There are almost 50 candidates across 11 wards hoping for your vote in the City of Lincoln Council elections next month.
Labour currently has overall control of the council with 24 seats, while the Conservatives have nine and need to gain eight seats for a majority.
Voters will go to the polls on Thursday, May 6 to choose who they want to represent them in at the city council for the next four years.
We spoke to the leaders of the two parties currently sitting at city level to get their views going forward.
“Building on our successes” – Labour
City of Lincoln Council Leader Ric Metcalfe. | Photo: Stuart Wilde for CoLC
Labour leader Councillor Ric Metcalfe said his party’s record for the city will help his members to victory.
He said: “As the incumbents who have had control of the city council for a while we’re expanding on a very good record of significant achievement and delivering on our promises and future ambition for Lincoln.
Achievements over the past few years, he said, included the council’s help for “countless” individuals, families and businesses, during the COVID-19 pandemic, showing “significant resilience” against its own financial crisis, the new car park and bus station and being “well on the way” to delivering 500 new council homes.
Councillor Metcalfe said the council would continue to rebuild Lincoln’s economy and attract new funds to regenerate the city centre in a similar fashion to the Cornhill development.
He denied the party’s time in power had left them “stagnant” and that his administration was not “satisfied just to sit back and let things happen”.
“We’ve made things happen and we continue to respond to changing circumstances in the leadership we’ve shown,” he said, pointing to the Lincoln Roadmap to net Zero Carbon by 2030.
He said his party would continue to work hard to remind people this election was about local issues following the Conservatives sweeping success across the country in 2019 – where several Labour seats were lost amid national topics such as Brexit.
Despite Conservative claims to the contrary, Councillor Metcalfe said the party could take credit for money it had received from the Tory-led government.
“This is a competitive situation you don’t just get the money – we had to demonstrate a number of things,” he said.
Councillor Metcalfe’s party are also pushing for resolutions to issues and disagreements with the Conservative-run Lincolnshire County Council, including the Usher Gallery and the Western Growth Corridor.
“We can end Labour domination” – Conservatives
Leader of the Conservatives at City of Lincoln, councillor Thomas Dyer. Photo: Sean Strange
Conservative opposition leader Thomas Dyer believes that after a decade of Labour domination “now is a time for change”.
“Especially as we come out of the pandemic we must have a modern dynamic councils, that can support both residents and the businesses within the city,” he said.
“This last year, has shown the importance of local government.
“It’s been councils that have issued, much of the government support grants that businesses have benefited from, it’s been councils that worked tirelessly as part of the government’s everybody in scheme which was to get homeless people housed.
“It will be councils that will have a major role in our national recovery.”
Priorities for the Conservatives this year include a pop-in parking scheme to incentivise people to use local businesses, introducing better infrastructure, more action over climate change including new heating installation schemes and electric charging points in social housing schemes. He also criticised the councils expenditure on the Western Growth corridor plans before “a single brick has been laid”.
Councillor Dyer is hoping his party will be the ones to bring forward many of the new £25 million Town Deal schemes, including works to improve Wigford Way, as well as better cleaning around the city and improvements to transport infrastructure such as focussing on delivering the North Hykeham relief road.
He said his party had a “positive track record” at county council level and that it had “ambitious plans” to bring that success down to city level.
He called for more action to tackle fly-tipping hotspots with higher numbers of fines issued for dog mess and littering, as well as a reversal of increasing rent allotment fees and parking charges.
The party wants to retain the number of public toilets in the city centre.
Councillor Dyer said he would take a different approach to Lincolnshire County Council’s Usher Gallery plans, which he called a “reasonable proposal to transform and modernisation gallery”.
“People are ready for a change” – Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrat candidate Clare Smalley. | Photo: Supplied
Liberal Democrat candidate Clare Smalley says people are “ready for a change” from the two main parties and that her party could deliver that.
She hopes her party might be able to drive a wedge into the current hold the Conservatives and Labour have on the authority.
