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West Lindsey News - West Lindsey District Council

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<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong><br />

The magazine for <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> residents Spring 2011<br />

Positive about<br />

young people<br />

Full story on page 5<br />

Market Rasen’s<br />

new Household<br />

Recycling Centre<br />

See back page<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> 3


<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong><br />

When you have finished reading<br />

this magazine please recycle it<br />

2 <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong><br />

is your magazine<br />

Edited by the Communications Team at<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong> and produced in<br />

partnership with North Kesteven <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong>.<br />

Each copy costs approximately 11p to produce.<br />

Editorial<br />

Tel: 01427 676512<br />

Email: communicationsteam@west-lindsey.gov.uk<br />

Address: <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong>, Guildhall,<br />

Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 2NA<br />

<strong>Council</strong> Enquiries<br />

Tel: 01427 676676<br />

Typetalk: 18002 01427 676676<br />

Website: www.west-lindsey.gov.uk<br />

Email: customer.services@west-lindsey.gov.uk<br />

Caistor Area Office: Multi-Use Centre, Caistor<br />

LN7 6UB. Tel 01472 859017<br />

Market Rasen Area Office: Adj Festival Hall,<br />

Caistor Road, Market Rasen LN8 3JA<br />

Tel 01673 843263<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> is the prime source of news<br />

about the <strong>District</strong>. Our magazine is delivered to<br />

every household and includes information which the<br />

authority would have to pay to publish elsewhere.<br />

We welcome your comments about the magazine<br />

– all correspondence should be addressed<br />

to <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong>, Guildhall, Marshall’s<br />

Yard, Gainsborough, Lincs DN21 2NA or email:<br />

communicationsteam@west-lindsey.gov.uk<br />

If you know a resident who does not receive<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> who would like<br />

to please call 01427 676580.<br />

This magazine is printed on paper from sustainable<br />

forests and for every tree which is harvested two<br />

more are planted.<br />

This document is available<br />

in large print, Braille, audio,<br />

electronic formats such<br />

as CD, or in a different<br />

language.<br />

Good news for<br />

residents!<br />

No increase in council tax for the district<br />

despite reduction in government funding<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong><br />

<strong>Council</strong> has made a<br />

pledge not to increase<br />

<strong>Council</strong> Tax.<br />

No services run by the council<br />

will be scrapped this year and there<br />

will be no increase in our council<br />

tax levy despite a significant<br />

reduction in cash from the<br />

government.<br />

The news has been welcomed<br />

by residents who already benefit<br />

from paying <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong>’s council<br />

tax bill which is one of the lowest in<br />

the country.<br />

Andrew Morriss, 63, of Walesby,<br />

Market Rasen, attended one of<br />

the budget consultation meetings<br />

across the district, which he<br />

described as ‘well run’.<br />

He added: “As an exercise in<br />

council tax democracy in the district<br />

it was pretty well run.<br />

“It is an achievement that no<br />

services are being scrapped and<br />

council tax is not being increased.<br />

“The fact that <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> is<br />

debt-free put us in a much better<br />

position than other authorities.<br />

“It is very good that we are still<br />

managing to do all the statutory<br />

things we need to and much more.<br />

This is the best outcome for <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong>.”<br />

Deborah Barker of Caistor,<br />

described the workshop as ‘open<br />

and refreshing’.<br />

She said: “I felt the event was<br />

very well organised and I loved<br />

the fact they put all the prices<br />

on services, which was very<br />

informative and was key in making<br />

our decisions.<br />

“It was very democratic and<br />

everyone was able to voice their<br />

opinion. They had not made their<br />

minds up for us – they wanted our<br />

opinions.”<br />

As previously revealed, the<br />

council has to find a staggering<br />

£2.5m over the next two years,<br />

following government spending<br />

cuts, and another £250,000 from<br />

pressures including inflation.<br />

Leader of <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong><br />

<strong>Council</strong>, Cllr Burt Keimach, said:<br />

Andrew Morriss and Deborah Barker thought the workshops were refreshing


“It is an achievement that no<br />

services are being scrapped<br />

Andrew Morriss, Walesby<br />

“We received the worst district council<br />

settlement on government funding<br />

in Lincolnshire and amongst one of<br />

the worst in the country, but we are<br />

proposing no council tax rise.<br />

“We still have a lot of work to do<br />

but early indications show we will be<br />

able to balance our budget for this<br />

financial year, without impacting on<br />

key services, expensive redundancies<br />

or an increase in council tax.”<br />

The council held a number of<br />

workshops in November, December<br />

and January to involve residents on<br />

how best to tackle the budget.<br />

Cllr Keimach said: “I would like to<br />

thank everyone who took part. We<br />

also had an impressive 733 responses<br />

from the Citizens’ Panel and they were<br />

all broadly in support of the council’s<br />

strategy.<br />

“In particular they wanted to see<br />

more income generation rather than<br />

stopping services to deal with the<br />

shortfall although they agreed that<br />

some services could be rationalised<br />

or provided in another way.<br />

“For example our investment<br />

of £2.9m in kerbside door-to-door<br />

recycling collections means we<br />

should look to reducing provision of<br />

bring sites, to focus on items such as<br />

clothing or books.<br />

Financial Services Manager Russell Stone explains the detail of the budget<br />

“What was surprising was residents<br />

were often more willing to accept<br />

harsher service reductions than the<br />

ones we are suggesting. They also felt<br />

rather than the tax payers paying, the<br />

user should pay for certain services<br />

such as bulky goods collections –<br />

more than 82% supported a user pays<br />

approach.”<br />

His views were echoed by Chief<br />

Executive Manjeet Gill: “We would<br />

not be in this position today if it was<br />

not for the fantastic involvement<br />

from councillors, parishes, residents,<br />

partners, businesses and trade<br />

unions. Everyone has worked<br />

responsibly as a team.”<br />

She also praised ‘entrepreneurial<br />

staff’ working within the authority, who<br />

have been creative in reducing costs<br />

while at the same time improving<br />

performance in many cases.<br />

“We strive to provide a better<br />

service despite financial challenges,<br />

for example we have improved<br />

planning performance and found<br />

efficiency savings of more than<br />

£80,000.<br />

“Another example is the<br />

proposal around CCTV. We are<br />

exploring the possibility of increasing<br />

our CCTV monitoring from 72 hours<br />

to 150 hours and saving £50,000 at<br />

the same time.<br />

“Over 90% of the shortfall has<br />

been found from efficiencies such as<br />

£138,000 from management costs and<br />

similar approaches,” she added.<br />

How would you feel if you lost<br />

your best friend?<br />

The heartache need never happen to you if your pet has a<br />

microchip fitted because then you will always know where he is.<br />

As well as having peace of mind a microchip can save you money.<br />

If your dog strays and ends up being taken to a kennels you will<br />

be charged at least £70 whereas a microchip costs around £20.<br />

To find out more call 01427 676676 or ring your local vet<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> 3


Scheme keeps winter at bay<br />

Big insulation<br />

reductions for all –<br />

and some get it free!<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> residents can<br />

keep out the cold thanks to<br />

an insulation scheme from<br />

the Home Energy Lincs Partnership.<br />

After snow and freezing<br />

temperatures across the district,<br />

Philip Bavin, 63, of Wragby Road,<br />

Bardney, took up the offer of cavity<br />

wall and roof insulation even though<br />

he thought that at his age he would<br />

not get the work done for free.<br />

“We noticed a difference straight<br />

away. The house stays warmer for<br />

longer and we don’t need to have the<br />

heating on so early,” said Philip.<br />

Mr Bavin saw the details about<br />

the scheme in his local Post Office<br />

and Parish <strong>News</strong>letter. “It was not as<br />

complicated to apply as I thought. The<br />

work was done quickly and they did a<br />

good job,” he added.<br />

Chairman of the Community &<br />

Waste Services Committee, Jackie<br />

Brockway, urged people to use the<br />

scheme to keep their homes warmer<br />

and reduce their carbon footprint.<br />

“After the coldest December in<br />

over 100 years, it’s good that <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong> households are benefitting by<br />

using the HELP insulation scheme.”<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> is an area of high<br />

fuel poverty rates, and insulating<br />

homes keeps heat inside, which<br />

means they will be warmer in winter<br />

and cheaper to heat.<br />

Philip Bavin received<br />

free wall insulation<br />

What’s<br />

on offer?<br />

> Cavity wall insulation and loft<br />

insulation<br />

> It’s free to over 60s or those on<br />

qualifying benefits<br />

> It’s hugely discounted for<br />

everyone else: £49 for cavity<br />

wall insulation and £79 for loft<br />

insulation<br />

> Save around £265 in heating<br />

bills a year by getting both<br />

> Reduce the carbon footprint of<br />

your home<br />

> Apply for HELP by calling the<br />

Energy Saving Trust free on 0800<br />

512 012<br />

The HELP insulation scheme is run by<br />

the Energy Saving Trust in partnership<br />

with Lincolnshire councils.<br />

Would you use a wheelie bin cleaning service?<br />

<br />

We are often asked if the council could provide a service to clean wheelie bins. This is a possibility, but there would have to be a<br />

small charge and we need to find out how many people would be interested. To help us do this fill in the details below (no stamp<br />

required) and return it to: Wheelie Bin Cleaning Survey, Freepost, RRYU-BTEG-REAS, Account No 36, <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong>,<br />

Guildhall, Marshall’s Yard, Gainsborough, Lincs DN21 2NA. Or visit www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/bincleaning<br />

