Virtual Meetings: Holdingham Viewpoint

At least the lockdown has brought about the use of Zoom and other interfaces through which to hold virtual meetings. Saves time and money actually attending in person but maybe shortcomings as well!

It also gives better opportunities to see the salient points and use them to fine-tune arguments on other forums. 

The ones I use most are Centre For Cities, The Royal Television Society and ITV. A mixture of planning, information and entertainment choices. I have been members for years now having worked in TV (weather Forecasts at ITN), Council work and Royal Television Society. Plus associated Meteorological forums (including international).

Obviously dying for a McDonalds: good publicity or bad?

Locally we have open spaces but with restrictions on their usage (at present) . 

Traffic on the Lincoln Road is often congested and speeding is not uncommon. The McDonalds and other fast food takeaways near the Hodingham Roundabout can only be used as drive-in collection - is the Lincoln Road as an entrance the wisest place these days.
Maybe and I am sure the Companies are aware and so is the planning authority.
See the narratives below referring to Centre For Cities and also the impact on our viewing habits from TV etc. Public Service broadcasting may survive but new addition may not. 
So back to the big picture.

I start with the growing use and informed opinion available via Zoom, Skype and Youtube. 
Here are some relevant excerpts which may have implications for the Sleaford area, including Holdingham.  

Clearly viewing numbers and viewing patterns have been affected: infrastructure spending is needed nationally but money is extremely tight: and the weather which plays havoc with plans -when one season produces a massive excess of water and the next has panic stations when it doesn't rain for weeks on end. So that is one relevant area to invest in.

But how on earth do we (as a Country) try and spread the good years to alleviate the bad (storage of excess water for instance). Centre For Cities is advising (with more to come) on relevant issues. 

Support for Local Services

So TV is looking to many habits adopted in Lock down to be carried on after Lock down   

Lockdown: a view from Holdingham

Lots happening at the moment with what seems like pressure to free ourselves from the limiting (debilitating?) effects of the Covid-19 outbreak. 

Economic forecasts are dire with many working from home or being laid-off as firms close down (Nationally) or reduce output or (in some cases) changing their mode of operation.

 Debates run as to the need and conditions of the lock-down (Stay ay Home or Stay Alert) and what that implies. 

Has the Covid-19 been handled well or badly? Whatever the answer we are where we are. 

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But back to basics. 

Two forums that I am a member of are: Royal Television Society and the Centre For Cities (which also covers large Towns and is associated with Centre For Towns). 

Below are two Events covering the titles given. They last for an hour so choosing the issues that will have impact on Sleaford (and others in Lincolnshire) have to be identified.

Centre For Cities: The future  of Urban Transport    
Centre For Cities: Exit strategy: can the high street survive?  

Additionally the RTS provided a Zoom transmitted Conversation :  Industry Impact of Covid-19 (RTS = Royal Television Society). The video is not available yet for this. 

So the issue of how we escape with least damage to our functioning as a Country is being hotly debated. 

A new Mayor of Sleaford (and a Deputy Mayor from Holdingham).

I watched the AGM of the Sleaford Town Council on Wednesday (13 May)  evening (virtual meeting using Zoom software)  https://www.sleaford.gov.uk/full-council-recordings.html

A new Mayor was elected (Anthony Brand) who represents the Westholme Ward. 

The new Deputy Mayor is Robert Oates who represents the Holdingham Ward. Their details can be found on the Sleaford Town Council web-site.

 

The direct link to Councillor Brand and Councillor Oates as Mayor and Deputy is at this link.    

More to follow. Looks like Zoom will become a regular feature. https://assets.zoom.us/docs/user-guides/zoom-rooms-full-user-guide.pdf 

More to follow. Strange times we are living in!

Coronavirus: the view from Holdingham Sleaford

Local Picture (as at 12 May 2020)

Walking along Holdingham Lane and round the pathway was pleasant in the Spring Sunshine today (6 May). We met several couples and we all observed the distance recommendations. Our regulatory daily outing if we have understood the rules (a bit vague). Very quiet in Holdingham on 7 May but traffic on the Lincoln Road was brisk around midday and some speeding apparent. 

View towards McDonalds (closed)

Farm Bridge towards Leadingham (quiet)

Holdingham Lane

Farm Bridge towards Roundabout

The Lincolnshire Live still shows concerns about Police interpretation of the rules. Our Care Homes as sources of transmission still occur.
 https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/

Broader Picture

There are several issues that keep appearing and involving: Local, National  and International Politics.
These are shown below:

Local Government Meetings (off-line) 
Latest Political Statements: 
Pandemic: where did it start?

Summary 12 May 2020
The wider picture is still blurred and a promise of a new blueprint from the PM starting Monday 11 May 2020.  Nationally the UK death rates seems to be topping the WHO (World Health Organisation) league tables for Europe but whether or not the comparisons are a fair reflection is hard to determine.

