Lincolnshire people against wind farms, council survey shows

People flouting traffic laws, driving irresponsibly, and littering from their vehicles have been targeted in an operation aimed at reducing vehicle crime and antisocial behaviour in Grantham town centre.

Operation Indal was a night of proactive action by Grantham officers in partnership with the CCTV and ASB teams at South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) last week, and was developed to respond to issues reported in the town centre which included speeding, racing and excessive vehicle noise.

The operation saw one vehicle seized under SOCAP for having no valid insurance policy, a further two motorists reported for speeding, two more reported for having no MOT, and a further driver reported for driving without due care and attention.

Officers also used the vehicle defect reification scheme (VDRS) to deal with an incident of a front light being out, one driver with a none-compliant exhaust, and a further motorist with a noisy exhaust. The VDRS is a scheme used for minor offences and provides an opportunity to motorists to avoid prosecution by getting defects fixed and examined.

A motorcyclist was issued with a Horti, which requires the rider to produce a certificate to confirm they have passed the initial motorcycle riding course (CBT), and another was reported for not having a valid licence.

Words of advice and education were issued on 13 separate occasions, including: eight people around vehicle modifications; one person for having a cracked windscreen; one person for having a noisy exhaust; and a further three people for their manner of driving.

The operation was developed by PC Emma Faulks. She said: “Vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour has a significant impact on people living and working nearby, and we are always thinking of ways we can challenge and target this behaviour to meet the needs of community.

“As well as dealing with the offenders, we have gathered intelligence which will help us to police these issues in the future, and hopefully provided some peace of mind to those who have been affected by this behaviour. We’re there to protect our communities, and we will continue to monitor the situation in the town centre.”

SKDC’s Neighbourhoods team supported the operation which also resulted in three people being issued £150 fines for littering, directly related to vehicle ASB.

SKDC Cabinet Member for People and Safer Communities, Councillor Annie Mason, said: “This operation was a successful, productive and worthwhile joint exercise.

“It is a good example of our close partnership with the police and of how well we work together to combat these types of issues – and it meets our stated ambition in the Corporate Plan to work effectively with our partners for the benefit of the local community.

“Our CCTV team monitors all of our town centres 24/7 and will continue to support the police with their work to reduce all forms of antisocial behaviour.”

If you have information about a crime, you can report it to us on 101, or by using Crimestoppers anonymously through 0800 555 111. If it’s an emergency, always call 999.

Nearly 2,000 ‘well-paid, high-skilled and sustainable’ jobs are set be created at a new Advanced Manufacturing Park in Scunthorpe being developed by North Lincolnshire Council.

The council has completed the acquisition of a 60-acre site at the edge of Scunthorpe using money from the government’s £3.6 million “levelling up” Towns Fund. It said it will be developing the UK’s first carbon-neutral advanced manufacturing park.

The project, which will create more than 4 million square foot of advanced manufacturing space, will now go through planning. The required infrastructure will be built to connect the site with the nearby M181 motorway.

Aerial view of the 60-acre development site at the edge of Scunthorpe. | Photo: North Lincolnshire Council

The scheme is one of several being developed under the Towns Fund programme, which is overseen by the Scunthorpe Towns Fund Board and is linked to the Future High Street Fund. The money is part of the government’s levelling up agenda.

Around £35 million has so far been committed by government for Scunthorpe through the Town Deal and Future High Streets Fund, plus £12 million for the Burringham Bypass connectivity improvements on the M181, £14 million for flood defence on the River Trent, and £35 million for the new pumping station at Keadby.

Councillor Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “This is a massively exciting project which will have profound effects on the area for generations. It will create hundreds of well-paid, high-skilled jobs in advanced sectors and will be a globally significant hub for research, development and innovation.

“We are already leaders in advanced steel making and this development will create the right environment for more world-leading businesses to join the North Lincolnshire stable, creating and developing innovative, leading-edge products.

“With the fantastic motorway links and clear ties to the ports complex, access to national and international markets will be immediately available – helped of course further through the government’s flagship freeports project which will help make these companies even more competitive.”

“Ask me in two weeks, I’ll know a lot more then” – is the answer Lincolnshire’s health boss gave when asked to predict if Christmas lockdown was on the cards.

Lincolnshire County Council’s director for public health, Professor Derek Ward, called on people to put the headlines about Downing Street Christmas Parties to one side and act to protect themselves and their loved ones as he welcomed the Government’s announcement around Plan B measures on Thursday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new measures during a press conference on Wednesday night. They include face masks in indoor venues from Friday (with some exemptions), a renewed work from home order from Monday and the introduction of COVID passes for entry into busy venues from next week.

Professor Ward told Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Jaines: “From a public health perspective I welcome it. A lot of what was announced are things that I would be doing or that the county council, for example, are already doing so that’s good.”

The latest news follows a series of headlines about allegations of Downing Street Christmas parties and gatherings within days of restrictions being announced last year. The news has sparked a backlash from both sides of Government and resulted in leaked videos of officials laughing and joking about parties.

The government’s press secretary Allegra Stratton yesterday resigned in the wake of the potential scandal.

It has resulted in many asking why they should follow the rules if those who make them don’t.

Professor Ward said: “It’s completely understandable that people think like that.

“What I would ask people to do is put that to one side and think about themselves and think about their loved ones and the risks for them.

“What I’m saying is that as your director of public health in Lincolnshire I do not know enough about Omicron yet that I feel comfortable saying you should do X, Y and Z apart from minimise your risk.”

He said the latest measures would help delay the “very rapid spread” of Omicron and give more time to understand the impact.

A key concern for Professor Ward was how the new variant’s infections were doubling every two to three days with 484 cases officially confirmed in the UK yesterday evening and predictions that it could reach 16,000 by the end of next week.

Only one case has been officially confirmed in Lincolnshire, however, Professor Ward said: “I guarantee there are a significantly bigger number than one case of Omicron in Lincolnshire just like there are across the country – we just haven’t picked them up yet.”

He urged people to continue getting their booster jab and keeping to hands, face, space under the new measures.

Lincolnshire County Council’s Director of Public Health Professor Derek Ward. | Photo: Lincolnshire County Council

Asked if people could, or should, attend Christmas parties when they’re being told to work from home, he said: “Everybody’s going to have to make their own choice, but it’s on the balance of risk.”

“If you work in a small office with the same four or five people day in, day out your risk is less than if you’re going to a party with 200 to 300 others”, he said.

“For me, I would want to prioritise seeing my mum, my sisters, my brother over Christmas if I can and so, I’m not going to go into a pub or a restaurant, not that I’ve been invited, with work colleagues that I don’t normally work with when that might risk my ability to go and see my my loved ones over Christmas.

“In terms of where we’ll be at Christmas? Ask me in two weeks I’ll know a lot more about Omicron then.”