New safe space for parents to feed babies opens in Scunthorpe
A dedicated area for parents to feed their babies has opened in St Johns Market in Scunthorpe Town Centre.
The new safe space that is located on the second floor of St John’s Market was opened as part of National Breastfeeding Week.
It provides parents with a discreet area to feed their babies and aims to support breastfeeding mothers to confidently feed their babies in public.
All new parents are welcome to use the space, where they can sit and relax in the comfortable chairs, and enjoy the soft toys, and books with their baby.
Cllr Julie Reed, North Lincolnshire Council cabinet member for children and families, said: “Breastfeeding is one of the most natural things we can do and of great benefit to developing babies. Providing a comfortable space to do so for those that prefer not to feed in public view is vital for new parents.”
Alison Jollands, North Lincolnshire Council’s public health coordinator, said: “There are several health benefits from breastfeeding such as helping to protect the baby from illness and infections. It can also protect mothers from breast and ovarian cancers and heart disease.
“Some mums have felt unable to feed their babies in public spaces due to the reaction of others and whilst we absolutely champion baby feeding wherever you are when your baby is hungry, we must also provide a safe place for those that prefer to do so in a private space.”
£10,000 transformation of Haxey Nature Reserve completed
A popular nature reserve has been transformed – creating an attractive destination for local wildlife and visitors alike.
In a dramatic makeover, tree works and scrub clearing have created areas for wildflowers to flourish at Axholme Line Nature Reserve in Haxey.
Access to the seven-hectare site has also been enhanced, making it easier for people to enjoy the abundance of wildlife that flocks to the site.
The regeneration, made possible thanks to a £9,750 grant from the FCC Communities Foundation, comes as North Lincolnshire Council drives forward its Green Future commitment – slashing carbon emissions, planting trees and achieving net zero by 2030.
Cllr David Rose, cabinet member for environment, said: “This substantial investment has helped to improve an already beautiful reserve, making it easier for more families to walk among this haven for butterflies and birds.
“Protecting wildlife habitats and developing new areas for species to thrive is at the heart of our Green Future policy. By working together we can make North Lincolnshire cleaner, greener and healthier, now and for future generations.”
Penny Horne, spokesperson for FCC Communities Foundation, said: “It’s wonderful to see a project completed that will benefit both the natural environment and the local community.
“FCC Communities Foundation is always happy to consider grant applications for biodiversity projects that are accessible to the general public and this is a great example of what can be achieved.”
Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance Doctor shortlisted for National Award
A Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) doctor who is blazing a trail for young surgeons through his work at the charity, has been shortlisted in the Air Ambulances UK (AAUK) Awards of Excellence.
Dr Mike Hughes is different to other air ambulance doctors in that he comes from a surgical background, something that isn’t often seen in the helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) – a world which is largely populated with doctors from anaesthesia and emergency medicine.
But it’s his set of skills that has brought a different perspective to the work of the crews on board the helicopter.
LNAA’s Deputy Medical Director, Doctor Adam Chesters said: Almost immediately after being signed off in the service, Mike attended a series of difficult cases, treating some of the sickest patients attended by the service in this time. Using his surgical expertise, he was able to help deliver the very highest quality of care to the patient.”
Mike joined LNAA in February 2022 and has been called out to 176 incidents in that time. He has dealt with some of the most challenging shifts over the summer and being a surgeon rather than an anaesthetist has meant he has carried out some medical interventions using a skill set that the other doctors do not have. Incidents include 36 road traffic incidents, 23 cardiac arrests and 19 incidents of self-harm.
When he attended a patient who had been stabbed in the neck, rather than apply direct pressure to the bleeding wound, Mike has the skills to be able to dissect down and tie off the bleeding vessels using forceps before transferring the patient to the nearest Major Trauma Centre with the forceps in situ. This technique is a better way of stopping the bleeding and it’s not in the skillset of any other doctors at LNAA and in very few across the air ambulance community.
