I hope you had a good Bank Holiday weekend and you and your family are well. I enjoyed my first lockdown-lift visit to a pub, in Bassingham. Did you enjoy our recent Spring Newsletter and leaflets delivered thrrough every door, letting you know what I have been doing on your behalf? More on the web here.

It is incredibly rewarding work and a great privilege to serve our seventeen Parishes.  Despite tight funding nationally, we have made a step change in our streets and villages in the right direction and there is much more we can do together.  Highways have not yet filled every pothole, but we have turned a corner and are working on it now!  Please let me know if I can help you with anything further. Huge thanks tfor all your support over the past four years. I look forward to a bright future.

Elections – On Thursday 6^th May 7am-10pm

Just a few days to go.  Please vote. We have good, hard-working and effective Lincolnshire Independents standing for you here, so please vote for us on Thursday.

We work our socks off for you and all we ask from you, is a cross next to our names once in four years! I have written monthly newsletters to keep you informed, newsletters through doors in Autumn and Spring, sent a contacts Christmas card, worked on any issues you raised, and supported Parish Councils and before lockdown, as many village events as possible.

You can vote in person. You can take your postal vote into the polling station and hand it to the returning officer. before 5pm on election day. If you need someone to vote on your behalf, you can get a proxy form off the web, completed and back to Council also before 5pm on election day. (elections@n_kesteven.gov.uk)

Vote Lincolnshire Independent for strong local support.

Vote for
David Williams as our Independent Police and Crime Commissioner,
Marianne Overton MBE for County Council and
Jane Bauer for District Council
For real action on roads, local services, environment and tackling climate change, and support in planning

A track record of action

1. Real Action on Highways
As you can imagine, I have been flat out on highways with some good success and more to go. I have reviewed details of the almost 2,000 repairs done in my Division alone over the past year. We have had one of the highest spends in the County, and it’s no less than we needed.

Emergency repairs are important, but temporary, to make the road safe.  Proper pothole repairs and resurfacing are still needed. On smaller roads the repair time allowed by the Council, is still far too long; up to 80 days under the contract.  Thank you for your support on the previous campaign to get the maximum repair time reduced, which it was, and I am working on getting the contract changed to make them far quicker still.

I have monthly meetings with highways on site and on line during Covid. I have got emergency repairs done and resurfacing either done or in the programme. We are seeing some progress on a good number of our priorities and more is scheduled in the next two months.

In my national position, I was able to work on Central Government to get more funding for local Councils and Lincolnshire gets its share.  I worked with others on the County Council and we agreed an extra £12m for highways, especially rural roads and £4m extra is in the repair budget for our area. The new programme is out, based on priorities from every Parish Council in my area.

Brant Broughton Pavement, Carlton Le Moorland Parish and Heath roads resurfaced, more scheduled. Green Man Road and the Pottergate are imminent.

2. Local Services
If you know me, you will know that I champion local services and local businesses at every turn, giving confidence and suport to create new village halls and play areas, small business support and grants. We campaigned to keep access to local recycling sites to help reduce fly-tipping.  The initial response to Covid was handled by communities led by good councillors – not government. Government took too long to catch up and wasted too much money. The same will happen with the recovery and that’s why we need Independent councillors who are embedded in their communities to help kick start the recovery. Because our Independents are already an active part of their communities, we were quick off the mark working with voluntary groups to deliver medicines and food. Seeing things close-up meant we were also quick to set out what was needed for a recovery and campaign in our councils and nationally for support for businesses, so that they are still there when we need them in recovery.

Like me, you probably pick up litter as you pass or do litter walks. This is part of creating a culture that cares for our environment and our neighbours and we need to bring back easy access to local recycling sites.

3. Environment
Both nationally and locally, we passed the climate emergency motion and the 17 sustainable goals of the UN, which also includes equality, tackling poverty and education for all. At North Kesteven, it is the Independents who initiated the call and contributed to the creation of the strategy. That changes everything we do. We are effective because we are Independent and think independently of party think tanks and political dogma. Our common sense solutions work.  Please vote for a clean, green and safe environment, and vote Lincolnshire Independent.

4. Planning
All applications get compared against a set of rules about an inch thick! An experienced councillor in planning at both District and County level, I am an effective voice on local planning. I spoke and voted against the rendering plant at Norton Disney, which was refused, and supported the most recent application for improving the plant at Skellingthorpe. Jane Bauer brings valuable career experience and has been leading that campaign against the rendering plant. Please give us a vote each!

5. Neighbourly Community Support
Covid has been devastating and it just shows what we can do when we pull together. Thanks to volunteers in all our villages. The good news is that we have so far set up and supported a dozen neighbourly groups in this division of 17 Perish Councils and meetings. We delivered food, medicines, given lifts to get vaccinated and provided friendly support to those who are alone or families who are isolating. We made links or supported links with local shops to arrange direct payment.  We kept our groups informed so they can give confidence to volunteers and supported initiatives such as the Garden of remembrance in Wellingore, the Sunflower Project and championing mental health first aid for all.

Independents are a growing force in our Councils, working together for a better future. Why are people turning towards voting Lincolnshire Independent?

We are Independent, listen carefully, think about the issues and work directly for our residents. Together we are an effective force for good.

We do not need or want central party politicians running our local services, running to someone else’s agenda. If we are to make the right decisions, we must allow all the voices to be heard.

We listen, think carefully and act in the best interests of our residents. There are four worrying pieces of legislation already gone through consultation and we need local Independent voices willing and able to stand up for us locally.

I also serve nationally as Leader of the Independent Group on the Local Government Association and spokesperson in European Local Government giving you good national connections and good opportunities for both local and national influence.

Please vote for the three of us to get the best local  team to champion your cause.

1. Marianne Overton MBE for County Council
2. Jane Bauer for District Council
3. David Williams as our Independent Police and Crime Commissioner

Kind Regards,

Councillor Marianne Overton MBE
Independent Councillor for Bassingham and Welbourn on Lincolnshire County Council
and for the Cliff Villages on North Kesteven District Council
Leader of the Lincolnshire Independents and the Independent Network
Vice Chairman of the Local Government Association
www.lincolnshireindependents.org