Would you be interested in this service?<br />

Yes<br />

No<br />

Do you receive an assisted collection?<br />

Yes<br />

No<br />

Which bins would you require the service for?<br />

Blue (recycling)<br />

Black (general)<br />

Green (garden waste)<br />

How often would you require the service?<br />

Once a fortnight<br />

once a month<br />

Other (please state)………………………………………….<br />

How much would you consider paying to have the service?<br />

(per bin)<br />

£2.50 £3 £3.50 £4<br />

Other (please state) ………………………...................<br />

How often would you prefer to pay for the service?<br />

Quarterly invoiced 6 monthly invoiced<br />

Monthly DD<br />

Age group<br />

17 – 24 25 – 32 33 – 40 41– 49<br />

50 – 58 59 – 65 other<br />

Name ................................................. Address ............................................................................. Tel ................................... Email ........................................<br />

4 <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong>


You’re hired!<br />

New job opportunities on offer as<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> takes on apprentices<br />

Young people across the district<br />

have taken their first step on<br />

the career ladder.<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong> has<br />

offered a number of placements for<br />

apprentices and Future Jobs Fund<br />

employees in accountancy, housing<br />

and customer services.<br />

Chairman of the Economic and<br />

Regeneration Committee, Cllr Jeff<br />

Summers, said: “One of the biggest<br />

challenges facing all employers is<br />

how to successfully maintain the<br />

workforce in order to meet the needs<br />

and demands of the community.<br />

“This gives us an opportunity to<br />

provide jobs for young people and<br />

teach them valuable skills and onthe-job<br />

training which means the work<br />

they are doing is real.<br />

“It also gives young people a real<br />

opportunity to gain qualifications,<br />

upskill and take the first step towards<br />

a career.”<br />

Accountancy apprentice, Kat<br />

Miller, 19, of Gainsborough, sent off<br />

more than 50 CVs before working at<br />

the council.<br />

She said: “I was over the moon<br />

when I got the apprenticeship as<br />

this is my first proper job. It means I<br />

Leonie Janzen got her foot in the door<br />

through the housing team<br />

Apprentice Sami Livingstone helps out customer Roger Bennett-Smith<br />

can also study for the Association of<br />

Accountancy Technicians qualification<br />

and get paid.<br />

“Although the apprenticeship<br />

is only for a year – the on-the-job<br />

experience and qualifications will help<br />

me when I need to look for another<br />

position.”<br />

The council is working towards<br />

getting a new quality standard,<br />

Positive about Young People.<br />

This recognises an employer’s<br />

commitment to young people already<br />

in the workplace or as potential<br />

employees.<br />

Sami Livingstone, 17, of<br />

Gainsborough, is a business<br />

administration apprentice. She works<br />

two days in the finance department<br />

and undertakes a further three days’<br />

work with customer services.<br />

Sami said: “The council works<br />

closely with universities and schools<br />

in the area offering work placements.”<br />

Housing Renewal & Community<br />

Safety Manager, Grant Lockett, said:<br />

“We offer work placements to develop<br />

practical skills. We build a portfolio of<br />

work for CVs which works really well.<br />

“We gave a reference to one of the<br />

students and this helped to secure a<br />

part-time job.”<br />

This year three young people<br />

have started work at the council as<br />

part of the FJF. Leonie Janzen, 18,<br />

of Gainsborough struggled to get a<br />

job after achieving a BTEC Level 3<br />

diploma in administration. She said:<br />

“Although I had the qualification, I did<br />

not have any experience and was<br />

struggling for someone to give me a<br />

chance.”<br />

Leonie qualified for the FJF<br />

scheme as she was on Job Seekers<br />

Allowance and she now works in the<br />

housing team.<br />

She said: “I am really glad I have<br />

managed to get my foot in the door.”<br />

Jade Worthington 21, of Fenton,<br />

had problems finding suitable work<br />

because she has problems with her<br />

back. She said: “I am excited about<br />

working at the council as the job is<br />

quite varied and I have not done<br />

anything like this before.”<br />

> Our front cover photo shows<br />

Kat Miller who was over the moon<br />

when she got an apprenticeship.<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> 5


Good<br />

sports<br />

The number of<br />

people taking part<br />

in sporting activities<br />

in the district has<br />

increased significantly<br />

T<br />

he number of people playing<br />

sport in <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> has<br />

‘significantly increased’ in the<br />

last four years.<br />

Sport take-up in our district has<br />

increased by 5.1% according to<br />

the latest figures released by Sport<br />

England.<br />

We now rank 31st out of 237 local<br />

authority areas – a staggering 135<br />

place increase.<br />

Chairman of the Community<br />

and Waste Services Committee,<br />

Cllr Jackie Brockway, said: “This is<br />

brilliant news and something <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong> should be very proud to be<br />

part of.<br />

“Sports such as cricket, New Age<br />

Kurling and tennis have all grown<br />

in popularity and schools have also<br />

added indoor rowing as an extra<br />

curriculum sport.<br />

“We now need to sustain this<br />

participation and keep pushing<br />

forward to boost these figures even<br />

higher. Funding and original new<br />

projects need to be promoted to keep<br />

this happening.”<br />

An Active People Survey was<br />

carried out by Sports England.<br />

It measured people aged 16 and<br />

over who take part in sport and<br />

physical activity three times a week<br />

or more.<br />

The Lincolnshire Sports<br />

Partnership has been working closely<br />

with the County <strong>Council</strong>, <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong>, School<br />

Sports Partnerships and local sports<br />

clubs and coaches to increase and<br />

sustain participation in sport.<br />

Projects such as Sport Unlimited<br />

have invested £11,228 in sports clubs<br />

and schemes across the district in<br />

2009/2010.<br />

This includes: sports clubs at<br />

Caistor Grammar School, a project<br />

at Scothern Cricket Club, badminton<br />

at De Aston School and rowing at<br />

Queen Elizabeth High School in<br />

Gainsborough.<br />

As a result of this 463 new<br />

participants have taken part in sport<br />

and physical activity.<br />

Chief Executive of Lincolnshire<br />

Sports Partnership, Janet Inman, was<br />

delighted with the findings.<br />

She said: “The results for<br />

Lincolnshire and <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> in<br />

particular have been amazing. The<br />

fact that <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> has jumped<br />

over 100 places to be ranked 31st in<br />

the country is excellent.<br />

“My congratulations go out to all<br />

those helping to develop and deliver<br />

sport across the county; the districts,<br />

community clubs and volunteers, and<br />

the individuals who are taking part in<br />

a wide range of activities and sports<br />

across Lincolnshire.”<br />

Josie Cleary (80) of Saxilby Kurling<br />

Club, welcomed the news.<br />

A fitness class gets into the swing at Nettleton Village Hall<br />

She said ”I have been at the club<br />

for two years. It is ideal for me as<br />

it is in the village. I don’t have any<br />

transport issues. Kurling is also good<br />

for socialising.”<br />

Club chairman John Smithson<br />

added: “The sport is great, it is open<br />

to all ages and it is so popular we now<br />

have a waiting list of people who want<br />

to join.”<br />

Lincolnshire is the highest<br />

performing county in the East<br />

Midlands and is ranked 10th in 2010<br />

out of 29 counties.<br />

How did we achieve this?<br />

• <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> and Lincolnshire<br />

Sports Partnership created the<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> Inclusive Sport<br />

Project thanks to £10,000 of<br />

funding from the Lottery to develop<br />

inclusive sport for all ages,<br />

disabilities and abilities.<br />

• The money was used to pay for<br />

equipment, develop tournaments,<br />

clubs, classes such as Thai Chi<br />

and different types of dance.<br />

• <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> helped promote the<br />

Sport Unlimited project, which<br />

invested £11,228 in clubs and<br />

schemes in 2009/2010.<br />

• Over £100,000 has been invested<br />

into schemes including Fit Kids,<br />

Health Walks, the Inclusive Fitness<br />

Initiative and Free Swimming.<br />

• 22 clubs have received Clubmark<br />

accreditation in the last three<br />

years.<br />

6 <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong>


Stirringstuff!<br />

Cookery lessons boost self-esteem<br />

for district residents<br />

B<br />

udding chefs are finding their<br />

feet around the kitchen and<br />

boosting their confidence.<br />

We’ve teamed up with<br />

Gainsborough College to run a 10-<br />

week cooking course to help residents<br />

make better food choices.<br />

Michael Watkinson, 51, of<br />

Gainsborough, admitted he had not<br />

been eating very well since his wife,<br />

Linda, died three years ago.<br />

He said: “This course was<br />

absolutely brilliant – I’d give it 100%<br />

and recommend it to anyone. I can<br />

cook with a lot more variety now.”<br />

Participants are shown how to<br />

make spaghetti bolognaise, pasta<br />

bake, flapjack and many other things.<br />

Student Ellis Walker, 18, of<br />

Gainsborough, wanted to learn how<br />

to cook better before she goes to<br />

university.<br />

She said: “I wanted to learn how to<br />

cook more food from scratch. The first<br />

week we made flapjack and I even<br />

made some more at home. I liked the<br />

course as the recipes are easy.”<br />

Gary Pearce (53) of Gainsborough,<br />

said he was only cooking basic foods<br />

and used a lot of tins and jars.<br />

He added: “I wanted to cook meals<br />

from fresh and make more healthy<br />

options. The grub is really good and<br />

what I don’t eat at home my sister<br />

eats.”<br />

Cookery teacher, Alison Leffler of<br />

Gainsborough College Community<br />

Education Department said feedback<br />

from the courses has been very<br />

positive.<br />

She said: “The lessons are going<br />

really well. It is nice for me when<br />

people come back to classes week<br />

after week and tell me they have<br />

tried some of the recipes. They do<br />

not always like them but the fact they<br />

tried is good.”<br />

Chairman of <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong>’s<br />

Community and Waste Services<br />

Committee, Cllr Jackie Brockway,<br />

was delighted with the success of the<br />

course.<br />

She said: “Allison Leffler puts the<br />

budding chefs through their paces<br />

as she teaches them about healthy<br />

foods and how to cook nutritional<br />

Ellis Walker, tutor Alison Lefflet and<br />

Gary Pearce prepare to cook a spaghetti<br />

bolognaise as part of the course<br />

meals. These clients were all referred<br />

for the course through the health<br />

trainer scheme at the council. I would<br />

like to say a big thank you to health<br />

trainers Debbie Williams and Mandy<br />

Clark for the valuable work they do<br />

and congratulate everyone who took<br />

part in the course.”<br />

If you would like to speak to a health<br />

trainer call:<br />

Tel: 01427 675288<br />

Get in thenetwork<br />

Social networking is set to keep residents, businesses<br />

and organisations in Central Lincolnshire informed<br />

The Central Lincolnshire<br />

Facebook and Twitter pages<br />

hope to inform people of the<br />

process in shaping the development<br />

of the City of Lincoln, North Kesteven<br />

<strong>District</strong> and <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong><br />

