Council takes ownership of hotel in Sleaford
In a move which will secure a prestigious hotel business, protect jobs and broaden its economic and social benefits, North Kesteven District Council has taken ownership of the Carre Arms Hotel in Sleaford.
The purchase of both the hotel and its operating company has been finalised following a decision by Full Council on February 29, 2024, with Members agreeing that there were significant advantages to the community in protecting this key local infrastructure asset, which could otherwise be lost as a viable business.
Acquisition of the Carre Arms also assists the Council significantly in advancing its ambitions around expanding the local visitor economy – being one of only two hotels in the immediate area with more than 10 rooms – and the regeneration of Sleaford Town Centre.
The move also protects an historic, landmark building and introduces opportunity to enhance its viability as an accommodation, conference and functions provider.
Council Chief Executive Ian Fytche said the realisation of this opportunity to move forward a number of the Council’s strategic aims around Sleaford’s regeneration and the potential for growing the local visitor economy was something the Council could not afford to pass over.
“For more than 12 years we have recognised the need for expanded hotel provision in order to meet existing and growing demand for business and visitor accommodation, but that is something that the private sector has not been able to provide,” he said.
“That reality, allied with the broader aspirations of the Sleaford Masterplan and the Council’s wider strategic interests in redevelopment opportunities in the immediate area of the Carre Arms, have led to the Council taking this proactive intervention.
“It is an action entirely consistent with legal and financial frameworks and will ultimately support the Council in both delivering on its objectives and maintaining its own ongoing viability, just as its established Lafford Homes housing company does.
“Customers of the Carre Arms will see no immediate difference as there is no change to the operations of the hotel or the circumstances of the employees.
“Along with the retiring owners, who have run a successful business for more than 20 years, we thank them for their goodwill both now and over the years in providing a much-needed multipurpose venue in the heart of Sleaford.”
Image courtesy of North Kesteven District Council
New ‘WordFest’ coming to West Lindsey
A new festival is coming to West Lindsey this year, which promises to bring people together through words, pictures, sounds and music.
WordFest, which is being staged in Market Rasen in July and Gainsborough in September, builds on the success of the Literature Village, which was held in Gainsborough’s Market Place last year.
Organised by West Lindsey District Council, WordFest is all about the area ‘finding its voice’ and promises to be a festival of storytelling, creativity, and imagination.
Towns’ Manager at West Lindsey District Council, Nicola Marshall, said the event would have something for everyone to enjoy. She said: “It’s great that we are able to build on the success of the Literature Village and expand this into something that will truly bring people together through a love of art and music.”
Both events will feature the Literature Village Market, which will once again welcome stallholders selling all things book related. There will be free entertainment for children including the splendid Storybook Emporium; Oskar with his magic accordion; poetry writing for all and storytelling in the ‘teepee’.
In Gainsborough, there will also be free horse and carriage rides from Market Place to the library. Additional attractions are still in the planning stage.
Helen Hagon, a teacher and writer based in Gainsborough, is among the artists appearing at WordFest. She said: “Last year I ran a stall at the Gainsborough Literature Market, which was a wonderful opportunity to chat with fellow lovers of the written word from the local area, and I will be doing the same again at this year’s Wordfest.
“I am also currently compiling a collection of my own poetry and am looking forward to leading a poetry-writing workshop in September for anyone interested in having a go at penning some verse of their own. No writing experience is necessary, just bring lots of enthusiasm and a love of words.”
Local musician, Graham Thorpe, another of the artists appearing, said he was looking forward to encouraging people to share their love of all the different artforms. He said: “WordFest will enable Gainsborough people to use their voice in some way – through writing, through reading, through poetry, through art and drawing, and of course music.”
Graham, and a group of fellow musicians, have written music specifically for the event and will be performing at The Old Nick Theatre.
To whet people’s appetite ahead of WordFest, there will be a creative writing workshop entitled ‘Writing is Fun’ – led by local writer Gill Blow at Gainsborough Library. The workshops will be held on six consecutive Saturdays from 20 April to 25 May, 10am to 12pm.
