The Louth Area Committee: Young Americans, And The Bog Of Eternal Stench

October 2nd 2013

The Louth Area Committee met on Monday, 30th September in Cannon Street House, rather than at the Conoco Room, due to a last minute change of plan. Chaired by Councillor Sarah Dodds, the agenda covered a range of issues.

The smell that won't go away

I suspect I'm not remotely as fed up of the agricultural smell on Legbourne Road as the residents who have to put up with it, but I've been writing about it since at least November 2012. Once again it came up for discussion, and Councillor Pauline Watson noted that the smell prevented people in Stewton Lane from sitting outside in their gardens.

ELDC Councillor Stephen Newton assured councillors that Anneliese Johnson, ELDC's environmental team leader, and others were working on it. "It's a slow process," he said.

Councillor John Hough questioned this: "The council achieved something a year or so ago. That was the first step. I thought that you were getting ready to prosecute?"

There was some discussion of the loophole in the law that allows smells from cattle to be treated differently to those from pigs.

"Normally, cows do not smell," The Mayor, David Wing, said.

"It's the foodstuffs that they're feeding them," Councillor Jill Makinson-Sanders replied.

Councillor Andrew Leonard was understanding about the district council's position, and warned of the danger of wasting public money by rushing to prosecute. "I know what it takes to put a case together. It's all about documentation. It's got to be watertight."

Markets

There was some discussion about the markets, and Councillor Dodds quoted a 10% rise in the number of stalls being hired, a figure that Councillor Newton confirmed. However Councillor Pauline Watson brought up a suggestion that someone had made to her that there should be parking on the cobbles when the market is not fully occupied.

Young Americans

Rachel Jones of the Louth Living Well project introduced The Young Americans, a three-day dance, drama and voice workshop. The project have taken this over from Birkbeck School, who don't do it any more. This will be hosted at Cordeaux Academy and will culminate in a show at the Skegness Embassy Centre.

The workshops will take place in February 2014, and will be open to young people aged 8 to 18. It costs £60 to take part. "We need 200 students," Rachel Jones explained.

For more information or to book a place, call Rachel on 07990 639805, email louth.living.well@eplusmail.com, or pick up a form from the Renew shop on Queen Street.

The cattle market

Alan Mumby, the chair of Keep Louth Special, spoke about the organisation's attempts to communicate with ELDC about the cattle market. This includes alternative cattle market plans that Nick Louth had outlined to the town council in August (and which I found well considered). He told the committee that they had received no replies to their rebuttals. "Is our proposal going to be part of the debate?" he asked.

He read out Councillor Doreen Stephenson's response, which I would characterise as non-committal.

Councillor Laura Stephenson was confident. " I do believe that the executive do want to discuss these things fully," she said.

"I don't think it's acceptable for KLS to write and not get a reply," Councillor Hough said.

Councillor Andrew Leonard referred to the petition to persuade ELDC to take full account of the public's views on this issue. "It's all about being fair and transparent," he said. "There is very much a distrust of ELDC at the moment."

"Any decision to sell will have to be made at full council," Councillor Makinson-Sanders said.

Good news for the Gatherums

It's good news for the Gatherums, as the regeneration group have secured £63, 600 in funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the Aswell Hole and Horse Steps. Or rather the Whore's Steps, as I prefer to think of them now.