Read the March 2026 update here ...
Marianne Overton MBE
March Newsletter
Welcome to my monthly personal newsletter to let you know what I am doing on your behalf and to keep in touch with you.
Let me know if I can help you. Text or call 07920 235 364
Money for Public Services
Councillors agreed the money to be used to support our council services.
Both District and County Councils have kept the rise in Council tax at under 3%, 12p/week for District on band D and more from County, which is four times as big. The District Council turnover is ?65m, a third to be raised from council tax.
The Government have changed the way they decide how much of your income tax to return for local spend. The County Council benefitted by £36m, similar to the increase required for adult care. After a very late change, the District kept a similar sum to last year, but from next year, the Government support drops significantly. At District, 10% of net funds is spent on borrowing.
This year, the District Council is taking £1.5m out of reserves and allocating £5m of its reserves to pay for the reorganisation that nobody wants.
Planned capital spend for building is high, at a steady £120m borrowed, which is £556 per household and £32 on the Council tax. This is largely ear-marked for Sleaford Moor commercial area and other projects, still to be examined in detail. Reserves are planned to drop from £37m to £27m. Borrowing to build houses is in addition.
As Leader of the Opposition at District Council, I raised the following concerns; the high cost of borrowing, the cost of “reorganising” our councils. I asked for better support of our communities through a Councillor community grant, tackling litter, spreading the benefits of any spend through to the villages and rural businesses who are having properties revalued in April, likely leading to an increase in business rates going to the Government.
At County, the meeting lasted from 10am to 6.30pm, with short breaks for lunch and tea. It seems to be a record! We had 11 amendments, from all opposition groups including the Independents. We called for better flood defence funding, summer reading scheme and retention of the increase needed to meet our resident needs. The Council took less than 3% tax increase, rather then the amount the Government calculated we needed, 5%.
In my next meeting, funding for the important service for mental health support was scheduled to be cut, you may know the high performing charity “Shine”, that brings in a huge amount of voluntary support and remarkable successes. I argued fiercely that the council cannot say they cannot afford the service, when we chose not to raise what was needed. I have asked for further work to create a better solution.
I also supported the preventative work that helps keep adults healthy and the NHS able to cope, road surfacing and restoring the Grantham High Street. One party proposed a raft of cuts, taken from the Castle, children’s transport and winter gritting.
The Independent Remuneration Panel had looked in great detail at exactly what councillors do and in their professional opinion recommended an increase of 13%, but the councillors declined.
Solar on Roofs, not Farmland!
Public Inquiry March 10th Open Floor Hearing 11th 4.30pm
LNER Stadium, Sincil St, Lincoln LN5 8LD Register here.
national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010154
Huge thanks to everyone who supported or attended the packed Public Meeting at Welbourn Village Hall last week. As Chair of the group, I am proud of our community support and the determination and expertise in our action group. Katina Johnson and Francess Innes organised a significant team to leaflet in advance. Robert Cross, from Welbourn Parish Council, welcomed us to Welbourn, saying "another full turn out, which shows us that people do care". I opened the meeting as Chair of the Cliff Villages Solar Action Group as well as County and District Councillor, and Leader of the Lincolnshire Independents. We had informative presentations on the Fosse Green Application from Nick Lyons, Chairman of Thorpe on the Hill Parish Council. Jeff Bartle explained the risks of large-scale battery storage, Alistair King spoke on land use and Barry Smith on Cyber security. Marc Williams from the Springwell Action Group, spoke about how much we need your support from the Communities.
Cllr Dan Brookes, lead member at Lincolnshire County Council and Dr Caroline Johnson MP spoke against the application. Thank you to everyone your kind donations to the campaign.
Please register to attend and/or speak at the Lincoln public Inquiry on March 10-12th. The open forum for all is from 4.30pm on the 11th. Please sign up and support.
Solar on Roofs, not Farmland
Global companies occupying our good farmland for the next sixty years with vast areas of glass, steel and concrete, paid for by us in tax and high electricity prices. While 630,000 acres of commercial roofs lie vacant? It’s madness. This is one of three applications nearby, each the size of a London Borough. Want to help? Please get in touch. Www.cvsag.org
It is a big battle, but there are changes that give us hope;
1) National need for solar is already fulfilled to 2035 according to the Government body, NESO
2) UK Safety agency is raising concerns on battery safety and put out a moratorium, which may be effective for us.