Tracey Jones of Garden Room Art, will also be hosting an art journalling workshop on 1 and 15 June – 10 am to 12pm.
And during the week leading up to Wordfest, there will be a fascinating history talk entitled ‘Industrious Women of the Trent’, a Lincolnshire Dialect afternoon and an evening featuring a musical soundscape. Other events include a poetry workshop and a super children’s literature event at the Trinity Arts Centre.
Chairman of West Lindsey District Council, Stephen Bunney, said he was looking forward to the festival. He said: “It’s great to be able to bring people together through music and art, and with WordFest staged at both Gainsborough and Market Rasen, it will demonstrate this perfectly. I’m delighted we have another super festival to join the line-up of events that continue to be so well supported across the district.”
Image courtesy of West Lindsey District Council
Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance gives toe-tapping thanks to Spalding’s Ukelele Orchestra
Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) is giving a mega toe-tapping thanks to the Ukulele Orchestra of Spalding, for raising a fantastic £500 from events and concerts in aid of their life-saving work.
The group’s secretary, Katy, said: “It was a unanimous decision by us all to nominate LNAA. The air ambulance is a vital device and we all wanted to do our part to keep it flying.”
LNAA Community Fundraiser, Jac Sutherland, recently visited the group and gave thanks for this fantastic donation. She said: “It will cost £10 million in 2024 to keep LNAA operational, enabling our dedicated pilots, doctors and paramedics to carry the most up-to-date life-saving equipment and take an emergency department directly to the scene of some of the most serious incidents in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
“As we receive no regular direct funding from the Government, we rely solely on the generosity and goodwill of people and organisations like Ukelele Orchestra of Spalding to support our work.”
Summer opening on track for Station Leisure & Learning Centre at Mablethorpe
A new leisure and learning facility in Mablethorpe has reached an important milestone in its construction as it enters the final stages of completion.
Work started in March last year to build Station Leisure & Learning Centre on the site of the current Station Sports Centre, operated by Magna Vitae Trust for Leisure & Culture.
East Lindsey District Council successfully bid for Government Levelling Up funding through the Towns Fund and was awarded £7.4m, supported by the Connect Coast Town Deal Board.
The transformational leisure and learning scheme is set to provide new health and wellbeing opportunities for people in Mablethorpe and the surrounding area. The facility includes a four-lane, 25m swimming pool; a changing village, modern fitness suite, Tag Active (adventure play) studios as well as a new outdoor play area and car park. The centre will also provide new learning and skills opportunities.
A ‘topping out’ event marked a milestone in the construction phase and was an opportunity to celebrate the progress made in delivering the Town’s Fund project. Those in attendance were given a tour of the building so far, including the swimming pool.
Cllr Richard Fry, Portfolio Holder for Finance at East Lindsey District Council and the Political Lead for the Station Leisure & Learning Centre, said: “This fantastic facility will truly be transformational in improving the health and wellbeing opportunities for people of all ages in Mablethorpe and the surrounding area.
“For many years, a public swimming pool for Mablethorpe has been a long-desired wish from residents in the town. I am delighted that East Lindsey District Council, working with Magna Vitae and the Connected Coast Board has been able to deliver this with a fantastic four lane, 25 metre pool as well as a new fitness suite and other facilities.
“Station Leisure & Learning Centre will take away the need for residents to travel out of town to access a swimming pool, as well as increasing the opportunities for people of all ages to learn to swim and to improve their health and wellbeing through fitness and social activities.
“The leisure centre combined with the other Town Deal projects being delivered in Mablethorpe and Sutton on Sea mark a huge investment for this area of East Lindsey alone.
“In 2021, Mablethorpe secured £23.9m in Town Deal funding from the government to deliver an ambitious vision which will bring significant and sustainable improvements to support a healthy and diverse economy.”
