News from County Councillor Marianne Overton MBE
September News
from
Marianne Overton MBE
This is 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
Hot Planning Applications
Our Cliff Villages Solar Action Team is working hard on your behalf. There are now live applications for battery storage units at both Navenby and Coleby. 324 shipping containers of Lithium batteries close to Navenby and 1,346 close to Coleby. Please join us at the Public Meeting.
Please also comment or “object” even very briefly online at NKDC. Or online “Planning on line North Kesteven” Type in 25/0491/FUL for Navenby and 25/0533/FUL for Coleby.
Fosse Green is now going to the Inspectorate. Register here. Thanks to all who attended the public meeting at Thorpe on the Hill this week with Chairman Nick Lyons.
Domestic Lithium Battery Storage
Guidance has stalled in Parliament for both domestic and the vast Battery Storages proposed locally. However, the fire service has suggested not leave domestic batteries unattended on charge and to keep them well ventilated. They can be explosive, burn with a very hot flame and cannot be extinguished. In Bassingham, we sadly saw the devastation of a caravan, car and a beautiful home, all from just a battery on a bicycle.
On Freedom's Wings
Fantastic to see our landmark sculpture of the Lifesize Lancaster Bomber lifted onto hilltop location over the A46, a gateway to Lincolnshire. Six years ago, in Norton Disney, I was introduced to the incredibly ambitious, locally - driven desire to mark the rich heritage of our home area. We also hoped that discovering and highlighting the important heritage in this area would help see off the application for a rendering site on the next field. Now, a few years later, this amazing project is up, completion of a task that at first seemed impossible. Huge thanks for dogged determination and fantastic support, to donors, local residents, councils and volunteers, especially Timmins Engineering. Like to contribute? Welcome! They are on the home straight! https://www.bombergatewaytrust.co.uk/
Brant Broughton Fire Service
The County Council Fire Service are currently recruiting for the paid professional role of On-Call Firefighter. If you’re interested in knowing more about what we do pop and see us at 19:00 on a Tuesday evening or contact: 0800 3580204 RecruitmentFire@lincolnshire.gov.uk
Crippling Cost of Drainage
With Independent and cross-party colleagues in the House of Commons last week, working for better national funding to help us protect our low-lying land, towns and villages from flooding.
Twenty six councils are in a special interest group of the Local Government Association. Altogether, our residents already pay over £50m per year to pump water. Through 112 Internal Drainage Boards, flood risk is reduced to 600,000 people and 880,000 properties. Properties includes 50,000 farms, 129 miles of motorway and 56 power stations. That's worth protecting, isn't it?
Community Award for someone you know?
Across 11 categories, this year at North Kesteven we’re looking to champion:
• Community spirit, • Young Achievers
• Community Businesses, • Contributions to climate action, arts & culture, sport, a better environment, health & wellbeing, • Good neighbours, • Longstanding contributions to a single group or organisation, Animal welfare
Nominations can be made at www.NKawards.org where there is more detail or using the form here. Deadline is 12pm on September 16. I am happy to support your application, let me know!
Lincolnshire’s Great Exhibition
On October 22nd at Lincolnshire Showground, an event will highlight business opportunities for investors - hopefully British ones with ideas we like!
Want Volunteers for local projects?
Would you like to invite some volunteers for a work day? County Council highway contractors Balfour Beatty, WPS and Colas include a day volunteer staff time for local projects. DIY-type Projects can include tidying up a public area, painting, gardening, planting, repairing wood fences, erecting signs, small areas of tarmac or gravel
Wellingore Celebrates 1000 years!
All Saints' Bells will ring on 27th and 28th September at 10am. Come gather at the Storyteller carving, Jublilee Gardens, Wellingore to begin the celebration of Wellingore 1000 years! Choirs, cakes, bell-ringing, stories, village history recalled by residents. The Duke of Rutland will open the event. Events throughout the Jubilee gardens, All Saints Church and the Memorial hall. Join us!
