Council urges organisations to ask for money from Government pot
Organisations including businesses, charities, councils, and sport and community groups still have time to apply for a share of £2.46m of government cash before applications close at midnight on Monday
Community projects, local sports groups, assets such as village halls and parks are all eligible to apply, as Park Tigers Junior Football Club in Scunthorpe did to refurbish their clubhouse, and more cash will go towards improvements at the Community Parks in Riddings, Parkwood and Kings Avenue and Jubilee Park in Ashby.
Oikos in Brigg established a Community Pantry to help people with the cost of living and a new group is being developed in Barton in association with Fitmums and Friends.
Money has also been granted to develop a horse sculpture trail across North Lincolnshire celebrating the painter George Stubbs and the anatomy of the horse and involving local schools and communities creating their own artworks.
Previous projects that have benefited from the funding include:
• Cash to develop local creative talent at Fountain Arts in Scunthorpe
• A community garden to be planted at St Oswald’s Church in Crowle
• Money to help get Scunthorpe’s first ever Pride event up and running.
North Lincolnshire Council leader Rob Waltham said: “These grants will support businesses, increase community pride and help people access many more opportunities that will improve their lives.
“The cash is available for a wide number of projects, from community gardens to marketing schemes. It gives local organisations a fantastic opportunity to directly shape North Lincolnshire’s exciting future.”
Find out more and apply via the Invest in North Lincolnshire website.
Trio of council leaders sign up to devolution deal for Lincolnshire
All three lead councils across Greater Lincolnshire have now voted in favour of taking the next steps towards a historic devolution deal.
An eight-week county-wide consultation involving all 1.1m residents has now been launched after the landmark proposal was approved by North East Lincolnshire Council, Lincolnshire County Council and North Lincolnshire Council.
Residents are being urged to have their say on the proposal which would bring £720m in extra cash and a raft of new powers to Greater Lincolnshire.
Lincolnshire County Council’s leader, Cllr Martin Hill, said: “This is an important day for the council and the county. We have negotiated an ambitious deal with the Government that will bring benefits to our residents for years to come, making sure we don’t get left behind. I hope that residents will take the time to understand what’s on offer and give their views as part of the consultation.
“This is our opportunity to take more decisions locally, boost our economy and have a direct line to government about what we need in our area.”
Cllr Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “This is the single biggest opportunity to improve outcomes for residents in generations.
“It is a huge opportunity to create new jobs, improve skills and training, supercharge investment in transport and roads and back our businesses to drive prosperity further and faster.
“Not only would residents see huge amounts of cash flowing into Greater Lincolnshire every year, but Lincolnshire would also have the power, which has been held in London, to spend this cash to tackle the issues people want tackled in their communities.”
North East Lincolnshire Council Leader, Cllr Philip Jackson, said: “This is another important step in our journey towards devolution, which is set to drive forward the right decisions and growth for the people of North East Lincolnshire and the greater county.”
The Proposal outlines the benefits to Greater Lincolnshire that devolution will bring, which include:
- A Mayoral Investment Fund of £24 million per annum for 30 years to invest in infrastructure and skills development totalling £720m
- A one off £28.4m capital investment in Greater Lincolnshire’s priorities
- £2m capacity funding over three years
- £1m skills for job funding
- Local control over the Adult Education Budget from 2026
- A consolidated, multi-year transport fund, providing increased financial certainty.
Council buys former House of Fraser building in Grimsby
The former House of Fraser building on Grimsby’s Victoria Street West has been bought by North East Lincolnshire Council.
Contracts have been exchanged and the sale, which has been advised by strategic partner Queensberry, also includes a leasehold on an adjacent car park.
The five-storey building sits within the council owned Freshney Place and with a frontage on 9 to 29 Victoria Street West. It has been empty since House of Fraser closed four years ago.
Continuing to see it unused was not an option, said Council Leader Cllr Philip Jackson, who has responsibilities for regeneration and the economy. This purchase, he explained, would provide yet more opportunity for the authority and its partners to look at the redevelopment and diverse use of Freshney Place as a whole.
