Time is running out for communities to apply for funding to plant new mini-orchards.
The deadline for applications is 27 September, with funds available from South Kesteven District Council thanks to the Coronation Living Heritage fund marking the accession of King Charles lll.
Parish councils and community groups can apply for up to £1,500 to plant a minimum of five fruit trees on publicly accessible sites with protective spirals and canes, information signage and protective fencing as required.
Applications are also invited from parent/teacher associations with public accessible space, and planting could be particularly popular for schools with an Eco Schools Green Flag Award.
Planting is expected to start in November, with all projects to be completed, together with dedication services, by the end of March 2025.
To request an application form and information on the criteria for funding please contact the Community Engagement Team at communityengagement@southkesteven.gov.uk
Lincolnshire County Council sells land at Kirton to grow local economy
Lincolnshire County Council has sold 10.16 acres of development land to expand Kirton Distribution Park.
The purchasers – Melbourne Holdings – will initially be constructing ‘Stonebridge Business Park’, a 25,000 sq ft space comprising 9 new industrial units, on the land.
Cllr Colin Davie, executive councillor for economy at the county council, said: “This sale marks an important development for the well-established Kirton Distribution Park, paving the way for the phased development that will significantly enhance the area’s economic landscape.
“As a council we have responded to a growing demand for more industrial space in the county. We’re committed to supporting businesses to start up, grow and re-locate in Lincolnshire, creating jobs, supporting local supply chains and enhancing the local economy.”
Lucie Bryant, Director at Melbourne Holdings, said: “We are delighted to further our commitment to supporting employment and industrial growth in Lincolnshire with our recent acquisition and proposed development at Kirton Distribution Park.
“The purchase comes after recently securing planning permission to deliver a diverse range of warehousing that will support start-ups, growing businesses, large companies and international trade in this key strategic position, reinforced by Lincolnshire County Council and Boston Borough Council.
“The units will be available off plan via our appointed agents Pygott and Crone, and we look forward to working with current and prospective requirements with design and builds opportunities being considered.”
Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/shintartanya Air Ambulance Week takes off across the UK
Anyone, anywhere in the UK can become a patient and in need of time-critical care at any time.
Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) is joining forces with air ambulances across the UK to celebrate the incredible work undertaken everyday by their dedicated teams of critical care medics who bring the hospital to the patient at the scene!
Starting on 9 September, Air Ambulance Week is a chance for LNAA to showcase its life-saving work and the team will be in Lincoln’s City Centre on Wednesday 11 September to raise awareness of the service and highlight the difference it makes to patients.
Tony is one such patient who was helped by LNAA. In October 2023, he was driving to his home near Sleaford, with his three-year-old daughter Poppy, seated in the back when he was involved in a collision with another vehicle.
Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance arrived within 11 minutes to find Tony and Poppy trapped in their car. LNAA doctor, Adam said: “We could see Tony was in a bad way and Poppy was clearly distressed and shouting for daddy to wake up.”
After the crew from Lincoln Fire and Rescue had cut the rear doors off the car, Adam treated Poppy for her injuries and carried her to the safety of LNAA’s car, staying with her until the road ambulance arrived to take her Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC).
Tony had multiple cuts and bruises to his head as well as severe damage to both legs and was given pain relief to ease his discomfort. It took a while for fire crew to free him from the car, and the LNAA team monitored him constantly, but finally he was also taken to QMC in a separate road ambulance.
Tony underwent emergency surgery and had metal rods inserted into his right leg. Recovery is ongoing but with continued physiotherapy the strength in his legs is increasing each week.
The family will be forever grateful for care they received. As Tony said: “LNAA were brilliant. No one wants to see you guys, but it is so good to know you are there and why you are needed so badly when things go wrong.”
SUPPORT LNAA DURING AIR AMBULANCE WEEK
During the 30th Anniversary year Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance are inviting supporters to place their name on their iconic yellow helicopter. Then every time crew are called out on a mission, you will be by their side as they fly to reach the most seriously ill and injured patients across the whole of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
For more details, visit sidebyside.ambucopter.org.uk/
Hykeham Relief Road plans at risk in new government’s spending review
Councillors fear Lincolnshire could lose more than £350m of economic benefits if the new Government’s spending review blocks investment in North Hykeham relief road near Lincoln.