areas over the next 15-20 years.<br />

It will provide a forum for<br />

discussion on the progression of the<br />

new plan for Central Lincolnshire,<br />

and will form a hub of information<br />

throughout the year, both useful and<br />

visual.<br />

The Joint Planning Unit over<br />

the past eight months has been<br />

consulting with residents,<br />

businesses and organisations on<br />

the issues and options within Central<br />

Lincolnshire. Social networking<br />

now provides the opportunity to<br />

consult further and allow more<br />

people to have their say.<br />

If you want to get involved or find out<br />

more visit:<br />

Web: www.facebook.com/<br />

centrallincolnshire<br />

Web: www.twitter.com/talkplanning<br />

Towards a<br />

better future<br />

A six-week consultation on the<br />

issues and options for Central<br />

Lincolnshire proved a success after<br />

467 responses were received.<br />

Responses have been recorded<br />

and analysed and will be used<br />

to inform the next stages in<br />

the preparation of the Central<br />

Lincolnshire Core Strategy. This<br />

will take the form of a draft plan<br />

incorporating preferred options and<br />

indicative policies that will go out to<br />

further public consultation.<br />

Further consultations will take<br />

place later on in the year. Visit<br />

www.west-lindsey.gov/ldf for further<br />

information.<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> 7


Ready, steady... vote<br />

Make sure of your vote in the first all-out district elections<br />

T<br />

he first-ever all-out elections<br />

which will see all 37 <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong> district councillors<br />

elected on the same day will be held<br />

on Thursday May 5.<br />

Elections for all Town and Parish<br />

<strong>Council</strong>s will be held on the same<br />

day and you will also be able to have<br />

your say in the UK Alternative Vote<br />

Referendum.<br />

Since the inception of <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong><br />

in 1974 elections have been held ‘by<br />

thirds’ which meant that only a third of<br />

the seats were contested three years<br />

out of four.<br />

But now the council has decided<br />

that all elections for the district, town<br />

and parish councils will take place on<br />

the same day once every four years.<br />

In making this decision councillors<br />

said it would reduce confusion and<br />

maximise turnout. It is also anticipated<br />

that a clear vision and priorities can<br />

be developed over a four-year period<br />

without the impact of changes in<br />

political control.<br />

Each elector entitled to vote<br />

will receive a poll card which will<br />

give details of their local polling<br />

station. Polling takes place between<br />

7am and 10pm and the results<br />

will be announced overnight from<br />

approximately 2am onwards.<br />

You can keep up to date with all<br />

developments by logging on to our<br />

website at www.west-lindsey.gov.uk<br />

as we will be publishing the results for<br />

each ward as they are announced.<br />

The current composition of the<br />

council is Conservatives 22, Liberal<br />

Democrats 13, Independents 1 plus<br />

one seat remaining vacant. To gain<br />

overall control of the council, any<br />

group requires a minimum of 19 seats.<br />

In addition to the local elections the<br />

UK Alternative Vote referendum will<br />

also be held. The referendum will give<br />

electors the opportunity to adopt the<br />

Alternative Vote electoral system for<br />

electing Members of Parliament to the<br />

House of Commons.<br />

At present, the UK uses the ‘first<br />

past the post’ system to elect MPs.<br />

Campaigners in the referendum will<br />

explain why they think you should<br />

vote ‘yes’ (to use the ‘alternative vote’<br />

system) or ‘no’ (to continue using the<br />

‘first past the post’ system).<br />

Booklets explaining the referendum<br />

in detail will be issued to every UK<br />

household.<br />

If you would like the opportunity<br />

to speak on behalf of the local<br />

community, help local people and<br />

shape the future of your area, then<br />

consider becoming a candidate at the<br />

elections.<br />

You need to complete a nomination<br />

paper which must be returned before<br />

noon on Monday April 4 2011.<br />

For further information contact<br />

the Elections Office at the Guildhall<br />

in Gainsborough by calling: 01427<br />

676575/6 or email: graham.<br />

spicksley@west-lindsey.gov.uk<br />

Have you got a postal vote?<br />

Anyone on the electoral register<br />

can now have a postal vote. All you<br />

have to do is telephone the Elections<br />

Office on 01427 676575/6 and ask<br />

for an application form which will<br />

then be sent to you. Forms can also<br />

be downloaded from the council’s<br />

website: www.west-lindsey.gov.uk.<br />

The form is easy to complete,<br />

but should any help be necessary,<br />

the election staff will be happy to<br />

assist and advise. Completed<br />

forms need to be returned to the<br />

Elections Office at the Guildhall<br />

in Gainsborough on or before<br />

Thursday April 14 2011.<br />

Your ballot papers will be sent to<br />

you a couple of weeks before the<br />

election for you to cast your vote. You<br />

are assured that postal voting follows<br />

strict secrecy rules and you are<br />

guaranteed that no one else will know<br />

how you have voted.<br />

Those electors who already have<br />

postal voting arrangements in place<br />

do not need to reapply.<br />

Elections will be held on Thursday May 5<br />

8 <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong>


WEST LINDSEY DISTRICT COUNCIL<br />

DISTRICT COUNCIL ELECTIONS<br />

NOTICE OF ELECTION<br />

For the Wards listed below<br />

NOMINATION PAPERS Nomination papers may be obtained from the offices of the Returning Officer,<br />

Guildhall, Marshall’s Yard, Gainsborough, DN21 2NA on Monday – Thursday 9am – 4:30pm and Friday<br />

9am – 4pm (excluding Bank Holidays), who will, at the request of any elector for the Ward, prepare<br />

a nomination paper for signature.<br />

DELIVERY OF THE NOMINATION PAPERS Nomination Papers must be delivered to the Returning Officer,<br />

Guildhall, Marshall’s Yard, Gainsborough, DN21 2NA, on any day on or after the date of this notice, on Monday<br />

to Thursday 9am – 4:30pm and Friday 9am – 4pm (excluding Bank Holidays), but not later than 12 noon on<br />

Monday 4 April 2011.<br />

POLL If the elections are contested, the poll will take place on Thursday 5 May 2011.<br />

ABSENT VOTES (POSTAL AND PROXIES) Electors and their proxies should take note that new applications<br />

for a postal vote or to change or cancel an existing postal vote or proxy appointment must reach the Electoral<br />

Registration Officer by 5pm on Thursday 14 April 2011. Applications for new proxy appointments must reach<br />

the Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Thursday 21 April 2011 except in cases where unforeseen illness<br />

or incapacity occurs after that time in which case applications may be made up until 5pm on Thursday 5 May<br />

2011. Application forms are available from the Electoral Registration Officer, Guildhall, Marshall’s Yard,<br />

Gainsborough or by telephoning 01427 676575/6.<br />

Rachel M. North<br />

Returning Officer<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> 9


PARISH COUNCIL ELECTIONS<br />

NOTICE OF ELECTION<br />

For the Parishes listed below<br />

NOMINATION PAPERS Nomination papers may be obtained from the offices of the Returning Officer,<br />

Guildhall, Marshall’s Yard, Gainsborough, DN21 2NA on Monday – Thursday 9am – 4:30pm and Friday<br />

9am – 4pm (excluding Bank Holidays), who will, at the request of any elector for the Ward, prepare<br />

a nomination paper for signature.<br />

DELIVERY OF THE NOMINATION PAPERS Nomination Papers must be delivered to the Returning Officer, Guildhall,<br />

Marshall’s Yard, Gainsborough, DN21 2NA, on any day on or after the date of this notice, on Monday to Thursday 9am –<br />

4:30pm and Friday 9am – 4pm (excluding Bank Holidays), but not later than 12 noon on Monday 4 April 2011.<br />

POLL If the elections are contested, the poll will take place on Thursday 5 May 2011.<br />

ABSENT VOTES (POSTAL AND PROXIES) Electors and their proxies should take note that new applications for a postal<br />

vote or to change or cancel an existing postal vote or proxy appointment must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by<br />

5pm on Thursday 14 April 2011. Applications for new proxy appointments must reach<br />

the Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Thursday 21 April 2011 except in cases where unforeseen illness<br />

or incapacity occurs after that time in which case applications may be made up until 5pm on Thursday 5 May 2011.<br />

Application forms are available from the Electoral Registration Officer, Guildhall, Marshall’s Yard,<br />

