Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and its opposite number in Yorkshire are to work with renewable energy company Ørsted to launch Wilder Humber – a five-year environmental programme to restore marine habitats and species throughout the Humber estuary.
The estuary is one of the most important natural features and conservation sites in the UK, but its conservation status was downgraded to unfavourable condition by Natural England in 2012, attributed to habitat loss and commercial development, which resulted in the decline of habitats, such as sand dunes, saltmarsh, seagrass, and native oysters.
These habitats are critical for marine biodiversity. For example, seagrass provides rich nursery habitats, breeding and feeding grounds for a vast array of species, including shore crabs, juvenile flatfish, bass, brent geese and other wading birds. Sadly, extensive seagrass loss has occurred in UK waters during the last 100 years, with recent research estimating that at least 44% of the UK’s seagrass has been lost since 1936, of which 39% has been since the 1980s.
In efforts to reverse these major declines, the Wilder Humber programme is trialling a “seascape-scale” model, combining sand dune, saltmarsh, seagrass, and native oyster restoration to maximise conservation and biodiversity benefits across the estuary. The aim of the programme is to restore and enrich nearly 40 hectares of protected habitats and rebuild the Humber’s lost native oyster population to over half a million. 30 hectares of the overall 40-hectare ambition will focus on restoring lost seagrass meadow at Spurn Point, another key target for Wilder Humber.
In addition to spearheading the restoration works, Wilder Humber will also work with local communities to tell the story of the restoration journey through community events and school engagement visits and provide volunteering opportunities to contribute to wildlife conservation in the Humber estuary.
Benj Sykes, Head of Environment, Consents and External Affairs at Ørsted, said: “The diversity of life on planet Earth is our natural life-support system, but it’s being lost at an alarming rate. Climate change is accelerating this trend and it’s vital we address the global climate and biodiversity crises urgently. At Ørsted, we firmly believe that we can find ways to increase the build out of much-needed renewable energy whilst delivering a positive impact on nature. Through collaboration with conservation and restoration experts, like The Wildlife Trust, we want to pioneer biodiversity projects that will make a real and lasting difference. Our partnership with Lincolnshire and Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts is a major step towards that ambition in the UK.”
As a global leader in offshore wind, Ørsted has set an industry-leading ambition that all new renewable energy projects it commissions from 2030, at the latest, should deliver a net-positive biodiversity impact. Through collaboration with the Trusts, Wilder Humber programme will provide a foundation for Ørsted’s biodiversity ambitions.
Partnership working gets large fly-tip cleared between Spalding and Cowbit
Partnership working between South Holland District Council and Lincolnshire County Council has resulted in a large fly-tip being cleared at Drain Bank near Cowbit.
South Holland District Council’s Enforcement team and Lincolnshire County Council staff worked with local landowners to gain access to the site of the fly-tip, the Council’s Parks and Open Spaces team then cleared shrubbery and undergrowth to gain access to the large fly-tip.
Due to the size and nature of the fly-tip, which contained asbestos, rubble, garden waste and an assortment of household items, the clearance required an external contractor to support in the clearance.
The work took a total of three days and Lincolnshire County Council then installed a series of concrete blocks at the entrance to the site to prevent further fly-tipping.
A South Holland District Council spokesperson said: “This large fly-tip was a terrible eye-sore and showcased the severity of the challenges that we face. We are pleased to have worked with Lincolnshire County Council in a great example of Partnership working to get this site cleared.
“We will continue to work with Partners to tackle fly-tipping and enviro-crime as a whole in the local area.”
David Medlock granted Freedom of Boston Borough at ceremony
David Medlock has joined a prestigious list of people and organisations in Boston to be awarded the Honorary Freedom of the Borough.
Mr Medlock, who is chairman of the Medlock Trust, was awarded the Freedom at a ceremony on Monday, April 17 in recognition of his charity work to support people in Boston.