The current Station Sports Centre is scheduled to close on Thursday 11th April to allow for the demolition of the existing Station Sports Centre building.
There will then be a short period of closure to allow for staff training at the new facility and to complete works. The new facility is set to open this summer (2024), with the official date to be announced in the coming weeks.
Magna Vitae is holding an event for residents, members and staff past and present to say farewell to Station Sports Centre on their last open day 11th April from 4pm-7pm.
A programme of community activities is being arranged to ensure people have access to facilities during the short closure.
Station Sports Centre members will have access to other Magna Vitae facilities in Louth, Skegness and Horncastle during the closure to enable them to continue their health and wellbeing journey.
Aeneas Richardson, Executive Director for Magna Vitae, said: “Magna Vitae is proud to be involved with developing Station Leisure & Learning Centre and taking this project forward. Anticipation has been growing within the Mablethorpe community over the last 13 months as we have all watched this spectacular building rise out of the ground.
“Excitement is now mounting as we progress towards the final stages of building completion and the leisure centre opening for public use. Our membership has already started to increase as customers begin to plan their health and wellbeing journey in the new fitness suite, swimming pool or Tag Active (adventure play) facility. The place and people are really beginning to ‘buzz.’
“This facility will provide several fantastic opportunities for general learning, life-skill education, training, personal development, confidence building and wider achievement(s). The leisure centre will create at least 12 new employment opportunities and recruitment is underway as we speak. The sheer enthusiasm of the staff team working within the venue will really contribute to the residents of Mablethorpe truly living a ‘great life.'”
Chris Baron, Chair of Connected Coast, said: “It is great to reach this milestone in the development of the Station Leisure and Learning Centre.
“There has long been an aspiration within the community for a swimming pool in Mablethorpe, and with the topping out of the building, this ambition is moving ever closer to being realised.
“With modern fitness facilities and opportunities for learning, the centre is set to be a real asset to the local area, and will make a significant impact in supporting people’s physical and mental wellbeing in Mablethorpe.”
Image courtesy of East Lindsey District Council 336-acre sustainable urban extension scheme in Skegness gains approval
Plans to transform part of the East Lincolnshire coast have taken an important step forward, following unilateral approval of the 336-acre sustainable urban extension scheme in Skegness.
The news, delivered Wednesday 20 March at an executive meeting of East Lindsey District Council in Horncastle, means the town is on the cusp of receiving more than £300 million in economic benefits, delivering hundreds of local jobs.
Projections undertaken by the Gateway team showcase the scheme will deliver employment benefits of £289.7 million, £20.5 million and £16 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) measurability for commercial, industrial and retail sector jobs.
The proposed Local Development Order is seeking to expedite the delivery of up to 1,000 new homes and more than 49 acres of combined business, industrial and community space.
Situated to the west of the town, on land principally owned by Croftmarsh, with additional areas owned by the Scarbrough family, the Skegness Gateway scheme is set to breathe new life into an area of the Lincolnshire coast that drastically needs change in order to secure its future, boosting the local economy and providing the education and jobs for local people that will encourage them to stay in the area.
Sue Bowser of Croftmarsh said: “This is a milestone moment for the people of Skegness and an important step in revitalising our town and community. It is a pathway for people to carve a real future in the town, with employment, skills and learning opportunities all situated within one site, connected by an ambition to restore Skegness at the heart of East Midlands economic investment.
“Having farmed the land at Croftmarsh for 30 years, it was always hoped that it could eventually be used for development. Now, it’s a chance for prospective consultants, developers and investors to look more closely at our plans and be a part of transforming Skegness’ future. It will become a new home for thousands of families, a place of ambition and prosperity, with a lasting legacy for generations to come.”
As part of the proposals, the Skegness Gateway site also includes provision for a new crematorium, 78 acres of green open space, supported living options and a new local centre.
The scheme has garnered wide stakeholder and public support since its launch three years ago, following a series of engagement sessions and appearances at local community events.