“In order to effect change, which we all know is needed, we must look at opportunities such as this with a view to shaping and guiding redevelopment. Town Centres across the country have changed almost beyond what any of us would have anticipated and that is what we are determined to do here,” said Cllr Jackson.
“We have a fantastic opportunity to re-invent Freshney Place and complement its retail offer with the new cinema, leisure attractions, and fresh new market. The House of Fraser building will now form an integral part of those plans. This is a good move for the town centre,” he added.
Over the last five years, the reshaping of the town centre has been led by the local authority. Along with partners and stakeholders including the Greater Grimsby Town Board, it has won multi-million-pound funding bids from Central Government.
This money, all ring-fenced for specific projects, has seen the transformation of St James’ Square and Garth Lane with its new footbridge, river dredging and extensive paving and landscaping. Further to that, work has started on the redundant St James’ House with the E-Factor purchasing the building to create a business hub.
This is in addition to the Future High Streets Fund, and projects earmarked for Towns Fund money including the already underway full refurb of Riverhead Square, a plan for new housing at Alexandra Dock and the new OnSide ‘Horizon’ Youth Zone. The latter involves the transformation of the historic redundant buildings along Garth Lane into a state-of-the-art centre for young people.
Meanwhile initial work has now started with Queensberry on the multi-million-pound Freshney Place Leisure & Market Hall Scheme with its new cinema, market, and leisure attractions.
More good news is the arrival, in mid-2024, of a Community Diagnostic Centre. The NHS facility in Freshney Place will bring thousands more people into the town centre every year – with such increased footfall through the town centre presenting more opportunities.
Image courtesy of North East Lincolnshire Council
Boost for Gainsborough Hospital
The Scotter Ward at John Coupland Hospital in Gainsborough, run by Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS), is undergoing a significant upgrade to enhance patient care and future-proof the facility.
The Trust recently announced that the upgrade has now reached the halfway point. NHS Property Services (NHSPS), which owns and manages the building, is playing a key role in the upgrade work.
This important project includes installing new inpatient accommodation and a nurse’s station to provide a modern and improved environment for patients and staff. The internal strip-out carried out earlier this year has created a blank canvas for the design of the ward. New interior partitions have since been installed, indicating what the ward will look like when it is finished.
The upgrade work also involves the construction of two new four-bed ward extensions with complex fire protection for the entire ward.
Scotter Ward offers care for patients who need time-limited inpatient care or rehabilitation. Patients are often transferred to the ward after a stay in an acute hospital, where they are ready to be discharged but not well enough to return home. The ward also plays a vital part in preventing patients from having to go to an acute hospital in the first place by offering community hospital care.
Paul Jones, Regional Capital Projects Lead (Midlands) at NHS Property Services, said: “We were pleased to welcome our NHS colleagues on site and share the progress that’s been delivered so far on this important programme of work. Working in partnership with our Principal Contractor Lindum and the team at the Trust, we are confident that this project will bring the existing Morton Suite up to a high standard of refurbishment, providing patients and staff with facilities that will enable excellent patient care.”
Julie Frake-Harris, LCHS Chief Operating Officer, expressed her satisfaction with the progress and stated that “it demonstrates our commitment to Gainsborough and the surrounding areas. As an organisation, we are committed to delivering great care closer to home, and this is a fantastic milestone for Scotter Ward and the local community.”
Lindum Group Construction Manager Matthew Turner added, “We are very happy to see this project reach its halfway point, coming closer to providing an environment that will suit every patient’s needs. It is fantastic to see the new ward taking shape. Walking around the site, you can get a feel of what the ward will eventually look like and how much this fantastic, refurbished ward will benefit the people of Gainsborough.”
County to get road improvements worth £360m over next five years
On top of standard maintenance and repairs Lincolnshire County Council carries out each year, a total of £360 million on brand-new infrastructure and major improvements is due to be spent over the next five years.
A planning application for the new North Hykeham Relief Road was submitted in October. Construction of the new road, which will cost between £180m and £208m, is expected to start in 2025 and take up to three years to complete.
The Council’s executive member for highways Cllr Richard Davies said: “This will be one of the county’s biggest road projects in recent years, involving the building of a brand-new five-mile stretch of dual carriageway; three new roundabouts; and over four new bridges, including one over the River Witham.
