South Kesteven District Council bosses denied they are carrying out any investigations into COVID-grant fraud in the district after a councillor’s allegations over a Bourne business.
During the authority’s Finance, Economic Development and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, InvestSK Manager Jonathan Hinde told councillors that to date “we have not had evidence that any of the payments we made have been claimed fraudulently”.
However, Independent Philip Knowles told the meeting about a “Spectre of Fraud” in Bourne he had reported previously.
He said a business in the town had reportedly claimed £10k from the council, but later opened as a “different occupation”.
“I am aware of certainly, a case, where a company put a note on the door to say they were there, then allegedly claimed the £10,000 and never opened one bit.
“At the end of all that it became a different occupation altogether, so there was an occupation that never opened in Bourne who allegedly received £10,000”.
He feared not enough checks had been carried out, adding: “I’m sure there were people who managed the system to get money by false premises”.
Referring to national investigations being carried out elsewhere, chairman Conservative Councillor Graham Jeal told members during the meeting it was “an ongoing investigation that the authorities will be co-operating with.”
Following the meeting, a spokesperson for South Kesteven District Council said: “We are not aware of any fraud connected to grant allocation and, therefore, there are no investigations taking place.
“South Kesteven District Council’s checking procedure before issuing grants goes above and beyond the government guidance.
“We request financial details and evidence of trading, as well as checking Company House details and no payments are made until eligibility criteria has been satisfied.”
South Kesteven District Council has distributed more than £51m in grants to almost 3,000 businesses during the pandemic.
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.
The final in the latest series of road closures for works on the A1, as part of the Grantham Southern Relief Road project, has been temporarily postponed
A weekend northbound A1 closure was due to be in place between 8pm on Friday, May 20 and 6am on Monday, May 23.
However, Lincolnshire County Council said the closure has been temporarily postponed and once new dates have been confirmed they will be shared.
Works on phase three began in April this year, with the council anticipating that winter 2023 will be the completion date for the relief road.
This will be with the view to reduce congestion and carbon emissions, and provide opportunities for growth in the local economy.
The £102 million Grantham Southern Relief Road project has been led by Lincolnshire County Council, supported by South Kesteven District Council, Highways England, Greater Lincolnshire LEP, Network Rail, Homes England, the Department for Transport and local business contributions.
Safety improvements have been carried out at corner where numerous accidents have occurred in East Keal.
The council is looking into what else can be done to prevent motorists from coming off the road at Hall Corner, while police are looking into the possibility of fitting a speed camera.
A cement lorry recently overturned on the corner in February.
Lincolnshire County Council has found a slight dip in the road where Blacksmith Lane meets the A16 could be the reason why heavy vehicles travelling at excessive speed are tipping over.
It is considering whether to smooth out and realign the road, but says it is concious of the impact that closing the A16 would have on traffic and local businesses.
Several safety improvement measures have already been put in place, including ‘slow’ markings, enhanced bend warning signs and improved chevrons.
Problems have been found with the road surface on the corner. | Photo: Google Street View
Lincolnshire Police are assessing whether a speed camera on the corner would be beneficial, and will be taking speed readings in the coming weeks.
Larger barriers and longer safety fencing have been proposed by the public. However, the county council says that in order for it to be big enough to withstand the impact of overturned vehicles, the cost can’t be justified.
Either the local parish council or the country council could also explore whether to fund a reactive speed sign on the location.
Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “We are very thankful to the residents and members of the parish council who have given us their ideas and support in what can be done at Hall Corner. Local knowledge and personal feedback are cornerstones of what we do in terms of delivering the best solutions in the most informed way.
“There has already been much done at this bend to try and mitigate the issues faced and we now have more planned for this particular area that will go on to encourage all road users to drive accordingly in line with the road and conditions.
“I would like to thank everyone involved so far for their input. We will all work together to get the best resolution we can for Hall Corner.”
Whatsapp
