Why have the 12 months flown by so quickly? That’s easy, because we have been so busy. Added to the task of delivering excellent services (assessed by national data number crunchers) we have been busy addressing how we will save/generate a further £2.5 million by 2020-21 due to the reduction in government funding.
Please don’t let this spoil your festive cheer. It’s all in hand. We have a plan!
We’re building a crematorium in a beautiful rural location. Somewhere to bury my bones when the Gainsborough regeneration programme is completed. It’s a great design with a dedication area and water feature.
The planning application is now being considered which should give us the go ahead in the new year.
Since 2014, we’ve taken a commercial approach to the way we operate.
Within the 105 service strands in West Lindsey we have identified 19 which we can offer as a chargeable service to the private sector or other local authorities.
By investing in property both in and outside the district, whilst continuing to find efficiencies, we will continue to strengthen our financial position.
Gainsborough and the district is a beautiful place to live. Our regeneration proposals for Gainsborough are a real challenge.
There are more obstacles than free rides, many of the obstacles you cannot see but they are real. Thankfully our regeneration team are tenacious and have agreed to continue working through Christmas. (I’m sending them a picture of our roast turkey on Christmas day. Just to keep their spirits up.)
Our leisure offer is presently out to tender which hopefully will see the establishment of a new dry leisure facility for Market Rasen.
As we all know, this is a rapidly changing world, you must not let the moss grow. (First it blocks the drains, second you have to recognise and understand your environment.)
That is why we are presently operating without a CEO. Our last CEO has moved to pastures new and I can only thank her for everything she brought and delivered for West Lindsey. My sincere thanks Manjeet.
We will decide early in the new year whether to reappoint or continue with a three director management team.
The lack of government funding has now forced us to charge for green waste collections. We have resisted this over the last four years, affirming, we only charge when we have to.
In the last Autumn Statement it was so obvious that the government is pumping money into devolved authorities.
A stark reminder, government has the whip hand. If you don’t dance to their tune, you don’t get an invite to the ball!
Devolution for Lincolnshire would have been very positive.
Leading up to Christmas has been great. First a ground-breaking ceremony for a new 56 bed Travelodge hotel along with a joint venture with Dransfield Properties Ltd to regenerate shops along Market Street and North Street.
The following week a new Lidl store opened providing one hundred more car parking spaces.
Finally, I’d like to wish every one a very happy and prosperous new year from West Lindsey.
New Year’s resolutions
Personal: I will eat less, exercise more, become fitter and leaner in an attempt to keep up with my wife! Spend more time revelling in our beautiful countryside bird watching, walking, cycling and visiting new places. Whilst enjoying all above I will pursue a dynamic agenda of business for the council.
Professional: We will continue to provide the best services across the council that our budgeted resources are capable of delivering while ensuring we fully address the physical and social needs of all residents. We will continue to enhance the physical, financial and social benefits for all constantly pushing for improvements in health, education and work opportunities.
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Councillor Jeff Summers is the leader of West Lindsey District Council.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
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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