A developer has hit out at South Kesteven District Council after being frozen out of the process to bring new homes to Grantham for “political reasons”.

The Grantham Area Action Plan aims to bring around 5,500 new homes to the town over the next decade.

Developer Larkfleet Homes has been aiming to build more than 1,000 homes at Manthorpe but the company’s managing director Karl Hick says he can’t even get a meeting with anyone at SKDC about his own proposal which he insists would “solve the council’s problems overnight and enable them to get on with the plan”.

Mr Hick said: “We have to deal with the officers on a day-to-day basis but there comes a point where you think ‘this is ridiculous, why won’t they talk to us?’.

“The inspector pretty much said they’ve got it wrong and we instigated that so maybe that’s the cause.

“If they included our scheme the inspector would sign off and it would go ahead. But clearly it’s got political.

“We have tried to get to talk to the officers and said ‘please come and talk to us, it’s ready to go, we can deliver it’.

“Grantham’s growth should be about what’s best for Grantham not what’s best for individuals at the council.”

Mr Hick says there are people within the council “with vested interests for blocking this”. He says the development at Manthorpe, which was originally proposed by South Kesteven District Council in its own Core Strategy before being adopted by Larkfleet, would bring in between £8m and £9m for the council in the form of New Homes Bonuses.

Mr Hick said: “Why are the treasury people at the council not pushing that? They should be.

“Local authorities are pushing for things to happen to get the money but South Kesteven are playing into neighbouring authorities’ hands. Why is Peterborough grabbing the money and South Kesteven not?

“Why not do something to get the money in? It’s ridiculous.”

Mr Hick was scathing in his assessment of the council in light of planning inspector Roland Punshon’s highly critical report which forced the district council to withdraw its action plan.

Mr Hick said: “It was a terrible condemnation on how they acted on this. The inspector could see how they were acting. He knocked it back because he could see they were not dealing with it fairly.

“If you had got a report like that on your journalism you’d have been sacked. It was that bad. It was damning. But the council continues on like nothing happened.”

Reports on the death of the Manthorpe plans have proved premature. A High Court judge ruled against Larkfleet Homes in December but the ruling was only on the developer’s challenge of the legal process and did not reflect on the merits of the proposed development.

However, with nobody at the council willing to speak with Larkfleet on his Manthorpe proposal Mr Hick has little hope of pushing his plans through.

He said: “I’m trying to talk to the council because they hold all the aces but acting in the normal manner is doing us no good at all so instead we have to expose some of the irregularities of what’s going on.

“Speaking out is unlikely to help us but clearly it’s doing us no good keeping quiet and saying nothing. We are getting nowhere.”

SKDC’s strategic director development and growth focus, Ian Yates said Manthorpe was “not designated as a development site”.

He added: “The proposals put forward for up to 1,000 homes have been rejected on a number of occasions. They were recommended for refusal by officers of SKDC, refused by elected Members on the council’s Development Control Committee and dismissed by the Secretary State on Appeal and his decision has been upheld very recently by the High Court.

“Manthorpe is not in our Core Strategy, unlike the North West Quadrant and the Southern Quadrant which aim to grow the town in a balanced way. These developments will bring in the infrastructure to support them as sites including the eagerly anticipated relief road which will also relieve traffic congestion in the town and provide a link from the A1 to the A52. The potential for new housing in these areas is also significantly higher than the Manthorpe site.

“The proposed Manthorpe development itself has no relief road and would only add to congestion.”

Mr Yates denied the council holds any grudge against Larkfleet Homes.

He said: “With the Grantham Area Action Plan, we will be reviewing a range of options and we will welcome a number of discussions with landowners in the town at the appropriate time.

“In choosing the sites, site ownership is irrelevant, it is which sites are the most appropriate, in terms of benefit, for the community of the town.”

I thought I was having a nightmare when reading Nick Boles’ column in the Journal (January 11).

Why a nightmare? Well for a minute I thought, blimey there must be two of them!

I read earlier in a national daily that in his guise as Planning Minister, he is going to force councils to “give up Green Belt countryside to build houses on”, yet in his guise as our MP he states that he “will back leaders in defending our environment and protect our precious landscape” by restricting locations of wind turbines.

What a relief when I did some research - there is only one of him! Make your mind up mate!

