Silver Street / Pump Square and John Adam’s Way) between 4.30am and 5.20am, to review their footage to see if they may have captured the incident or the suspect.
If you can help, get in touch with Lincolnshire Police in one of the following ways.
Call 101 with incident reference number 114 of 1 August.
Email [email protected] with incident number 114 of 1 August as the subject heading
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org
A 27-year-old Lincolnshire girl with alopecia has spoken out against the teasing and bullying she endured during her younger years, and how she is turning weakness into strength ahead of her bid to become Miss Great Britain.
Chloe Ashford-Smith, 27, from Grimsby, is the current Miss Lincolnshire after winning the competition in April 2021, and will be representing the county in this year’s Miss Great Britain pageant.
She currently works as a restaurant manager and has a degree in International Relations and Peace Studies, and is now hoping to add Miss Great Britain to her CV.
Chloe was born with alopecia and has had to deal with tragic cases of hair loss throughout her life.
Chloe wants to write her name in the history books as the first person with alopecia or hair loss to win the award, a condition she has suffered with since she was born.
She lost around 80% of her hair a few years ago and has dealt with bullying and verbal abuse her whole life, but she didn’t let that defeat her.
Alopecia has tarnished Chloe her whole life, causing her to lose 80% of her hair.
Reflecting on her difficult journey to today, Chloe told The Lincolnite: “At infant school I was almost mute, I was so scared I was petrified to do anything or speak to anyone. I think this was mainly down to my alopecia which I have suffered with my whole life.
“I was bullied a lot when I was younger by both boys and girls. When I was in infant and junior school I was called egghead, baldie and told I looked like a boy.
“However, when I went through secondary school, as I was finding ways to hide my alopecia (hair extensions, eyelashes), I was then bullied by girls and called fake and Barbie, even though I was only using these beauty products to hide my insecurities in my hair loss.
“I lost my eyebrows and eyelashes during my teenage years too. I had a boyfriend at school who would call me Humpty Dumpty.
“I never felt good enough during my teenage years so to now become Miss Lincolnshire and come this far feels amazing.”
Chloe is gunning for the title of Miss Great Britain this year.
Part of pageantry is getting involved with fundraising for charities as well as impressing the judges with talent rounds, which saw Chloe finish in the top 10 after excelling at figure skating and drawing.
She has been raising money since receiving the Miss Lincolnshire title in April and has so far built up over £2,000 for Cancer Research UK and Alex’s Wish.
Her involvement with charity fundraising has been consistent since winning the award of Miss Lincolnshire.
Being a role model and ambassador is something which Chloe takes very seriously in her position, and she wants to be someone that young people who may have similar conditions to her can look up to.
Chloe said: “I do pageants for fun, but also to show other girls or boys like me that it doesn’t matter what your physical appearance is, whether it be hair loss, scars or anything else.
“You can do anything you set your mind to. Once you start believing in yourself, magical things really do start to happen in your life.
“No matter how you look on the outside, it really doesn’t matter. What matters is the person you are in your heart and how you treat people.
“I would love to win Miss Great Britain 2021. I think it would really mean something to everyone out there suffering with some type of condition which present itself physically.
“I do consider myself a role model and ambassador for people like me, and I am so grateful for all the support from friends and strangers.”
If Chloe were to win Miss Great Britain 2021, she would be the second Lincolnshire winner in a row, after the success of Jen Atkin from Grimsby last year.
The finals of Miss Great Britain will take place on Thursday, September 16 and Friday, September 17 in Leicester. Best of luck to Chloe, we will be rooting for you!
Tragedy to triumph: Chloe Ashford-Smith said she never felt good enough during her teenage years, but now she is Miss Lincolnshire.
A woman who owns a horse on Lincoln’s South Common is pleading with people not to feed the animals after another owner’s beloved pet tragically died at the weekend.
Vera, a 14-year-old horse, was owned by a man called John. There are around eight or nine horses left on the South Common now, including one owned by Charlotte Houlden.
Charlotte was called at around 7.30pm on Sunday, August 1 regarding John’s horse Vera, who was down and struggling to get back up again.
She told The Lincolnite the horse had been given cake, bread and carrots that day and that’s only what was known, as more bad items may also have been given to the animal.
Charlotte keeps most of her own horses on a private field, but is angry at the treatment of the ones still on the common. She added that signage she had previously put up at the common has been ripped down.
Horse owners are urging people not to feed their animals on the South Common in Lincoln. | Photo: Charlotte Houlden
Charlotte said: “We quickly assessed the situation and originally thought colic due to her (Vera) sweating and straining. We called her owner who in turned called the vet before rushing to the common himself.
“The couple who called us and their lovely neighbour were there helping us keep the horse nice and calm.
“The vets arrived just after 8pm and and confirmed it wasn’t actually colic going by her bloodshot eyes, shallow breathing and stiff legs. Something had poisoned her and she also went cold very suddenly.
“The vets gave her some pain relief to see if it would help, and we all tried to roll her onto her knees so she could attempt to get up. She did manage it with a lot of encouragement, but was too weak. Her back legs wouldn’t hold her and she was down again in less than 10 seconds.
“At this stage the owner and vets agreed she won’t make it, and I was asked to make the call to John Lord just before 9pm to come and put her to sleep. John humanely dispatches horses and other large animals and is extremely good at his job. He was there within the hour and she was put to sleep using an instantaneous method.
“The last thing she heard was “good girl” and she was gone. The pain relief she received kept her calm and comfortable during the wait.
“She’ll be greatly missed by horse owners and common visitors alike. She was a very loving horse.”
Horses on the South Common in Lincoln. | Photo: Charlotte Houlden
The problem of people feeding horses on the South Common has been ongoing for years and has become even worse during the coronavirus lockdown.
Charlotte added: “It’s a daily occurrence despite signs and people being asked to stop.
“Please don’t feed them anything at all. Give them a good back or neck scratch instead, the horses love that and it’s not something that can kill them like feeding can and has.
“It’s been a slight problem for years but it’s been really bad ever since the first lockdown last year.
“As more people used the common, which is brilliant, unfortunately more people started feeding the horses. Now it’s many people every day and they can be so nasty when asked to stop.
“It’s not just on the commons, it’s happening all over, including private fields.
“We lost a wonderful family pony as a result of someone feeding him. He choked, reared, hit his poll and ended up with severe neurological issues and blindness. He had to be put to sleep, bless him.”
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