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.

CLICK ON PICTURE ABOVE FOR DETAILS

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.

Registered between 16  and 20 May 2022

S22/0863 Irnham Replacement of pea gravel path with more accessible level and safe route by excavation to a depth of 200mm laying a geotextile membrane in a 150mm sandwich of sand and topped with Tobermore Retro Block Paving (Bracken) in a herringbone layout at St Andrew’s Church Corby Road Irnham NG33 4JB; Applicant: Mr Tom Bagge Hall Farm Irnham NG33 4JD

S22/0899 Corby Glen Construction of two storey timber garage, with personal workshop area, storage and wc to ground floor and living area to first floor; Applicant: Mrs Lisa Johnson, 10 Coronation Road Corby Glen NG33 4LZ

S22/0926 Colsterworth Replacement of existing Diner with purpose built new American-style Diner; Applicant: Mrs Margaret WhiteA1 Stadium Diner, A1 Truckstop, Bourne Road Colsterworth NG33 5JN

S22/0927 Harlaxton Works to Trees at 19 Parklands Drive Harlaxton NG32 1HX; Applicant: Tina Jones Belvoir Tree Services

S22/0933 Folkingham Works to Trees at 8 Market Place Folkingham L NG34 0SF.Applicant: Mrs Judith HillA Mitchell T/a P & P French Tree Srvs the Old Rectory Church Lane South Kyme LN4 4AP

S22/0941 Syston  Works to Treeat Maple Grove Church Lane Syston  NG32 2BX; Applicant: Mr Graham Watkin Old Hall Garth Main street Honington NG32 2PG

S22/0961 Stubton  One and a half storey side extension to host dwelling, including the creation of a first floor.  Applicant: Mr & Mrs PollardMayglen Brandon Road Stubton NG23 5BY

S22/0965 Grantham Insertion of two flush casement windows to match adjacent windows. Replacement  door to match the existing door.Applicant: Mr D CoatesDuncan and Toplis3 Castlegate Grantham NG31 6SF

S22/0966 Grantham: Replace the existing roof tiles with new to match the existing.Applicant: Mr Chris TyrerCatlins Court 12A Elmer Street North Grantham NG31 6RE

S22/0967 Londonthorpe Works to Trees.Applicant: Mr Keith NorrisThe Grange Church Lane Londonthorpe NG31 9RX

S22/0972 Grantham Proposed boundary fencing to be installed between 86 and 88 Barrowby Road – Adjacent Higway. Landscaping to carpark including 60no. new trees; Applicant: Mrs N Ingall St Barnabas 86 Barrowby Road Grantham NG31 8AF

S22/0975 Skillington Removal of rear conservatory. Ground floor extension to rear and first floor  extension to off-shoot.Applicant: Mr and Mrs C MeadsHillside Cottage The Square Skillington NG33 5HB

S22/0989 Barrowby  T1. Willow Remove and grind stumpApplicant: Mr Simon BrodieThe Grange Low Road Barrowby NG32 1DB

S22/0993 Foston Rear single storey extension; Applicant: Mr Tom ReynoldsSpringhill House Back Lane Foston NG32 2LA

S22/0996 Foston  Erection of single storey extension to provide self contained annexe accommodation; Applicant: Mr Andrew Sprawson3 Farm Close Foston NG32 2JW

S22/1002 & S22/1003 Corby Glen Erection of single dwelling and garage within grounds of The Presbytery; Applicant: Mr Mark Hamblin32 The Presbytery High Street Corby Glen NG33 4LX

