Lincoln residents discussed a future service to help protect Lincoln’s commons and green spaces at a meeting on September 7.
The special Commons Advisory Panel at the Grandstand, chaired by Carholme ward Councillor Neil Murray, invited suggestions on how the old Urban Ranger and Commons Warden roles could be replaced.
The Urban Rangers and Commons Warden ceased to guard Lincoln green spaces in July, as earlier in the year the posts were scrapped due to austerity measures.
Now, criminal or persistent complaints are usually handled by Lincolnshire Police or the City of Lincoln Council’s anti-social behaviour team.
However, there is an issue surrounding “low-level” matters, and how these are dealt with.
The meeting was attended by Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Hardwick, and representatives from the City of Lincoln Council, Lincolnshire Police and the University of Lincoln.
Councillor Neil Murray held the meting to figure out how best to protect the green spaces in Lincoln, looking specifically at a “Commons Watch” scheme.
According to the antisocial behaviour team, there has not been a rise in incidents since the wardens left the commons.
The council will continue to tackle anti-social behaviour though even without the wardens service.
The ideas coming forward from the meeting mainly focused on numerous volunteer approaches in the community, that could be uniformed.
The service would probably not run in the evenings, but training would be provided by the council if such a scheme was set up.
Police backup
According to Chief Inspector Lee Pache, Lincolnshire Police feels that the wardens should have been kept.
The role helped police manage issues in green spaces which were too low-level for police to get involved — for example playing football on the West Common bowling green — and saved police time.
Lincolnshire Police states it will be unable to fill the void left by Urban Rangers and Commons Wardens.
However, it does intend to slightly increase patrols within wards with common land and will continue to respond to serious incidents on Lincoln greens and always remain a backup.
Police had two suggestions to put to the panel: Commons Volunteers to support police, and “Commons Trustees”.
A number of trustees would use a group text service to give each other a briefing of what is happening in green areas.
These notes could then be taken to the City Council, or if criminal to Lincolnshire Police, to help tackle problems.
This could pass on a message that there are eyes and ears watching Lincoln’s green spaces for issues at all times.
Meanwhile, PCC Alan Hardwick agreed with Lincolnshire Police’s stance, but can understand the austerity measures faced by the council due to the force’s own cuts.
“If people are aware of figures of authority in the area, it deters low level crime,” said PCC Hardwick.
The PCC attended the meeting to listen to ideas, and see if any of the suggestions could be taken on by volunteers or by future volunteer PCSOs.
Community pride
Other suggestions included adding the council contact numbers to boards around the common to help with reporting incidents, and also adding panels within the city, explaining what the commons are and their importance.
The University of Lincoln attended the meeting to also listen to ideas in order to see if student volunteers would be able to help.
It was suggested that giving students a role within Carholme and Park wards helping to protect the common would make them positively active within the community.
The students could also sign up to the 1,000 Volunteers scheme run by PCC Hardwick in order to help.
However, the university also has a duty of care, and would need to consider any risks before putting students forward.
Students would most likely be of better use in a “monitoring and reporting” role.
Volunteering from cadets, Duke of Edinburgh, probation services and even ex-offenders were also suggestions put forward.
Positive meeting
Speaking after the event, PCC Hardwick said: “This has been a very positive meeting.
“It just shows how many people in this county are willing to do something for their community, in the way of volunteering or putting themselves out for the good of other people.”
“I don’t know what the answer is to the withdrawal of the rangers and that service in Lincoln, but I do know that whatever problems there are, they can be solved by partnership working.
“That’s the message coming loud and clear from today’s meeting.”
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A local man was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and dangerous driving after two pedestrians were injured in a collision with a car and three parked vehicles in Skegness.
Lincolnshire Police officers attended the scene after the collision between a blue Citroen Berlingo, the parked vehicles, and a man and a woman, who are both in their 60s, on Winthorpe Avenue shortly before 7pm on Friday, April 16.
The two pedestrians suffered serious injuries and were taken to hospital. However, their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
A 63-year-old local man, who was driving the Berlingo, was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and dangerous driving. He has since been released under investigation.
Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage and anyone with information should contact them on 101 or via email at [email protected] quoting incident number 389 of April 16.
Few people attended the second Kill the Bill protest in Lincoln on Saturday, as Extinction Rebellion activists stood alone on the High Street to campaign against a proposed policing bill that could make many protests illegal.
Activists from Extinction Rebellion Lincolnshire gathered at Speakers’ Corner to oppose plans for the latest Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which could curtail protesting rights if passed through parliament.
Extinction Rebellion were the main representatives at the protest. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Under the proposed bill, police officers will be given greater powers to put a stop to any protests, as well as determining start and finish times for them, and controlling noise levels.
A few stopped to talk with the protestors, but most just went about their day walking down Lincoln High Street in the first weekend that non-essential shops and beer gardens reopened.
The Lincolnite spoke to one of the rebels at the protest, to find out the reasons behind the march.
They said: “This draconian bill cannot go ahead, it needs to be taken apart and re-evaluted completely.
“People have been walking past us shaking their heads, but they don’t realise that it’s their freedom we are fighting for.”
The Lincolnite photographer Steve Smailes captured some pictures from the protest.
Signs were put up by the works at Speakers’ Corner on Lincoln High Street. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
A 19-year-old man is in hospital with serious injuries after a crash on the A52 on Friday evening.
The single-vehicle crash, involving a white Suzuki Splash, happened in the westbound lane of the A52 between Barrowby and Sedgebrook at around 7.20pm on Friday, April 16.
The driver of the car is now in hospital after suffering serious injuries, and police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Officers believe the driver had travelled from Grantham on the A52 at Barrowby before the crash.
Anyone who has dashcam footage or saw the vehicle before the incident is being asked to call 101, quoting incident 420 of April 16.
Alternatively, you can email [email protected], using the same reference in the subject box.