Future Community Developments

The future community resources of Holdingham have become an Issue again.

The refurbishment of the Lincoln Road Play Area, scheduled for 2008/09, will be good for that side of the Lincoln Road, but things are not looking so hopeful for the other side. The refurbishment of the Woodside Play Area, for instance, has been deferred.

The Council wish to spend the 2009/10 year budget on Boston Road. I have to admit that Boston Road is looking much better and needs cash - if we can get to it for all the traffic that will come through the Rec Road.

However with the developments taking place around the Sleaford Wood area, and expected near the Holdingham Roundabout, community investment is badly needed. Play areas are only one aspect but an important one. I accept that the only access, to Woodside Play Area/Open Space, is from Beech Rise and it isn't easily accessible or visible for security. A new area of Open Space is needed.

Additionally I do think that Holdingham needs a Community Plan desperately. The reasons are many: we do not have a coherent Community Centre to meet the expected expansion.

The new Estate on the Holdingham Roundabout will house 400 residents of whom about half are expected be children. The extra houses off Peterborough Way will rob the kids there of the area that was the old Bowls Club. Added to that we lost the small play area off Winchester Way 2 or 3 years ago.

Our District Councillor is working hard but he needs support!

Oh, and by the way, the Lincoln Road lacks sufficient refuges for people to cross safely.

Keeping the Holdingham Becks Clean!

I have put the paper below to the Town Council for dicussion.

What has prompted it is the general litter that gets thrown into the Becks, Railway sidings and hedgerows. Holdingham is not alone. But we have to start somewhere.

If it is an offence and a cost burden on the Ratepayer then something must be done.

The photo taken is the Galley Hill bridge which regularly is full of throw away litter.

Who is responsible and what standards determine whether and when a Beck should be cleaned?


Sleaford Town Council
Services Committee
30 January 2008

Responsibilities and schedules for Cleaning in Holdingham:
Holdingham Lane Beck and Lincoln Road to Galley Hill Bridge

Introduction
At the Services Committee meeting of 14 November 2007 a question was put to the Town Council relating to the responsibility for, and the timetable and criteria for action, dealing with Litter problems in Holdingham. Litter dropping is illegal, costs borne by residents, and a wider approach is required. Litter, as a concern across Sleaford, was raised at a recent Town meeting.

The matter is of continuing importance as sections of the Holdingham Lane Becks, for example, appear to be regularly affected by Litter. Whilst the good work done, to meet environmental standards, is appreciated there appears to be gaps in the procedures required. Responsibility appears to reside with Highways, NKDC and the Town Council. In some cases the Railway Authority has responsibility (e.g. Galley Hill Bridge).

Issues requiring attention
For both sides of the Lincoln Road and for Holdingham Lane:

1. Which sections are the Town Council Services responsible for removal of litter, including the Becks, and what are the criteria and schedules for doing so?

2. If any sections are not the responsibility of the Town Council could Councillors be advised of the measures needed, in liaison with NKDC Environmental Services and others, to ensure that acceptable cleanliness standards are reached as quickly as possible?

3. Can the criteria required, for cleaning to be undertaken, be made available to residents.

Further Actions
It is requested that:

The issues addressed above are tackled with NKDC and others as required.

• Schedules and criteria are made widely available.
  : Such agreed procedures apply to all Sleaford.
• The total budgeting required, for cleaning Sleaford, are made transparent!.

Sleafords Role In Power Generation

Should Sleaford take a stance?

The debate over "green" energy is hotting up. Articles appeared in the press recently, including the Sleaford Standard, about proposals and concerns over the Governments future nuclear energy intentions.

Greens Threaten Climate Fight
"Government's former chief scientific adviser has accused green activists of putting the fight against climate change at risk by wanting to take society back to the 17th century."

A case of "kettle calling the pot" I think as it is not long ago that the Government itself was being accused of not having a policy!

However Sleaford is now coming to terms with its potential role in Power generation. I received the newsletter EcoNews, about the proposed biofuel production at Kirkby La Thorpe near Sleaford: the Eco2 site gives its reasons for wanting to site the plant.

The impetus behind all this is the realization that, if we are to free ourselves from being dependent on Russia, the Middle-East and other States such as Venezuela, the sooner we generate energy from our own resources the better. Even Coal is making a comeback.

OK so we all favour that I think!

However the issues are important. As someone who, as a schoolboy, had to run a cross country course through the famous/infamous Orgreave Colliery, and alongside the smell and fumes from the Coke ovens, I am sensitive to the enforcement of standards in such developments. The quip was: if you survive the Orgreave fumes you stand a good chance of winning the race. A nice story but don't let us go there again: they were the bad old days.

What is of the essence for Sleafordians is that there are no uncontrollable side-effects, such as emissions, and that their mobility to their places of work and pleasure are not impaired. The Holdingham roundabout and the A17 bypass must not become over-congested: which they may at peak traffic times.

That has to be the difference between what happened when the coal fields were first sited many decades ago - in the bad old days. Also, let us in this day and age, plan these developments in a coherent way.