Council chiefs receiving big payouts, councillors misbehaving and residents taking matters into their own hands over controversial decisions, are just a few of the local democracy stories that made the headlines in 2019.
Some of the tales made an impact in communities, while others were outrageous and scandalous.
With that in mind, here’s a rundown of the top 10 local democracy stories from this past year.
Kexit fallout
It started in November 2018 when rumours began to circulate that Keith Ireland, only recently appointed chief executive of Lincolnshire County Council, had left the authority.
Former Lincolnshire County Council Chief Executive Keith Ireland.
And it was true, Mr Ireland lasted just four months as CEO. But the saga didn’t end there.
He received a total package of £292,263 which included his agreed salary, £975 in outplacement services, £8,901 holiday pay and £14,637 in employer’s pension contribution and his compensation payment.
To add to the drama, Mr Ireland was awarded an OBE in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list for his services to local government.
All in four months work.
People power: Spalding Western Relief Road
Catherine and Frank Roberts outside their forever home on Bourne Road. Photo: Daniel Jaines
That’s what Catherine and Frank Roberts of Bourne Road, Spalding, did this year when their £300,000 Tudor home was threatened to be flattened to make way for the Spalding Western Relief Road.
The authority had lined up plans to spend £40 million on the central route, which would have taken out nine homes on the street.
But, Catherine and Frank were not to be deterred and took the fight to the council.
After what they described as “the summer from hell,” councillors relented and offered to change the route to avoid the homes.
It’s a victory for all the families on Bourne Road, but the decision has still to be signed off by the council’s executive in the New Year.
Councillors on the naughty list
Former North East Lincolnshire Council Labour leader Ray Oxby on his way into the court. Photo: Daniel Jaines
Several councillors across Lincolnshire woke up to a lump of proverbial coal on Christmas morning.
Some came under fire for selling golliwog dolls, others have landed themselves appearing before council disciplinary hearings.
The town council had planned to spend £7,500 on a tree for the town centre ahead of the festive period.
But the decision came under fire from local councillors after it was revealed the tree was coming from China and raised concerns over the environmental impact.
As a result, the previous decision to approve the spend was brought back before the town council.
The issue caused widespread debate and uproar in the town, with councillors lamenting that the decision “made the council look stupid”.
At the council meeting, the debate got heated, councillors shouted across the room at each other and others walked out after the final vote was tied.
In the end, it was resolved that a local tree would be donated for the town centre.
A sensible resolution to an unexpected row.
A U-turn on Toll Bar Roundabout
Toll Bar campaigners Anne and Peter Herring, Michael O’bee, David Cowell and campaign lead Roger Breed pictured in September 2018. Photo: Daniel Jaines
The problem of what to do with Toll Bar roundabout seems to be a never ending story.
After years of debate, petitions and rows over removing the roundabout for traffic lights, the saga continued into 2019.
In May, the Conservatives took control of North East Lincolnshire Council at the local elections and newly appointed leader, Philip Jackson, put an immediate halt to the plan.
This was met with celebration from campaigners who had fought the previous Labour group’s plan to tear up the roundabout.
The hospital also remains in special measures after a CQC visit this year. The next decade is going to be a vital one to turn around the trust’s fortunes.
All that remains in the hands of new chief executive, Andrew Morgan, should he remain beyond his interim basis.
Lincolnshire-by-the-sea
Flooding in Wainfleet in June. Photo: Chris Dower
Climate change dominated a lot of the news agenda in 2019 with Extinction Rebellion warning of “point of no return” over extreme weather events.
It’s fair to say that Lincolnshire bore the brunt of a lot of extreme and unprecedented rainfall, leaving home owners evacuated from their homes.
County councillor Colin Davie said it was clear that the council needed to look again at how it defends homes from flooding.
He said that the extreme rainfall would become frequent – just like campaigners warned.
Democracy in action
The Lincoln Debate which was hosted by The Lincolnite and BBC Radio Lincolnshire during the General Election 2019 campaign. Picture: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite.
It was a year of votes in 2019.
People headed to the polls three times in eight months to cast their ballots in the European elections, local elections and a general election.
In North East Lincolnshire, the Tories took control of the council for the first time in its history and Grimsby returned a Conservative MP for the first time in 74 years.
Scunthorpe also returned a Conservative member of parliament, unseating the Labour Party and completing a clean sweep across the region.
As for local authorities, the City of Lincoln Council is the only authority which Labour controls in the county.
The weeks following local polling day also saw fresh faces fronting councils in Lincolnshire.
West Lindsey, North East Lincolnshire, Boston and South Kesteven all elected new leaders.
The Usher Gallery saga
Campaigners outside Lincoln’s Usher Gallery. Picture: Steve Smailes.
Earlier this year, Lincolnshire County Council tabled proposals to shake up how heritage services would be run in the county.
While some welcomed the idea of erecting a monument to Mrs Thatcher in her hometown, others were not for the turning.
Fears were raised that the statue, which was to be built outside Grantham Museum, would become a “likely target for politically motivated vandals”.
As a result, the plan included a measure to place the statue on a high plinth.
Councillors ultimately gave the go-ahead to the plan, but, as of yet, there has not been an installation date confirmed.
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It’s nearly time for entrants to pull out their running shoes as the ASDA Foundation City of Lincoln 10k returns this Sunday, but there will be some disruption due to road closures in place for the event.