Gainsborough or by telephoning 01427 676575/6.<br />

Rachel M. North<br />

Returning Officer<br />

10 <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong>


Snow heroes win<br />

special award<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> staff praised<br />

for going the extra mile<br />

during the adverse<br />

weather conditions<br />

The British Red Cross has<br />

praised staff at <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong><br />

for going the extra mile to<br />

support vulnerable people during<br />

December’s severe weather.<br />

Despite heavy snowfall and<br />

freezing temperatures of minus 17<br />

degrees centigrade staff rallied round<br />

to support the charity in helping local<br />

residents.<br />

Senior Service Manager for the<br />

British Red Cross, Edith Wesley,<br />

explained how they took the lead in<br />

directing staff to priority needs in the<br />

area.<br />

She said: “I am delighted to present<br />

this award to <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong><br />

<strong>Council</strong> – for their innovative help<br />

during the severe weather conditions.<br />

“We received calls from residents<br />

in areas of <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> which were<br />

hard hit, including people who were<br />

alone, had no food or heating and<br />

needed urgent help to get to medical<br />

appointments.<br />

“Between ourselves and the<br />

council we were able to support<br />

residents. It did not matter what time<br />

of the day we called – there was<br />

always someone willing to lend a<br />

helping hand.<br />

“This award is recognition of the<br />

council thinking totally outside the box<br />

and offering to support the Red Cross<br />

and vulnerable people in their area in<br />

a time of crisis.<br />

<strong>Council</strong> worker Paul Redhead clears the snow so a resident can attend a medical appointment<br />

“To me this was a fantastic offer by<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> and has been flagged<br />

up as good practice to be considered<br />

in future emergencies.”<br />

Director of Strategy & Regeneration,<br />

Rachel North, said she was delighted<br />

to receive the award on behalf of the<br />

council. “It recognises our staff’s ability<br />

to be flexible in some of the most<br />

testing circumstances. We offered<br />

extra support to vulnerable residents<br />

by helping to clear pathways to get<br />

them to medical appointments and<br />

delivered food parcels and heating.”<br />

And Mrs North said the award<br />

reflected the <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> community<br />

spirit as a whole: “We made the<br />

From L-R: Director of Strategy & Regeneration Rachel North; Senior Service Manager<br />

for the British Red Cross Edith Wesley; and Lesley Beevers pick up the award<br />

“We made the most of our<br />

resources to help communities<br />

Rachel North,<br />

Director of Strategy & Regeneration<br />

most of our limited resources to help<br />

communities help themselves.<br />

“There were some great examples<br />

of communities working together to<br />

clear snow from their own streets and<br />

checking on their neighbours, which<br />

has to be commended.”<br />

Mrs North said the award was a<br />

credit to the great partnership work<br />

between the <strong>Council</strong>, the British Red<br />

Cross, Lincolnshire County <strong>Council</strong><br />

and Lincolnshire Police.<br />

<strong>Council</strong>lors did their part by rallying<br />

support to help their local wards.<br />

<strong>Council</strong> Leader Cllr Burt Keimach<br />

said: “We had one of the worst winters<br />

in over 100 years. I was delighted to<br />

see councillors out and about helping<br />

the local community.<br />

“Offers of help ranged from using<br />

their own 4x4 vehicles to access<br />

residents, putting out posters to inform<br />

residents of static waste collections or<br />

offering a shopping service for some<br />

of the most vulnerable residents –<br />

a good effort was made by all.<br />

“It was heart-warming to see<br />

communities pulling together to help<br />

themselves – whether it was clearing<br />

the market place in Market Rasen or<br />

helping to check on a neighbour.”<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> 11


What’s on<br />

Trinity<br />

Street, Gainsborough,<br />

Lincolnshire DN21 2AL<br />

Box Office: 01427 676655<br />

Web: www.trinityarts.co.uk<br />

Monumental films, a drama classic and musical masterpieces will all be seen<br />

at the arts centre for <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> during March<br />

Opening the show on March 2 is<br />

Wildest Dream: Conquest of<br />

Everest (PG). This awe-inspiring<br />

documentary follows Conrad<br />

Anker’s attempt to climb Everest<br />

following the exact route of George<br />

Mallory, the British explorer who<br />

famously quipped ‘because it’s<br />

there’ when he was asked why<br />

he was going to climb the world’s<br />

highest mountain.<br />

Tickets are £4.50 (£3.50<br />

concessions).<br />

Then on Thursday March 3, Hull<br />

Truck present Lady Chatterley’s<br />

Lover by D.H. Lawrence.<br />

Lady Constance Chatterley is<br />

trapped in a loveless marriage.<br />

Injured in battle, her husband<br />

Clifford is unable to satisfy her<br />

desires and so Constance finds<br />

herself drawn towards a man she<br />

meets in the woods. Contains adult<br />

scenes.<br />

Tickets £12 (£10 concessions).<br />

A Buddy Holly Tribute takes to the<br />

Trinity stage on March 4<br />

March 4 sees what is billed as<br />

the longest-running and greatest<br />

Buddy Holly Show on Earth.<br />

Buddy Holly and the Cricketers<br />

have delighted audiences across<br />

the globe for 17 years and the act<br />

is guaranteed to have everyone<br />

singing along to the music and<br />

dancing in the aisles to timeless<br />

hits including That’ll Be The Day,<br />

Peggy Sue, It Doesn’t Matter<br />

Anymore, Raining in my Heart, Oh<br />

Boy! and many more.<br />

Tickets are £12 (£10<br />

concessions).<br />

Also billed for this month are:<br />

March 9: The Way Back (12A).<br />

Based on Slavomir Rawicz’s<br />

acclaimed memoir The Long<br />

Walk, the story follows the<br />

courageous escape of seven<br />

multi-national prisoners from a<br />

Soviet Labour Camp in 1941<br />

and their treacherous journey as<br />

they battle the elements through<br />

Siberia, the Gobi Desert, Tibet and<br />

the Himalayas in search of safety,<br />

refuge and freedom.<br />

Tickets £4.50 (concessions<br />

£3.50).<br />

March 10: The Hoot Comedy<br />

Club with Danny Pensive. City<br />

Life Friday described Pensive as:<br />

‘Paddington Bear meets the loony<br />

at the bus stop.’<br />

Tickets are £5.<br />

March 12: Blue Valentine (15).<br />

The film centres on married couple<br />

Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy<br />

(Michelle Williams) and their<br />

relationship over a number of years<br />

by shifting between different periods.<br />

Tickets £4.50 (£3.50<br />

concessions).<br />

March 16: The King’s Speech<br />

(12A). This is the story of the man<br />

who would become King George VI.<br />

After his brother abdicates, George<br />

‘Bertie’ VI (Colin Firth) reluctantly<br />

assumes the throne. Plagued by<br />

a dreaded nervous stammer and<br />

considered unfit to be King, Bertie<br />

engages the help of an unorthodox<br />

speech therapist named Lionel<br />

Logue (Geoffrey Rush).<br />

Tickets £4.50 (£3.50<br />

concessions).<br />

Escape movie The Way Back is<br />

screened on March 9<br />

March 18: 127 Hours (15). This<br />

is the true story of mountain<br />

climber Aron Ralston’s remarkable<br />

adventure after a fallen boulder<br />

crashes on his arm and traps him<br />

in an isolated canyon in Utah.<br />

Over the next five days Ralston<br />

examines his life and realises he<br />

must save himself by any means<br />

necessary. Tickets £4.50 (£3.50<br />

concessions).<br />

March 19: Rape of Lucrece by<br />

William Shakespeare. Gerald<br />

Logan stars in the first ever stage<br />

12 2 <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> <strong>News</strong>


adaption of this work. The Rape<br />

of Lucrece is a brilliant, brutal<br />

narrative poem giving an account<br />

of the terrible crime of rape and its<br />

dreadful consequences for victim<br />

and perpetrator.<br />

Tickets £10 (concessions £8).<br />

March 23: Of Gods and Men<br />

(15). In a monastery perched in<br />

the mountains of North Africa in<br />

the 1990s, eight French Christian<br />

monks live in harmony with their<br />

Muslim brothers. When a crew of<br />

foreign workers is massacred by<br />

an Islamic fundamentalist group,<br />

fear sweeps through the region.<br />

The army offers them protection,<br />

but the monks refuse. Should they<br />

leave?<br />

Tickets £4.50 (£3.50<br />

concessions).<br />

March 25: Tannahill Weavers.<br />

See one of Scotland’s premier<br />

traditional bands whose diverse<br />

Blue Valentine focuses<br />

on marriage on March 12<br />

127 Hours is showing on March 19<br />

repertoire spans the centuries with<br />

fire-driven instrumentals, topical<br />

songs and original ballads and<br />

lullabies. Their music demonstrates<br />

to young and old alike the rich<br />

and varied musical heritage of the<br />

Celtic people.<br />

Tickets £10 (£8 concessions).<br />

March 26 at 2pm: Babbling<br />

Vagabonds present The Buried<br />

Moon. In the darkest corners,<br />

among the wavering tossocks and<br />

the trembling mools, the muddy,<br />

black bogs and the great snags...<br />

The Things dwell.<br />

Tickets £5 (£4 concessions).<br />

March 30 at 12 noon: Lunchtime<br />

Literature. Dr Jane Mackay on<br />

Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. Come<br />

and meet one of Tolstoy’s most<br />

intriguing heroines, the respectably<br />

married Anna who has a<br />

scandalous affair with the dashing<br />

Count Vronsky.<br />

Tickets £6.50 including a drink.<br />

March 30: Chico and Rita (15).<br />

This beautifully animated classic<br />

love story brims with charm and is<br />

alive with the spirit of Latin jazz.<br />

It all begins on a steamy night in<br />

Havana in 1948 when Chico, a<br />

rising jazz pianist, is entranced by<br />

a beautiful songbird named Rita.<br />

She turns out to be the key to<br />

his success and is the girl of his<br />

dreams.<br />

Tickets £4.50 (£3.50<br />

concessions).<br />

Save on your night out<br />

Enjoying a night out at Trinity<br />

Arts is cheaper than you<br />

might think if you live outside<br />

Gainsborough.<br />

Parking in Gainsborough is<br />

free after 6pm each evening<br />

and all day on Sunday which<br />

is not the case in neighbouring<br />

towns and cities.<br />

So a trip to Gainsborough<br />

will not only be great<br />

entertainment but you’ll be<br />

quids in!<br />

Could you be a<br />

guardian angel?<br />

Could you be a guardian angel?<br />

If live theatre, music and<br />

cinema have you on cloud<br />

nine then you could be just<br />

the person to be a Trinity Arts<br />

Centre Guardian Angel.<br />

Amongst the heavenly benefits<br />

are:<br />

>> £1 off all films<br />

>> Concessionary prices for<br />

most live evening shows<br />

>> Priority booking on selected<br />

events<br />

>> A discount booklet for extra<br />

savings during the year<br />

>> Membership newsletter,<br />

brochures and e-bulletins<br />

>> Discounted room hire for<br />

parties, meetings and<br />

special occasions<br />

>> Free entry to the prize draw<br />

for panto tickets 2011<br />

All for £15 (£10 concessions).<br />

To find out more visit:<br />

Tel: 01427 676655<br />

Web: www.trinityarts.co.uk<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> <strong>News</strong> 313