Joe Adkins

Worcester Road

Grantham

Has our MP - who we had no part in choosing as he was parachuted into Grantham, via the Tory Party A-list system - had a Damascene conversion?

In last week’s Journal you reported that he said: “We should be working with communities rather than seemingly riding roughshod over their concerns.”

Yet he proposes FORCING councils to make land available for building if they don’t accept his bribe. A little consistency would be good here Nick.

The Daily Telegraph, that August organ of leftish thinking, suggested that Boles’ thinking will lead to a fall in house prices.

If you have more homes available than customers, you do NOT have a market Nick. You will devalue the price of all our homes. Perhaps that is your wish?

Anthony Hindmarch

By e-mail

A man who suffered from an addiction to heroin died from a drug overdose, an inquest into his death heard.

James Mitchell, 35, died at his home in Shakespeare Avenue in Grantham on November 23.

A toxicology report found heroin, methadone and the pain-killer fentanyl in his system at the time of his death.

The inquest heard that Mr Mitchell was suffering great pain from leg ulcers for which he was taking fentanyl.

He also suffered from sleep apnea which was relieved somewhat through an oxygen machine to help him breath at night.

A statement was read out from Mr Mitchell’s father, also called James, who said he was aware of his son’s battle with heroin addiction.

He added: “On the morning of his death he did not go out of the house to my knowledge.

“I’m not aware of him taking heroin that day and I don’t know where he got it from. I can only assume he got it previously and stashed or hoarded it in his room.”

Mr Mitchell’s father also said that he had never known his son to take drugs to harm himself or attempt take his own life.

In summary, coroner Stuart Fisher said: “There is no evidence before me that he intended to take his own life in the form of a note or a discussion with a third party.

“For that reason the verdict is that he died as a result of non-dependant abuse of drugs.”

A 22-year-old father of two young children was killed in a road crash just months after moving to Grantham to start a new life with his family.

Matthew Aubrook died last Friday evening when his car hit a wall at the junction of Belton Lane and Newark Hill in Great Gonerby. No-one else was involved in the accident.

Mr Aubrook, of Coxmoor Close, began a new job as an assessor with Totemic in Long Bennington in November. Originally from Rochdale, he had only just moved with his wife Gemma to her home town of Grantham with their children Noah, two, and eight-week-old Oliver.

A psychology graduate, he and Gemma both studied at York University, but only met while working at the Co-op in the city. They were married near York 18 months ago. Mr Aubrook also worked at Tesco’s in Barrowbygate.

Gemma, 23, said: “He was the best dad in the world. He was an amazing daddy. He never had a bad word to say about anybody. He just wanted to be with the boys.”

Mr Aubrook was a Manchester United fan and had just taken up golf.

Totemic human resources manager George Ryans said: “Matthew met many people who will miss him as a work colleague and friend. Matthew left behind a wife and two young children and our thoughts go out to his family and friends at this sad time.”

Mr Aubrook’s funeral will take place in Rochdale. The family have asked for donations to be made to the charity CALM, which helps young people with depression.

Matthew was alone in his grey Ford Focus and no other vehicles were involved in the accident. Anyone witnesses who were in the area around 9pm on Friday are asked to contact 101 or the Lincolnshire Police witness appeal line on 01522 558855.

Lincolnshire Police is encouraging cyclists to secure their bikes after a rise in reports of cycle thefts.

Police officers in Grantham are reporting an increase in bike thefts across the town and officers are urging cyclists to invest in good locks and to always use them.

Yesterday (Jan 17) a black mountain bike with the words “Cube Attention” written on it was stolen from the service yard of The George shopping centre in Grantham at around 2pm.

A red BMX was also stolen from a back garden in College Street at around 1.20pm on the same day.

Officers are urging cyclists to take the following advice:

+ Invest in a good quality D-lock. These can be bought for as little as £15 and make it much harder to steal your bike.

+ If you’re in town lock it in a place that is covered by CCTV.

+ If you have quick release wheels consider using a secondary chain lock to secure them to the frame. If you have a decent quick release saddle, consider taking it with you when you leave your bike.

+ Fill in a bike passport – recording all of your bike details to make it easier to get back to you if it is stolen.

+ Register your bike on the UK National Property Register (Immobilise) and consider buying an Immobitag so police will know it is your bike straight away if it is recovered.

