The strange tale of a CPO? Sleaford reflects!

NKDC meets to decide what to do next!

Postnote: the outcome of the NK "Council" meeting is given in a report in the Sleaford Standard (15 minutes after the vote was taken). A question was asked and the reply was as follows" It is also on the NK website as an audio recording with a question from a resident at 07:00 minutes and the debate at 1hour 18 minutes 30 seconds onwards. https://nkdc.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=297&MId=5824&Ver=4

Prior to meeting of 26 February
This saga goes back many years - before Tesco arrived on the scene in 2006/2007. I remember going to meetings before 2005. So we will see what the outcome is on 26 February at the Council meeting (NK version of a Full Council). 

Here is the report in todays Target and here is the agenda for tomorrow night (as I write it is the 25 February). The photo was taken some time ago: more photos are at Mark Suffields site: the issue is "Will the Rec Road issue be re-ignited" or will an altenative route be chosen or will the idea of a road from Mareham Lane to Boston Road be scrapped altogether? Or perhaps something in between? 

The reports suggest this saga will continue!!

Public Right of Way? Sustrans Leasingham and Holdingham?

Latest Developments

On the local social media attention has been drawn to a new Gate and sign across what is deemed  by some to be also a Public Right of Way: there is also the issue of the Bridlepath further down. Perfhaps LCC can confirm this (or not as the case may be!)! What is the legal position?

I presume that the legal position was clarified before the sign was erected (this sign is set to the back  of the Sustrans signage on the Cycleway). 

The Bridle Path can be found by following this link!

No news yet from the Planning Inspectorate (Planning Casework Service) re this appeal!

By mid-March the proposed and keep out pathway had dried out somewhat!

Does Sleaford need so much Community Space?

Time to rethink!

The aftermath of the pull out of the large Supermarket on the former Avanta Seeds site there is obviously now the question of what we (Sleaford) do next. I still await any cohesive and positive proposals although to be fair one or two Councillors (District and Town) and Council Executivees have made useful suggestions.

Maybe we have to await the outcome of the Spring Elections!

John Pinchbeck has written a useful  article in the Target which challenges the need for so much Community Space. This article can be found here!

Meanwhile NK at a recent forum asked residents to look at potential options including Business Opportunities and the ramifications of them on our future Community Charges! All good sky blue thinking stuff.

But it was a useful start!  I will add some of the proposals to this Blog in a day or two!
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Provisional Figures comparing 2014/15 to 2015/16 see basic revenue streams as follows:

                                                          2014/15                                                   2015/16 

Business Rates                                   £3.54M                                                  £4.5M

Council Tax                                       £4.85M                                                 £5.04M                                 

Government  Funding                       £2.96M                                                £2.05M  

So the trend is for revenues from Central Government to fall and revenues (especially from Business Rates) to rise. To my knowledge the amount Local Authorities get from Businesss rates is vatriable and dependent on the type and size of the Busines!

An article in the Local news shows how the funding gap is going: Not too well. LCC have had to dip into the Reserves! See Article!

Keeping Food Hygiene Standards amongst the best!! NK in the top ten!!

A bit of a boost to Sleaford, North Hykeham and the rest of NK. A Which Report  (Local Authority Food Hygiene Enforcement) has placed North Kesteven  39^th out of 398 councils, and that (we) are in the top 10% of local Authorities! From my own perspective, during the time I have lived in Sleaford, standards of food in retaurants have improved.

Not bad eh!!! Keep it up!!

Decline of Super Supermarkets!!

The One Show: 3 February 2015

The above show did a feature this evening on the changing attitudes, by Retailers, on the development and opening of say a Tesco Extra (it has different names for other retailers). In my younger days my mother used to wait for the Green Grocer Van and the Grocery Van to come along once or twice a week!

How times have changed and are still changing! But how much did Sleaford really know that this was going to happen? 

It starts on the IPlayer at around 8 minutes 40 seconds! Matt Baker and Denise Lewis are the hosts!

BBC IPlayer