Cllr. IAN CARRINGTON

Cllr. IAN CARRINGTON
Serving Washingborough, Heighington and Canwick on
North Kesteven District Council
MONTHLY REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2014
For regular updates see:
councillorian.carrington
and www.nkconservatives.org
BOMBER COMMAND CENTRE
I attended the ceremony to start work
on the Bomber Command Memorial
Learning Centre in Canwick. This is in
my ward (and my village, a short walk
from home) and earlier this year I had
the privilege of proposing the scheme
at Planning Committee.
The Centre will make sure that in
addition to remembering the brave
crews who died we will understand
what they did, why it had to be done
and what the effects were - at home
and abroad.
Amongst hundreds attending the stars
were
the
wartime
veterans
themselves. And none was more
sprightly than my fellow District
Councillor Geoff Whittle who cut the
first turf and buried a time capsule.
be preserved in the new Centre along
with hundred of others so future
generations will have virtual direct
access to those who didn’t just witness
history, but made history.
Their sacrifice bought the freedoms we
enjoy today - we must never forget
that.
To learn more or make a donation click
on
http://www.lincsbombercommandmem
orial.com/
PLANNING - THE PRESENT
A very busy month with planning
matters.
Lots
of
important
applications,
including a major new housing scheme
at Fen Road, Washingborough. This
has been controversial in the
community. On the one hand, there is
a desperate need for new homes - I
was very struck by how many younger
people at a public meeting about the
project pleaded for the opportunity to
have somewhere to live.
On the other hand there are some who
want to ban any new houses where
they live and want all new housing to
be in someone else’s ‘back yard’.
Ian with Geoff Whittle DFM
Five of Geoff’s crew were lost and their
names will appear on the memorial. A
digital record of his experiences (and
the experiences of many others) will
In reality all planning applications
involve balancing a range of factors
and there is rarely an easy answer. In
this case I felt that the new houses
would be so far from facilities (shops,
post office, village school etc) that the
balance was against the scheme. I
voted to refuse it and the Planning
Committee agreed.
Published by and on behalf of Councillor Ian Carrington of Inverinain Hall Drive Canwick Lincoln LN4 2RG
But I was very worried by some of the
comment about the proposal and the
way some people are seeking to make
political capital out of the planning
process.
In return for their right to vote on
planning applications Councillors have
a solemn duty to decide cases on their
merits. Planning must be about what’s
best for our communities under the
rule of law - not about how many votes
can be wrung from any application.
PLANNING - THE FUTURE
Next month the new Local Plan will go
out for formal consultation. This is a
really important document - it will help
frame the future shape of our District
and all our communities.
This should be a time when everyone
takes a long, cool look at the plan.
How many new homes do we need?
How can we encourage the local
economy and more jobs? How do we
ensure the wellbeing of our residents?
Get the right infrastructure? Protect
our past and improve our future?
These are all issues the Local Plan will
affect - serious issues calling for
serious thought. Sadly, we are already
seeing some local politicians setting
out to make political capital out of the
Local Plan. For them it seems hunting
for votes is more important than
getting the right future for our
residents.
Misinformation is already rife - as the
old saying goes, a lie can go around
the world before the truth has got its
boots on. So I want everyone to
exercise their democratic right to be
heard - directly! The consultation will
go live on 1st October, and details are
at
www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/centrallincolnshire/. Read the details and
make up your own mind - the people
must decide.
I feel passionate about getting the best
future for our area and I want to hear
your views. If you have any comments
on the new plan please don’t hesitate
to send me an email - contact details
are below
NK THE SAFEST PLACE TO LIVE
Figures just released by the Home
Office show that people living in our
district of North Kesteven enjoy the
lowest crime rate of any district in the
country.
Not only is North Kesteven the safest
place to live, our residents also enjoy
better health than average and good
levels of physical activity.
I’ve been directly involved in some of
this work and I’m incredibly proud that
we’ve come top in the whole country.
But we can’t rest on our laurels.
The challenge will always be to
maintain a focus reducing crime and
the fear of crime. Alongside this we
have to invest in the wellbeing of our
residents in areas like health and
opportunities for activity and sport.
While North Kesteven District Council
is delighted with the Home Office
findings, providing opportunities across
a sparsely populated rural are key to
our future success.
This means the council is not resting
on its laurels and is continuing to drive
improvements across the district
including where we live and where we
work.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CONTACT ME: e-mail [email protected]
I also attend all the parish council meetings in Washingborough, Heighington and
Canwick and will be happy to speak to you there.
For regular updates see
facebook.com/councillorian.carrington
and www.nkconservatives.org
INVESTING FOR PROSPERITY
As North Kesteven District Council
works with partners to deliver 27,000
new jobs across central Lincolnshire, it
is investing in the nearby LN6 area
which is key to the district’s future
employment success.
Including North Hykeham and the A46
corridor LN6 already provides many
jobs
for
local
residents
in
Washingborough, Heighington and
Canwick. You might be surprised to
hear it’s also one of the biggest
business growth opportunities in the
whole of the East Midlands.
NK has already attracted Siemens to
Teal Park in KLN6, preventing the
business moving to Eastern Europe.
And now NK is creating a range of
smaller industrial units to encourage
smaller or start-up firms.
North Kesteven has the lowest
unemployment in Lincolnshire - that’s
no accident. We work tirelessly to
make NK a better place to do
business. Because that means more
jobs and better jobs for all our
residents. And a more prosperous and
happier District to live in.
leisure facilities. The upgrade will
ensure they are of the highest possible
standards, are welcoming and fun to
use. Our investment to date has
supported a greater increase in sports
participation in North Kesteven than
anywhere else in the county.
MY DIARY THIS MONTH
My duties as a District Councillor this
month include:
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Planning Committee
Planning pre-application forum
chairing two licensing hearings
attending the Executive Board
Witham Business forum
briefing on Partnership NK
briefing
on
Anti-social
Behaviour reforms
Battle of Britain service at the
Cathedral
Full Council
Heighington Parish Council
Washingborough Parish Council
Canwick Parish Council
plus meetings and discussions with a
number of different council managers
and officers about planning matters,
trees, healthcare and highways.
INVESTING IN SPORT
Plans for the £3.5m refurbishment of
North Kesteven Sports Centre in North
Hykeham are now under way.
Building on what we have achieved in
the refurbishment of Sleaford Leisure
Centre we have ensured investment in
the north of the district as well.
This project is part of our commitment
to provide really good sports and
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CONTACT ME: e-mail [email protected]
I also attend all the parish council meetings in Washingborough, Heighington and
Canwick and will be happy to speak to you there.
For regular updates see
facebook.com/councillorian.carrington
and www.nkconservatives.org

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