A government letter rejecting the Greater Lincolnshire devolution bid has backed the district councils’ argument that it’s not the right time for local reorganisation, leaders have said.
The letter from Housing Minister and Newark MP Robert Jenrick turning down the plans was addressed to Conservative MPs in our region. It announced devolution plans for Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Somerset.
However, in response to other applications, Mr Jenrick said: “Given the pressures councils face this winter with the pandemic, I believe it would not be right at this time for them to further progress or focus on ideas for reform.
“The pandemic has rightly necessitated resources across Whitehall being re-allocated to tackling COVID, and this must be Whitehall’s and town halls’ number one priority at present.
“And, as outlined, there is no expectation that such restructuring is a Whitehall requirement.”
District Council leaders have welcomed the comments, which appear to back their own concerns when Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill and his counterparts at North and North East Lincolnshire initially launched their bid in July.
The leaders acknowledge reform is needed, but say that a solution that works long-term is also required.
Greater Lincolnshire council leaders Rob Waltham, Martin Hill and Philip Jackson wrote to government in May.
“We are pleased that central government has put the potential for local government reorganisation in Lincolnshire on hold for the time being,” they said in a joint statement.
“This enables district councils to put our full focus on protecting the county’s most vulnerable and keeping essential services running during the pandemic.
“We have been very consistent and clear in our message: now is not the right time for local government re-organisation due to COVID and it’s reassuring that Government has shown its support for our view.”
When the news was announced last week Councillor Hill said the authority would continue to work on the “best way forward”.
Boston Borough Council leader Councillor Paul Skinner warned the issue was “not going away”.
The leaders all agreed to continue working together, adding: “If government decides to resurrect its plans for devolution or reorganisation in Lincolnshire, our residents and businesses can be assured that we are well prepared to respond and secure the best outcomes for the residents and businesses of our districts.”
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Plans to build new “modern” homes on land next to Lincoln’s iconic Strelizia home on Michaelgate will be approved next week.
City of Lincoln Council’s planning committee will be asked to give permission to John O’Donohue and Tom Gumbrell’s plans to build “unique, bespoke dwellings” on land to the rear of 10 Steep Hill on Wednesday.
The site currently includes two derelict, single-storey, brick garages which will be demolished as part of the build, while the rest of the site has been used by residents for parking.
Recommending approval, officers said: “The development of the two houses will change the appearance of this part of the City but the designs have been developed in such a way that it is considered that the change that would result would not be harmful to the area, to the heritage assets in the area and would not be unacceptable to the amenity of the neighbouring residents.”
The developers have described an initial building to the west of the site as “contemporary but using recognisable material” while another to the East will be “a more traditional form building intended to be viewed as a discrete subservient outbuilding building linked to 10 Steep Hill”.
Nearly 30 neighbours have commented on the plans, with objectors raising concerns over the appearance of the building and its impact on the historic area of Lincoln.
Plans showing how the elevations would look.
One said it was an “ugly square block”, while another said it would “blight the visual effect of what is one of the most attractive conservation areas in our City”.
However, the owner of the nearby Strelitzia – another modern building with a design unique to the area – David Lewis has supported the plans saying they will enhance the area.”
Those in support of the plans note the building is often used for anti-social behaviour.
One nearby resident said the garages on the site had “been an eyesore” for more than 30 years and that a new residence would “only enhance the area”
“Architecture representing centuries can be seen on Steep Hill and Michaelgate which makes the area attractive and fascinating to residents and visitors alike. It is good to see that the 21st century is also being represented,” they said.
Lincoln MP Karl McCartney has come under scrutiny for retweeting a post from a political group that champions fascism, which he has now removed.
Mr McCartney shared a tweet from New British Union West Midlands to his profile which criticised the media for their coverage of the petrol panic buying across the country.
The tweet was a screenshot from Whartons Shell Garage, which said that they are not short of fuel and it is in fact a case of everyone panicking by listening to the media, with NBU saying: “When a franchised fuel station really has to tell you to turn off your TV.”
Karl McCartney retweeted the NBU post on his page on Monday evening, but has since removed it.
The retweet from Lincoln’s MP has since been deleted from his timeline, after many pointed out what the New British Union stands for.
The NBU, formed in 2013, is a revival of Sir Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists, run by former Britain First and Scottish BNP leader Gary Raikes.
According to the NBU’s website, the group calls for “a new machine, a new nation and a new union” and demands that British people aren’t replaced by “a population that will destroy all our ancestors fought to uphold.”
Pictures on the NBU website show an alarming similarity to that of the Nazi Party, and leader Gary Raikes says on one of their pages: “A British child born at the start of the 21st century is likely to enter their years of retirement as a member of the British ethnic minority. The question is: what are you going to do about it?”
The NBU claims that Britain is in “demographic decline” due to “foreign immigration”. | Photo: New British Union website
The Lincolnite questioned Lincoln’s MP on this retweet, asking whether it was wise to broadcast the views of a political group as divisive and controversial as the New British Union.
In a statement of reply, Mr McCartney said: “Of course, I disagree wholeheartedly with what NBU West Midlands stand for. The post by Whartons Garage was what caught my notice. The retweet has since been deleted.”
McCartney came under intense scrutiny for his retweeting of the fascist group, with former Lincoln Labour MP Karen Lee calling it “unacceptable”.
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