The Medlock Charitable Trust was founded by David’s father, Leonard Medlock in 1985 and is a grant-making organisation focused on supporting all sectors of the community. Leonard was an Old Boy of Boston Grammar School and was raised in Ingelow Avenue, Fenside, with his eight brothers and sisters. He went on to be awarded the Honorary Freedom of the Borough on April 26 1991.
The funds originated from the Hebron and Medlock group of engineering companies established in 1951. The Trust’s emphasis is spreading donations across a lot of smaller grants to organisations for whom this money will have a transformative impact.
The Trust is now run by Leonard’s son David Medlock, who took over the family charity and business when his father retired.
£50m has been donated to various good causes across the UK and abroad. In its formative years, the Trust supported Hinton Court, Fenside Together with the bungalows in Joy Paine Close, St Mary’s Convent Boston, Medlock Voluntary Centre and Resource Centre, Church Lane.
Over the last ten years the Borough has benefitted from over £2.5m in contributions to various good causes, including St Botolph’s Church, Boston College, St Barnabas Hospice, Boston Grammar School, SSAFA, Butterfly Hospice and the new Medlock House on the site of the old Duke of York public house.
David, a keen Freemason, has worked in the company since 1980 and together with Leonard’s brothers Ron and Bernie assisted to make the company one of the leading engineering design consultancies in the country.
Since selling the company David has increased his voluntary activities and since 2019 the Trust has contributed approximately £10m to good causes, the most significant being £1m to St John Ambulance for re-equipping their vehicles.
David said that despite the family now being spread around the world, they all see Boston as their spiritual home and look forward to their return visits.
He said of the Honour: “It’s with gratitude and humility I accept this, the highest honour which the Borough can bestow, may we be given many more years in which to work together.”
David joins Professor Jonathan Van Tam who was awarded the Freedom of the Borough in 2021 and Alison Fairman in 2016 and many others going back to 1901.
What is the Freedom of the Borough?
The Freedom of the Borough is a high honour which is only awarded in exceptional circumstances where the prospective recipient is an individual or organisation of distinction that has rendered eminent services to the Borough. Having demonstrated outstanding achievements in the Borough and/or on the international stage which have brought pride and satisfaction to the Borough.
Lancaster crew prepares for history sortie to mark Dambusters’ anniversary
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is readying itself to mark the 80th anniversary of the Dambusters Raid which took place in on the night of 16th-17th May 1943.
The event, on May 16th, is planned to involve the BBMF’s iconic Lancaster bomber, based at RAF Coningsby, flying an extensive and tightly-scheduled two-hour sortie over Lincolnshire’s Bomber Command airfields. BBMF Operations Officer Flight Lieutenant Croft said: “We are working hard to produce an achievable plan that allows us to showcase the Lancaster, commemorate the unsung heroes of Bomber Command and also incorporate the tasking we already had for the evening of 16th May.” He added that the Lancaster sortie for that evening included far more flypast locations than would normally be planned in a single flight, and was subject to appropriate visibility and favourable weather. The route over Lincolnshire includes:- Spitalgate – 6:58pm
- Fulbeck – 7:02pm
- Swinderby – 7:04pm
- RAF Waddington – 7:07pm
- International Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln – 7:08pm
- Skellingthorpe – 7:12pm
- Scampton – 7:15pm
- Dunholme – 7:16pm
- Wickenby – 7:18pm
- Faldingworth – 7:19pm
- Ingham – 7:21pm
- Hemswell Cliff – 7:22pm
- Blyton – 7:24pm
- Elsham Wolds – 7.30pm
- Kirmington – 7.31pm
- North Killingholme – 7.32pm
- Grimsby – 7.37pm
- Binbrook – 7.39pm
- Ludford – 7.41pm
- Kelstern – 7.42pm
- Strubby – 7.47pm
- Spilsby – 7.51pm
- East Kirkby – 7.53pm
- Bardney – 7.58pm
- Fiskerton – 8pm
- Metheringham – 8.03pm
- Woodall Spa – 8.05pm
- RAF Coningsby – 8.07pm
College opens Modern Methods of Construction Centre
The grand opening of the Modern Methods of Construction Centre at Stamford College was celebrated among local dignitaries, stakeholders, Inspire Education Group (IEG) staff and Stamford College students, in a ceremony that recognised the wealth of opportunities conceived from the £3.3 million facility.