“Once built, the relief road will offer the people of Lincolnshire a huge range of benefits, including improving journey time reliability; boosting the economy by forming an integral part of the route to our beautiful coast; helping us meet the area’s growth target; and better connecting the A46 between the Midlands through to the Humber ports.
Works are well under way to ‘level up’ the A16 between Boston and Spalding. “Near Boston, we’re nearly finished widening Marsh Lane Roundabout and improving active travel. And near Spalding, we’re underway with major improvements to the A16/A151 roundabout near the Springfields shopping centre where we’re adding additional entry and exit lanes on the A16 and improving entry and exit lanes on the A151 to improve traffic flows.
“And starting summer 2024, we’ll be working to replace the current A16/B1180 Greencell Roundabout near Spalding with a new, larger version with added capacity to help keep people moving.
“Not only do all of the Levelling Up changes offer immediate benefits, like improved journey times and less traffic, but they will also help future-proof the A16.
“Works have also recently ended at Dolphin Lane in Boston, where we laid 3,500 new stone setts to replace the uneven footway at the shopping area.”
In Grantham, work to build the relief road bridge over the Witham Valley, River Witham and East Coast railway is under way.
Cllr Davies said: “Construction of the final section of the relief road is well underway, with a focus on building the new viaduct. All six of the new bridge piers are in place and we’re almost ready to start installing the new bridge deck. The new relief road is still set to open by the end of 2025.”
Phase Two of Grantham’s new relief road opened in late 2022, connecting the A1 to the B1174 via a bridged underpass and two new roundabouts. A section of Phase Three, from the A52 Somerby Hill roundabout to Whalebone Lane, is also now open.
A £1.2 million project is currently under way in Skegness to improve some of the coastal town’s most important roads, including North Parade, Grand Parade and Drummond Road.
The team is also working on replacing gullies along Lumley Avenue to improve the area’s drainage, along with resurfacing a small additional section of Roman Bank.
Cllr Davies said: “Our coast is one of Lincolnshire’s greatest assets, so keeping the area’s roads well-maintained is integral for not just residents and visitors, but the county-wide economy.”
Significant land deal helps port expansion
In one of the largest land deals done in recent years, North East Lincolnshire Council’s Cabinet agreed last week to release land to Associated British Ports (ABP).
The land includes 28 acres of allocated development land at Stallingborough Interchange, and two small areas of land in NELC ownership.
Pioneer Business Park (PBP) is a strand of the South Humber Industrial Investment Programme (SHIIP) which has so far seen the Myenergi and HETA facilities developed on the site, with other projects in the pipeline.
Other elements of SHIIP include a new link road between Immingham and Grimsby which has unlocked development land and improved connectivity between the ports, and two ecological mitigation sites, the first in Europe, created to offset the environmental impact of future developments and provide a safe haven for birds. These innovative interventions have proven to be a key part in attracting large scale investment to the area.
Cllr Philip Jackson, Leader of the Council, said: “The sale has realised the opportunity to see development accelerated at Pioneer Business Park at a pace which is likely to bring with it a variety of benefits, including additional investment, facilities and jobs locally.
“I’d like to thank ABP for coming to the table with the proposals, and for creating what will be one of the biggest single developments in the area in recent times.”
ABP has also been working with other landowners in the area to assemble a wider parcel of land to concentrate these operations in. The overall deal will see ABP investing significantly to expand its port operations around Immingham after the purchase of the freehold of 227.5 acres at Stallingborough Interchange.
The prominent site is earmarked for commercial port opportunities including automotive, bulk warehousing, distribution and logistics uses, advanced manufacturing, as well as green energy initiatives.
In a prime strategic location next to the A180 and located two miles from the Port of Immingham and six miles from the Port of Grimsby, the designated employment site is one of the largest of the original Enterprise Zones in the area and is key to future proofing the continued growth of ABP’s commercial business on the Humber.
Simon Bird, Regional Director of the Humber, said: “This is an important milestone in the future growth of the Humber ports. It demonstrates the need for strategic investment in land to facilitate the continued growth of ABP and to maintain the Humber ports leading position in the UK, as well as significant investment in the region for jobs.