Last November, it was described by Matt Warman, MP for Boston and Skegness as a catalyst to ‘allow people to gain the skills and knowledge they need to get the jobs they want.’ The scheme was also mentioned in the House of Commons as offering a ‘significant boon to local NHS services.’
Enabling works on the new Skegness TEC college, which is situated on the Skegness Gateway site, is already underway, following planning permission being granted in February last year.
Adrian Clarke, group vice principal for corporate services at TEC Partnership, said: “The new campus will provide fantastic opportunities for the local community to undertake courses in further and higher education and develop the skills the area needs for its future.”
Chris Baron, chair at Connected Coast, said: “We are seeing unprecedented investment in Skegness which is supporting the delivery of aspirational and transformational projects.
“The Skegness Gateway represents a further and significant opportunity to create much-needed facilities for the area and enhance Skegness for people who live and visit here.
“Together the opportunities, interventions, and investment – which includes the Towns Fund and the recently announced Long Term Plan for Towns – will bring long-term, sustainable benefits for Skegness which will be felt for generations to come.”
Councillor Steve Kirk, East Lindsey District Council portfolio holder for coastal economy, said: “I am delighted to see another positive step taken towards delivering this transformational piece of investment to Skegness and East Lindsey as a whole.
“By supporting these plans, we are helping to create new jobs, new education and skills development options, new homes and new opportunities for businesses and the local economy. This is yet another example that shows Skegness is a great place to live, work, play and invest.
“Alongside our ongoing Towns Fund and Levelling Up projects, the positive impact of these developments will be felt for generations to come, and I look forward to continuing to see them become a reality in the months and years ahead.”
Image: Skegness Gateway site
Waste not, want not: Energy from waste plant celebrates tenth anniversary
Lincolnshire’s Energy from Waste facility in North Hykeham near Lincoln has reached its 10th operational anniversary, through which time it has reduced the amount of the county’s waste going to landfill by around 93 percent, converting it into enough energy to power 27,000 homes across the county.
Lincolnshire County Council is eleven years into its 25-year partnership with plant operator FCC Environment which operates the plant for residual waste collection, treatment and transfer in the county.
The plant’s General Manager Juergen Schaper said: “We are extremely proud to have reached this very significant milestone. Ten years diverting waste from landfill and converting to energy is a real achievement for Lincolnshire. We are focused on continuing to exceed performance expectations in our successful partnership with the Council as we carry on creating valuable electricity, jobs and community support for the county.”
Andy Gutherson, the council’s Executive Director of Place said: “We look forward to our future as we process more waste and generate more energy for the benefit of the local community.
“The presence of the facility in the county has a number of positive implications: reducing non-recyclable waste being sent to landfill by around 93 percent and producing power to supply 27,000 homes. These environmentally-friendly and cost-saving results make a real difference for the people of Lincolnshire.”
Lincolnshire County Council and FCC Environment work with the seven district councils across Lincolnshire, which make the initial collection of both recyclable and non-recyclable waste from the county’s homes and businesses, diverting only the non-recyclable waste from landfill to the EfW plant for processing.
The site is equipped to treat up to 190,000 tonnes of residual waste each year, converting it into 13.1 MW of electricity. The EfW plant has now processed 1.780 million tonnes of waste, producing 830,000 MWh of energy for the National Grid to provide essential power for more than 27,000 homes throughout the county.
In addition to the energy produced, the waste treatment process has also produced around 215,000 tonnes of incinerator bottom ash. This material contains metal which can be extracted and aggregate which can be used in the construction of roads.
As well as the environmental benefits for Lincolnshire, the North Hykeham plant is expected to save the county council about £30m over the lifetime of the contract by drastically cutting the waste which would have otherwise gone to landfill from 180,000 tonnes per annum to only 12,000 tonnes.
Hundreds of trees planted in Winterton to create new community orchard
Hundreds of trees have been planted in Winterton as part of a project to develop a community orchard.
