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.
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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.
New fines for littering and dog fouling in Scunthorpe have been introduced by North Lincolnshire Council, with £150 fines now being issued for first time offences.
It comes as a message of zero tolerance for environmental crimes, designed to clamp down on littering and dog fouling in the area.
The council currently spends almost £1 million of taxpayers’ money every year cleaning up littering among other environmental crimes.
The new campaign will aim to encourage people to correctly dispose of their rubbish in one of the 3,000 bins across North Lincolnshire.
It will use slogans and puns on posters around the area to grab attention, including “we’re not messing”, “no ifs and butts” and “show a litter respect”.
Cllr Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “We are taking an even tougher stance on environmental crime.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy to those people who drop waste on the ground for someone else to collect.
“Residents have voiced their increasing concerns about litter and this new campaign is a real statement of intent; dropping litter and failing to clean up after your dog is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated across our communities.
“Littering is a blight and dog fouling is a health hazard which can cause serious infections, particularly in young people, bringing a host of unpleasant side effects.
“It is antisocial behaviour and there is no room for rubbish excuses.”
Lincolnshire councillors welcomed additional funds announced in Wednesday’s Spending Review, but said the county needs more to be in line with other regions.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced funding for adult care, schools, skills and infrastructure across the UK, as well as £100 billion for infrastructure projects (including the Hykeham bypass) and £18 billion for COVID testing programmes.
Councillor Martin Hill, leader of Lincolnshire County Council said: “Understandably the government has been focused on the pandemic for most of the year, and it’s clear further economic challenges lie ahead.
“We’ve already had significant financial support from the government to help balance the books, and we welcome the additional funding announced today for adult care, schools, skills and infrastructure.
“However, we still need to find long-term solutions to the major issues facing local councils. In the coming year, we need to see progress on the Fair Funding Review, the resetting of business rates, and the plan for making adult care more sustainable.
“The pandemic has underlined the vital role played by local councils in supporting our communities. It’s only right that the government recognises this and provides the funding we need to deliver the services our residents rely on.”
County Councillor Colin Davie, executive for economy and place, said: “The government is clearly all too aware of the economic impacts of the continuing coronavirus pandemic and these announcements show the commitment to addressing this so we can build forward stronger.
“We will ensure we are at the front and centre of bids for funding from the £4bn levelling up fund, and the shared prosperity fund – both of which will support our plans to boost skills and technology in the county.
“Combined with the government’s 10 point plan for a green industrial revolution announced last week, we expect this to also stimulate further growth in the green economy – a burgeoning industry across our area.
“We will await the details of the national infrastructure strategy, ensuring the projects we have lined up in Lincolnshire are a good fit and that we are ready to take opportunities to progress them.
“Finally, with our need for new housing in Lincolnshire and the importance of our construction industry, the £7bn for new homes also provides an incredibly welcome boost.
“Ultimately, with the right national support, in Lincolnshire we are on the front foot ready to help our industries come out fighting from an incredibly difficult year.”
However, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) National Chairman Mike Cherry said the chancellor “missed the opportunity” to help small businesses in the Spending Review.
Mr Cherry said: “The economic forecasts outlined today are stark. Our hopes of recovery will hinge on the success of small businesses.
“We need to see far more from this government where reducing tax on enterprise, facilitating start-ups and bringing down operating and employment costs are concerned.”
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