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Local Council Meetings Using ZOOM software. 

Adaptating to the Coronavirus and the need for distant (off-line meetings) has led to the Local Council adopting  such - using ZOOM software. There are pitfalls: here is a summary of what has to happen if Councils want to go ahead. Councils if they wish can also not meet until they have the facilities.  

The government has issued supplementary regulations that allow for meetings to be held online and also provides for postponement of annual meetings and such like. They are found at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/392/contents/made

By and large, the old rules can still apply. That is to say meetings according to an agreed schedule go ahead as planned, with the clerk issuing the agenda and supporting documents. 

Clearly these will need to include details of how to join the online meetings. As others have mentioned, there is also the power for the chairman or two councillors to call an extraordinary meeting.

It should be feasible for all councillors to attend an online meeting, and to open it to the press and public. While it may be that not everyone will be able to set up a computer, smartphone or tablet to join a meeting, most systems also provide for participation entirely by telephone. There must be very few people who cannot gain access to either a telephone or a digital device. It is then up to the chairman to find ways to ensure that every council member is able to participate in the meeting and to vote.

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Latest Ministerial and Political Statements

The Prime-Ministers  Statement of 10 May 2020 is here: PM Statement
The Leader of the Opposition response 11 May is here: Keir Starmer

Proposed Improvements to A17 Holdingham Roundabout and junction with A153 Sleaford

Investments in the resources attributable to the Holdingham Roundabout are under discussion again on January 30th at full council.

Whether or not his investment, which includes The junction on the A153 near the Rugy Club, will meet longer erm needs are debatable (at best). It has to be set aside the Central Lincolnshire local plan and its proposed expansion in the Lincolnshire population and vehicle usage of Lincolnshire's Roads.

Here is my take on this as published on local social media.

improvements to the Lincolnshire Roads have to be set against a backdrop of increased housing and hence traffic and show via press reports

"Road safety chiefs are urging the public to help cut the carnage on Lincolnshire's roads in the New Year after yet another 12 months of tragedy in 2019. Fifty-three people died in 48 crashes in the county by this morning, December 31, 2019, compared to a total of 56 fatalities in 2018. Among those who died in 2019 were 13 young people aged in their teens and early 20s. "

The debate,, and my comments, re the NKDC proposals are at:

Agenda Item7f of NKDC Council (Thursday 30 January) relates to the Holdingham Roundabout and the Rugby Club. Listening to the traffic reports every morning where the Holdingham Roundabout is mentioned it has to be asked if enough will be done. The traffic tail-back was 2.5 miles yesterday morning. https://democracy.n-kesteven.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=297&MId=7832

Out and around Holdingham and Sleaford: Town Council Issues

The Sleaford Town Council (on July 24th, 2019) had one or two interesting discussions. Topics that have been discussed before in other contexts. 

The Audio recording is on the Sleaford Town Council web-site but is just over 2 hours long.  However, I have listed the parts of interest in respect to the time period they were discussed. 

The audio recording is here: Audio. 

The highlights I have listed are:

Time:

Public Question 00 to 18.00 mins: Becks and River water (mainly affecting Westholme): 

Community Speed Initiative: 23 mins 10 secs to 46 mins 15 sec. (Cllr Mervyn Head)

Cemetery Access:  1 hour 30mins 32 secs to 1 hour 57 minutes 51 seconds

Other topics include: External Electricity Supply - Market Place: 1 hour 22 minutes 40 secs to 1 hour 30 mins 31 

Cemetery Gates pre 2017

Earlier
Map of Sleaford

How often should Sleaford Town Councillors meet? Holdingham Councillors included!!!

A debate (I say with some tongue in cheek) took place in the Sleaford Town Council on Wednesday  10 July. The Agenda Item was at 9.1: "Following a recent meeting of the Clerks Management Team we would like to propose that Full Council meetings are changed from every two weeks to every four weeks". 

This Motion was proposed by Cllr Snookes and Seconded Cllrs Melody Shanahan-Kluth and Bozena Allen.

An audio recording of the whole meeting is available on the STC website. Agenda Item 9.1 commences at 1 hr 12 min 45 secs and continues for 56 minutes to 2 hrs  8 minutes 45 secs approximately. 

I have also converted the audio into a video recording and placed it on Youtube (slightly less quality as far as the audio bit is concerned). Video Youtube

THERE ARE ONE OR TWO ISSUES HERE:

1. Standing Orders do not specifically state for 2 weeks.
2. Clerks Management Team is not specifically set-up to formulate timetables for Full Council meetings.

The schedule for meetings has already been implicitly approved by the AGM in May.

However, I will say no more at this point.