Cllr Helen Crawford has been elected as the new Chairman of South Kesteven District Council at its annual meeting. Cllr Crawford is a Conservative member for Bourne West.

She succeeds Cllr Breda Rae Griffin, who stands down after serving an extended period in office due to the pandemic.

Cllr Crawford said: “I would hope that as councillors of all political persuasions we will work together to get the best for our district and our residents. I look forward to working with you all and counting on you all for your support.

“I do not mind if you address me as Chair, Chairman, Madam Chairman or Lady Crawford, which I think has a nice ring to it.”

Cllr Crawford, originally from Colchester, Essex, has been a resident of Bourne for the past 25 years.

Her older sister Janet Graham will be one of her consorts during her time in office.

Cllr Crawford is also a Bourne Town Councillor, elected in 2017, and is on the committee of Dyke Village Hall. Away from her council work she is a volunteer at Bourne Old Town Hall.

She has two children, Lydia (22) and Liam (17), who both attended Bourne Academy. Lydia works for a mental health charity in London and Liam is about to enrol at Manchester School of Film. Cllr Crawford is also the proud owner of a rescue dog, a German shepherd called Jess.

Her career has included several administration/PA roles, one of which saw her working at the games company that manufactured Trivial Pursuit.

She was proposed and seconded for the role by Cllr David Bellamy and Cllr Robert Reid.

Cllr Gloria Johnson is elected Vice-Chairman. She is Conservative councillor for SKDC’s Stamford St George’s Ward and is also a Stamford Town Councillor, recently completing her term as town mayor.

There are delays of seven minutes on A1 Northbound between A52 Tollemache Road North and A52 (Grantham North / Barrowby Turn Off).

Average speed ten mph.

Police are appealing for help to identify the man in the image. 

At around 4:45pm on Monday 16 May, a man believed to be in his late 60s entered a store on the High Street in Grantham and inappropriately touched a woman’s breast.

If you know the identity of the man in the image, please get in touch in one of the following ways below. 

• By calling 101 quoting incident 363 of 16 May.
• By emailing force.control@lincs.police.uk quoting incident 363 of 16 May in the subject line.
• If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.

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South Kesteven District Council is to relocate to a modern, open-plan office in a move that will improve business efficiency and working conditions, and save taxpayers an estimated £300,000 a year in running costs.

The switch from St Peter’s Hill, Grantham, to office space on the top floor of the town’s nearby cinema complex was approved at the Council’s annual meeting on Thursday (May 26th).

The Council Leader, Cllr Kelham Cooke, said St Peter’s Hill was an ageing asset that needed significant investment if it was to provide a modern working environment.

“We aim to be a competitive employer of choice making maximum use of technology to obtain value for money and supporting a workforce able to work flexibly to support all residents and service users,” he said.

“This move is a unique opportunity to rationalise the Council’s operations against the backdrop of continued financial challenges and to reflect the significant change in working practices accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Throughout the pandemic the Council showed that it could operate in a more agile way and no longer required such large premises and a blended approach of home and office working is seen as the most effective way forward.

Cllr Cooke said: “No matter how our services are delivered, the first consideration must be the needs of the business and ensuring that our residents and businesses receive high quality, value for money, services.

“We need to identify ways of reducing operating expenditure, maximising the use of assets and removing unnecessary costs.

“The move allows us to make best use of vacant Council-owned assets, eliminate significant annual costs that are being incurred at the present office location, and provide our staff with a modern working environment.

“The projected saving is around £300,000 a year, while the potential sale of St Peter’s Hill could generate a significant capital receipt. Crucially, there will also be a reduction in our carbon footprint – a key priority for us.”

Potential partnerships with other public sector organisations are being explored to develop a Customer Service hub in vacant ground floor units with the cinema complex.

The local Trade Unions have given their support to the move, which could be completed by March next year.