Mike also recently passed the Fellowship of the College of Royal Surgeons examination in Major Trauma Surgery – he is the first person to ever sit the exam and so the first to pass it! An amazing achievement after his first busy six months at LNAA and the recent birth of his third child.
The annual awards celebrate and recognise the specialist lifesaving skills and commitment of those working tirelessly within and in support of the air ambulance community across the UK.
The awards ceremony will be held at Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham on 14 November where crew members will be willing Mike to scoop the Doctor of the Year award.
New Scunthorpe cycle path to connect landmarks in latest active travel boost
Cyclists will soon be able to travel safely between key facilities in Scunthorpe, thanks to a huge injection of levelling-up cash.
More than £100,000 of Government cash will be invested to create the new route, which connects Frances Street with Lloyds Avenue via a route that passes the train station, The Pods, University Campus North Lincolnshire, and Central Park.
It is the latest phase of the council’s multi-million pound transformation of North Lincolnshire’s cycle network, and follows the £500,000 extension to the hugely popular Scunthorpe Ridgeway route, which opened earlier this summer.
Cllr Rob Waltham, leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: “This is a hugely welcome addition to the miles and miles of walking and cycling paths that already exist across North Lincolnshire and will help many more people travel from the north to the south of Scunthorpe safely.
“We are shifting up the gears to achieve net zero by 2030 and making record investments in the county’s walking and cycling infrastructure is a huge part of this push.
“We want to inspire thousands more residents to leave the car at home and access the health and environmental benefits of using clean, green forms of transport to make more journeys.”
Work is expected to start on the new cycle route this autumn, which will also include the installation of special parallel crossings, making it safer for cyclists and pedestrians to cross the highway.
Designs are already being drawn up to extend the new path even further, along Ashby Road and Messingham Road to Bottesford Beck, enabling more residents to access employment, education and leisure facilities more conveniently.
Longer term plans will also see Central Park connected to the Ridgeway via Kingsway, as well as new routes in Brigg and Barton.
£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 budgetary needs and will now be put into vital roadworks across the county.
This news from the council for the roads network follows a previous council decision earlier this year to backfill a Government roads funding gap of £12m (25% of the total roads maintenance fund).
Lincolnshire County Council voted to fill that 25% gap in funding with a combination of council reserves and an increase in tax.
In real terms, the impact of that earlier decision by Government to cut such a large amount of money has since been increased 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%.
This latest addition of £5m to the roads maintenance money has come about due to a reallocation of underspend funds.
The £5m will go towards essential maintenance across the county’s 5,500-mile-long road network. Recent extreme weather conditions have further exacerbated issues with many rural roads, leading to an increased need for urgent repair work.
Cllr Martin Hill, leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “It is welcome news that the council has decided to spend this £5m on the roads of Lincolnshire.
“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 roads network that is up to standard. It’s our obligation to ensure that residents and businesses alike can use this vital resource as needed.
“Recent extreme weather conditions such as the record-breaking hot weather in our county, following waves of drought conditions over the years, have seen even more of our roads requiring repair measures.
“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.
“It is not a fix-all for what we need from Government in order to deliver the roads network that we all expect, but it is a welcome addition to this most critical of needs that we face as a county.”
Social housing provider plans move to new premises in Grimsby
Next spring social landlord Lincolnshire Housing Partnership will move its Grimsby base to Cartergate House, on Chantry Lane in the town.
The housing association previously announced the end of its lease on Westgate House, and its search for a new North East Lincolnshire home. Changes will reflect the feedback the organisation received from customers and stakeholders in the preparation for its 2022-2027 Corporate Strategy, Building Better Communities Together. Customers particularly highlighted their desire to see LHP teams in their communities, rather than having to visit an office environment.
The ground floor office suite, extending to just under 5,000 square feet has been empty since the building was built by North East Lincolnshire Council and occupied mainly by Wilkin Chapman Solicitors.