Visit from the Chief Executive
I am hugely proud of our communities and was delighted to have the chance of showing round our District Council Chief Executive, Kath Marriott to see our local successes and issues at first hand.
Thank you to fellow District Councillor, Cllr Hagues and Parish Councillors at Beckingham for the full tour from the river, traveller site, community woodland, memorial garden, dog-walking field, Church and the very popular Community Club. Thanks also to staff at Navenby Parish Council who raised issues of parking and traffic, the school and the surgery. We also looked at the safety of the exit from Brant Broughton onto the A17, the new housing at Leadenham, the Polo Club and Pheasantries, the A607 and the vast proposed solar and battery sites.
Talking business, our refreshment hosts were “down the Road” in Navenby.
Supporting young people
Exciting night of awards to voluntary youth workers by Boys and Girls Club, and Lincolnshire County Youth Voluntary Services. Congratulations and thank you!
Supporting Health services
I questioned senior officers last week about the very temporary closure of Navenby Practice, now reopened. CQC registration requires at least two partners to be responsible and the Welby Practice gives opportunity to strengthen the medical offer. We want shorter waiting times and a wide range of services available locally. As an example, I visited the Co-op Health Hub in Birchwood to view the facilities with rooms for consultation, podiatry and hopefully even a dental hygienist in future. Is this possible in other areas?
What does a health hub look like? Co-op in Birchwood
I had a useful conversation with our Police and Crime Commissioner last week. With a good settlement from Government, and a 4% rise in tax, it is hoped to recover some of the police recently lost in poor previous budgets. We are a relatively low crime area, but the thin blue line needs to be there when we need it.
The plan to merge 43 into 12 regional forces, taking away powers from Lincolnshire continues. Also handing the powers from the Lincolnshire PCC to the Mayor. As with merging councils, there is no evidence that merging police forces would cut crime or improve performance.
Local Government Reorganisation
The Government says they are pressing ahead with dissolving ten councils and creating two or three new ones. From the section 24 notice, expected after the decision on structure in June, the current councils will no longer be able to make any new commitments, but will carry on normal business.
Elections in Lincoln
The 29 cancelled elections, including Lincoln were uncancelled with just weeks to go before the election, as it was discovered that cancelling democracy is illegal in UK! We have by-elections in Sleaford too.
Food Waste
Food waste is collected in North Kesteven from April 2026, as required by Government. You get two smaller plastic caddies with a weekly collection. The food goes to make green electricity in a biodigester north of Lincoln. More here. The plastic bags are removed at the start of the process and go to the Energy from Waste plant.
NK Community Champion Awards
NKDC award ceremony was held for 2025 with winners listed here and you can nominate for 2026 here.
The Hub, Sleaford
The hub has become a good place for coffee and a bite to eat. There is a lot going on. Events. The next exhibition reception is on March 27th 6-8pm.
Dissolving our Councils
The Government will decide, ready for elections to the new councils in May 2027, they say. They plan a year overlap with District, County and Unitary councillors all in place at once.
Reorganisation into ever bigger areas was proposed by the Conservatives and continued by Labour. Local voices get diluted, making local people easier to over-ride. Of the options, I believe this gives us the most opportunity.
Congratulations
Congratulations to pupils and the Sir William Robertson Academy who raised over £5,000 in the Grantham Rotary Swimarathon. In total the Rotary raised ?40,000 for local good causes.
Brant Broughton and Stragglethorpe Parish Council have created four lovely information boards on the Village Green, the Playing Field, Rectory Field and Stragglethorpe.
Want to keep in touch?
If you know anyone else who would find this newsletter useful, please suggest they drop me an email here. I write a weekly bulletin which you can find here. Please keep in touch with social media. facebook or @overtonmarianne Best wishes,
Marianne
Marianne Overton MBE
Working together for people and planet
Local services need local decisions