The project is being led by Winterton 2022, which was formed in 2012 as one of 150 Local Trust ‘Big Local’ areas in England and received £1million funding to spend in Winterton over 10 years. Big Local is funded by the National Lottery, and aims to enable residents to make their communities even better places to live.
Following public consultation, it was decided to create a green open space which incorporated community fruit growing – recognising the area’s agricultural heritage as well as supporting local wildlife.
Humber Forest, the community forest for Hull, East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, has supplied grant funding for the trees being planted on the site at Water Lane, Winterton.
A total of 450 woodland trees are being planted including oak, silver birch and wild cherry, as well as 86 fruit trees being planted in the orchard, including apple, plum, cherry, and pear.
Thirty-three of the fruit trees being planted are special heritage fruit trees paid for by Winterton 2022.
In addition, a 250m hedgerow is being planted which will create habitats for wildlife.
Pupils from The Winterton Federation School and Winterton Academy joined other community volunteers to plant the trees.
Councillor David Rose, cabinet member for environment and strategy at North Lincolnshire Council, said: “North Lincolnshire Council is proud to work with Winterton 2022, Humber Forest and local volunteers to promote tree planting and the recreation of traditional orchards in our area.
“A Green Future, our environmental policy, encourages local people to plant the right tree in the right place, as is happening in Winterton. Lincolnshire has 18 little-known traditional apple varieties and two plums, so it’s great to see heritage fruit tree varieties being brought back into our towns and villages.”
Kerrie Prowting, Winterton 2022 coordinator, said: “Working with Humber Forest, North Lincolnshire Council and The Conservation Volunteers has allowed us to really kickstart the community orchard, which would have taken us a much longer time otherwise.
“We are delighted with the number of volunteers who have turned up to help with this, and we welcome any other volunteers who would like to come forward to help us to plan and implement the next stage which will include planting soft fruits, building footpaths, putting in beehives and nesting boxes, and loads more.”
Leah Cave, Humber Forest partnership manager, said: “While planting these trees is something Humber Forest is really proud of, it is the benefit that these trees bring to the community that really matters.
“If you are a farmer or landowner and are interested in planting trees on your land, Humber Forest would love to work with you.”
‘We won’t let Lincolnshire be a dumping ground for pylons’, say councillors
Plans to erect strings of electricity pylons could be the tip of the iceberg for Lincolnshire, say county councillors determined to prevent the county becoming a dumping ground for large infrastructure projects.
That’s their reaction to the newly-published ‘Beyond 2030’ report from the Electricity System Operator which lays out recommendations for how the offshore and onshore network should develop throughout the 2030s.
Lincolnshire County Councillor Colin Davie said: “With an entire page of the report dedicated to Lincolnshire, it’s clear that National Grid’s plans to run 50m pylons all down our east coast could be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to large-scale energy infrastructure projects earmarked for the county.
“Throughout the report it emphasises that upgrading the country’s energy infrastructure needs to be done swiftly. The county council will ensure that this ‘need for speed’ does not come at the expense of proper, in-depth analysis of the impacts big projects will have on our landscape and our communities, and that all options are explored to keep those impacts to an absolute minimum.
“Be it pylons, substations, or new cable connections bringing energy onshore from windfarms out in the North Sea, we will not allow Lincolnshire to be a dumping ground for industrial scale development that harms the intrinsic quality of our county.
“We need to be reassured that the effects any proposals will have on the landscape, the local economy, and the environment have all been thoroughly considered and tested against Treasury Green book principles. In addition there has to be widespread public consultation with evidence that any proposals to be brought forward have been developed with the community voice at the heart of those proposals.”
Campaign takes positive step to safeguard Louth landmark
A campaign to safeguard the future of the much-loved Louth landmark has received a promising victory under the guidance of law firm Wilkin Chapman.
The firm, which has an office at Louth’s Oxley House, is supporting the ‘Save Louth Legion’ movement and has helped the leaders of the campaign to successfully prevent its sale on the open market for the next six months.