Only weeks after councillors instructed officers to move forward with the plan, the new Government announced it was reviewing the funding of £110m approved in 2020.
There are fears that if the road is not built, Lincolnshire could lose out on over £350 million in economic benefits over the next 60 years.
At a meeting tomorrow councillors will discuss the potential implications of the decision. Cllr Ian Carrington, chairman of Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee, said: “The consequences of the government removing funding for the project would be far reaching, and the committee hopes to identify these, to draw attention to the ramifications, and put pressure on our local representatives and national policy-makers.
“The consequences of not building the road are considerable and are likely to mean that the development of 4,500 new homes and 7 hectares of employment land would be become unviable, representing a massive, missed opportunity for economic prosperity.
“I have invited officers working on the project, affected councillors, and the MPs for Lincoln, and Sleaford and North Hykeham, to the meeting for the committee’s discussion about what this uncertainty around the funding would mean for our county.”
Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Completing a ring-road around Lincoln is not only about easing traffic congestion within the centre of the city, it will open up land for new development, attracting further investment and new employment opportunities, boosting our local economy and providing homes for local residents.
“Conversely, not completing the project could mean stagnation in the local economy, and add further congestion coming in and out of the city and across the wider county.
“This isn’t a potential future scheme that we’re looking for funding for. If the government decide to pull funding for the North Hykeham Relief Road, this would be a case of cancelling something that has already been agreed, and one that a lot of work has already gone into to bring to this stage. It would be a huge kick in the teeth for the people of Lincoln and Lincolnshire.”
The Department for Transport allocated £110m funding for the North Hykeham Relief Road project in 2020, with the rest of the scheme funded by Lincolnshire County Council and developer contributions.
Work was expected to start late next year, with Balfour Beaty having been ned a principal contractor.
Tourists spent £857m in East Lindsey last year, says report
Tourists poured more than £857m into the East Lindsey area of Lincolnshire last year alone, according to a new report by Global Tourism Solutions.
The findings show the £857.49million of investment from tourists to be the highest since the data was first recorded in 2013, up from the previous record of £824.2million in 2022.
Councillor Adam Grist, portfolio holder for market towns and the rural economy at East Lindsey District Council, said: “It is fantastic to see tourism continue to grow and play such an important role in our local economy in East Lindsey, and especially in the Lincolnshire Wolds where we can see an incredible increase in visitors and support
“The support these visitors bring to our local businesses, attractions and food and drink suppliers cannot be underestimated, and I hope we will continue to see these figures grow as we further expand our offer to tourists and add to our unique offer of events, activities and sights for people to enjoy.”
The report also outlines an increase in overall visitors, with 4.57million people visiting East Lindsey across 2023, up from the 4.48million overall in 2022, including an 8.2% increase in those visiting just for the day, 2.77million in total.
Across the key months of July, August and September over £350million of economic benefit was brought the area by 1.68million summer visitors. Shopping and local hospitality were the areas to benefit most, with £155million spent in shops and over £145million in cafes, restaurants and bars across East Lindsey.
The number of tourism-related jobs also continued to slowly increase, up to 8,943 from 8,918 the previous year.
The Lincolnshire Wolds in particular continued to rise significantly in popularity in 2023, owing to new tourism campaigns and a constantly expanding variety of unique events and activities, such as the Lincolnshire Wolds Outdoor Festival, Horncastle Horse Fair and Louth Food and Drink Festival
In total the Wolds saw a 7.5% increase to over 3.5million visitors over the course of the year, with the economic benefit of their stays rising by an incredible 16.4% to £254.96million.
Councillor Steve Kirk, portfolio holder for the coastal economy at East Lindsey District Council, said: “East Lindsey and its beautiful coastline is now firmly on the map for people to visit and enjoy, with our stunning blue flag beaches, the state-of-the-art facilities we are creating through Towns Fund and other transformational funding and our brilliant local hospitality and other businesses attracting people here every year.