Coun Charmaine Morgan says…

The news that on 25 May Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group supported proposals to the permanent downgrade of Grantham A&E to an Urgent Treatment Centre is both unsurprising yet shocking.
The changes planned by the CCG will transform our once excellent District Hospital into little more than a cottage hospital with minimal Acute Care and a focus mainly on elective surgery. This is despite our town’s increasing population and further development plans which could attract millions of people each year to our area should they go ahead. 
In addition to downgrading our A&E the CCG also approved removing emergency fracture treatment at Grantham. Those with fractures now will have to travel, in pain, to an alternative A&E. Grantham patients were not even considered in the emergency stroke consultation. Boston residents were considered in proposals to move all emergency stroke treatment for the County to an overstretched Lincoln County Hospital.
Crucially the CCG decision cements a failure to fully restore over 70 Acute Care beds lost after the illegal closure of Grantham and District Hospital in June 2020 in response to Covid 19. The Acute Care beds play a vital role in the longer term treatment of criticly ill patients who have come through A&E. They also provided excellent training opportunities for specialist consultants whilst giving holistic care to patients with complex medical conditions. Without spare capacity the Acute Care beds at Grantham Hospital will no longer be able to support Boston and Lincoln Hospitals in the event of a ‘critical incident’ or winter pressures. The loss of beds will put more focus on Care in the Community at a time when we  know GP s and pharmacies are already under huge pressure. It will be vital that full needs assessments are completed and care plans are in place for all patients before release, including those who are treated in A&E and released without being admitted into hospital.
A key concession made to campaigners to restore services 24/7 in the Urgent Treatment Centre will provide help for the majority of those who are less seriously ill. We are told that resuscitation skills will remain on site but other life saving emergency treatment will not be available. The unit will have consultant support but it is not clear if they will be on site nor how long it will last if more acutely ill patients make their way elsewhere and the Ccg consider this no longer viable (as they did after changes to our former Maternity Unit). There is a risk emergency patients may go to Grantham Hospital only to be subsequently referred to Lincoln or Boston where they face further delays before receiving appropriate treatment. 
The increase in planned elective  surgery at Grantham is welcome but it will support the entire county and the complexity of cases to be handled will depend on the medical skills and support available. We have been advised the existing theatres are being used at approximately a quarter of their capacity so there was already scope for improvement before the new theatres were built. There is also a question of how patients will be prioritised for care given people will be travelling cross county to use the facility and the NHS is targeted to treat more private patients. 
It is clear under the Ccg plans the most critically ill patients will have to travel cross county. It is also clear more local people, especially elderly, will need to be placed in beds far from their family and friends within and outside our county at Nottingham or Peterborough. 
There has been no re-consideration of the plans in view of the ‘cost of living crisis’ which will make it even harder for those on low incomes to afford the fuel and parking charges if they have a car. Those without a car face increased fares. Lower income staff transferred to Lincoln or Boston will have the same issue daily. The plans will put more pressure on an already stretched ambulance service. Both emergency and non-emergency. 
The CCG report did not fully reflect the number of people objecting to the changes in the Healthy Conversation informal consultation in 2019 nor the number who most recently signed the SOSGH petition in response to the latest plans. There is a general reference to having received a petition. 
One of the most concerning aspects of the decision is that it was made despite the report acknowledging, whilst there may be some benefits to the proposals, those who have Protected Characteristics will be affected the worst. That includes disabled people, households on low incomes, the elderly and children. Those with the highest level of concern are disabled people living near Grantham Hospital. 
We have been campaigning to save our local A&E for over 15 years. The first attempt to downgrade it came when the Primary Care Trust consulted about the future A&E and Maternity unit. We submitted a petition to Downing Street of over 25,000 signatures. The PCT consisted of both NHS staff and local councillors. They listened to us. Both units were saved. However since the loss of PCTs and replacement of these bodies with Ccgs, there is no longer any meaningful public representation at the decision making table.
The Lincolnshire County Council Health Scrutiny Committee has to be consulted but even their limited power to refer cases to the Secretary of State, which we achieved in 2016 when the A&E was ‘temporarily’ closed at night has been watered down in recent Government plans for the NHS. Our 80,000 signature petition and protest with over 6000 people and calls from Wednesday vigillers have fallen on deaf ears. The same fate has applied to our 30,000 signatures in 2019 and the 1100 responses sent to the Ccg during the Acute Service Review 2021. But we are right to protest and petition. In the 2021 Judicial Review the judge referred to the level of concern from our community in response to actions by ULHT. He also said that for consultation to be meaningful the comments we make should be reflected in the outcome of any plans. 
In the last decade over 30 A&E units nationally have closed or been downgraded. Our A&E network is at the heart of our NHS. Those in Westminster who state they care about our NHS must put a stop to this. Instead MPs, including our own, voted to support plans that further weaken our say and increase the involvement of private organisations in our NHS. 
In the meantime SOS Grantham Hospital will share our concerns with Lincolnshire Health Scrutiny Committee and will support legal action should it be considered appropriate. 
As a further consideration for both South Kesteven District and Lincolnshire County Councils when we asked residents if the planned developments should go ahead if our hospital has no A&E over 99% responding said ‘No’. 