With a moratorium granted by East Lindsey District Council, the drive to restore the now-derelict Louth British Legion Hall as a community hub and social space can move forward.
Currently disused, the building had been facing sale on the open market after negotiations with the Royal British Legion failed. However, locals now have a vital chance to save the once thriving social hub – if they can raise sufficient funds in time.
Local architectural designer James Irvine, leader of the Save Louth Legion campaign, said: “Louth has lost so many social hubs over the years, so something must be done to preserve Louth Legion Hall for future generations – especially as the only truly accessible mid-sized music venue in Louth
“We must salvage Louth’s lost community spaces and the ‘Save Louth Legion’ campaign is essential for achieving this. While the news that our appeal has been granted is great news, it is just the beginning of our fight to save the venue.
“I grew up in Louth and I, like many other residents, have many wonderful memories of time spent at the Louth British Legion Hall. From birthday parties, wedding receptions, band night jam sessions, craft fairs and blood donations, the hall has been a vital, flexible social hub that gives so much back to the community – we can’t let it be lost. ”
With the firm’s help and pro bono legal support, Mr Irvine has successfully applied to register the hall as an asset of community value, which grants a six-month moratorium. During this time, the building cannot legally be sold.
Although the Royal British Legion is able to list the building for sale on the open market, it must wait six months to sell – giving the Save Louth Legion campaigners time to raise the funds needed and prepare their bid to purchase the building themselves on behalf of the local community.
“We’re thrilled that our appeal has been successful,” added James Irvine. “This gives us a fighting chance to save the building by raising funds and applying for grants through the Community Ownership Fund.
Corporate & commercial solicitor at Wilkin Chapman, Kelsey Jerrard, said: “We’re delighted that the application has been successful in the important community campaign to save this local landmark. The team at Wilkin Chapman has reviewed the application drafted by James, and advised on the process of setting up a Charitable Incorporated Organisation to assist with how the Hall will be run if successfully acquired by James.
“With this milestone achieved, we’re especially hopeful for the future of the much-loved community hub.”
Third Lincolnshire Wolds Outdoor Festival to take place this May
A celebration of the natural beauty and attractions of the Wolds will return for a third time this May, with the return of the Lincolnshire Wolds Outdoor Festival.
The festival, which started in 2022, will run from 11-27 May, and is designed to encourage people to get out and explore the wonderful Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, whilst participating in a variety of activities and learning more about the deep history that lies within the area.
The two-week festival will have over 100 events and activities taking place across the Wolds, with many of them being free of charge or at a reduced cost.
There will be things for people of all ages to take part in, with many of the activities designed to provide people the opportunity to learn new skills and gain new hobbies that they may not usually try.
Planned activities include gliding, archery, axe throwing, guided walks, mountain biking, farm safaris, bushcraft and much more.
One highlight of the festival will be an event taking place on Sunday 12 May at Stourton Woods, which offers a fun day out and an opportunity for people to get a taste of some of the activities that will be available across the festival.
Some events will require booking in advance, so it is recommended to do so as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
The Festival is ran collaboratively by a steering group of organisations, including: Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service, The Ramblers, Active Lincolnshire, Stourton Estates, South Ormsby Estate, Lincolnshire County Council, East and West Lindsey District Councils; with East Lindsey District Council serving as lead delivery partner.
Councillor Adam Grist, portfolio holder for market towns and the rural economy at East Lindsey District Council, said: “It is amazing that the Outdoor Festival has been able to return for a third year, with another varied and jam-packed schedule for people to explore and enjoy.
“The events provide residents and visitors alike with the opportunity to learn more about this stunning landscape that make up such a large part of our district and county, and to sample the offers of some of our fantastic local businesses and food and drink providers.
“We have another exciting schedule organised, and I hope that people will come along and enjoy some of the activities and events, perhaps discover some new skills and hobbies, and certainly take in the incredible surroundings of the Wolds.”
Image: Stock.adobe.com/Gill
