“Come and visit!” are the three words Owen Paterson, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, used to describe Lincoln after a visit in the city on Monday, March 31.
The Shropshire MP toured Lincoln Cathedral, admiring the interior and inspecting the ongoing renovation work at the city landmark.
Owen Paterson, the DEFRA Secretary (centre) visiting the Lincoln Cathedral stonemasonry workshop. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Owen Paterson said: “We’ve had an absolutely fascinating walk, because I’ve been here before, but I’ve never had the privilege of having the big doors opened and seeing the whole nave.
“Then going on to the stonemasons’ yard and talking to the head mason, seeing the incredible care and detail going into not just recreating some of the old and sadly faded and decayed images, but creating new ones in medieval tradition, is quite tremendous.”
The visit comes after the Chancellor announced in the 2014 Budget that £20 million will be made available for cathedral repairs across the country.
“That is not my responsibility, but there was significant money, £20 million put in the Budget, towards restoring our historic cathedrals; there are few candidates with quite a strong case as Lincoln, so I wish Lincoln the very best of luck,” Owen Paterson said.
The DEFRA Secretary was invited by Lincoln MP Karl McCartney, who added: “It’s a phenomenal amount of money: £1.5 million every year is needed just for the fabric of the cathedral to keep it in a good useable state, and the budget for the cathedral is £4.5 million per year.
“There is a pot that’s been made available by the Chancellor in the last Budget and I’ve already written to the Chancellor and various ministers asking what the process is.
“The Dean and I spoke just after the Budget and in the weeks after, because I’m going to make sure and do my best to help the cathedral access those funds.”
Clear guidance on building on floodplains
The Western Growth Corridor between Boultham and Birchwood is a 320-hectare site — around 10% of Lincoln’s size.
He commented on plans from the City of Lincoln Council, which intends to build up to 3,000 new homes on the Western Growth Corridor between Boultham and Birchwood, a 320-hectare site — around 10% of the city.
The area has been considered for development before in 2006, but concerns over flooding have stopped it progressing further.
But the City Council is moving ahead with the plans after coming up with measures to address some of the flood risk concerns.
Owen Paterson in Lincoln on March 31, 2014. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Owen Paterson said: “I came to talk to the Internal Drainage Boards, the County Council, and it’s very interesting that I’m trying to set up something similar in Somerset, but you beat me to it here, and it does seem to work very well.
“Of all these organisations working with the Environment Agency partnership, right at the end they did mention this particular development and I always adhere very strictly to the view that planning should remain in council’s hands.
“There is a clear preference and a very clear steer in our national planning guidance that we should not be building things on floodplains if it’s not appropriate, so I’d leave that entirely down to the local councillors to make that decision.
“I’m not an expert on this, it literally came right at the end of our meeting talking about management of floods generally, and how we can look at future defences on the sea, which is enormously important for Lincolnshire, if you think of the horrific loss of life back in 1953.
“So, I’m not an expert in this particular application, but I would just point out that there’s a very clear steer in our national guidance on planning not to build on floodplains. It’s a matter for local councillors.”
Lincoln MP Karl McCartney added: “This is obviously a very important issue. We more than touched on the Swanpool – Western Growth Corridor development.
“[Owen Paterson] made it very clear what the government guidelines are, that you should look at not developing housing on a floodplain.
“Whilst many of us have got various issues with the previous planning application, the one that’s being mooted at the moment I don’t think has been properly thought out.
“I am not against development in our community, but I think it has to be the right type of development, and some times, some people are perhaps a little bit too set in their ways.”
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From 4am on Tuesday, December 7, anyone wishing to travel to the UK must show proof of a negative PCR or LFD pre-departure test, taken no earlier than 48 hours before departure. This applies to vaccinated passengers and children aged 12 and above.
Nigeria will slo be added to the travel red list from 4am Monday, December 6, following 21 cases of Omicron reported in England which are linked to travel from this country, with 134 UK cases now reported in total.
New Government analysis indicates the window between infection and infectiousness may be shorter for the Omicron COVID variant, which increases the efficacy of pre-departure testing as it is more likely to identify positive cases before travel.
Airlines will be required to check for pre-departure tests alongside completed Passenger Locator Form, and passengers will not be allowed to board a flight without providing evidence of a negative test result.
Given the reduced incubation period of the Omicron variant, passengers are advised to take the pre-departure test as close as possible to their scheduled departure to the UK and no earlier than 48 hours before travelling.
The Government said these additional measures are vital to delay the import of additional cases and slow the rise in cases within the UK.
All temporary measures will be reviewed after three weeks to ensure that they remain necessary and proportionate, and this will take place on December 20.
Animal Protection Services is offering a reward of up to £1,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of people involved in badger baiting following an incident in Lincolnshire.
A badger was rescued by Lincolnshire Badger Group from a warehouse in Market Rasen, which had suffered injuries that were consistent with badger baiting.
Badger baiting is a form of blood sport that involves a dog being forced to fight with a badger.
Unfortunately, due the serious injuries sustained, the vet was forced to euthanise the badger.
Jacob Lloyd, a trustee of Animal Protection Services, said: “Badger baiting is a horrific cruel blood sport that affects the welfare of dogs and badgers.
“These wild animals will suffer immensely in the moments’ leading up to their deaths.
“This is a despicable crime that was made illegal in 1835. Despite it being illegal, we are hearing of more badger baiting cases than ever before.”
“We are offering a reward of up to £1,000 for information leading to a conviction of badger baiting.
“All of the information that is provided to us will be treated in the strictest confidence and any source may wish to remain anonymous.”
Anyone with information should call Animal Protection Services on 020 4534 2786 or send information by email to [email protected].
Unvaccinated women who suffered with COVID-19 during their pregnancies have told their harrowing stories of battling the virus, from being hospitalised to having emergency c-sections, as part of a new campaign encouraging expectant mothers to get the vaccine.
The video features three women who experienced serious complications after contracting COVID-19 before they’d been vaccinated, as well as the doctors and frontline staff who treated them, to warn of the dangers of the virus for pregnant women and their babies.
Medical expert Professor Asma Khalil from Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is also interviewed as part of the powerful new film and provides further reassurance on the importance of the vaccine.
Data published last week by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows the vaccines are safe for mothers and their babies, with good birth outcomes for vaccinated women who had their babies up to August this year.
There were no consistent differences between vaccinated women and all women in the figures for stillbirths, low baby birthweights and premature births.
Nearly 1 in 5 COVID-19 patients who are most critically ill are pregnant women who have not been vaccinated.
Of those pregnant women in hospital with symptomatic COVID-19, 98% are unvaccinated, and no fully vaccinated pregnant women were admitted to intensive care with COVID-19 in England between February and the end of September 2021.
Around 1 in 5 women who are hospitalised with the virus need to be delivered preterm to help them recover and 1 in 5 of their babies need care in the neonatal unit.
The women who feature in the new, short film have issued an urgent plea calling on expectant mothers to take up the vaccine as soon as possible to protect themselves and their babies.
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