Clare, who is running in Abbey ward, said: “A lot of residents have told us that they sort of feel a bit neglected and that actually they’re ready for a change.
“A lot of people feel they’ve had Labour councillors, for a very long time.
“The Lib Dems have worked quite hard over recent years to support our residents with various issues, both at a local and county level, and… build our position.
“We’ve got a good group of people that are willing to be out there and be that voice.
“It’s the people that matter and the issues that are close to them […] these are local issues that affect local people and I think just support us and we’ll obviously we will be the party that are hoping to listen to people and support them.”
Priorities for the parties this year include tougher measures on an increasing amount of fly-tipping, protecting front-line services, making sure there was value for money for the increased council tax this year.
Clare said she would also like to see better funding for individual councillors to use on their own local wards, as well as more, easily accessible online meetings held by the council.
“We just really want to stand up to the council and you know get voters that voice that maybe they feel they don’t have at the moment.”
Candidates this year, she said, had a “wealth of experience” and were from a whole range of ages and backgrounds.
“A message that the environment does matter” – Green Party
Green Party candidate Matt Parr. | Photo: Supplied
Green Party candidate Matt Parr said his party wants to send a message to people that they have a choice if they don’t like the two main parties.
“They have a choice to vote for us and send that message that the environment does matter and they want to see change,” said the Hartsholme ward runner.
Matthew said the impact of COVID on his campaign of environmental awareness had been a “shame” and had lost some momentum, as he had been trying to organise better grass cutting, litter picks and tree plantings.
However, he said there had been some “amazing lessons” from the lockdowns, including how people had used open spaces for exercise, and how nature and the environment had returned to urban areas without people in them.
“The amount of people I connected with who said this has been a lifesaver for them, it’s really helped lift their mood to get out to walk around Swanholme or Hartsholme and without that green space, they’re not sure they could have made it through.
“There’s definitely some lessons to be had from that we actually really like our green spaces, and they provide such an amazing service for us, for our well being, during awful dark times.
“We need to we need to realise what that environment did for us and protect it.”
The party’s key policies include ensuring homes are in the right place and away from flood plains, along with making sure they have energy efficient facilities such as solar panels.
They also want more wildflower habitats to promote the creation of CO2, including potentially using grass verges around the city instead of mowing them.
Matthew would also like to see more green infrastructure on top of that with enhanced footpath and cycleway improvements – particularly in the Western Growth Corridor.
Below is a list of candidates for each ward in full. Councillors defending their position are highlighted in bold. One councillor per ward will be elected this year.
Abbey
Hansard, Roger (Conservative)
Moore, Val (Labour)
Penman, Donald (Reform UK)
Smalley, Clare (Liberal Democrat)
Yates, Kenneth (Green)
Birchwood
Chapman, Stephen (Liberal Democrat)
Gowen, Paul (Labour and Co-operative Party)
Radford, John (Green)
Strengiel, Eddie (Conservative)
Boultham
Carvalho, Daniel (Conservative)
Parker, Charles (Liberal Democrat)
Tooke, Simon (Green Party)
Watt, Calum (Labour and Co-operative)
Carholme
Choi, Jack (Conservative)
Craven, Oliver (Liberal Democrat)
Preston, Lucinda (Labour and Co-operative)
Readings, Aston (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)
Shaw, Charles (Liberal Party)
Watson, Nicola (Green)
Castle
Haigh, Norman (Green)
Nannestad, Donald (Labour)
Storer, Rachel (Conservative)
Turner, Aidan (Liberal Democrat)
Glebe
Beardmore, Jacob (Conservative)
McKenna, Fiona (Green)
Metcalfe, Ric (Labour)
Hartsholme
Charters, James (Liberal Democrat)
Clarkson, David (Conservative)
Ellis, Adelle (Labour)
Parr, Matt (Green)
Minster
Dale, Richard (Liberal Democrat)
Storer, Mark (Conservative)
Wells, Joshua (Labour)
Wilkinson, Valerie (Green)
Moorland
Atkinson, Ben (Liberal Democrat)
Ellis, Geoff (Labour)
Fido, Matthew (Conservative)
Padley, Christopher (Green)
Park
Burke, Chris (Labour and Co-operative)
Chapman, Natasha (Liberal Democrat)
Horscroft, Sally (Green)
Parker, Nick (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)
Sperrin, Liam (Conservative)
Witham
Guthrie, Deborah (Reform UK)
Hutchins, Joshua (Labour)
Mara, Bill (Conservative)
Parr, Amanda (Green)
Uldall, Sarah (Liberal Democrat)
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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.
