Doctor first to get new Oxford COVID vaccine in Lincolnshire

Police were out on Monday reminding drivers in Lincoln about the driving restrictions on Brayford Wharf East.

The road was closed to through-traffic in October 2020 for a one-year trial to provide a virtually traffic-free route for cyclists and pedestrians to the River Witham path, the university, and to the city centre.

It means motorists cannot turn from St Mark’s Street or Rope Walk into Brayford Wharf East, although access will still be given to emergency vehicles and for business access.

This was introduced in a bid to encourage cycling in the area and a pop-up cycle lane was created as part of the Department for Transport’s emergency active travel fund.

However, this has not stopped drivers ignoring the road closures signs and using it as a rat-run avoiding Tentercroft Street (East West Link Road) and Pelham Bridge (soon to close for repairs).

Two police officers and a marked car blocked Brayford Wharf East at the level crossing on Monday morning, reminding motorists the road is closed — as the big red signs at the junction show.

The road closure was introduced in October 2020. | Photo: The Lincolnite

A decision will be made later in the year as to whether to keep the new arrangement in place permanently.

Police were out on patrol on Brayford Wharf East in Lincoln. | Photo: The Lincolnite

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire County Council said: “We’ve just finished consulting on eight further prospective schemes to make cycling and walking easier across the county.

“Only those schemes – or elements of those schemes – with public support will be implemented. We’re analysing the results of the consultation now and will publish them soon.”

Restrictions are in place as part of a year-long trial, for which Brayford Wharf East is closed to through-traffic. | Photo: The Lincolnite

The county council was granted £105,500 from the first round of the fund to support temporary projects during the recovery from the coronavirus crisis, although there is scope for them to become permanent.

The Department for Transport announced the funding allocations for the second round of its active travel fund in November last year, with nearly £800,000 more government funding for Lincolnshire’s pedestrians and cyclists.

The council previously said that this money could fund measures including ‘school streets, where roads around schools are closed to motorists at school times, improvements to pedestrian environments and segregated cycle lanes.

It could also help fund low traffic neighbourhoods, where residential side streets are closed to through traffic to stop rat-running.

Lincoln’s 814th Mayor wants to include mental health as one of her top priorities.

Councillor Jackie Kirk will be handed the mantle of the City of Lincoln Mayor from Councillor Sue Burke during a meeting at Lincoln Cathedral’s Chapterhouse on Tuesday.

Councillor Burke has held the role for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic – the first to do so since the First World War. Councillor Kirk held the role of deputy mayor during that time.

Councillor Kirk has been a City of Lincoln Councillor for Glebe Ward since 2012.

“It is massive really in comparison to everything else that I’ve done across my lifetime and it’s an immense honour and privilege to be there to represent the city in the best way I possibly can,” said Councillor Kirk.

She is fully committed to her new role, having given up her job as a cleaner in order to carry it out.

The next-in-line councillor has not chosen a specific charity yet, but says her focus will be around mental health supporting organisations such as Shine and EDAN.

She said one of the main reasons for this was the coronavirus pandemic.

Councillor Jackie Kirk.

“Something that needs to be highlighted is the impact that COVID has had on every house, not just within the city in the county, and across the UK, but across the globe.

“It’s been horrific for a lot of people and it’s not just the health implications, it’s the emotional implications of losing people very dear to them, very close relatives and friends and distant family members.”

She said the disease caused constant worry whether it was about the virus, its mutations, lockdown or the vaccination.

She added the country had been “lucky” that vaccinations had been developed “at breakneck speed” but said there was “always that element on the horizon” things might get dark again.

Councillor Kirk believes the role of Mayor is as important today than ever – despite critics taking aim at the cost of the role.

She hopes it will help her other focuses on regeneration, growth and economy.

“Most people nowadays look at it within the budgetary concept, but don’t necessarily think about the historic significance the position holds across the rest of the United Kingdom,” she said.

The Lincoln Mayoralty is the third oldest in the country and Councillor Kirk wants to use that, elaborate on it and bring it to the fore of people’s minds.

“When the mayor of Lincoln steps out of the city or the county, it has a whole different meaning, it is highly respected far wider than the city itself.

“I want to try to use music to increase the Lincoln’s visibility within the rest of the UK.”

When she takes her place as chairman of the council, Councillor Kirk will be supported by Deputy Roseanne Kirk, who she said she had “always been good friends with,” and Sheriff Steve Dixon, who will be the first serving member of the armed forces in the position, and who she said she was looking forward to working with.

The Mayor’s Consort will be Michael Williams, while the Sheriff’s Consort is Lyndsay Dixon.

The first mayor to hold power for two years in succession since the First World War – and the first female to do it ever – is to pass on her mantle on May 18.

Councillor Sue Burke, the City of Lincoln’s 813th mayor, will pass the chains of office to Councillor Jackie Kirk on Tuesday during a meeting at Lincoln Cathedral’s Chapterhouse.

Mayors are supposed to only sit for a single year, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Councillor Burke was in her position for two.

The last mayor to sit for multiple years was Charles Thomas Parker, who reigned from 1915-19 while the First World War raged on.

Councillor Burke joins a group of just 14 of the 813 ceremonial mayors so far to sit for successive years, and she is the first female to do it.

She told Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Jaines that it had been “a great honour” and that she had “met so many smashing people” in her time in the role.

“For me, it’s, it’s very moving, that I served two years but I am truly sorry that it’s because of the pandemic,” she said.

She acknowledged the “rather difficult” year people had had during the pandemic, a time which had seen her first year’s calendar cut short.

The new Mayor of Lincoln Councillor Sue Burke and Sheriff of Lincoln Jo Rimmer with their deputies and members of the civic party. Photo: Steve Smailes

“It’s been very difficult, because my first year suddenly stopped, as did the world for everybody, and that was a bit of a shock.

“We had had lots of things planned for my mayoral charity Leap – which helps homeless young people – and I’m afraid we’d left it to the end of the year, we’d got some great things planned… but they didn’t go ahead so I was a bit sad about that.”

“I’ve been able to contribute to some Zoom meetings, however,” she said, highlighting in particularly Holocaust Memorial Day, Diwali and Carol services which had all moved online and given her “wonderful memories of people that I’ve met”.

“That’s been nice and the way that communities have managed to get together has been a highlight.”

In an era where council meetings were taken online, she said chairing council meetings had been “an experience”.

Mayors need to be politically neutral during their time in office and they also lead the full council meetings once a month (typically held in the historic chamber in the Stonebow).

Photo: Steve Smailes

Thankfully, she said she had never had to hit the mute button on a councillor, or pull a Jackie Weaver and boot someone out in the past year.

“The rules are that you respect the mayor and if they say sit down, you sit down and you stop.

“Figuratively speaking that’s the same with Zoom and basically people know if they’re out of order or not”

She denied, however, taking the opportunity to wear the Mayoral Garb around the house.

“No they won’t let me, aren’t they mean?” she joked.

“They won’t let me keep the chains, they get locked away at night,” she laughed.

Councillor Sue Burke will leave the role on Tuesday, passing the mantle to Councillor Jackie Kirk. | Photo: Steve Smailes

She said some memorable in-person events had been laying wreaths at the War Memorial on the High Street on Remembrance Sunday.

“Because it was quiet, there was no singing, it felt very, very special. It felt very thoughtful, a moving event,” she said.

In her role as Mayor she also attended Lincoln Cathedral for Evensong to remember the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip after he died.

“That was very moving and it was an honour to be there and feel I was representing the people of Lincoln, because not many people could go.”