The 900 sq m upgrade to the College’s existing facilities, which was designed by Waterland Architects and built by Lindum, comes after substantial growth in recent student applications; around fifteen per cent more each year.
Jointly funded by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP and Department for Education Post-16 Capital Funding, the Modern Methods of Construction Centre is now the primary learning facility for over 500 additional plumbing, carpentry, brickwork and electrical installation students, working to bridge the estimated 49,000 person skills shortage within the Eastern region.
Pat Doody, outgoing chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said: “The LEP’s £2.1m investment in this scheme recognises the need for a skilled workforce in the construction and engineering sectors, responding to the emerging requirements of modern methods of construction.
“Not only will the project create new opportunities for future students, but it will also meet the needs of local employers, address local and regional skills gaps and directly contribute to local, regional and national economies, enabling an innovative and employer-focused curriculum and accommodating forecast high demand.”
The building itself reflects its responsibility to teach and provide learning opportunities that reflect the rapid evolution of the construction industry through automation, carbon reduction and the increased use of prefabrication.
56 solar panels were installed on the roof as a source of renewable energy within the College, air-source heat pumps heat the building, and its bricks have been sourced from environmentally friendly manufacturers to ensure the carbon footprint of the building is minimised.
The build will now house six retrofit courses, designed to prepare the construction workforce of the future to meet the UK’s legally binding commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050.
New jobs to be created as almost 17 acres of North Lincolnshire land and property bought by Rainham Steel Company
Major investment is to lead to the creation of up to 60 new jobs following a deal in which independent international steel stockholder and distributor Rainham Steel Company has bought almost 17 acres of commercial land and properties in North Lincolnshire.
The business, which already services the UK, European and world markets from a 70 acre site and distribution facility in Scunthorpe, is to use the Althorpe Wharf site, in Station Road, Keadby, as a base for manufacturing reinforcement bar products.
The sale of the land, which was owned by RMS Trent Ports Limited, included open storage land and a number of industrial warehousing facilities, with a deal close to asking price agreed.
Rainham Steel Company is now to invest around £3.5m into developing the site over the coming year, installing plants and machinery in the existing facilities on site. Longer term plans are to build a dedicated new building on site.
The company supplies major steel fabricators, stockholders, construction companies, civil engineers and builders’ merchants, employing more than 180 members of staff. It already has four other sites in Scunthorpe.
The land had previously been used by RMS Trent Ports Limited to stock a variety of mainly bulk and steel based imports and exports.
The company, which handles all types from cargo through the Humber ports, turned to Hull-based commercial property specialists Garness Jones to sell the site after it became surplus to their business requirements.
Francis Micallef, operations director at Rainham Steel, said: “This is a really exciting announcement as we are going to be making a significant investment into this site to transform it into a northern reinforcement bar manufacturing site, adding to a similar one we have down south.
“We’ll initially be creating around 20 new jobs at the site, and we expect that number to increase to around 60 new jobs over the course of the year, as the site becomes fully operational.
“We’d actually looked around the site a few years ago as we’ve always enjoyed a good working relationship with RMS Trent Ports through their importing of steel. It wasn’t quite the right time then, but when we saw it on the market recently it was the perfect time and opportunity for us to add this new manufacturing facility.
“It’s obviously very pleasing to be able to put this large site into good use, expanding our operations and creating new employment in the region. We also have plans to reopen the Wharf on site in the future too.”
