Monthly Archive 4 January 2024

North East Lincolnshire residents are encouraged to have their say on the proposed £720m devolution deal with public events set to get underway.

There are 20 events being held across the county including Grimsby, Immingham and Cleethorpes.

Between 9 and 25 January, the devolution tour will also visit other areas of Lincolnshire such as Sleaford, Ashby, Boston, Gainsborough, Crowle, Scunthorpe, Bourne, Brigg, Louth, Grantham, Barton upon Humber, Skegness, Spalding, Market Rasen and Lincoln.

The first of these events will be held at Cleethorpes Library, Alexandra Road, on Tuesday 9 January from 1.30pm to 5.30pm. Those who attend will have the opportunity to complete the devolution consultation and have support to do so.

Devolution would bring a host of new powers to Greater Lincolnshire, handing down finance and responsibility in a number of agreed key areas including transport, skills and training, housing and highways.  

Cllr Philip Jackson, the Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “As a life-long resident of North East Lincolnshire, I would not be championing this proposed Greater Lincolnshire Deal if I did not believe it was in the best interests of all the residents who live and work across our borough.

 “This is a deal that puts local people front and centre when it comes to things that will make a real difference. Take skills and training as an example. For people to take advantage of the opportunities that are here, we need to make sure as many as possible are skilled, trained, and ready. This deal will allow local people and partners to work together to provide and grow exactly what is needed – we will also have the budget to do so. And this is just one priority area,” he added.

There are a number of other devolution events being held across North East Lincolnshire throughout January:

• 10 January – Grimsby Town Hall, Town Hall Square, Grimsby, 5.30pm to 7.30pm;
• 11 January – Centre4, 17a Wootton Road, Grimsby, 12noon to 4pm;
• 15 January – Immingham Library, Pelham Road, Immingham, 11am to 3pm;
• 16 January – Freeman Street Market, Freeman Street, Grimsby, 11am to 3pm;
• 18 January – West Marsh Community Centre, Beeson Street, Grimsby, 12noon to 3pm.

As well as attending the in-person events, people can also have their say by completing the consultation on the Let’s Talk Lincolnshire website- external site . You can also find an executive summary and a Q&A on what devolution means at www.nelc.gov.uk/devolution- external site .

Following the eight-week consultation period, further formal meetings will take place to assess the consultation results and put a recommendation to the Government. If a decision is taken to move forward, a Mayoral Combined County Authority would be formed with the election for a Mayor in May 2025.

Article and image from NELC. 

North East Lincolnshire Council have extended the deadline for applications as they look to improve the borough’s neglected land and littered alleyways.

Clear It is a voluntary community clearance scheme aimed at those who suffer with fly-tipping. Since being launched in November, 12 people have signed up to the scheme.

The deadline has now been extended to January 31^stwith members of the public encouraged to get involved. Expressions of interest will be assessed and work will commence at the beginning of March.

To submit an application, visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/clear-it.

How does it work?

With Clear It, the Voluntary Community Clearance scheme, the Council aims to support communities to come together, safely clean up an alleyway or an open space in their area and improve community pride.

Volunteers will take responsibility for removing waste from an alleyway or patch of land and Council staff will help dispose of it.

The Council will also provide equipment such as litter pickers, bin bags and large bins.

Officers will arrange a site meeting with successful applicants to assess the site, the amount of waste and agree a date for the work.

Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for Environment and Transport, said:

“This scheme looks to help people who are willing to come together and clear illegally dumped waste from an alleyway or patch of neglected land that’s not owned by the Council.

“We’d like to see these types of spaces given a fresh start so they become vibrant places the community can enjoy and make better use of.

“Community volunteers in Liverpool started a similar project where they cleared up the mess and the Council took away the rubbish.

“They transformed their alleyways from rubbish dumps into community gardens and safe places for children to play, wouldn’t it be great to see that here?

“If you are keen to transform a neglected alleyway or patch of land, please use the online application form at www.nelincs.gov.uk/clear-it.”

Cllr Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, added:

“Our Clear It scheme gives people the opportunity to work with their neighbours and take ownership of their shared space.

“We sympathise with people whose lives are affected by mess left in their alleyways, but they are private property and it’s not the Council’s job to keep them clean.

“Not all wards have alleyways, so to make the scheme fair and open to all parts of the borough, we are including patches of land that aren’t part of the Council’s usual street cleansing duties. These might be areas where the owner can’t be traced or where it’s not clear who’s responsible for it.

“We’re willing to help those who organise themselves and put plans in place to try and bring their alleyway or a neglected patch of land into use after we’ve helped them by disposing of the rubbish.”

Visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/clear-it for more details. If you have questions about the scheme, please email cleanandgreen@nelincs.gov.uk.

What can I do if my application is not successful?

There are other options for those who would like to clear their alleyway.

You could work with your neighbours and clean up the mess together. If there are any clearances costs these could be shared with other neighbours. This is a great way to take ownership of your shared space. Please contact the Council for advice before you do this by emailing cleanandgreen@nelincs.gov.uk.

Community Recycling Centres – Household waste can be taken free of charge to our two community recycling centres. In some circumstances we can give community groups passes to use the tips for waste they clear from alleyways. Please contact the Council for advice about this by emailing cleanandgreen@nelincs.gov.uk or check the list of what can be brought to the tip here for bulky waste, please see here. However, if you are still unsure, please contact the recycling centres on  01472 326288 prior to your arrival.

Private clearance company – You could pay a private company to clear the waste and dispose of it for you, but make sure they are licensed to take it. Waste carrier licences are issued by the Environment Agency. You can check for licensed waste carriers at https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers – external site or by calling the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506.

Article and image from NELC.