As we approach the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend, NHS Lincolnshire CCG is reminding patients to order their repeat prescriptions in plenty of time.  The Bank Holiday weekend starts on Thursday 2 June and continues through to Monday 6 June.

At busy times of year like this it is important that we spend a few minutes thinking about our health care by ordering and collecting any repeat prescriptions in advance of the bank holiday weekend as many pharmacies will be closed.  Patients are reminded that they should only order the items that they need.

Patients are encouraged to make sure they renew any regular prescriptions and collect medication before the holidays start as running out of daily medication over this period could have serious consequences for patients who rely on them to control their condition.

The last thing anyone would want is for patients is having their bank holiday spoilt by not being able to take regular medication. For those with long-term health problems, taking daily medication is an important part of their treatment, and many are at risk of suffering serious attacks or hospital stays if medical supplies run out.

If you are visiting or away from your home and have forgotten, or run out of medication, you can contact your registered GP practice who would be able to send an electronic prescription to a pharmacy near where you are staying.  If the practice is closed you can call NHS 111.

With this in mind NHS Lincolnshire CCG is asking patients, their families and carers to check now that they have enough daily medication to see them through the break. If they don’t, they should call into their pharmacist or local GP surgery in good time. 

If you become unwell over the bank holiday period or need medical advice when your GP surgery is closed, GP out-of-hours services can be accessed through NHS 111 online or by calling NHS111 free of charge.  

Cllr Alison Austin has been elected as county council chairman, at the AGM of the full council on Friday 20 May.

Cllr Austin has served as an independent county councillor for Boston South since May 2013 and was re-elected on 6 May 2021.  Her vice chairman will be Councillor Robert Reid.

Cllr Austin said: “I feel immensely honoured and privileged to be elected as Chairman of the county council. I’ve always held a strong sense of community service, and I will continue promoting positive change across Lincolnshire as Chairman.

“Amongst my first duties, will be participating in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. This will be a great opportunity to not only recognise the achievements of our longstanding monarch, but also to give communities the opportunity to come together and mark a return to normality after a difficult couple of years.

“As part of moving on from Covid, I want to focus on the future during my time in office. I look forward to supporting the training and development of residents county-wide. We need to ensure we have a highly skilled workforce so that we can attract and retain businesses in Lincolnshire.”

Cllr Austin will be supported throughout her term in office by her husband and Chairman’s Consort, Richard Austin.

Cllr Austin has selected Centrepoint Outreach, who support homeless and vulnerable people in the Boston area, as one of her chosen charities to support in office. She has been a volunteer with the organisation for several years.

Four weeks of road closures will be in place when the final works to the A52 Somerby Hill roundabout in Grantham start in June.

The works are part of the 3.5km Grantham Southern Relief Road project being built in three phases – creation of a roundabout off the B1174, the B1174 joining the A1 trunk road, and linking the A52 at Somerby Hill to the new roundabout.