Movie magic!<br />

A mobile cinema screen designed to bring the big screen<br />

experience to rural areas has been introduced in the district<br />

The <strong>Council</strong> has teamed<br />

up with Big Country Rural<br />

Cinema Network to produce a<br />

project which is hoped will be a ‘reel’<br />

attraction for movie lovers.<br />

Gainsborough councillor and Trinity<br />

Arts supporter, Cllr Gillian Bardsley,<br />

said: “We are delighted to be able to<br />

offer this fantastic scheme to residents<br />

of <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong>.<br />

“Centre Screen is a scheme that<br />

uses portable cinema equipment to<br />

provide film screenings in alternative<br />

venues, particularly in areas where<br />

cinema might not otherwise be<br />

available, such as rural locations.<br />

“We hope volunteer promoters<br />

will take advantage of this wonderful<br />

opportunity to turn their local venue<br />

into a temporary cinema, so that local<br />

people can enjoy films old and new at<br />

a friendly nearby venue. The benefits<br />

Gainsborough has will now be shared<br />

out across the district.”<br />

Volunteers within the community<br />

select the film, book the venue and set<br />

the price for the tickets and then sell<br />

them. Centre Screen <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong>,<br />

based at the Trinity Arts Centre in<br />

Gainsborough, provides a technician<br />

and the equipment to run the<br />

screening. The screenings cost<br />

£90 and the money returned<br />

to the scheme will help to maintain<br />

the equipment and keep the costs<br />

down.<br />

“We hope volunteer promoters take<br />

advantage of this opportunity so<br />

that local people can enjoy films<br />

Cllr Gillian Bardsley<br />

Any money groups make<br />

from organising raffles or selling<br />

refreshments they get to keep.<br />

Centre Screen comes with<br />

support from the technical staff at<br />

Trinity Arts Centre, a venue with 25<br />

years’ experience in cinema and live<br />

events.<br />

Kevin Dunbar, co-ordinator for<br />

Centre Screen, <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> said:<br />

“This is a new and exciting venture<br />

and it is a great way to bring the<br />

community together.<br />

“Centre Screen works with<br />

voluntary promoters based at<br />

venues as diverse as village halls,<br />

libraries, community centres, schools<br />

and colleges – anywhere that is<br />

a meeting point for local people<br />

and can provide some very basic<br />

facilities.”<br />

The scheme is a partnership with<br />

Big Country Rural Cinema Network<br />

and funded by E.M Media but it is<br />

managed by Centre Screen <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong>. Similar schemes based at<br />

Phoenix Arts in Leicester currently<br />

operate within Leicestershire, Rutland,<br />

Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire.<br />

For more detailed information please<br />

visit: www.centrescreen.net<br />

> To join the scheme or to find out<br />

more information contact: Kevin<br />

Dunbar, Centre Screen Co-ordinator,<br />

Trinity Arts Centre, Trinity Street,<br />

Gainsborough, DN21 2AL, (01427)<br />

675137 alternatively email: kevin.<br />

dunbar@west-lindsey.gov.uk<br />

Pictured above left: Kevin Dunbar<br />

who will soon be producing scenes<br />

like this (centre) at a village hall<br />

near you.<br />

14 <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong>


Thanks for keeping us<br />

off the streets<br />

Teenagers grateful for youth café<br />

Teenagers have thanked the<br />

council for helping to keep their<br />

youth café open.<br />

The Arena Café in Market Rasen<br />

provides a safe place for young<br />

people to meet up instead of hanging<br />

around on the streets.<br />

Figures released by Lincolnshire<br />

Police show the café has helped<br />

to halve the number of anti-social<br />

behaviour incidents in the town since<br />

January 2010 – down from 32 to<br />

just 17.<br />

The Community Safety Unit at<br />

the council has awarded the café a<br />

£15,000 grant to ensure its good work<br />

can carry on.<br />

Leader of <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong><br />

<strong>Council</strong> and a ward member for<br />

Market Rasen, Cllr Burt Keimach said:<br />

“We are delighted to award this grant<br />

to the youth café, which has had a<br />

significant impact in Market Rasen<br />

– and not only on the anti-social<br />

behaviour figures.<br />

“It has also made a big difference to<br />

the area and gives the young people<br />

a safe place to go on a Friday evening<br />

in the town.<br />

“The council is working<br />

closely with CG Partnerships,<br />

which manages the café, to<br />

look at making its future more<br />

sustainable.”<br />

Jack Rook, 14, has been<br />

going to the café, also known as the<br />

Friday Night Project, since it opened.<br />

He said: “It is somewhere to go<br />

rather than loitering around on the<br />

streets.<br />

“It is not fun for people to see<br />

lots of kids on the street as it can be<br />

intimidating, when they walk past big<br />

groups.<br />

“I am pleased the council has paid<br />

to keep the café open. The fact they<br />

are putting money into the café at all<br />

because of the budget cuts is really<br />

good.”<br />

Mason Dawson, 13, meets up with<br />

his friends in the café. He is also a<br />

member of the Market Rasen Youth<br />

<strong>Council</strong>.<br />

He said: “Before the café opened<br />

there was a lot of vandalism in the<br />

town caused by people<br />

Sam Rea, Youth worker for the Friday Night Project,<br />

chats with young people at the Arena Café<br />

Graffiti artist Luke Brisbane produced his<br />

design with help from James Mayle at<br />

the Friday Night Project’s Urban Extravanganza<br />

because they had nothing<br />

else to do.”<br />

“If I was not at the café I would be<br />

hanging around on the streets with my<br />

friends.<br />

“Now I help out in the tuck<br />

shop, play on the Wii and use the<br />

computers. I am so pleased the<br />

council have given the café a grant to<br />

keep open.”<br />

Young people can use all the<br />

facilities available and youth workers<br />

are on hand to talk to.<br />

CG Partnership Project Worker,<br />

Sam Rea, said the café regularly has<br />

between 20 and 30 young people<br />

attending on a Friday night.<br />

She said: “This grant is fantastic<br />

news. This café really has given<br />

young people an opportunity to say no<br />

to going out drinking with their friends<br />

and has given them an alternative<br />

place to go.<br />

“Last year we engaged with<br />

137 people and almost 80 of them<br />

returned four or more times, which<br />

exceeded our expectations.<br />

“I have definitely noticed a positive<br />

change in behaviour and attitude with<br />

the young people we have at the café<br />

on a Friday night.<br />

“One young person recently<br />

opened up to me and said ‘you and<br />

the Friday Night Project have made<br />

a difference in my life’.”<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> 15


What’s on <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong><br />

MARCH<br />

5-6: Free entry to Goltho Gardens<br />

as part of Discover Lincolnshire<br />

Weekend. This stunning 4.5 acre<br />

garden was only started in 1998 but<br />

already looks established.<br />

8: Frankenstein Live! at the<br />

Broadbent Theatre<br />

Presented by the Angus & Ross<br />

Theatre Company. This show<br />

has been financially assisted<br />

by Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire<br />

Rural Touring Partnership funded<br />

by the Arts <strong>Council</strong> England & Lincs<br />

County and <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong>s. Tickets<br />