Murray Macdonald, Chief Executive of Lincolnshire Housing Partnership said: “We have recently launched our 2022-2027 Corporate Plan, Great Homes…Strong Communities, which outlines our commitment to a more sustainable future, and working more closely with our customers in their neighbourhoods.
“As an organisation we are embracing modern ways of working and providing our colleagues with both flexibility and the most appropriate facilities for them to undertake their role.
“We have also seen our customers’ habits change, as well as moving away from the traditional habits of attending a local office, there has been a call for more ways to contact LHP through digital channels.
“We work best when we are engaging with customers and other agencies to deliver housing solutions. Such engagements can work better in the community and, sometimes, in people’s homes.
“Having a large office with rows of desks is not particularly efficient and so we have taken the view that a smaller office base and increased technology and flexibility will enable us to invest further into the business.”
LHP has been advised by Scott’s Property LLP, whose Lawrence Brown said: “We worked with LHP to help shape and create their brief. The proposal is to fit out the premises in a modern staff focused way rather than straightforward corporate office. Cartergate House met a number of criteria including flexibility of accommodation, proximity to other services together with sustainable issues such as public transport links and energy efficiency.”
The premises are currently in a shell state and contractors will spend the next few months fitting out the premises with occupation anticipated to take place in spring next year.
Plans submitted for £67m mixed-use scheme in Boston
Residential land specialist Terra has submitted a hybrid planning application for a mixed-use scheme of up to 320 new homes and a care home in Boston, Lincolnshire.
Located on land off Toot Lane, less than two miles from Boston town centre, the £67m hybrid scheme is for a detailed first phase of 153 one, two, three and four-bedroom homes, with the proposed care home and balance of 320 homes submitted in outline form.
The 11Ha (27.3 acre) site, which is shown as a Housing Commitment in the South East Lincolnshire Local Plan adopted in 2019, is located within the Settlement Limits of Boston. Terra has undertaken pre-application engagement with local residents, parish and district councillors.
Two areas of Public Open Space and a fully equipped play area will create focal points for the scheme, while tree, hedgerow and shrub planting will deliver net biodiversity gains.
Jordan Langdon-Bates, land and development director of Terra, said: “We are very pleased to be submitting a Hybrid application for this much-needed mixed-use scheme. With so many employment opportunities close by, Boston is an attractive and affordable place to live, and this highly sustainable scheme will add to the vibrancy of the local area.
“The scale of this well-located site will enable the creation of a high-quality new community of eco-efficient modern homes, within easy reach of town centre amenities and local schooling. Subject to planning approval, this immediately available site could help to meet South East Lincolnshire’s annual housing targets at a time when there is a considerable shortfall in the number of new homes being built across the UK.
“We are looking forward to continuing to work with Boston Borough Council officers, the parish council and all stakeholders as our plans are considered.”
A total of 153 apartments, bungalows and houses are proposed for phase one of the development, comprising 123 build to rent dwellings and 30 affordable housing properties, which represents 20 per cent.
On-plot parking could comprise a mix of driveways, frontage parking, and rear parking courts. The proposed two-storey care home has been specifically designed to be positioned in the north-east corner of the site, covering approximately 0.6Ha (1.5-acres). Hawthorn Tree Primary School is located opposite the entrance to the site, while the rest of the immediate area is predominantly residential.
Planning and design specialists Nineteen47, engineers M-EC and ecology experts fpcr worked with Terra on the plans, which include pedestrian and vehicular access created from Toot Lane.
The mental & physical health benefits of sunlight
Whilst we all know that spending too much time in the sun can cause issues such as skin cancer, sunburn and premature ageing, there are also many very important benefits of sun exposure.
Sunlight offers restorative, protective and healing effects, from bone and immune health to depression and seasonal affective disorders – sunlight can actually do you the world of good. It can even boost your mood enough to take more exercise and ultimately lose weight.
So what are the benefits of sunlight, and why should you be sensibly indulging in light therapy to reap the rewards, even if it’s 10-30 minutes a day?