“As demand is expected to increase for energy generation, automotive storage, bulk warehousing, and storage and distribution uses our space constraints within our ports will increase. This additional land will ensure the delivery of state-of-the-art infrastructure, facilities, and technological innovation for new and existing customers.”
Greg Lacey, Head of Property – Humber, ABP said: “It’s always a challenge to bring forward a site of such significant scale and I’d like to personally thank NELC for all the investment in time and costs to get it to this stage. We now pick up the baton to bring to fruition our shared ambition to create a major UK port logistics development.
“This is a unique opportunity, assembled by ABP working collaboratively with NELC and three other landowners. The site is the largest development land parcel in such proximity to the ports, and of significant scale versus wider opportunities in the Yorkshire region.
“It is unlikely any opportunity of the same size will be coming to the market for some time. The sizeable investment we have made in this shows ABP is a key player in supporting the growth of commercial activities within the region.”
Image courtesy of North East Lincolnshire Council
Scartho school plans given the go ahead
A new primary school is set for Scartho after plans were approved by Councillors at a planning meeting last week.
The proposed plans for a new primary school in Scartho went before a meeting of the Council’s planning committee last Wednesday, and were approved with conditions.
The school, for children aged 4 to 11, will be built on land off Matthew Telford Park in Scartho.
Proposals for another primary school on land known as ‘Sunningdale’ in Waltham were deferred for further discussion.
The site in Scartho is owned by the Council and has been earmarked for education provision for some time.
Councillor Margaret Cracknell, portfolio holder for children and education at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “I’m really pleased that Councillors have approved the plans for a new primary school in Scartho after much careful consideration.
“In the coming years, school places will be much-needed and I await with interest the decision on the Waltham site. Together, these schools would represent a boost of some-210 additional school places, including a number of places for children with special educational needs.
“It’s important that, as North East Lincolnshire grows, the number of good quality schools grows to meet the needs of our children and young people.”
Work is expected to start on the Scartho site soon. Proposals for the Waltham site will be tabled for further discussion at a future meeting of the Council’s Planning Committee.
Image courtesy of North East Lincolnshire Council
20,000 children put through IBCC’s education programme
20,000 children have been put through the International Bomber Command Centre’s education programmes.
The sessions, delivered by the IBCC’s dedicated learning officers and team of award-winning volunteers, teach the fascinating history of Bomber Command’s personnel through firsthand accounts, artefacts, and state-of-the-art interactive displays.
This allows children of all ages to engage with the history in an accessible but thought-provoking way. Additionally, a ’10 Things to do at the IBCC’ guide has also been produced to help families explore the inside and outside of the Centre at their own pace while prompting conversations about Remembrance, Recognition and Reconciliation.
Janine Smithson, IBCC learning officer, said: “It is so important that children are aware of Britain’s past, and we hope that we can inspire and spark their curiosity to learn even more about WWII after they leave us. This period of history especially is important for children to learn about as those with the last living memory of this time period will unfortunately soon no longer be with us.
“On top of the sessions we deliver to schools, scouts and guides, and other youth groups, we’ve also geared the rest of the centre toward promoting learning so those visiting with their family aren’t missing out.
“We believe a hands-on approach allows the children to discover the past in an exciting way where our materials complement their imaginations in bringing the stories to life. We want them to come away from our centre with a new appreciation of our history, but to have had fun attaining it as well.
“It’s always rewarding to see those lightbulb moments of discovery when they make connections with the past.”
The IBCC offers a range of family fun-days for all ages and are also registered with the Duke of Edinburgh Awards allowing young people to volunteer as they achieve their Bronze, Silver or Gold Awards.
To commemorate its hard work in developing an excellent quality of education delivery, the IBCC was also recently awarded the prestigious Sandford Award for Heritage Education 2023.
To further develop and improve its educational offering and engagement with schools, the IBCC has now expanded its learning officer team with a former primary school teacher, Leah Deen. Additionally, the IBCC is currently fundraising for a new dedicated learning space separate from the main building that will enable the team to teach a more encompassing program that extends the range of human stories behind Bomber Command.