£8 (£6.50 concessions). 7:30pm start.<br />

For more information: 01673 885500.<br />

11-12, 18-19: Dick Whittington in<br />

the Osgodby Village Hall (pictured<br />

above)<br />

Presented by The Osgodby Amateur<br />

Dramatic Society – “The TOADS”, a<br />

thriving drama group. 7.30pm start.<br />

Tickets £6 adults and £3.50 children<br />

(available from Ann Bennett at the<br />

Post Office).<br />

30: Lark Rise to Candleford at the<br />

Broadbent Theatre<br />

Presented by the New Perspectives<br />

Theatre Company. Tickets £8 (£6.50<br />

concessions). 7:30pm start. For more<br />

information 01673 885500.<br />

APRIL<br />

2: Caistor Food Fair at Caistor<br />

Town Hall<br />

Organised in conjunction with Tastes<br />

of Lincolnshire, there will be a large<br />

number of stalls, ranging from highquality<br />

meat and fish, Lincolnshire<br />

cheeses, home made breads, cakes,<br />

preserves and confectionery. 10am<br />

– 4pm. Free admission. For more<br />

details contact Caistor Town <strong>Council</strong><br />

on: 01472 851679 or visit caistor.net.<br />

MAY<br />

7-8 and 14-15: <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong><br />

Churches Festival. More than 90<br />

churches are open over the two<br />

weekends from Saxon, Norman to<br />

Victorian gems. Activities throughout<br />

the weekends include: bell ringing,<br />

organ music, kneelers, exhibitions,<br />

arts and crafts, flowers and music.<br />

16-21: Gainsborough Theatre<br />

Company presents Like a Virgin at<br />

the Old Nick<br />

This powerful play with music is a<br />

romp through the bubble-gum years<br />

of teenage life. For more information:<br />

01427 810616.<br />

26: Made in Lincolnshire – The<br />

Industrial Archaeology of the<br />

County at St Andrew’s Centre,<br />

William Street, Saxilby<br />

This comprehensively illustrated talk<br />

by Chris Lester gives an overview of<br />

Lincolnshire’s industrial archaeology.<br />

Runs from 7pm to 9pm. Book in<br />

advance: 01529 461499 or email:<br />

heritage-at-risk@lincsheritage.org.<br />

Would you like your activity<br />

included in the next edition<br />

of <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong>? Email:<br />

communicationsteam@westlindsey.gov.uk<br />

Best foot forward<br />

The seventh Lincolnshire Wolds<br />

Walking Festival is taking place<br />

from Saturday May 21 to Sunday<br />

June 5 and offers a huge range<br />

of over 75 walks in our Area of<br />

Outstanding Natural beauty and<br />

surrounding countryside.<br />

With walks to suit any age,<br />

ability or interest, there really<br />

is something for everyone –<br />

from gentle strolls to the more<br />

energetic long distance walking<br />

and throughout the day into the<br />

evening.<br />

This year for the first time<br />

there’s a Nordic walk taking<br />

place and a walk especially for<br />

dogs – and their owners!<br />

Most of the walks are free of<br />

charge, but some may require<br />

early booking, to ensure a place.<br />

This year there is an exciting<br />

launch event with fun for all<br />

the family at Brackenborough<br />

Hall Coach House Holidays<br />

near Louth and two walks<br />

from Louth will be walking to<br />

Brackenborough to launch the<br />

event.<br />

There’s also a finale taking<br />

place at the delightful village of<br />

Partney, where several walks<br />

will be taking place from Partney<br />

of differing lengths and leaving<br />

times – and all arriving back at<br />

the same time in the afternoon<br />

for the cutting of the Festival<br />

cake!<br />

For further information:<br />

Tel: 01507 609740 (and ask for a free<br />

Wolds Walking Festival brochure)<br />

Web: www.woldswalkingfestival.co.uk<br />

Email: aonb@lincswolds.org.uk<br />

16 <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong>


Great days out in <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong><br />

E<br />

veryone knows that going<br />

to the Lincolnshire Show<br />

is a great day out in <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong>.<br />

And visitors to the council’s stand<br />

at this year’s event on June 22-23<br />

will be able to find out about more<br />

fantastic days out in our district.<br />

We’ve decided to hand over part of<br />

our display space to tourism providers<br />

in our area so that visitors can find out<br />

about some of the great attractions<br />

we have on offer.<br />

Chairman of the organising<br />

committee, Cllr Irmgard Parrott,<br />

explained: “The council is very proud<br />

of the fact that the county’s premier<br />

event is in our district and we know<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> hosts the very best day<br />

out for many miles around. But we<br />

also know that our district has many<br />

other fantastic tourist attractions so<br />

we decided to give two of them the<br />

chance to work with us on the theme<br />

of Great Days Out in <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong>.”<br />

We contacted all tourist businesses<br />

in the area and asked if they wanted<br />

to join us. The names of those<br />

interested went into the hat and the<br />

lucky winners to join us at the Show<br />

are the Gainsborough Model Railway<br />

and Wharton Hall Farm.<br />

Cllr Parrott added: “We are<br />

delighted that these attractions will be<br />

joining us and I am sure that visitors<br />

will soon realise that although they<br />

are enjoying a great day in <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong> at the Show there are lots<br />

more great days out to be had in <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong>.”<br />

The leisure and tourism theme will<br />

be continued when visitors will be<br />

asked to do a spell on a treadmill to<br />

help us Walk the Viking Way in <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong> and Cycle the Sustrans Cycle<br />

Route. The name of everyone who<br />

helps us reach the target distances<br />

will go into a draw and there will be<br />

great prizes for the winners!<br />

The <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> stand at the<br />

Show has proved very popular with<br />

visitors who live in our district and we<br />

are sure that will be the case again<br />

this year.<br />

Cllr Parrott said: “As usual<br />

councillors will be on hand to discuss<br />

issues with residents and answer<br />

questions and staff will be available<br />

to help with general enquiries. If we<br />

cannot deal with any question on the<br />

spot we will take details and make<br />

sure residents get an answer as soon<br />

as possible.”<br />

Last year an Economic Impact<br />

Study carried out on behalf of the<br />

Lincolnshire Agricultural Society<br />

revealed that the Show puts nearly<br />

£12m a year into the economy, with<br />

£8m of that staying in the region.<br />

Howdy partners!<br />

Keep on track at the Lincolnshire show<br />

with the Gainsborough Model Railway<br />

J<br />

oining us at the Show will<br />

be the Gainsborough Model<br />

Railway which has one of the<br />

largest layouts in the country.<br />

Based on the East Coast Main<br />

Line from London Kings Cross to<br />

Leeds Central, the railway covers<br />

2,500 square feet, has more than<br />

1,200 feet of main line track and<br />

needs 10 operators. It also features<br />

150 locomotives, 100 coaches, 200<br />

wagons and vans, 150 pieces of<br />

pointwork, half a mile of trackwork<br />

and nine stations.<br />

As a contrast Wharton Hall Farm<br />

Park is set in 10 acres and includes<br />

a mile long walk around the animal<br />

paddocks. The animals include<br />

sheep, pigs, rabbits and goats and<br />

there are lots of exciting breeds<br />

of animals and birds as well as<br />

rare breeds.<br />

Above: The fantastic Gainsborough Model Railway is one of the largest in the country. Right: Let’s talk to the animals at Wharton Hall Farm Park<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> 17


Funding for worthy projects<br />

Community groups get a helping hand from councillors’ fund<br />

Cllr Jessie Milne with Lea Village Hall secretary and treasurer May Greenway<br />

and her team who dug deep to find £40,000<br />

S<br />

ports equipment, Wi-fi and<br />

even a new footpath have<br />

been paid for thanks to <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong>.<br />

The <strong>Council</strong>lor Initiative Fund<br />

gives each elected member £1,000 to<br />

spend on projects in their ward. Many<br />

chose to divide their allocated £1,000<br />

between several good causes and<br />

as a result submitted a number of<br />

applications; others allocated their<br />

entire fund to a single project.<br />

Lea Village Hall is just one of many<br />

groups to benefit from the fund. The<br />

group has invested £40,000 to give<br />

the outside of their village hall a much<br />

needed makeover. They received<br />

£1,000 from Cllr Jessie Milne’s<br />

allowance towards the cost.<br />

Cllr Milne said: “It is vitally<br />

important we keep village halls like<br />

this alive because they are the very<br />

lifeblood of rural communities.”<br />

Work to the hall includes urgent<br />

repairs to the drainage system,<br />

paving, trees and retaining walls.<br />

Treasurer and secretary May<br />

Greenway said she was delighted<br />

with the grant: “The management<br />

committee has had to work its socks<br />

off to raise nearly £40,000 from a<br />

variety of sources.”<br />

Nettleham Parish <strong>Council</strong> was<br />

given £1,000 from Cllr Malcolm<br />

Leaning’s allocation, to pay for<br />

printing costs of the Nettleham Design<br />

Plan. He said: “The council is trying<br />

to encourage as many town and<br />

parish councils as possible to have a<br />

parish design plan because it will help<br />

when it comes to making planning<br />

decisions.”<br />

This cash meant the parish council<br />

could print an extra 2,000 copies to<br />

make sure everyone in the village got<br />

a copy.<br />

Willingham Parish <strong>Council</strong> was<br />

given £1,000 towards resurfacing the<br />

cemetery footpath.<br />

Cllr Reg Shore said: “It was such a<br />

big project for a small cemetery and<br />

a small village. Without this cash the<br />

parish council would never have been<br />

able to afford it.<br />

“The money was not just spent on<br />

resurfacing the footpath it also helped<br />

sort out the shrubbery and making<br />

some grave stones safe.<br />

“It was thanks to the parish council,<br />

Hill Holt Wood and money from <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong> that we were able to address<br />

this issue.”<br />

More than 20 children were<br />

treated to a special trip to the<br />

pantomime at the Trinity Arts Centre<br />

in Gainsborough.<br />

Cllr Mel Starkey used part of his<br />

allowance to treat youngsters who<br />

attend Gainsborough Adventure Play<br />

Association to a trip to the Christmas<br />

Pantomime.<br />

Cllrs Malcolm Parish and Di<br />

Rodgers both used parts of their fund<br />

to help Toft Newton Parish <strong>Council</strong>.<br />

They helped to buy sports equipment<br />

and a secure shed to store the<br />

equipment.<br />

Cllr Angela Lawrence allotted half of<br />

her grant to Caistor Town Hall to pay<br />

towards additional free Wi-fi access<br />

for anyone using the Town Hall. The<br />

hall has undergone a makeover thanks<br />

to grants from waste management<br />

company Biffa, Community Lincs and<br />

the town council.<br />

Cllr Alan Caine has given £500 to<br />

Caistor Heritage Trust, with two further<br />

£500 sums coming from Caistor<br />

Development Trust and Renaissance<br />

East Midlands. He said: “This will<br />

be used to catalogue the wealth of<br />

heritage material that has come to<br />

light over recent years, both tangible<br />

items and photographic collections<br />

spanning well over a century of<br />

history. This will all be digitised and<br />

available on the internet worldwide.”<br />

For details of all <strong>Council</strong>lor Initiative<br />

projects visit: www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/<br />

initiativefund after April 1.<br />

18 <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong>


Supporting you to<br />

stay at home<br />

A practical ‘hands on’ scheme has been launched following the<br />

council’s successful bid to Lincolnshire Supporting People<br />

A<br />

practical ‘hands on’ scheme<br />

to prevent homelessness<br />

has been launched in <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong> following a successful bid to<br />

