News from County Councillor Marianne Overton MBE
Wishing you all the very best!
This is my 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 with anything.
Cllr. Marianne Overton’s Newsletter – October 2024
Residents are incensed by the scale of proposals for a 32 acre electricity sub-station less than a mile from Navenby.
Save our rural Lincolnshire!
Industrial development should be on industrial land and solar should be on roofs and wind offshore. Solar is not efficient in England and locks up farmland for 40-60 years on soon-outdated technology, while we pay through the nose to keep it. A national strategy is needed.
Over 300 people attended the public event in Navenby last week, about the 32 acres electricity substation on our best farmland, less than a mile from the village. This is to transmit electricity between batteries, solar etc to and from the grid. The size is mind-boggling; 32 football pitches, 3,600 MW, big enough for 18,000 acres of solar industry right here. The whole of Navenby Parish from the Brant to the A15 is 2,100 acres. We have not yet seen the applications being negotiated nearby. In addition, the electricity station could attract a great deal of heavy industry and significant pylons or cables, which should be based in industrial areas instead.
The 324 shipping containers of lithium batteries and 7,000 acres of solar industry on farmland that we know about, were not discussed by the electricity developers. See “planning on line, North Kesteven 23/0390/EIASCO”.
Meanwhile 630,000 acres of commercial roofs lie vacant, only a tiny percentage covered with solar.
Better solutions
We are calling for a proper energy plan of how much energy is needed and from where, rather than dumpoing it all here on the best farmland in the country. All new build needs to be energy efficient, (well insulated, with solar panels etc) and meet the net zero targets on site. All commercial roofs to produce renewables and be energy efficient, and properly accessible grants for householders to do likewise. There are also vast offshore wind already agreed and ready to let.
Locally, we need more successful renewable structures and roofs close to the energy-efficient buildings they are powering and of a size and scale to match.
You can contact the action group via Barry Earnshaw barry.e@zen.co.uk and copy me in with comments, so I know your views.
Navenby Parish Council is gathering comments and signatures on a petition. They are hosting the next public meeting to which you are invited.
Winter fuel allowance
Ahead of the final budget decisions, we are calling on the Government to make a more thoughtful decision on the winter fuel payments. Removing payments from all except those registered on pension credits, especially with such short notice and without adequate compensatory measures, will disproportionately affect the health and well-being of our poorest older residents. AgeUK have a petition here.
If you are finding things a bit tough, check on AgeUK’s website. You can also use the calculator to see what the Government has calculated you need to survive. Please claim and spend it locally to help our local economy. To talk to a person, ring 0800 169 65 on a free call.
Last coal-fired power station in the UK, Ratcliffe on Soar, is now closed. Can we also avoid importing Chinese Panels or other goods made with coal-fired energy?
Change at the top of NKDC staff
Katherine Marriott, who had been CEO of Rushcliffe for nine years is coming to North Kesteven District Council. I served on the appointments panel and was very pleased to support her, amongst a strong field of candidates. Katherine was the one who was most clearly listening and thinking in her outlook. Chief Finance officer, Russell Stone, has been promoted to Deputy Chief Executive.
Councillors
Our County group of candidates had an excellent meeting in Gainsborough last month and are progressing well. We are looking for candidates who want to stand with us as independents, determined to represent our residents. If you are thinking about standing or helping, please get in touch! Now is the moment!
It was good to see folk at the Chairman’s Civic Service at St Denys which went very well with a little tea afterwards and a raffle in aid of the Chairman’s Charities. Photo: Marianne with Peter Overton, Mitch and Marie Elliott of Witham St Hughs.
This month, I ran two sessions at the Green Party Conference, one discussing housing and planning in the light of the new National Planning Policy Framework. The Government is currently changing the rules, to increase “growth”. I have submitted a solid response.
New layer of Government announced
We have been pretty vociferous against the centralisation of powers towards four people, a new Mayor and three upper tier authority leaders. As “non-constituents”, some District Council Leaders expect to sit in on some items. The Lincolnshire “Devo Deal” adds bureaucracy and cost for little or no gain, and sells out our local democracy.
“The misnamed “devolution deal” is bad news for Lincolnshire. It is an additional layer of tax-raising bureaucracy, taking powers from our County and District Councils into very few hands, effectively bypassing our local voices on important local issues like transport, roads and planning.
The Mayoral authority covers a vast area, pitting rural villages against the big industries further north. The Government moves money to this new authority for one primary agenda – “growth”, industrial growth and the bigger the better, whereas Councils focus on prosperity and wellbeing for you and me.
The money promised is less than a tenth of what we currently spend on new road-building projects. As in the new authority, that is based on a business plan that promises “growth” in thousands more houses, but at the same time, not providing enough local services and facilities.
This “Deal” is the emperor’s new clothes, centralising services that are currently in the hands of our District and County Councils. We have seen time and again, that centralising responsibility makes services more remote and difficult to access.
The County Council previously made herculean efforts to get people to support the creation of the Mayoral Combined Authority. Even so, of the 4,181 who stated a view, over half disagreed (2,132) and 40% strongly disagreed. Less than 2,000 people agreed. That is 0.18% of the population. The District Councils wrote a collective letter setting out their objections. Six of the seven Lincolnshire MP’s laid out objections.
Even at its birth, this new authority overrides all local objections and gives us a sense of an arrogant and undemocratic approach, exactly proving our concern.
If we are going to have a mayor, they had better be Independent, not tied to the national party polliticians.
Village Events
Congratulations to all our organisers of great village events this summer.
Mrs Smith’s Cottage
A warm welcome awaits you at Mrs Smith’s Cottage in East Road, Navenby. A fabulous new book designed by Ruddocks is on sale, all about sustainable living, with recipes from Mrs Smith’s diaries. A methodist, she lived a simple life to 102, climbing steep steps to bed every night and tending her Cottage Garden and allotment by day. Wonderful volunteer guides are brilliant at explaining and bringing the cottage to life. Open 12-4pm Friday to Monday. Folk Tales 26th October 12.30-3pm.
MacMillan Cancer Support
Huge thanks to everyone who took part in our local events. Thank you to our MacMillan nurses who continue to be an amazing help locally, at a time when it really matters.
New Book
Congratulations to Quincy Connell on his excellent book launch I was proud to attend in Chelsea last month. His story is about driving a double-decker Mary Quant make-up bus to introduce the art of make-up to remote communities in Europe and the Americas. You can buy it here. Quincy lives in Lincolnshire, stood as a Lincolnshire Independent councillor and ran expeditions with Peter and I in Central Africa. He serves on his Parish Council most of the year as Father Christmas in Lapland over Winter!
Pass wide and slow
A useful rally last week reminded us to make sure cars and lorries do not pass close to horses or bicycles. Horses sometimes suddenly leap to hit a vehicle or throw their rider. For bicycles, the highway code has changed and now requires bicycles to occupy a lane to require full overtaking - not pushing into the potholes!
Thanks to India Haggerty, Laura Mac, Melanie Nelstrop and colleagues for their support.
Oct 27th Change your clocks - back an hour at 2am!
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. You can also keep in touch with social media. @overtonmarianne
or facebook
Best wishes,
Marianne
Marianne Overton MBE
Working together for people and planet