WHAT DOES MY COUNCILLOR DO FOR ME?

DECEMBER 2007 Report from Cllr Mrs Marianne Overton

Congratulations

• North Kesteven has retained its poll position as the best at recycling in the whole country, achieving over 55%. Well done everyone! I have pushed for recycling of commercial waste and this month the offer letter goes out to include village halls on the recycling round. This will be free if it is on the normal rota.
• Congratuations to Potterhanworth for winning the Best Kept Village Class II. Well done indeed.
• Congratulations to the Thorold Arms in Harmston on winning the East Midlands Pub of the Year Award 2007, presented on Sat 1st December.
• Congratulations to Sheila Redshaw & Sue Morris, authors of a new book.

Launch of the fantastic Nocton History, copies from co-author Sue Morris 01526 321455

Health

As you know I sit on the Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust board and we made the final decisions following the “Shaping Health” consultation last Monday. The impressive number of 3,600 people responded with a great collection of useful suggestions and comments. The recommendations to the board were changed accordingly. Grantham A & E is to stay. Cases of severe injuries will continue to be taken to the appropriate major trauma hospitals, Nottingham, Sheffield and Lincoln, as they are now. Other services in Grantham are planned to expand and the midwifery has been given two years to achieve the necessary number of 250 births/year. Full information is available on the website. http://www.lpct.nhs.uk/55/55/0/Public_Consultation.htm

New Vehicle to tackle fly-tipping

Lincolnshire County Council has purchased a new lorry to collect fly-tipped waste around the County, spending a week at a time in each District. Work started on the High Dyke recently. Please continue to report fly-tipped waste, so that it doesn’t encourage more! 01529 414155. On the FIRST collection after Christmas, waste left next to the green- lidded recycling bin and the black residual bin will be collected.

Post Offices

I had a very interesting meeting with the Heads of the Network Services on 7^th November, who decide on which post offices to close. If they find that the ones named this time have to be withdrawn from the list, then others will need to be found. These will then have to go out to consultation again. The next review is in 2010.

Not all those planned for closure are loss-making, some are profit-making, but the PO hopes that customers will just go and use the next one along. As not everyone will do this, they expect to lose 20-40% business, hoping to keep it at the 20% end. I raised the logistical difficulties with the outreach service that would lead to further loss in takings. In Lincoln, the Bailgate PO may be saved by the fact that it is separated from its neighbour by the steep hill. A fact that the staff members had missed!

Relate Lincolnshire

Relate Lincolnshire is looking for a new manager. We need someone who is good with people, competent with budgets and contracts and keen to make a difference. Do you know anyone who would be interested? E-mail me or see www.relate-lincs.co.uk

Lives

Lives is the charity that has trained volunteers who save lives by being first on the scene with a defibrillator. A new group is starting in the Heath Villages of Branston, Potterhanworth, Nocton and Dunston. Anyone wanting to help raise funds or be a responder, should contact Julie Hill 01526 322615.

Safe driving

With Christmas coming up, please take care! New laws enable a £5,000 fine for failing to stop and for 'unsuccessful manslaughter' for 'careless driving whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol'.
www.justice.gov.uk/news/newsrelease240907a.htm

Neighbourhood Watch: Who is our Neighbourhood Policing Team?

Lincolnshire Police Web site; on the right hand side there is a box  "Help me find" with a drop down menu. Select MY NP Team, then enter the post code for the area you wish to find. This will show you your personnel with their contact numbers.

Enhanced youth services

Two half-time detached workers, Luke Winn and Rebecca Hill, have started 18½ hours/week each as the new workers with responsibility for the cliff villages within NK. They will be based in Bracebridge Heath and Waddington and will integrate with young people from the villages along the A607.

Green Success

Our “Green Day” helping people be more sustainable in Navenby was very successful with a steady stream of visitors. The stands included energy-saving gadget giveaways and professional advice from our sustainability officer, sustainable biofuel from cedarwood shavings was on offer. There were woodstoves, compost bins, “Art from waste” by schools and displays by green organisations.
We have a good recipe now, so maybe another village would like something similar?
Our little Green Team planning in Branston library

Coleby School writing and presenting their own programme to help launch the new Siren radio station at the University of Lincoln. Wow!

Some of the team celebrating 100 years of women in local government with a champagne reception at Siren Radio at Lincoln University. Debbie Wilson from Nocton is far left and Lesley Caro from Harmston is 4^th from the right, next to Ursula Lidbetter, Chief Executive of the Co-op.

Baby seal photographed on our trip to Donna Nook this week. (Branston & West Kesteven Wildlife Watch & RSPB Explorers Group.)

Julian Richards of “Meet the ancestors” TV fame with event organisers and museum staff at The Collection. (Institute of Biology AGM)

I have just heard we did not get the Lottery grant for the Navenby Village Hub, despite everyone’s hard work. Thank you for your generous support. We shall have to rethink our strategy.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!  Best wishes for a very happy Christmas and successful New Year.

Marianne

Cllr Mrs Marianne Overton

Independent County Councillor for Branston and Navenby Division

and for Cliff Villages Ward of North Kesteven District Council