A 35-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to administer them at a Lincoln night club.
Police arrested the 35-year-old in the early hours of Friday morning after “swift and proactive” work in partnership with staff at a nightclub in the city, officers and CCTV teams.
The man was arrested on suspicion of drug possession with intent to administer them, in light of recent drink spiking incidents in the city.
It has sparked outrage, with a boycott of nightclubs and bars planned on Wednesday, October 27 to raise awareness of the issue.
Marc Jones, Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner, said the arrest was ‘superb’ and should send a ‘huge signal’ to any would be criminals.
A superb arrest! We cannot accept people being unsafe when they go out with friends for a drink. This arrest should send a huge signal to those would be criminals who look to prey on our community in this despicable way. https://t.co/dBaebzqbq4
The new-look Lush store on Lincoln Cornhill has reopened in the city centre, offering a first of its kind concept encouraging customers to recycle, as well as providing an easier shopping experience.
The store closed temporarily on Saturday, September 18 for a refurbishment and promised a “fresh new look” for customers to return to.
It reopened on Friday, October 22 with a new concept that categorises products and makes the general shopping experience easier for customers.
Lush’s sustainability programme is still present throughout the store, with the installation of new counter tops made of yoghurt pots and plastic packaging, as well as energy efficient LED lighting.
The Lush store required some TLC and got a fresh makeover. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Ethically sourced and durable materials have been used for the makeover, which has been described as the first concept shop of its kind for the business.
Part of the new idea is a ‘Bring it Back’ system, which will invite customers to bring back their plastic packaging from previous orders to be recycled. For each plastic Lush item returned, customers get a 50p deposit for their next buy.
The store has opened in time to get your Christmas presents ready, in line with a new festive range from the fresh cosmetics brand that comes with alternative Christmas packaging.
Richie Fennell from Lush’s shop and space planning team, said: “At Lush, we put sustainability and the ethical sourcing of materials at the forefront of not only the ingredients that go into our fresh handmade cosmetics, but also the design and construction of our beautiful and innovative stores.
“Lincoln is paving the way for the regeneration of our stores by upgrading existing furniture for a fresh new look, reducing our waste and environmental impact.”
A man from Lincolnshire has been given an award by police for his bravery after saving a teenage boy’s life as he talked him down from the edge of a bridge during lockdown.
Matthew Taylor, from Welbourn, was riding his bike home from work in Fulbeck when he saw a young man on the outside of the protective barriers of a bridge over the A17 on July 29, 2020.
He immediately became concerned and approached the boy to engage in conversation with him. After a while he managed to coax the boy to safety and chatted with him a bit more until the young man said he was okay to travel home.
The incident happened during national coronavirus lockdown while the streets were quiet, meaning there was a limited number of passers-by who could help the distressed boy.
Matthew said that the barriers were high enough to prevent someone falling over the side, meaning that him being stood on the wrong side could only have been intentional.
He told Lincolnshire Police: “I knew that there wouldn’t be anyone coming past who would see him because of the location, and I just felt that I had to stop.
“I said, ‘Hey, you don’t want to be on that side, come on let’s talk’, and eventually he came back to the safe side and sat with me. We talked for a while, and eventually he was okay and took his own bike home.
“I was able to track down his mum and called her to let her know what had happened, which was a difficult call to make.”
Later that day Matthew was contacted by the boy’s mother and father, who said they were eternally grateful for his act of kindness.