“This is such an exciting time for the East Lindsey coast, and our offer continues to expand as we achieve more national investment and work with our community to add to our ambitious plans for the area. We’re establishing ourselves as a primary destination for people across the UK and beyond to visit, and I can’t wait to continue the journey going forwards.”
The Mouse House Cheese Co. launches new cheese to celebrate 30 years of Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance
The Mouse House Cheese Co. has launched a new cheese to celebrate 30 years of Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA).
The Lincolnshire cheesemakers, based in Thorpe St Peter, Lincolnshire, have chosen a special smoked cheese to mark the occasion.
Mollie Haines, Founder of The Mouse House Cheese Co., said: “We are so excited to launch this cheese to celebrate Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance’s 30th Anniversary. It is a special choice as it is one of our original cheeses we produce on the farm, which is an applewood smoked cheese infused with paprika and coal smoked directly on our farm.”
The Mouse House Cheese Co. are a proud supporter of LNAA and already stock a LNAA Charity Gift Box. Every time a purchase is made, £8 is donated directly to the charity. Since its launch in July 2023, £3,110 has been raised, helping to keep the iconic yellow helicopter in the sky and its fleet of critical care cars on the roads, 24 hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year.
Joe Harper, LNAA’s Corporate Partnerships Manager, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the fantastic support from all the team at The Mouse House Cheese Co. This year is looking to be our busiest year on record with our crews already responding to 1,193 missions.
“This partnership supports our vital work, ensuring that our crews will be by the side of even more patients, providing life-saving treatments to some of the most critically ill and injured people in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and beyond.”
Mollie understands that being situated in such a remote location, should a critical incident occur, the need for the air ambulance would be vital in bringing a life-saving crew to the scene within minutes.
She summed up: “They provide an essential service, especially for rural areas. The Mouse House is based at our farm at Lymn Bank, and we are aware of the need for the air ambulance in an emergency.
“As a family run business, we want to make a difference and support this important charity which carries out such an important role. We hope that we never need the LNAA, but to have the reassurance that it is there is vital to us.”
The cheese is available to purchase from the Mouse House Cheese Co. shop on Steep Hill, Lincoln, over the phone, as well as online at mousehousecheese.co.uk.
New life for ruined and worn out textiles in Tesco and Salvation Army trial
The Salvation Army is known for its longstanding commitment to reuse and recycling. To tackle the problem of unwearable clothing and household linens which cannot be reused, Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL), the trading arm of the charity, is running a regional trial in partnership with Tesco which aims to encourage customers to donate worn out textiles to specially designed textile collection banks.
SATCoL has a long-established relationship with Tesco that includes their in-store Takeback Scheme and over 2,000 clothing banks located at Tesco carparks. Their latest venture aims to extend their efforts to reduce textiles waste, in collaboration with the ACT UK (Automatic-sorting for Circularity in Textiles), and led by the UK Fashion and Textile Association.
ACT UK is a group of brands, retailers, textile recyclers, industry associations, technologies, clothing manufacturers and academic institutions which will pioneer automated sorting and pre-processing facilities which could eventually divert thousands of tonnes of textile waste from landfill and disposal each year.
This trial will last for 6 months and SATCoL has placed 18 new textile collection banks at Tesco recycling sites, with further banks placed at two Household Waste Recycling Centres in the East of England. The trial will ask donors to separate clothing and home textiles into two different textile banks – one for reusable items titled Wear Again and the other for non-reusable items for recycling titled Worn Out. Donors will be given information on the front of each bank to explain the textiles that can be deposited.
The 18 Tesco sites and 2 Household Waste Recycling Centre in the East of England selected for the 6-month trial are as follows:
A media campaign titled #RuinedNotWasted to engage, inspire and empower citizens in the 20 chosen communities for the trial, will form part of the activity and help raise the profile for this initiative in the East of England region. The campaign images and video content will feature examples of everyday mishaps with clothing and household linens, as well as worn out items, with a clear message that asks people to sort their textiles and donate to the trial ‘Worn Out, Wear Again’ clothing banks.