Local Government Reorganisation
As Leader of the Independent Group of councillors nationally, I raised with Government that re-organisation is a costly distraction when we can barely make ends meet as it is. Experts have demonstrated that the “hope savings” just do not appear and powers go up to the Mayoral authority, not our councils. Worse, it creates very large organisations that make it very hard for local people to be heard. If you thought our District Council was hard to influence, try something 7-10 times bigger!
However, if we are forced in Lincolnshire, the Independents feel the proposal to join North and South Kesteven, and Rutland is the best as the new councils are smaller, with focal points on our towns, Sleaford, Grantham and Stamford. More here. and survey for County
Information events Lincoln Castle 20th Sept 11-2pm, Library 23rd 11-3pm
Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Ukrainians
Join us on Saturday noon Sept 13th for discussion on what do Independents think? Register here for the link www.Independentnetwork.org.uk
Low Carbon Advice for Businesses
The new phase of the fully funded Low Carbon Lincolnshire programme is now open, offering practical, flexible support to help businesses reduce their carbon footprint.
Complete the initial diagnostic to get started.
Three Useful Courses - free
- Counselling skills,
- Mental Health First Aid,
- Understanding Autism
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we are offering not one, not two, but THREE of our most popular online courses at zero cost!
But don't wait too long to register your interest, as spots are filling up fast. This is an incredible opportunity that you won't want to miss out on. You can easily sign up on our website at www.wefindanylearner.com/book-online/ or by contacting our team at 01226 958 888. This is for people aged 19yrs or more on August 31st, 2025, residing in England, and not currently enrolled in an apprenticeship program. Enrol today and let's make a difference together!
Congratulations, Harmston Memorial Hall
I was thrilled to attend the Harmston Garden Produce Show again this year, but this time with a beautiful new solid oak floor! Thanks to all the volunteers and to residents who have supported the fund-raising. Heritage Windows and Joinery have done a great job laying the floor, Graham Watson the upholstery, and funders; FCC Landfill Communities Fund, NKDC, the NFU, Lincolnshire Co-op and Parish Council.
There was a record number of entrants. Congratulations to overall winners on points to Dave Dowse and Chair, Chris Wright. William and George Cooper retained the Children’s Cup. The entries, along with the auction, raised an impressive £1,082 — all of which will go towards the ongoing maintenance of the hall. A huge thank you to Keren Shepherd and all the judges.
Teenage Market Events
Teenagers can sign up to be a trader or performer at a range of events locally and across the country. I met a very inspiring young man with his own stand Hykeham market selling personalised reusable cups. Youngsters I know are making jewellery, 3D printing, artwork, busking, growing plants and selling honey from their own bees - all in their spare time! There are Teenage markets in both Lincoln and Sleaford on 20th September.
Pumpkins
Coleby PYO Pumpkins is opening 14th - 16th Oct and 20th - 29th Oct 10am - 4pm. Entry £3 for maize maze and £1 pumpkin patch. Under 2’s Free! Also new this year refreshments will be served in the old Threshing Barn. Toilets available. Plenty of pumpkins and squashes all shapes and sizes starting £1 up to £10+ for extra large ones. Sorry no dogs allowed.
Congratulations, Lost Village Festival
Huge thanks to the organisers, staff, volunteers and local residents for their kind support and tolerance. The measures agreed with the District Council appeared to help and the prestigious national event was much enjoyed and with barely a hitch!
Reducing Waste
Helen Gardner, Dean of the Methodist Church locally is aiming to enhance Food Banks, collecting from our Churches. There is a community Recycling Centre in Enterprise Park, Sleaford NG34 8GL, covering everything except lithium batteries. Also at Alexandra Road, Grantham NG31 7AH and Great Northern Terrace, Lincoln LN5 8LG More www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/reducing-waste
Anglian Water
Councillors at North Kesteven District Council are working on Anglian Water to improve their performance locally, following floods, sewage spills and lack of water. It seems the water pressure was reduced and then cut off locally because of difficulties getting the water out of the Trent as pipes blocked with debris and then dropped to a very low level. The company contracted to supply the bottled water also failed, making it very difficult for the residential homes and in term-time, schools would have to close. Back-up tanks at Bracebridge Heath were too small and Leadenham closed. Creaking systems, more housing and more weather extremes means improvement is needed.