He was nominated for an award with the police and has been awarded the Area Commander’s Certificate of Commendation, given to members of the public who show courage and bravery.
The award was presented at the police’s Blue Lights Campus on South Park in Lincoln this week. Matthew was present with his wife and children and was presented with a certificate as well as a police mascot cuddly toy dog.
Chief Superintendent Jon McAdam said: “This award is in recognition of Matthew’s outstanding humanity and public spirit whilst cycling home from work.
“Matthew observed a young man standing on the wrong side of the barrier of a bridge spanning the A17. He stopped at the scene in order to engage with the vulnerable individual and successfully persuaded the teenager to move to safety. Matthew then took it upon himself to make contact with the parents in order to alert them to the incident.
“His intervention meant that the situation didn’t escalate into one which needed the police or other emergency services. Without his intervention, this could have been a very different outcome.”
“Harassing women on a night out has to stop”. That is the key message from bars and nightclubs in Lincoln as they seek to put a halt to drink spiking in the city, amid rumours of a venue boycott next week.
Recent reports of drink spiking have prompted a social media campaign for women to boycott the nightlife industry on Wednesday, October 27 to raise awareness and ask for change.
Girls Night In Lincoln is a local Instagram account that has joined in with nationwide calls for the boycott, sharing stories from anonymous people who believe they were spiked or sexually assaulted when on nights out in the city.
It comes as Lincolnshire Police confirmed it would be investigating reports of drink spiking in Lincoln city centre, after three women were reported to have been unwell after having a drink in a bar on Friday, October 8.
Police said on Thursday, October 21 that four cases of drink spiking in the Lincoln area had been reported so far this month, none of which involved injection via a needle.
The Lincolnite has reached out to major nightlife venues across the city to find out what measures are in place should people feel unsafe or at risk of being spiked. Here is what they had to say:
Home, Bierkeller, Craft & Carousel
Home nightclub in Lincoln. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Home nightclub has utilised a number of anti-drink spiking procedures for some time now, and wanted to reassure customers that there are plenty of things you can do if you suspect something has happened on a night out.
David Nejrup, operations manager at Home and sister businesses Carousel, Craft, Bierkeller, The Curiosity Shop and Void, has said systems have been reviewed following various reports of drink spiking.
Carousel on Lincoln High Street. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
He told The Lincolnite: “In our venues, our guests’ safety and wellbeing is paramount, it’s our number one priority. With recent reports on social media and on the news, locally and nationally of drinks being allegedly spiked we have pro-actively reviewed and enhanced our systems and procedures regarding guest safety and welfare.
“We have, for some time had the ability to test drinks instantly for any substances, if a guest is concerned or suspects a drink has been tampered with. We have various devices available on request at each of our bars that enable individuals to cover the tops of drinks.
“These include foil top stickers that cover the top of the whole drink and allow for a straw to be pierced through. We also have an equipped first aid and welfare room.”
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
As well as this, a fully qualified medic is on site at all times, increased signage and social media campaigns have been introduced to spread awareness of safety, and search procedures have been enhanced.
Mr Nejrup continued: “Our wider bar teams are also trained and well versed in removing any unattended drinks, looking out for any suspicious activity in our venue and in welfare campaigns such as Ask For Angela.”
Ask for Angela is a campaign that was started by Lincolnshire County Council in 2016, encouraging anyone who felt unsafe or vulnerable at a venue to use a codeword which would alert members of staff.
It began in Lincolnshire and was eventually rolled out across the country, most recently becoming endorsed by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and the Metropolitan Police in light of the tragic death of Sarah Everard.
The Strait and Narrow
The Strait and Narrow. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The Strait and Narrow in Lincoln was actually the first bar in the world to adopt the Ask for Angela scheme, and prides itself on keeping incidents of this kind to a minimum.
Owner Jez Nash has said it is a venue’s responsibility to keep customers safe and that “collectively we have to work our hardest to make sure this is the case.”