The B1176 and B6403 legs to the roundabout will be fully closed for up to three weeks. The A52 legs will then be closed overnight for up to a week.

The following traffic management will be in place during the works:

From June 6 for up to three weeks there will be a full 24/7 closure of the B1176 and B6403 roundabout legs. Other legs will operate under temporary traffic signals.

• B1176 diversion route via B6403/A151/B1193/A15/A52, and vice versa
• B6403 diversion route via B1176/A1/B1174/A52, and vice versa

Between June 20 and July 1, a night-time closure of the A52 roundabout legs will be in place from 8pm to 6am for 5-7 evenings.

Diversion routes will be via all of the following and on-route signage will be in place directing traffic to their specific destination:

• A52/A607/A153/A15/A52, and vice versa
• A52/A15/B1193/A151/B6403, and vice versa
• A52 / B1174 / A1, and vice versa

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We’re nearly finished with our improvements to the A52 Somerby Hill and are at the stage where we’re just about ready to lay final surfacing, complete kerbing and install new street lighting columns, ducting and chambers.

“As part of these works, we’ll be fully closing the B1176 and B6403 legs of the roundabout for up to three weeks, and then closing the A52 legs overnight only for up to a week.

“We know this will cause some disruption to those the regularly use the roundabout, but the closures are essential to the safety of the workforce and will also allow us to get the works finished as quickly and efficiently as possible. With that said, we’re asking people to leave more time for their journeys and want to thank everyone for bearing with us.”

The Grantham Southern Relief Road project is being led by Lincolnshire County Council and supported by South Kesteven District Council, Greater Lincolnshire LEP, Highways England, Department for Transport, Network Rail, Homes England and local businesses.

Today, 24 May, the NPCC and College of Policing have launched the Police Race Action Plan, designed to improve policing for Black people.

The plan aims to address race disparities affecting Black people and change the distrust that some Black people have in the policing service. It sets out several commitments that are aimed at helping to build an anti-racist police service.

Lincolnshire Police Chief Constable Chris Haward has voiced his support for the plan and described how it will be brought into the force.

“We are fully behind this plan in Lincolnshire, and I am committed to working to ensure its ambitions become a reality. It’s not enough that we simply do not tolerate racism, we must actively seek it out, stand up to it, and drive it out, wherever we might find it. We want to make sure we are an anti-racist force that serves all our communities with fairness and impartiality and that it is one which Black people can trust.

“Policing has come a long way, it is more inclusive, diverse and representative of our communities than ever, but there is more to do, and this national plan helps set the challenge and the standard. This is a vital piece of work in policing because it demonstrates our zero-tolerance approach to racism in the service. This is more than just looking at policing culture and overt behaviours, which we are already doing, – we need to examine our policies, practices and procedures to look at where pockets of discrimination might exist against Black communities and understand how they got there. By doing that we can eradicate them from the service and make sure they don’t creep back in.

“Since becoming Chief Constable I have made clear to the entire workforce of Lincolnshire Police my beliefs and subsequent expectations around inclusion and diversity. They are that we make sure that race, diversity, and inclusion is something that runs through the very heart of our culture and is just who we are. I want to ensure that we treat everybody fairly and with respect, regardless of their background, their religion, their beliefs, their race, their sexuality, their gender, the colour of their skin, and that we make sure we are the people who uphold the highest standards in society.

“We are moving forward positively. In the last few months alone, we have started taking a renewed look at our internal culture, practices, behaviours and values, and have been encouraging and having challenging conversations about these issues. We know that the vast majority of police officers and staff do not tolerate racism and come into work every day determined to deliver a high standard of policing to people in Lincolnshire, and we want to make sure that is replicated in all areas of the organisation.

“Now, the next steps for us are that we begin to look in detail at the actions set out in the plan and start to devise our own delivery and development plan.”

The full Police Race and Action Plan can be found on the NPCC website: The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and College of Policing website: Working together | College of Policing