Five cinemas in Lincolnshire have received almost £700,000 in government support from the Culture Recovery Fund.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport announced a £16 million slice will go towards arts and cultural organisations in a bid to support the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has decimated cinemas financially.
The most money granted in Lincolnshire – £282,169 – was to the Playhouse Cinema in Louth (Parkway Entertainment Company Ltd).
Kirsty Dobson, Manager at Playhouse Louth said: “The Playhouse will be 99 years old this Christmas, and the contribution from the Culture Recovery Fund towards all of our new safety measures has been brilliant.”
She added: “We’re a traditional cinema dating back to 1920, so knowing that there’s help and support to help us keep the cinema alive and safe is wonderful.”
Here’s what the other Lincolnshire cinemas have been awarded:
Kinema in the Woods, Woodhall Spa (Cinema in The Woods Ltd) – £139,201
Savoy Boston (Savoy Cinemas (Boston) Ltd) – 121,313
Philip Jones, Managing Director, Kinema in the Woods: “We are very grateful to the Culture Recovery Fund for supporting the costs of putting into place safety measures and providing PPE which meant we could safely reopen our doors.”
Savoy Boston and Grantham
James Collington, Managing Director of Savoy Cinemas (Boston) Ltd: “Our staff will continue to be employed and we will now focus on remaining the primary leisure and cultural offer for the towns in which we operate, ensuring that we can continue our unique and diverse programming – including mainstream and event cinema along with subtitled, autism, educational and senior screenings.”
Loewen Cinema
Marcus Earl, Owner Manager, Loewen Cinema: “The support that we received from the Culture Recovery Fund is a much needed life line meaning we can see a future for cinema. Stepping in to help us literally means we can continue and offer entertainment in Mablethorpe and the surrounding area.”
Cinemas can apply for a further £14 million in grants from the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund.
Some 202 cinemas have received funding so far from a £30 million pot allocated by the British Film Institute (BFI), on behalf of DCMS.
In many cases, the fund comprises of a health and safety award (capped at £10,000) and/or a business sustainability award.
Some cinemas which have received health & safety funding may also be in the process of applying for business sustainability awards.
The deadline for productions to register for the scheme has been extended until April 2021.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “The magic of film is such an important part of the festive period and this investment will help protect our independent cinemas so they’re around for many Christmases to come.”
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Belton Woods Lodges will close for an investigation after a case of dog poisoning was reported to management.
The resort manager at the lodges, which are located next to the Belton Woods Hotel and golf course in Grantham, posted the news on social media on Monday.
The dog affected was rushed to the vets and is currently receiving treatment.
Kelly Claypole, resort manager, said an investigation has been launched to keep everyone’s pets safe.
She said: “We have been called onsite this evening as we have had a suspected dog poisoning within the woods (up the main driveway).
“As a result Belton Woods Lodges will now be closed to allow an investigation ensuring no other people’s pets come to harm – as well as our beloved wildlife that we have onsite.”
The incident comes a week after the lodges enforced a rule of dogs being on a lead at all times, as well as new dog waste bins.
Kelly added: “We are aware of other incidents reported on social media affecting a number of dogs in surrounding areas which may be due to a water borne bug – from playing in and drinking from puddles, rivers and lakes – but cannot speculate at this time if this is connected.”
It is unsure when the lodges will reopen again or how long the investigation will take.
Lincolnshire Police have dropped the £10,000 fine that was issued to a student for organising a party attended by up to 100 people.
Police were called to Viking House on Newland, which is managed by the University of Lincoln, on December 4 last year. When officers arrived they found a party “in full swing” with “at least 70 people, possibly up to 100”.
The fine will now no longer need to be paid. Andy Morrice, Chief Inspector at Lincolnshire Police, said: “The evidence was reviewed, and we decided to withdraw the ticket. We continue to work with the university who are very proactive and supportive in ensuring students act responsibly in our community.”
When the fine was first issued the University of Lincoln said it was taking the matter “extremely seriously” and had launched an internal investigation.
The University was unable to comment on the internal investigation due to privacy reasons, but a spokesperson said: “We encourage all of our students to follow the rules and act responsibly to help stop the spread of the virus and keep our community safe. We are proud of the vast majority of our students who are doing so.”
Chief Superintendent Jon McAdam of Lincolnshire Police previously said: “It seems the organiser had decided to ignore the rules and regulations set out by the COVID-19 legislation, which says that gatherings of more than 30 people are not allowed, and which are of course there to help stop the spread of the virus.
“As a result, we identified the organiser and issued the full £10,000 fine on-the-spot. This is of course means tested and only issued for the most serious of breaches, which this was.”
Meanwhile, Lincolnshire Police issued 367 COVID-19 enforcement fines, including those under local lockdowns, between March and December last year, according to the latest data published from the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC).
City of Lincoln Council has approved a 1.9% tax hike despite a series of cuts for 2021-22 due to the financial uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 1.9% rise will take city council’s share of council tax for a Band D property in Lincoln to £285.39 – an increase of £5.31.
The executive committee agreed on increasing allotment charges, council house and garage rents.
Council bosses predict a budget gap of £1.75 million and said it must close the hole for financial stability.
Allotment charges will also see most tenants pay between £58.70-£78.30 per year from 2022, an increase of between 38p and 51 pence per week.
Council housing rent will increase by an average of 1.5%, while council garage rents will increase by 3%.
Attendees at City of Lincoln Council’s executive on Monday.
The authority said it faces a number of ongoing challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic and requires a substantial reduction in all of its budgets.
Cllr Ric Metcalfe, Leader of City of Lincoln Council said: “It’sareasonablymodestincreaseformostpeople,andwewill support lowincomegroups stillwiththeconcessions.”
The council has saved more than £9 million annually over the past decade, however will have to increase savings by £850,000 next year, rising to £1.75 million by 2023/24.
Due to the pandemic’s impact on government funded reliefs, empty properties and business closures, the authority estimates it will only retain £5.1 million of the £42 million of business rates generated in the city.
The draft budget will go to consultation and return before the council later this year for a final decision.
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