As part of the trial, Salvation Army Trading Company will analyse donations to understand more about motivations and changes in donor behaviour. Donors are also able to continue to donate good quality clothing to the Wear Again banks which provides donations and raises funds for The Salvation Army. There are approx. 9,000 clothing banks and over 240 charity shops across the UK operated by SATCoL on behalf of the parent charity.
Bernie Thomas, Circular Economy and Sustainability Manager at SATCoL, shared: “Recycling-only collections could help capture more of the 300,000 tonnes of clothing that is presently disposed of in household bins each year. Separating items in this way, at source, could help make sure that worn out textiles are given a second life. Rather than being wasted, recyclable textiles would be collected and reprocessed at scale, using innovative textiles recycling technology to repurpose textile fabrics and fibres back into new products.”
For more information follow #acttakeback or visit www.acttakeback.org or www.satcol.org/nrt
| Tesco Superstore, 71 High Street, Kidlington | OX5 2DN |
| Tesco Extra, Copdock Interchange, Ipswich | IP8 3TS |
| Tesco Superstore, Brook Retail Park, London Road, Clacton-on-Sea | CO15 4EF |
| Tesco Superstore, Thorpe Road, Melton Mowbray | LE13 1SQ |
| Tesco Extra, Church Street, Lichfield | WS13 6DZ |
| Tesco Extra, Power Station Road, Rugeley | WS15 2HS |
| Tesco Extra, 1 Armada Way, Royal Dock Road, Beckton | E6 7FB |
| Tesco Extra, Bridge Road, Dover Corner, Rainham | RM13 9YZ |
| Tesco Superstore, Cedars Link Road, Stowmarket | IP14 5BE |
| Tesco Extra, Cygnet View, Lakeside, Grays | RM20 1TX |
| Tesco Extra, 15-18 Viking Way, Bar Hill | CB23 8EL |
| Tesco Superstore, Cambridge Road Industrial Estate, Cambridge Road, Milton | CB24 6AY |
| Tesco Superstore, London Road, Tring | HP23 5NB |
| Tesco Narbourgh | LE3 5LH |
| FCC Environment, Fengate Household Recycling Centre, Dodson House, Fengate | PE1 5XG |
| Grantham – HWRC – Alexandra Road | NG31 7AH |
| Tesco Extra, Oakley Road, Corby | NN18 8AL |
| Tesco Superstore, Ropes Drive, Kesgrave | IP5 2FU |
| Tesco Extra, Anson Road, Martlesham Heath | IP5 3RU |
| Tesco Superstore, Lakeview Drive, Bicester | OX26 6WA |
A media campaign titled #RuinedNotWasted to engage, inspire and empower citizens in the 20 chosen communities for the trial, will form part of the activity and help raise the profile for this initiative in the East of England region. The campaign images and video content will feature examples of everyday mishaps with clothing and household linens, as well as worn out items, with a clear message that asks people to sort their textiles and donate to the trial ‘Worn Out, Wear Again’ clothing banks.
As part of the trial, Salvation Army Trading Company will analyse donations to understand more about motivations and changes in donor behaviour. Donors are also able to continue to donate good quality clothing to the Wear Again banks which provides donations and raises funds for The Salvation Army. There are approx. 9,000 clothing banks and over 240 charity shops across the UK operated by SATCoL on behalf of the parent charity.
Bernie Thomas, Circular Economy and Sustainability Manager at SATCoL, shared: “Recycling-only collections could help capture more of the 300,000 tonnes of clothing that is presently disposed of in household bins each year. Separating items in this way, at source, could help make sure that worn out textiles are given a second life. Rather than being wasted, recyclable textiles would be collected and reprocessed at scale, using innovative textiles recycling technology to repurpose textile fabrics and fibres back into new products.”
For more information follow #acttakeback or visit www.acttakeback.org or www.satcol.org/nrt Home Office abandons plans to house asylum seekers at RAF Scampton
Plans to house asylum seekers at RAF Scampton have been axed as the Home Office has decided the site is not value for money.
Opening the site from this autumn as planned would have cost a total of £122m by the end of its use in 2027, and £60m has already been spent on the site.
