Lincoln City academy prospect Freddie Draper has been sent out on loan to Gainsborough Trinity until the end of the season.
The 17-year-old striker hit the headlines when he was brought into the first team for his professional debut against Sheffield Wednesday in October, after an injury crisis in the Imps’ squad.
Draper, who only signed his first professional contract with the Imps on his 17th birthday in July 2021, has gone on to make eight appearances in League One this season, and will now be heading to Gainsborough Trinity to gain some more experience.
Chances in the Lincoln squad were set to be few and far between for Freddie given the January recruitment by Michael Appleton, bringing in a host of forward options, including Morgan Whittaker, Liam Cullen, John Marquis and Ben House.
Imps director of football Jez George said: “This is a sensible, short-term solution to get a Freddie a consistent run of games between now and the end of the season.
“Obviously our partnership with Gainsborough, the fact that Tom Shaw is their head coach, a figure who Freddie sees on the training ground at Lincoln everyday, plays a massive part in that decision.
“Freddie knows how highly we rate him, and how we see him as a future Lincoln City number nine, but in the short term his opportunities will be limited with the first team so this makes total sense.”
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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.”
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