Lincolnshire Supporting People.<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong> has<br />

set up the Floating Support Service<br />

to help residents find and keep their<br />

accommodation. It is available for<br />

single people and families across the<br />

whole of the district who are homeless<br />

or at risk of becoming homeless.<br />

Chairman of the Economic<br />

Development & Regeneration<br />

Committee, Jeff Summers, said: “We<br />

recognise that for some people having<br />

a roof over their head is not enough<br />

to guarantee they will not end up<br />

homeless.<br />

“We are delighted to provide this<br />

scheme, which will help arm residents<br />

with the skills they need to help them<br />

sustain their own tenancies and live<br />

independently.”<br />

Two new support workers have<br />

joined the council’s Home Options<br />

Team to help deliver the service.<br />

The support workers will be able to<br />

offer help and advice on a number of<br />

areas including:<br />

> Finding accommodation and<br />

establishing tenancies<br />

> Applying for benefits/grants<br />

> Managing money and budgeting<br />

> Accessing furniture from charitable<br />

groups<br />

> Setting up utilities<br />

> Making arrangements with creditors<br />

to manage debts<br />

Housing, Renewal & Community<br />

Safety Service Manager, Grant<br />

Lockett said: “I am delighted to bring<br />

this service into the Home Options<br />

Team which will help us offer a full<br />

support package for residents.<br />

“Floating Support is all about<br />

keeping tenancies by putting in place<br />

Claire Ross (centre) has joined the Housing Team as a Floating Support Worker<br />

measures to prevent homelessness.<br />

We will not only help residents find<br />

a place to live but we will create an<br />

individual support plan to focus on<br />

their needs.<br />

“This could include setting up a<br />

bank account, obtaining furniture or<br />

registering with a GP and dentist.”<br />

The council is already reducing the<br />

number of people who are homeless<br />

in the district and the amount of<br />

temporary accommodation needed.<br />

This is thanks to a greater emphasis<br />

on prevention.<br />

Since April 2010, 98 cases of<br />

homelessness have been prevented<br />

or alternative accommodation found<br />

– thanks to efforts by the councils’<br />

Home Options Team.<br />

The authority helped prevent the<br />

number of people becoming homeless<br />

through mediation, mortgage rescue,<br />

the council’s deposit guarantee<br />

scheme and many more schemes.<br />

Referral forms can be accessed:<br />

Web: www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/housing<br />

Tel: 01427 675676 (Home Options Team)<br />

The Floating Support Service<br />

The Floating Support Service is a<br />

short term housing support service.<br />

Service users will have a project<br />

worker to help them create a support<br />

plan which may include partner<br />

agencies involvement.<br />

Referrals can be made for anyone<br />

in <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> who is at risk of<br />

homelessness and in need of housing<br />

related support.<br />

To access the service people must<br />

be aged 17 or above.<br />

They may be homeless, living in<br />

temporary accommodation, living in<br />

social or privately rented housing or<br />

be owner occupiers.<br />

The floating support scheme<br />

has already helped to enhance the<br />

council’s homelessness prevention<br />

efforts. Since January 2011, 13<br />

households have been signed up onto<br />

the scheme and a number of referrals<br />

to the scheme are being received.<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> 19


Nettleham Parish<br />

<strong>Council</strong> Chairman<br />

Terry Williams (left)<br />

and district councillor<br />

Malcolm Leaning with<br />

the aqua sacs bought<br />

to protect the village<br />

Working to keep flooding at bay<br />

In the battle to beat flooding, ditch<br />

and dyke owners have been<br />

warned they could face legal action<br />

if they don’t remove obstructions in<br />

their watercourses.<br />

Communities across <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong><br />

are being urged to regularly check<br />

ditches, dykes, rivers and streams<br />

to ensure they are not blocked with<br />

debris that will reduce flow of water.<br />

Chair of the district council’s<br />

Communities and Waste Committee,<br />

Cllr Jackie Brockway, said: “One of<br />

the most frequent causes of flooding<br />

is poorly maintained watercourses.<br />

“Blocked ditches and drains can<br />

lead to serious issues during severe<br />

weather conditions if flow is restricted<br />

and water spills over the top.”<br />

The council is urging residents to<br />

be vigilant and report any potential<br />

problems in their areas to their parish<br />

or town council or local flood warden.<br />

Cllr Brockway added: “The council<br />

does not have the resources to check<br />

all the watercourses in the district,<br />

which is why we rely on the support<br />

of residents and parish and town<br />

councils, who are best placed to<br />

respond swiftly to problems.<br />

“Flood Wardens and local councils<br />

can approach the owners to ask them<br />

to try and solve the problem. If the<br />

works are not undertaken then either<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong> or the<br />

drainage boards have legal powers to<br />

ensure the work is done.”<br />

Many parish councils have<br />

appointed flood wardens who regularly<br />

patrol their communities and check on<br />

the condition of local watercourses.<br />

The district council has also set<br />

aside £10,000 to offer grants of £250<br />

to parish councils to be used for flood<br />

prevention. So far only £4,000 of this<br />

fund has been claimed, with the cash<br />

being spent on equipment for the<br />

wardens. Five parish councils have<br />

bought aqua sacs with their grant<br />

money, including Nettleham.<br />

Cllr Malcolm Leaning, who<br />

represents Nettleham, welcomed the<br />

aqua sacs as an alternative to sand<br />

bags.<br />

He said: “Some parish councils,<br />

whilst wanting to be ready for possible<br />

floods, have found problems in<br />

finding substantial storage space for<br />

sand and bags. Nettleham has been<br />

investigating the cost and positioning<br />

of a suitable store for these.<br />

“They have now decided to buy<br />

‘Aqua Sacs’ instead. They contain a<br />

gel which expands on contact with<br />

water and can be re-used and are<br />

much more easily stored.<br />

“The council has bought 100 aqua<br />

sacs. They were able to pay for them<br />

thanks to a £250 grant.”<br />

Chairman of Nettleham Parish<br />

<strong>Council</strong>, Cllr Terry Williams said:<br />

“This is an excellent example of how<br />

the district and parish councils can<br />

work together to produce a practical<br />

solution to a real problem that can<br />

have devastating consequences for<br />

residents who are directly affected.”<br />

If your council has not applied for a<br />

grant visit: www.west-lindsey.gov.<br />

uk/parish/floodgrant<br />

20 <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong>


The Concessionary Bus Pass<br />

Scheme is changing…<br />

Central Government have<br />

decided that from 1st April<br />

2011 responsibility for bus<br />

passes will transfer from<br />

the <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong> to the<br />

County <strong>Council</strong>.<br />

So what does this mean?<br />

• Current bus passes will still remain valid until their expiry date.<br />

• Financial constraints will mean non-continuation of some<br />

discretionary elements such as taxi tokens and rail card contributions.<br />

• The way you apply for a new bus pass will be different. From April<br />

you must apply by post, or alternatively you can present yourself at<br />

City Hall in Lincoln.<br />

• The option for doing pass applications and renewals on-line is also<br />

being developed.<br />

• These options will give you a choice of how to obtain your pass but<br />

please do not apply any earlier than 21 days in advance of the due date.<br />

• Application forms and an information leaflet about the scheme<br />

will be available from Libraries, Local <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong> Offices, other<br />

key access centres and online.<br />

For further information visit: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk<br />

or alternatively contact:<br />

Lincolnshire County <strong>Council</strong><br />

Accessibility & Policy Unit, City Hall<br />

Lincoln, LN1 1DN


Fantastic recycling record!<br />

T<br />

he latest figures from our<br />

recycling department reveal<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> residents are<br />

smashing government targets.<br />

The government has set an<br />

ambitious goal of recycling half our<br />

waste materials by 2020, but together<br />

we’ve achieved that nine years ahead<br />

of schedule.<br />

So far this year 57% of your<br />

materials have been recycled – up<br />

more than 15 percentage points<br />

since the triple bin scheme was<br />

introduced just 18 months ago. And<br />

since wheeled bins were introduced<br />

in 2004/2005 recycling rates have<br />

quintupled!<br />

According to research recently<br />

conducted in our area only 1% of<br />

us now feel recycling is a waste of<br />

time and nearly all of us (98%) are<br />

recycling at least one item.<br />

However, there is still progress to<br />

be made on the range of materials we<br />

recycle. Although the majority of us<br />

say that common items such as paper<br />

(91%) and glass bottles and jars<br />

(89%) are being recycled, only<br />

a small per cent say we are recycling<br />

electronic equipment, which contains<br />

precious<br />

materials.<br />

More materials<br />

than you might<br />

think can be<br />

recycled in <strong>West</strong><br />

<strong>Lindsey</strong>, both<br />

at the kerbside<br />

and at your<br />

local household<br />

recycling centre.<br />

Once<br />

collected and<br />

sorted, recycled<br />

materials can become valuable new<br />

items.<br />

For example, waste textiles<br />

can be used to create mattresses,<br />

glass bottles can be turned into<br />

sand for golf courses and just<br />

one unwanted toaster can create<br />

25 steel cans.<br />

<br />

Your Recycling Guide<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>District</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />

Your BLUE Bin<br />

One of the best ways<br />

that you can help make<br />

sure the environment is<br />

protected for future<br />

generations is to recycle as much as<br />

possible in your blue bin. We accept<br />

all items listed on this page.<br />

Please wash, and where possible,<br />

squash items and place them loose<br />

in your blue bin.<br />

Squashing and flattening will help you<br />

get more items in your bin and help us<br />

carry more items in our collection<br />

vehicle. This will reduce the number of<br />

journeys to the recycling plant and so<br />

cut carbon emissions.<br />

REMEMBER:<br />

SQUASH IT THIN, GET MORE IN!<br />

Glass<br />

✔ Bottles & Jars<br />

Metal<br />

✔ Aerosols ✔ Drinks<br />

cans<br />

✔ Aluminium<br />

foil (clean) ✔ Food tins<br />

✔ Sweet and biscuit tins<br />

Paper & Cardboard<br />

All types including:<br />

✔ <strong>News</strong>papers ✔ Egg boxes<br />

& Magazines<br />

✔<br />

✔ Catalogues<br />

& Junk mail<br />

✔ Cereal<br />

boxes<br />

✔ Corrugated<br />

cardboard<br />

plastic bottles<br />

All types including:<br />

✔ Detergent<br />

✔ Drinks<br />

✔ Household<br />

cleaner<br />

✔ Shampoo<br />

Pizza<br />

boxes<br />

✔ Tissue boxes<br />

✔ Toilet roll<br />

tubes<br />

✔ Telephone<br />

directories<br />

✔ Plastic<br />

milk<br />

bottles<br />

✔ Ready meal<br />

trays<br />

Garden waste<br />

WHAT CAN GO IN YOUR GREEN BIN<br />

YES PLEASE ✔<br />

✔ Grass Cuttings<br />

✔ Hedge and shrub clippings<br />

✔ Leaves, twigs and bark<br />

✔ Plants, flowers and weeds<br />

✔ Windfall fruit<br />

✔ Small branches<br />

✔ Sawdust<br />

✔ Bedding from vegetarian<br />

animals<br />

NO THANK YOU<br />

✘ Stones or rubble<br />

✘ Plastic sacks of garden waste<br />

✘ Food waste<br />

(no vegetable peelings)<br />

✘ Woody material more<br />

than 5cm<br />

✘ Quantites of soil<br />

✘ Animal waste<br />

✘ Japanese Knotweed<br />

✘<br />

Your GREEN Bin<br />

What should you<br />

do with your<br />

peelings and cores?<br />

Government regulations mean that<br />

we cannot collect these in your green<br />

bin at this time, but home composting<br />

is a great way to prevent unavoidable<br />

food waste such as peelings, cores<br />

and teabags ending up in landfill and<br />

can do wonders for the garden.<br />

Remember that<br />

kitchen waste can<br />

be composted at<br />

home by using<br />

reduced price<br />

composters.<br />

Tel 0845 130 6090<br />

to place your order.<br />

IMPORTANT<br />

We will not empty your green bin if it<br />

contains items other than those listed<br />

as the compost site won’t accept them.<br />

4<br />

www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/recycling<br />

www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/recycling<br />

5<br />

22 <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong>


Recycling is WEEEly easy<br />

T<br />

o mark the opening of ‘The<br />

Rasens’ Household Waste<br />

Recycling Centre (see<br />

back page) we’re encouraging<br />

householders to recycle small<br />

electrical items at their local<br />

household waste recycling centre<br />

instead of throwing them away.<br />

According to the latest figures, 154<br />

million items of small waste electronic<br />

and electrical equipment (WEEE)<br />

such as electric toothbrushes,<br />

toasters and mobile phones were<br />

bought in the UK last year, equating<br />

to around 22kgs per household, but<br />

only around 14% were recycled.<br />

Research suggests a common<br />

reason for this is because people<br />

tend to recycle old large electrical<br />

items such as fridges and washing<br />

machines when buying replacements,<br />

but for smaller items, like kettles,<br />

cameras and toasters, one-third<br />

(34%) say they throw them out with<br />

the household rubbish.<br />

In fact it is estimated that over<br />

100 tonnes of WEEE still end up in<br />

household bins in <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> every<br />

year. In addition, many householders<br />

put off throwing away their WEEE<br />

because they are unsure of what to<br />

do with it.<br />

Small electricals such as old<br />

kettles and mobile phones may not<br />

be top of the spring cleaning list,<br />

but research shows on average we<br />

all have at least three unwanted<br />

electronic items cluttering up the<br />

home – and that’s before digging<br />

around in the cupboards.<br />

However, householders can<br />

recycle their waste electricals all<br />

year round at HWRCs in Lincolnshire<br />

and the facilities in North Lincs also<br />

accept small WEEE for recycling. See<br />

www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/HWRC for<br />

a full list of sites and opening times.<br />

Or you can find your nearest drop off<br />

point using our postcode locator at<br />

www.dontbinitbringit.org.<br />

Alternatively, if the item is in<br />

working order a charity may be able<br />

to sell it and raise money for a good<br />

cause. Some, such as the British<br />

Heart Foundation, even offer a free<br />

collection service, for more details<br />

see www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/<br />

charityshops.<br />

Identifying which small electrical<br />

and electronic items can be recycled<br />

is simple. If it has a mains cable, or<br />

uses replaceable batteries, or needs<br />

charging, or has the crossed-out<br />

wheelie bin logo on it, it can be taken<br />

to a HWRC.<br />

Examples include hairdryers,<br />

curling tongs, food mixers, lamps,<br />

batteries, energy saving light bulbs<br />

and fluorescent tubes.<br />

Old gadgets new homes<br />

A<br />

re you considering springcleaning<br />

your home but<br />

dreading the waste and hassle<br />

involved in clearing out your attic<br />

or garage?<br />

What if you could find someone<br />

willing to take those old appliances,<br />

gadgets and off-cuts away and give<br />

them a new lease of life, all at the<br />

click of a mouse?<br />

Online swap-shop www.<br />

dontdumpthat.com saves valuable<br />

resources by offering a quick and<br />

easy way for people to give away<br />

unwanted possessions or search for<br />

something they could put to good use.<br />

The Lincolnshire-based online<br />

forum is just one of a growing number<br />

in the district dedicated to preventing<br />

waste; it’s also a notion we should<br />

all consider before we bin anything,<br />

suggests <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong>’s Recycling.<br />

Team Leader Steve Leary.<br />

“Recycling breaks things down<br />

to manufacture new products.<br />

Our kerbside collection scheme<br />

and growing number of Household<br />

Waste Recycling Centres are<br />

designed to make it as easy<br />

as possible for residents to do<br />

their bit – but if there’s still life<br />

in an item, it should be re-used.<br />

This reduces landfill and processing<br />

costs.”<br />

It’s estimated that £5.6bn pounds<br />

worth of good quality usable<br />

household items are thrown away in<br />

the UK every year.<br />

One man’s junk is another man’s<br />

treasure as the saying goes!<br />

Tips for de-cluttering<br />

Log on at:<br />

www.dontdumpthat.org.uk<br />

www.freecycle.org<br />

www.freegle.org.uk<br />

Join the forums and submit any<br />

item that could be re-used<br />

Don’t be afraid to submit broken<br />

items – somebody might know<br />

how to fix it.<br />

Think about charity shops<br />

and advertising in your local<br />

newspaper.<br />

<strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong> 23


New recycling centre for<br />

the Market Rasen area<br />

Latest recycling facility set to reduce amount of waste sent to landfill<br />

Lincolnshire County <strong>Council</strong><br />

is pleased to announce<br />

the completion of its<br />

latest Household Waste Recycling<br />

Centre (HWRC) at Gallamore Lane in<br />

Market Rasen.<br />

‘The Rasens’ recycling centre<br />

will allow local residents to deposit<br />

up to 35 different types of waste<br />

for recycling or final disposal to a<br />

separate location. The facility will<br />

also help to reduce the amount of<br />

waste being sent to landfill ahead of<br />

an increase in landfill tax and multimillion<br />

pound EU fines for excess<br />

landfill levels.<br />

There are currently 12 Household<br />

Waste Recycling Centres operated by<br />

Lincolnshire County <strong>Council</strong> across<br />

the county. The existing policy is<br />

to provide a recycling centre within<br />

a seven-mile radius for 90% of the<br />

county’s population. Market Rasen<br />

and its surrounding area currently<br />

represents a significant gap in that<br />

policy. However, the construction<br />

of the new HWRC on Gallamore<br />

Lane Industrial Estate will add<br />

approximately 12,000 Lincolnshire<br />

residents to the total who are within<br />

the 7-mile radius criteria.<br />

Around 5,000 tonnes of waste is<br />

expected to enter the site per year<br />

and will help Lincolnshire to maintain<br />

its excellent record as one of the<br />

nation’s top recyclers.<br />

The types of material accepted at<br />

the site include:<br />

> Green waste such as grass cuttings/<br />

hedge clippings<br />

> Electrical goods<br />

> Textiles<br />

> Small batteries<br />

> Wood including MDF<br />

> Plastics<br />

> Cardboard<br />

> Car batteries<br />

> Engine oil<br />

> Tetrapaks (drinks cartons)<br />

> Cooking oil<br />

Modern compaction equipment<br />

will enable up to three times more<br />

material to be stored in some of<br />

the containers. This creates<br />

financial and environmental savings<br />

through a reduction in the number<br />

of haulage trips.<br />

‘The Rasens’ will be opened on<br />

4 March 2011 and will operate on<br />

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays<br />

including Bank Holidays. The site<br />

opening hours will be 8am to 4pm.<br />

For further information:<br />

Tel: 01522 782070<br />

Web: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/waste<br />

24 <strong>West</strong> <strong>Lindsey</strong> <strong>News</strong>

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