This change in direction has been welcomed by the Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr Trevor Young, who said: “We have always been clear that the best use for this historic, key strategic asset was to unlock the potential to drive economic growth and prosperity in our place, for Lincolnshire and beyond.
“Today we can finally put to bed an incredibly difficult period for our community and focus time, energy and resource on this once in a generation opportunity to honour the heritage of this site through regeneration and the delivery of investment in jobs and skills.
“The Council now look forward to finalising plans with SHL which have necessarily had to pause whilst the issues played out. We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support and commitment from SHL, and the patience they have shown us, whilst working through the issues. We hope that our collaboration can now accelerate at pace.”
Peter Hewitt, Chairman of Scampton Holdings Limited said: “We must now put this period behind us, roll up our sleeves and work together to unlock the true potential of Scampton for generations to come.
“We look forward to concluding our contract with West Lindsey District Council and moving into a period where we can work both with investors and the local community to achieve something very special in the defence, air and space sector in this unique corner of Lincolnshire.”
Sally Grindrod-Smith, Director of Planning, Regeneration and Communities for the Council said: “Work will now progress at pace to conclude the necessary contracting arranging and secure formal, long term access to the site. In the meantime, it will be important to work with the Home Office to ensure any works already completed on site can be decommissioned and removed sensitively so as to protect the heritage of the site’.
Work to close the site will begin immediately with the sale happening in line with the process for disposing of Crown land.
Development consent awarded for solar project near Gainsborough
The Secretary of State has given development consent to solar power project stretching around the east and south of Gainsborough.
It’s the Cottam Solar Project, a solar and energy storage project that would cross the county border between Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, which is being developed by Island Green Power. It’s the 85th such scheme of 142 applications submitted so far.
The Cottam Solar Project is named after its grid connection point at the existing National Grid substation at Cottam Power Station. The proposals involve a series of four site areas, known as Cottam 1, 2, 3a and 3b, which will host solar arrays, grid connection infrastructure and energy storage facilities.
The proposals also involve cable route corridors, accesses and environmental mitigation and enhancement measures. The development stretches from north of Blyton, through Corringham to an area bordered by Willingham, Fillingham, and Sturton, before turning west to cross the Trent near Marton en route to Cottam.
Island Green Power has delivered 26 solar projects worldwide totalling more than 1GW of capacity. This includes 14 solar projects in the UK and Republic of Ireland
Go ahead given to build first phase of Barton link road
Plans to build the first phase of Barton-upon-Humber’s link road – connecting Barrow Road, the A1077 and Caistor Road – have been given the go ahead.
North Lincolnshire Council’s planning committee has approved the latest multi-million pound investment to the area’s road network, which will help reduce congestion through the town.
Residents will also benefit from nine miles of new cycling routes, as travel around Barton becomes safer and easier. Three miles of paths will also be updated.
The transformation of the town’s travel infrastructure has been made possible after a successful North Lincolnshire Council bid for near £20m of funding.
Cllr Rob Waltham, leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: “We have spent a long time over several rounds of consultation listening to and meeting residents in Barton to see how they would like their town to develop. I’m delighted we are now in a position to drive forward with the plans.
“These are once in a generation improvements that will make a huge difference to local people – residents told us they wanted to see the amount of HGV traffic passing through the town reduced, alongside more convenient access to shopping areas, homes and schools. This is what the new link road and brand-new cycling network will help to achieve.”
The investment has already seen improvements made to Barton’s passenger interchange – with more upgrades still to come.
To support the active travel boost of the new cycling network, covered cycle parking will be added, including a charging point for e-bikes.
EV charging points will also be included in the extended station car park, with bus shelter improvements and real-time passenger information works also in the pipeline.
A tender will launch in Autumn 2024 – with businesses invited to submit their application on YORtender.
The works in Barton are the latest multi-million pound development on North Lincolnshire’s road network.
Earlier this summer, work started on the new Burringham bypass, which will reduce congestion at Berkeley Circle and cut commuting times to and from Scunthorpe.
Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/shintartanya 