The race starting on Riseholme Road attracts thousands of runners every year. This year’s race begins at 10am on October 31 for both seasoned runners and also fancy-dressed fundraisers and beginners looking for fun.
Run For All is working in partnership with city of Lincoln Council to deliver the event. The event will require the closure of roads and road junctions, as well as the suspension of a number of Traffic Regulation Orders between 4pm on October 30 and the same time on the day of the event.
Road closures for the ASDA Foundation City of Lincoln 10k.
The route map for the ASDA Foundation City of Lincoln 10k.
Event timings
7am – Event car parks open
9am – Race office opens
9.45am – Baggage store truck leaves and relocates to event village. The race warm up is also at this time
10am – City of Lincoln 10k begins
10.30am – The winner is expected to finish by this time
There will also be a team of pacers on the day. They will be pacing at five-minute intervals between 40 minutes and 1.5 hours.
Event facilities
The Race office is located in Yarborough Leisure Centre car park and will be open between 12pm-3pm on Saturday and from 9am on Sunday
Baggage store – You can drop your baggage here at the Yarborough Leisure Centre car park before 10.40am. After the run, you can collect your baggage from the store in Westgate car park opposite the event village
Drink stations – bottled water is available on the course and at the finish. Competitors are advised to ensure that they consider the effects of dehydration
Support & entertainment – a variety of performers will be on hand to keep you motivated around the course
Charity village – The Asda Foundation City of Lincoln 10k is partnered to several local and national charities. The painter charities will be on hand to meet and greet the runners, as well as raising awareness of their work
First aid – personnel will be on hand to help at regular intervals on the course with fixed first aid stations located near to the water stations. In addition, there will be a first aid unit and recovery area located near to the finish
Food and drink – there are a number of bars and cafes in the area that will be sure to welcome spectators and participants
Parking – information regarding parking can be found here
A former tourist information office at Lincoln Bus Station – used to serve takeaway from the coffee shop next door during the pandemic – will become a watch repair shop.
Instead, he will be looking to reopen in the now-defunct information office at the bus station as The Watchman, supplying watch batteries, straps and other accessories.
Mr Redfearn said he had “come to terms” with having to leave the market, but said about the move: “I’m looking forward to it.”
It was originally staffed by members of the council’s customer services team. A spokesman for the authority, however, said it was only ever intended to be a short-term introduction to the bus station.
How the booth looked when the bus station first opened. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The council spokesman said: “The reception desk was something we incorporated into the bus station when it first opened.
“It was intended to be used for a limited time period to issue bus passes, answer queries and deal with customer enquiries about council services.
“The desk closed at the beginning of 2020 and we are delighted to have found a tenant who we believe will provide a useful service and prove to be a positive addition to the bus station.”
There have been new 563 cases of coronavirus confirmed in Greater Lincolnshire on Monday, as more than six million booster jabs have been given in the UK and pharmaceutical giants say one vaccine is showing good results in six to 11-year-olds.
The Greater Lincolnshire case figure is almost 30% down on the 801 cases on last Monday.
Meanwhile, the latest national vaccination data shows that one-in-eight eligible adults in the UK have received a booster jab.
The latest COVID stats for Lincolnshire are:
563 new cases of coronavirus in Greater Lincolnshire with 428 in Lincolnshire, 64 in North East Lincolnshire and 71 in North Lincolnshire
No further deaths were recorded in the government figures
However, five further deaths were recorded in Greater Lincolnshire Hospitals since Friday with all of them at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.
New NHS figures have shown that at least 6.1 million booster doses have been delivered as of October 24 – including 5.2 million in England.
As of Friday, NHS Lincolnshire said more than 60,000 covid booster vaccinations have been given to-date in Lincolnshire
People who are eligible, including all health and care staff, care home residents, people at risk, carers and people over the age of 50, will be invited by their GP or by the NHS as six months elapses after their second vaccine, and everyone is encouraged to book their appointment as soon as they receive their invitation.
The latest figures also show more than nine in 10 staff in care homes have had at least one dose and more than eight in 10 have had two as the government looks to make it compulsory for front line health workers.
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Meanwhile, the makers of the Moderna vaccine said they had “good results” from trials on six-11-year-olds.
Tests on 4,753 children have suggested two doses creates a strong immune response and that most side effects were mild.
Labour leader Kier Starmer has said schools should have exclusion zones to stop protesters “intimidating” children and parents.
He said there was “growing evidence” of anti-vaxxers outside schools and said there needed to be “fast-track exclusion orders”.
He said it was “important action is taken”.
It comes as Downing Street said local directors of public health should “balance the risk of COVID along with the potentially longer-term harm of any disruption to education” before bringing in tougher restrictions.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “These are powers that directors of public health have had for some time, which the government introduced, to allow them to take local action when they felt necessary.
“We would expect the directors of public health to work closely with the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care in making any decisions in that regard.”
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Monday, October 25
133,831 cases (up 563)
89,073 in Lincolnshire (up 428)
21,858 in North Lincolnshire (up 71)
22,900 in North East Lincolnshire (up 64)
2,390 deaths (no change)
1,746 from Lincolnshire (no change)
328 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
316 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)
of which 1,439 hospital deaths (up five)
885 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up five)
44 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
509 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF THE LATEST UPDATE. POSTCODE DATA INCLUDES DEATHS NOT IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES OR IN HOSPITALS OUTSIDE AUTHORITY BOUNDARIES.
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