Protecting yourself from fraud
Last year over £17m was lost to scammers stealing people’s pensions. Here is the official advice;
1. Secure your online pension account: The account you use to manage your pension should have a different password to all of your other accounts. Use three random words to create a strong and memorable password, and enable 2-step verification (2SV).
2. Ignore unsolicited calls about your pension: cold calling about pensions is illegal and likely a sign of a scam. If you’re thinking about changing your pension arrangements, you should get financial guidance or advice beforehand.
3. Investment opportunities: don’t be rushed into making an investment. Remember, legitimate organisations will never pressure you into investing on the spot. You should treat investment opportunities with extreme caution if there’s:
- Pressure to invest (for example: time-limited offers).
- Downplayed risk of losing your money.
- Promised returns that sound too good to be true.
Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scams
Contact: Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. If you have made a payment: inform your bank or pension provider as soon as possible, they can help you prevent any further losses. Monitor your bank and pension statements regularly for any unusual activity.
Cinema and Theatre Events
I have been rediscovering our local theatres, and last week enjoyed a great performance at Sleaford Little Theatre
13th The Last Round A Murder Mystery Event
Terry o Toole Theatre – September 7.30pm
12/13th Holes, a play about four stranded after an aircrash
26th Tribute Boybands vs. Jerseys
27th Tribute Band on the Run, Paul McCartney
13-17th Downtown Abbey the finale
In a full house at Sleaford Little Theatre last week, I much enjoyed cracking good show, based on a true story.
Solar on Roofs, not Farmland
Picture: Marianne handing our 500 letters to Minister for Energy and Net Zero, Kerry McCarthy, in July.
Huge Battery Storage – polite reminder
District Councillors on planning have the vote on the batteries. The majority are Conservative. I do not know which way they will vote. Can you please put in a quick comment to show that it is important?
E-mail planning@n-kesteven.gov.uk Or online “Planning on line North Kesteven” Type in 25/0491/FUL for Navenby and 25/0533/FUL for Coleby, both huge battery storage sites in open countryside and close to our villages.
There are Lithium battery are proposed at Navenby, Wellingore, Welbourn and Coleby, close to our villages. Batteries only store for a few hours and are not needed, as UK is already well oversupplied with applications.
All this infrastructure would not be needed at all, if the energy was made close to where it is wanted, down south. This is not about green energy or we would be using the vast areas of commercial roofs. They funnel our money abroad with little or no local benefit.
Reasonable planning grounds for objection include: Industrialisation of landscape character, damaging visual impact, glint and glare, archaeology and cultural heritage, noise and vibration, Cumulative impacts, Air quality, including battery storage, climate change, land, soil and groundwater pollution from battery coolants, biodiversity, impact on people, health and wellbeing, No grid connection, traffic on inadequate roads, transport and public rights of way, water, MOD, decommissioning, disaster response, Safety close to dwellings.
The battery storage is separate to the solar and could connect to the grid from any industrial site, not in our open countryside on good farmland. Please comment twice, even very briefly. Both are significant industrial developments creating an unacceptably damaging impact.
Thanks to our brilliant Cliff Villages Solar Action Group, which I chair. Our big response took weeks to prepare with professional help, so please feel free to use it. If you can kindly donate towards professional support, please click the following link https://gofund.me/aaae0c8f
Poster Competition for 5-18yr olds
Hand draw a poster to show what we can each do to protect our planet and our District. Deadline October 17th
Send to posterchallenge@n-kesteven.gov.uk More here.
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