Round-Up: Elections, Development, And Local Activities

April 10th 2013

Elections

On Thursday 11th April there will be an election for Trinity Ward, for a seat on the town council. The candidates are Andrew Austin, John Gains and Malcolm Locking. Town councillors in Louth don't draw a salary, but they do act as consultees in planning decisions, and since there are a lot of major development plans on the drawing board at the moment, it's very important to go out and vote if you live in that ward.

Thursday, 2nd of May is the date of the County Council elections. These are the local candidates:

Louth Marsh

• JAMESON S. Labour
• KNOWLES T. Independent
• MCNALLY D. UK Independence Party
• PALMER R.J.* Conservative

Louth North

• BEECHAM M. UK Independence Party
• DOBBIE D. Liberal Democrat
• DODDS S.R. Labour
• SIMPSON D.A. Lincolnshire Independents
• WATSON P.F.* Conservative

Louth Rural North

• BRIDGES T. Conservative
• JOHNSON J.* Independent
• MOSSOP E.P. Lincolnshire Independent
• STEPHENSON L.M. Labour

Louth South

• AXTON D. UK Independence Party
• HOUGH J.D.* Labour
• MAKINSON-SANDERS J. Independent
• TURNER D.M. Conservative

Louth Wolds

• ATTY J. British National Party
• BURNETT B.P. Lincolnshire Independent
• MARFLEET H.* Conservative
• PREEN M.A. Labour

The full list of candidates can be found on the county council website. Perhaps the biggest unknown quantity will be the UKIP candidates standing in Louth Marsh, Louth North and Louth South, because it's hard to predict how the rise of this party will affect the vote.

Good governance has never felt more important than now, in the depths of an economic depression. This is illustrated with a piece of news that seems to have been buried all too quickly: the collapse of democracy in Hungary. Worrying changes to their constitution were reported on the BBC, but I haven't seen much coverage from other sources. That's perhaps because this has been buried by recent events. I don't know enough about the status of journalists in Hungary to speculate why. However, if the behaviour of Hungary's ruling Fidesz worries you, you can contact your MEPs via Write To Them.

CPRE warns of "developer's charter"

The CPRE are asking people to write to their MPs in order to prevent the loss of countryside. They are concerned that the decisions of local councillors are being over-ruled by ministers or un-elected planning inspectors. "Stop planning becoming a developers' charter" was the headline of a missive sent out recently by Tony Fawcett of the CRPE.

The Lincolnshire Wolds is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and it has certainly been the target of encroaching development plans as developers have applied for permission to expand Louth by building on greenfield sites on the outskirts of town.

WEA bird course

Louth WEA will be running a new course, ‘Lincolnshire Birds and Reserves’, with the tutor Stephen Lovell at the Salvation Army Hall, Church Street. This course will look at birds and other wildlife of nature reserves and habitats within a short travelling distance of the teaching location and will study what makes them reside there or use it as a stopover point. There will be an optional field trip at the end. The course starts on Tuesday 30 April from 10.00am - 12 noon, for six meetings plus a field trip The fee is £49.00 (discounted £44.10) or free. For more information or to reserve a place, please contact Louth WEA Branch chairwoman Mrs Sylvia Trickett on 01507 601072.

If you enjoyed reading Birds of Louth by local author John Clarkson then this course could be right up your alley.

Singing

You Can Sing Vocal Academy will be performing Ticket To The Movies on Saturday, 13th April at the Riverhead Theatre, with the help of the students of North Somercotes Primary School. I've been at the rehearsals. There will be some fantastic solo performances (I can say that without blowing my own trumpet, because I'll not be singing solo in this show). So make sure you get your tickets!

After Saturday the group will be moving on to a new set of songs, so that's the best time for new members to join. Absolutely no singing experience is required, it's fun, and it's good for you.

Vintage Day

There will be more fun and dressing up coming this summer, with the launch of Vintage Day on July 7th. This is going to be a theme day of 40s, 50s and 60s dressing up in the Cornmarket, as part of the Zero Degrees Festival. There will be music from Slimline Papas and jive performances and lessons from 52nd Street Jump.

So that's another excuse to get dressed up and have a good time. Don't mind if I do.