He said: “When people go out to a bar or a club they want to relax and have a good time, our responsibility goes beyond just serving them drinks. At The Strait and Narrow we always have a member of management on shift to make sure we know what’s going on in the venue, to make sure everyone’s behaviour is acceptable and that everyone is safe.”
Jez has also stated two solutions that should be brought in across the country to stop these incidents at source.
He continued: “Firstly in the short term, it needs to be stopped from happening and the people attempting to do this need to be caught and passed onto the authorities. We can do this by using the Drink Aware Kits to gather evidence, along with CCTV to make sure that the people responsible are caught and prosecuted and that the potential victims of their behavior are safe.
“Secondly in the long term, we need to educate people that certain types of behaviour isn’t acceptable. I doubt that the people who are attempting to spike drinks have just started doing this. I think it’s likely to be a way down the road from behaviour that started out as being minorly unpleasant and has become more extreme over time.
“That’s why we need to stop enabling the early signs of this. Harassing women on a night out for your own amusement has to stop. If you’re doing it – stop it, if you can’t stop seek help. If your friends are doing it tell them they shouldn’t. ”
Walkabout
| Photo: The Lincolnite
Walkabout has also been utilising the Ask for Angela scheme, as well as drink protectors, and they have guest support workers who wear neon armbands to help customers with any concerns they may have.
A spokesperson for Walkabout Lincoln said: “The safety of our guests and our team, has always been, and remains, our number one priority and we continually review our safety and security procedures to ensure our customers and staff remain safe.
“Following the concern over alleged increases in spiking in clubs and bars, we have enhanced our measures to include offering promoting ‘Ask For Angela’, offering drink protectors including Spikeys and Scrunchies, and we also have guest support colleagues available to support any guests that are feeling vulnerable or unwell.
“These team members are easily identifiable, as they wear a neon armband. We have enhanced security checks on our door, and we ask guests remain vigilant and report any unusual or suspicious behaviour to one of our team immediately.”
Trebles
Trebles Nightclub in Lincoln. | Photo: Daniel Jaines
Ian Hughes, general manager at Trebles, said: “The spiking situation is a concern for everyone involved. However, as a venue, we are working hard to tackle it.
“We are an ‘Ask for Angela’ bar and have been for several years. We also hold drink testing strips, again, something we’ve had for several years. If you are concerned about your drink, we can test it.
“The foil toppers is something we’re looking into as a venue as well as Spikeys (a cap put in bottles to prevent spiking) for bottles.
“If any customer feels unwell, uncomfortable or concerned, please make yourself known to staff, management or doorstaff and we’ll do our upmost to support you.”
University of Lincoln Students’ Union
Lincoln Engine Shed, which is managed by the University of Lincoln Students’ Union. | Photo: Daniel Ionescu for The Lincolnite
The students’ union, which runs Towers, The Swan and The Engine Shed, issued a statement saying it was “committed to prioritising the safety of students” in its venues.
Multiple procedures have been put in place to combat the recent spate of drink spiking, such as offering Spikeys and Nightcaps for any drink ordered from the bar, and delivering a “comprehensive” staff training programme with a focus on venue safety, and searching “as many people as logistically possible”.
The students’ union will also work closely with Lincolnshire Police to aid the reporting of illegal activity. This included authorising drug swabs at the Quack! night during freshers’ week, with names of anyone who failed these passed directly to both the police and the university.
A spokesperson for the SU said: “It is vital that victims of suspected drink spiking within the Engine Shed or any SU venue, report this to security in the first instance, or any member of staff at the event so that we can most effectively deal with it. Prompt reporting is critical to us and the police, in order to effectively gather evidence.”
Ask for Angela is now a global scheme that was originally set up by Lincolnshire County Council. It encourages people to discreetly ask for help by going to the bar and saying ‘Ask for Angela’.
The Lincolnite has also contacted Fever & Boutique and Sugarcubes for statements, but did not receive a reply at the time of publication.
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