Chris Hyam, senior surveyor at Garness Jones, handled the deal and said: “We are delighted to have secured this sale for our client RMS Trent Ports Limited, as the site had become surplus to requirements for them.
“Following a short period of marketing we had strong levels of interest from developers and owner occupiers.
“It is an excellent acquisition for Rainham Steel, as they have secured a large site which can meet their expanding manufacturing and storage needs.
“The existing buildings allow for immediate expansion of their manufacturing processes and the surplus land allows for potential future development. It is a great deal for the local economy given it is leading to further significant investment and new jobs.”
Over 5,000 votes cast in annual Classic Ibiza track-poll
With Classic Ibiza at Burghley House near Stamford on Saturday 29 July rapidly approaching, over Easter the show’s 40,000 social media followers had the opportunity to vote for the tracks they most wanted to hear performed live by the 32-piece Urban Soul Orchestra (USO).
The five most popular tracks will be added to an orchestral set of over 30 house classics this summer, including 10 other new orchestrations and some firm Classic Ibiza favourites. USO, who headline the show, have worked alongside dance music greats, including Groove Armada, Robert Miles and Nightmares on Wax.
With over 5,000 votes now counted, the five winning tracks, which were selected from a shortlist of 10, are: Silence (Delerium, Tiësto, Sarah McLachlan), King of My Castle (Wamdue Project, Roy Malone), Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) (C & C Music Factory), On a Ragga Tip (SL2) and Need You (100%) (Duke Dumont, A*M*E).
Classic Ibiza’s Lisa Ward says: “We’ve all been to concerts before hoping to hear our favourite track, only to leave slightly disappointed when it’s not played. Our annual track poll, which is always hugely popular, gives our incredible Burghley House audience the opportunity to do something about that. All I can say is that it’s a good thing they’ve got taste!”
Gates open at Burghley House at 5.30pm, with the show starting with a Chill-Out DJ Set. Former Pacha Ibiza resident, DJ Jose Luis then takes control of the decks for his Latin House Set, which includes a live jamming session with members of USO. Next up, USO and DJ Goldierocks take centre stage for the Sundowner set, followed by Goldierocks’ Deep House DJ Set. The show then reaches a rapturous crescendo at 11pm, following USO’s return to the stage for the Dance Set, accompanied by an amazing laser & light show.
Lisa Ward adds: “We’re blessed with a loyal audience who love to come to Classic Ibiza every year. Our challenge is to make sure we always serve up something fresh and exciting to keep them coming back. The tracks we play are obviously a major part of that. Having already heard some of the new orchestrations, I know our Burghley House audience are going to love what we have in store for them this summer. We’ve also once again upped the ante on the show’s visuals – it’s going to be awesome.”
Tickets for Classic Ibiza at Burghley House are once again due to sell out in advance of the show. Classic Ibiza is proud to be supporting East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. There will be various fundraising initiatives taking place on the evening, including a £2.50 donation from every programme sold.
Information: Parking is free and there are no booking fees. Bring your own picnic or visit the on-site street-food vendors and San Miguel Bar. Prices: Adults (over 18s): £48, Children (aged 5–17): £24, Under 5s: free. Visit: classicibiza.co.uk
Image credit: David Evans
Divers explore Lincoln’s Glory Hole below the waterline
An expert team of divers has been under the water at Lincoln’s Glory Hole to help with the latest phase of the Council’s investigation into the site.
With the primary investigation above the river by council officers and engineers now complete, the next stage in the ongoing data-gathering means finding out exactly what’s happened below the waterline.
The dive team has carried our out an underwater fingertip assessment of the underpinning of the walkway, and data gathered from what they discovered will become part of the overall investigation detail into why and how the aged footpath has degraded.
Once all the information has been grouped together, Lincolnshire County Council’s specialist engineering team will assess what’s been discovered and then work on the live plan about what can next be done at the historic location.