Nicky van der Drift, Chief Executive of the International Bomber Command Centre, said: “Hitting the milestone 20,000 children through our doors to learn is an amazing achievement and testament to the team we have here who take immense pride in educating the next generation.
“If we’ve sparked a lifelong passion for history in even one of those children, then I consider it a success, and we now look forward to expanding and improving our offering further.”
The International Bomber Command Centre is open from 9:30am-4pm Tuesday to Sunday, with last entry to the Exhibition at 3pm. For more information about the centre, or to book tickets and donate, please visit internationalbcc.co.uk. Alternatively, to get in touch with the IBCC learning team, contact learning@internationalbcc.co.uk
Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance on track to have busiest year on record
With just one more month to go before the end of the year, the LNAA crew are close to matching the total number of missions in 2022.
As of December 1, LNAA has responded to 1,617 emergencies in 2023. Last year the total number of missions was 1,620. This is why they are taking part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge – a one-week campaign that aims to double donations and raise £70,000.
CEO, Karen Jobling, said: “The rising number of missions indicates the crucial role that LNAA plays in delivering life-saving care to those in need across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. By taking part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge we hope to hit the £70,000 target to enable us to get to more patients this winter.”
Grantham cyclist Mark knows first-hand the difference that the team of highly skilled doctors, paramedics and pilots can make.
Mark suffered a traumatic brain injury and was left fighting for his life after being hit by a car. If it wasn’t for the crew of Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance, Mark believes he would not have survived.
It took less than 15 minutes to fly Mark to Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC). Other injuries included punctured lungs, numerous broken bones and multiple rib fractures. His right leg was so severely damaged that surgeons had to shorten it by 1.5cm and put his leg into a metal frame, so the bones could regrow and reconnect effectively.
Mark was in a coma for five weeks and his chance of survival was low. He received extensive medical care, and eventually transferred to a rehabilitation unit to help prepare him for when he could eventually go home and live an independent life.
Mark said: “It was there that I realised how badly injured I was. Everyday things were suddenly too hard for my brain to work out. It was surreal. I knew my name but couldn’t write it.
“I had to learn to get dressed, clean my teeth and do all those simple tasks including household chores and creating recipes with just two items in them as I could never get a third – it was all too much for my brain.”
Eight years later and Mark is still recovering.
“Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance saved my life that day,” said Mark. “It makes me sad to realise how much I have changed, and it must hurt my wife, Karen immensely to know the person I was has gone, but I am alive and well and we will do our best to look to make a future that we want.”
The charity’s goal is to be by the side of more patients like Mark. Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance needs to raise £10million this year to operate 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week and give patients the best chance of survival.
To help LNAA carry out this work you can support the Big Give Christmas Challenge. All you need to do is visit https://www.ambucopter.org.uk/BigGive and make a donation before midday on Tuesday 5 December.
South Lincolnshire lottery raises almost £35,000 in its first year
The South and East Lincolnshire Community Lottery has raised £34.7k in Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland during its first year, supporting local community groups and charities such as Blackfriars Theatre and Arts Centre, Woodhall Spa Cricket Club and Moulton Windmill.
Boasting a regular player base of over 590 residents every week, a typical week for the community lottery scheme can see more than £600 raised for good causes.
60% of the ticket proceeds from South & East Lincolnshire Community Lottery go to charities, voluntary organisations and other not-for-profit groups with the remainder being put towards prizes, operating costs and VAT.
Councillor Emma Cresswell, Boston Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Communities and People, Councillor Sarah Devereux, East Lindsey District Council Portfolio Holder for Partnerships and Councillor Tracey Carter, South Holland District Council Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Communities and Facilities, said: “We are delighted that as a Partnership we have been able to bring forward this scheme which has a direct impact on residents’ lives. We are able to support community initiatives that don’t have access to regular income streams, and can continue to help people across the sub-region.
“The South and East Lincolnshire Community Lottery continues to have our full support, and as a collective we would like to take this opportunity to encourage more people to play it each week, and for any good causes out there that aren’t involved to get in touch so we can get you on the scheme.”
