Town and Parish Council Update

Welcome to the September issue of your Town and Parish Council Newsletter.

Following her sad death, county councillors have paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at the last meeting of the Full Council. We are grateful to parish and town councils for supporting condolences, services and other memorial arrangements in your areas. The national period of mourning has now ended. 

£5m heading for Lincolnshire’s roads

Lincolnshire County Council has voted to spend a further £5m of revenue on much needed road maintenance.  The money comes from council areas that have underspent on projected budgets and will now be put into vital roadworks across the county. 
 
This follows a council decision earlier this year to backfill a Government roads funding gap of £12m (25% of the total roads maintenance fund). 
 
In real terms, the impact of the Government cutting such a large amount of money from our road maintenance grant has been exacerbated with the rapid rise of material costs. In some areas of the roads maintenance fund, such as fuel and oil for essential works, costs have risen by up to 135%. 

Recent extreme weather conditions have worsened issues with many rural roads, leading to an increased need for urgent repair work. 
 
Cllr Martin Hill, leader of Lincolnshire County Council said: “We are acutely aware of how important the roads network is for the people of Lincolnshire and how essential it is to be able to get around our large, rural county.  We simply have to have a road network that is up to standard. It’s our obligation to ensure that residents and businesses alike can use this vital resource as needed. 
 
“Whilst we are still very much in need of the Government to re-instate the 25%, £12m cut in our roads maintenance fund, this £5m will go some way towards helping the current situation.”

Binning batteries and electricals puts waste workers in danger

Batteries and electrical items pose a serious fire risk if they’re not disposed of properly.

Rachel Stamp, Waste Partnership and projects manager, said:

“Anything with batteries inside, or with a plug, can’t go in any of your bins at home, and needs recycling separately.

“Waste gets compacted a number of times on its journey from your home to the energy from waste plant or recycling centre, and it takes just one battery to create a spark that can set the whole load alight.

“Just last month our recycling contractor’s hand-pickers pulled out a dozen small electronics – all containing batteries – from their process in just one hour. Items included old TV remotes, games console controllers and children’s toys.

“Thankfully we’ve not seen any injuries from electrical waste fires in Lincolnshire, but it seems to be becoming a bigger problem and we need residents to work with us to keep these items out of their bins and help keep people safe.”

South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone celebrates official opening

The council’s Hub building at the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone (FEZ), has been officially opened. An event was held to celebrate the completion, and also saw the opening of the University of Lincoln’s National Centre for Food Manufacturing and The Institute of Technology Digital Food Manufacturing Centre.

The Hub building creates a dynamic business environment for tenants and the wider business community, and a focal point for innovation in the industry, with support and advice offered by a knowledgeable team of Growth Hub advisors.

The South Lincolnshire FEZ is a major investment into Greater Lincolnshire’s agri-food sector, and a commitment to effective local partnerships to make this area a global industry leader.

The local area will hugely benefit from the businesses and skills the FEZ will bring and this will only increase as the site grows. Visit the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone website for more information.

On-site investigations and prelim works now underway for North Hykeham Relief Road

Works to better understand the land of the North Hykeham Relief Road’s preferred route are now underway.

Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “Over the coming months, people will see a fair amount of activity along the route until the end of the year, including diggers and other machinery as needed for the investigations and surveys.

“In the meantime, we’re continuing to work towards submitting a planning application in 2023, and, all being well, starting construction of the new relief road towards the end of 2025.”

Once underway, construction is expected to last for three years, with the road opened in late 2028.

You can get more information about this and other major highways projects on our website.

Don’t be caught out by online scammers

With household budgets stretched by rising living costs, consumers are being warned to be on their guard against scammers offering deals that are too good to be true.

Many rogue traders have adapted to operate online by creating fake profiles to target consumers with their fraudulent services and target people in a vulnerable state. 

Common tactics include charging extortionate rates for work or goods, damaging property deliberately to get money, carrying out poor quality work and rogue traders posing as utilities officials or salespeople.  
Trading Standards advise people to 

• Always do your research and, where possible, look for trade associations. 
• Don’t let yourself be rushed into making a decision. If you are being offered something that seems too good to be true, it often is. 

You can find further advice and support online at www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/doorstepcrime.

If you wish to report a scam or online fraud, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.