Physical Health Benefits:
Do you feel better after having spent time outside? There’s a reason why sunlight brings a variety of different health benefits without us even realising it. Because of the amount of Vitamin D sunlight produces, it can support bone health, lower blood pressure, prevent disease, improve health conditions and promote good general health.
Strengthens Your Immune System
The sun’s UV rays help your body make and build up Vitamin D, which is really important for your bones, blood cells and immune system, to keep it as strong as possible to reduce the risk of illness, infection, cancers and mortality after surgery. The sunlight also helps you take in and use minerals like calcium and phosphorus, which will also do good for your body.
Lower Blood Pressure
It’s thought that when you become exposed to sunlight, it triggers the skin to release stores of nitrogen oxides, which cause arteries to dilate, lowering blood pressure. When your blood pressure is lower, it benefits your overall cardiovascular health.
Strengthen Bones
When we don’t get enough Vitamin D it can affect bone health over time and can lead to adverse health conditions. Your bones can become very weak without Vitamin D, as it is an essential nutrient. Long-term deficiency can even contribute to issues like osteoporosis, so getting out into the sunlight could really benefit you long-term.
Mental Health Benefits:
As well as sunlight having a big impact on physical health, it also has a massive hand in boosting our mood, and our general mental wellbeing. A sunny day can do much more than boost your mood – it may increase levels of a natural antidepressant in the brain. Even during lockdowns, exercise and exposure to light were encouraged, showing just how effective light can be for your overall mental well-being.
Improves Sleep
If you’re having trouble sleeping, you might not be getting enough time outdoors and therefore the innate benefits this offers. The human body creates a hormone called melatonin, which is critical to helping you sleep at night. Research indicates that getting exposure to an hour of natural light in the morning will help you sleep better as sunshine regulates your circadian rhythm by telling your body when to increase and decrease your melatonin levels.
So, ideally the more daylight exposure you can get, the easier your body will produce melatonin when it’s time to go to sleep.
Reduces Stress
There’s more to a quick breath of fresh air for stress levels than there might seem. Being outdoors will help your body naturally regulate melatonin, which can help to reduce your stress levels. Additionally, when you are outside you tend to be doing something active, whether that’s going for a walk, a run, or just playing outside, that extra exercise will also have a great effect on your mental wellbeing.
Fights off Depression
It’s not just a myth, there are scientific reasons behind why the sunshine improves our mood. Sunshine will boost your body’s serotonin levels, which is a chemical known to improve your general outlook and help you stay calm and focused. Increasing your exposure to the sunlight will also ease off symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). However, a change in mood can often happen during the winter months when there are fewer hours of daylight.
Adding Sunlight to Your Home
It is not always easy to find the time to get outside and simply be in the sunshine in order to reap the benefits. Workloads get on top of us and the next thing you know it’s dark outside, or you’re doing jobs around the house and you’ve not even had time to step outside, so it’s not always as easy as we say it is.
When it comes to bringing natural light into your home, it isn’t just about the mental and physical benefits. Natural light in your home can lower your electric bill, is better for the environment, and can also make a room feel bigger. These quick little changes can also offer a lifetime of value for yours and your families mental and physical well-being.
If you’re struggling to find time in your day to get out into the sunshine, bringing natural sunlight into your home is the way to get around this issue. Remember, if you do venture out, make sure to use sun protection and heed any medical advice on offer.
Adding extra windows to your home can feel like a big change to make, but is one that can pay off in the long term. Chat to the expert team at Yard Direct who will be able to offer a range of window solutions to suit your home and your budget.
Residents encouraged to give their views on plans for two new primary schools
Neighbouring residents in Scartho and Waltham are being encouraged to take part in a public consultation on plans to build two new primary schools.
The schools, which would provide much-needed school places for children aged 4 to 11, will be built on land off Matthew Telford Park in Scartho and on the land known as ‘Sunningdale’ in Waltham.