Burghley Game & Country Fair returns
The popular Burghley Game & Country Fair returns for the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, on Sunday & Monday May 28th & 29th, at Burghley House.
The Country Show will be full of country sports and pursuits with a couple of main arenas offering all day entertainment. Watch Falconry, Gundogs, Horse boarders, stunt display teams and even a Grand National.
Around the showground there is plenty of opportunity to join in all the various ‘Have a Go’ events, Clay shooting, Airguns, Archery & Paintball in the Shooting Village, fishing, falconry and the World of Dogs competitions & displays. Lurcher & Whippet racing, gundog scurries, training and even a Fun dog show will take place for the family pet. So don’t leave them at home.
And you are not done yet, there is plenty more to see – The Craft Fair, Food Halls, Chefs demonstrations where you can join Be & Andrea in the Country Kitchen with Glorious Game and Easy Entertaining themes.
Still going, then perhaps it’s time to relax in one of the Food Courts, appreciate the excellent street food and drink on offer, whilst relaxing to background music of Jazz & Folk.
Children’s entertainment and amusements make it a great family day out at the Burghley Game & Country Fair. It’s all happening in the stunning grounds of Burghley House in Stamford, Lincolnshire, pop PE9 3JY into your SAT NAV or just follow the AA signs into the car parks.
Open Sunday & Monday May 28th – 29th 10am – 6pm.
Advance tickets are now available.
Full details can be found on https://www.livingheritagecountryshows.com/tickets/
Around the showground there is plenty of opportunity to join in all the various ‘Have a Go’ events, Clay shooting, Airguns, Archery & Paintball in the Shooting Village, fishing, falconry and the World of Dogs competitions & displays. Lurcher & Whippet racing, gundog scurries, training and even a Fun dog show will take place for the family pet. So don’t leave them at home.
And you are not done yet, there is plenty more to see – The Craft Fair, Food Halls, Chefs demonstrations where you can join Be & Andrea in the Country Kitchen with Glorious Game and Easy Entertaining themes.
Still going, then perhaps it’s time to relax in one of the Food Courts, appreciate the excellent street food and drink on offer, whilst relaxing to background music of Jazz & Folk.
Children’s entertainment and amusements make it a great family day out at the Burghley Game & Country Fair. It’s all happening in the stunning grounds of Burghley House in Stamford, Lincolnshire, pop PE9 3JY into your SAT NAV or just follow the AA signs into the car parks.
Open Sunday & Monday May 28th – 29th 10am – 6pm.
Advance tickets are now available.
Full details can be found on https://www.livingheritagecountryshows.com/tickets/
Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance has busiest Easter in almost 30 years
The life-saving charity responded to 31 call-outs between Friday 7 April and Monday 10 April with 17 missions on the helicopter and 15 on the critical care cars.
The crew, who are called to life-threatening emergencies, attended a variety of incidents including seven road traffic collisions, 13 medical incidents and six assaults, including a stabbing.
Pilots, doctors and paramedics responded to 11 emergencies at night including a road traffic collision near Boston, Lincs, where the helicopter arrived on scene within 15 minutes of leaving LNAA HQ in Lincoln. The team, supported by other emergency services, gave life-saving treatment to a patient before flying them to the nearest Major Trauma Centre.
LNAA Head of Operations, Chris Bailey said: “Our crew were on standby throughout the whole of the holiday period ready to react and help where needed. This is the busiest Easter in our 30-year history!”
The critical care car dedicated to Nottinghamshire was dispatched eight times over the four days. The crew were called to a location in North Nottinghamshire to treat a patient who had been stabbed in the chest. Following treatment on scene, the patient was taken to Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre.
Chris added: “Our teams respond every day of the year, day and night thanks to the generous support of people across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
“We are a charity and receive no regular direct funding from the Government. It is thanks to the people who donate and volunteer for us that we are able to keep our helicopter flying and our critical care cars operational, serving all communities in Lincs and Notts.”