Both pockets of land are owned by North East Lincolnshire Council and have been earmarked as sites for education provision for some time.
The plans for the two new schools were approved by the Council’s Cabinet in March this year, and are expected to go through the formal planning application process in the coming months, seeking permission to begin construction around spring and summer 2023.
According to a letter sent to local residents in these areas, new housing developments has meant that there is an increased demand for the school places.
Speaking about the proposed developments, councillor Margaret Cracknell, portfolio holder for children’s services, said: “New housing brings with it an increased demand for school places, so we have to plan carefully to ensure schools can cope with current and future demand.
“It’s vital that we continue to put children at the heart of what we do, and access to a good quality education is key to ensuring our children can perform well and reach their potential.
“These proposed new primary schools will each offer an additional 210 places for children and ensure families in these areas continue to have a choice over their children’s education.”
Local people wishing to have their say on the planned primary schools can email assets@nelincs.gov.uk or write to The School Assets Team, 1st Floor, Civic Offices, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, DN35 8LB.
The Pre-Application Consultation period for these proposals will last for 14 days and will commence on the 29 September 2022, closing on 12 October 2022. Only responses received during the 14 days’ consultation period will be considered.
Image: A draft drawing depicting how the school on the Sunningdale education land might look.
Historic smokehouse repairs underway
Conservation repair work has begun on the Alfred Enderby Smokehouse on the Port of Grimsby which includes reinstatement of historic features.
The building listed as a Grade II structure, is one of the few remaining smokehouses in the area which still uses the geographically protected cold-smoking method. The work is being funded by a PSiCA (Partnership Scheme in Conservation Areas) heritage grant worth £121,490, awarded earlier this year.
The PSiCA is being delivered as part of the Greater Grimsby Heritage Action Zone. The scheme has a total pot of £1m and is a joint project between Historic England and North East Lincolnshire Council, with support from ABP and the council’s regeneration partner EQUANS.
Other key works planned to the building include repairing and reinstating the traditional chimney cowls, reinstating traditional cast iron rainwater goods, constructing a new wooden loading bay on the first floor, and re-signwriting the advert on the side of the building using traditional sign writing. This is being done by Sam Delaney of Creative Start Arts in Health CIC.
Simon Bird, regional director of the Humber ports, said: “It’s great to see work happening on the Port of Grimsby to revitalise these historic buildings. This smokehouse has been a landmark for many years and it’s right to see its unique character being restored, as part of instilling pride in the Kasbah.”
Patrick Salmon, MD of Enderbys, said: “We’ve been wanting to do these repairs for a long time, but just haven’t had the opportunity to date, so it is great to see the work underway to secure the building for years to come.”
North East Lincolnshire Council cabinet member for tourism, heritage and culture, Cllr Tom Furneaux, said: “Grimsby is known, and has a PGI in place for its smoked fish, and Enderby’s have led this work for many years. To see this project to restore these historic premises start feels like a real milestone.
“The Kasbah is a unique place, and we must continue to look at how to make it safe and welcoming to work in, so we can attract a variety of industries and people to use this area as a base to work. Some of that change will come if we can find ways of working with people and businesses like Enderby’s who can help support that change.”
David Walsh, Historic England lead for Grimsby HAZ, said: “It is very exciting to see work starting at Alfred Enderby’s smokehouse. Supporting local businesses is crucial to successful regeneration in the historic port. We are delighted to provide a grant to Enderbys as part of the Grimsby Heritage Action Zone along with partners North East Lincolnshire Council and Associated British Ports.”
Old maps show this building was originally constructed as a smithy between 1896 and 1905, but between 1917 and 1928 was converted to fish curing and has remained so ever since. Alfred Enderby Ltd is one of four companies which form the Grimsby Traditional Fish Smokers Group, which received EU recognition for its method.
The PSiCA grant scheme is open to businesses on the Kasbah on the Port of Grimsby or organisations that may be interested in moving to this conservation area.