Police have charged two men with conspiracy to burgle houses in Grantham and Sleaford.

The charges follow five arrests on Wednesday in the Boston area.

Andrejs Gricans (24), of Carlton Road, Boston, has been charged with conspiracy to burgle and conspiracy to receive stolen goods between November 3 last year and January 17. He has been remanded in custody to appear at Grantham Magistrates Court today.

Aleksejs Balans (26), of Carlton Road, Boston, has been charged with conspiracy to burgle and conspiracy to receive stolen goods between November 3 last year and January 17. He has been remanded in custody to appear at Grantham Magistrates Court today.

A 20-year-old local man has been bailed until April 3, a 24-year-old local man has been bailed until January 23 and a 25-year-old local woman has been bailed until April 3. All of these suspects are bailed pending further enquiries to appear at Grantham Police Station.

Call Lincolnshire Police with information on crime by dialling 101, or call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on: 0800 555 111.

A coroner has issued a warning on the dangers of using recreational drugs and so-called “legal highs” following the death of a 21-year-old man in Grantham.

Lithuanian national Marius Jakaitis, of Cambridge Street in Grantham, died as a result of non-dependant abuse of drugs, an inquest heard.

The post-mortem investigation found Mr Jakaitis had taken mephedrone - sometimes referred to as MCAT - shortly before his death, as well as a drug called 5-API which is not controlled in Europe or in the United Kingdom.

Mr Jakaitis was taken by ambulance from his home to Grantham Hospital on April 29 of last year where he died. He was accompanied by several other males who hospital staff also suspected of having taken drugs.

Police officers arrested and interviewed several men following the death of Mr Jakaitis but were unable to discover who supplied the drugs so no charges have ever been brought.

Coroner Stuart Fisher said: “The police have no way of ascertaining who supplied the drugs that caused the death.”

The toxicology report which formed part of the post-mortem investigation found the drugs “had been taken to such a level of toxicity that they caused his death”.

Summing up, Mr Fisher said: “Mr Jakaitis died as a result of non-dependant abuse of drugs.

“I would also like to state that this case highlights the grave dangers of taking recreational drugs and, in particular, those described as ‘legal highs’.”

Mr Jakaitis had no family in the United Kingdom. His only living blood relative is his sister who lives in Lithuania.

Harrowby United’s joint managers collected their United Counties League Division One manager of the month awards on Saturday.

Arrows bosses Mark Fardell and Jason Harrison won the awards for December after they guided their side to three victories from three games, to take Harrowby up to fifth in the league in their first season back in the UCL.

It was in marked contrast to the shaky start of United’s campaign when they lost their first four league games.

Fardell said: “We knew it would take time, and we knew we weren’t far off.

“People don’t realise how young the team is.”

The Arrows continued their winning ways into 2013 with a 3-1 victory at Potton United and a 6-0 thumping of bottom side Burton Park Wanderers on Saturday.

With Northampton Sileby Rangers and Oadby Town well out in front, Harrison said there was little chance of Harrowby winning the league, but all they could do was try and carry on the winning form.

He said: “The secret to the success has been consistency really. We have had the same 17 lads from the start of the season.”

With a couple of players unavailable at the campaign’s start, Harrison and Fardell were forced to play a 3-5-2 formation. Harrison said a later change to 4-4-2 had made the Arrows harder to beat.

He said: “Every single player has been superb. They are all Grantham lads and haven’t been overawed by the bigger clubs. Everyone is keeping
level headed.”

+ Harrowby United’s midweek game against former boss Graham Drury’s Boston United Select XI was postponed on Wednesday night due to a frozen pitch. It is hoped the friendly fixture will be re-arranged in a couple of weeks’ time.

Grantham Town have this week made a fresh appeal for supporters and potential sponsors to get behind the club as they seek to retain their Northern Premier Division status.

The club’s board of directors are looking for help to see them through a difficult financial period with poor weather and five away games in seven league fixtures threatening to test the club’s cash flow.

Chairman Pete Railton admitted that commitment to expenditure in the first half of the season had exacerbated the situation. He said: “We recognise that we were living above our means and we have worked with the management team to bring this in line with our income levels. But we face a difficult January and February. We are taking steps to raise more income from the Supporters’ Club Lottery and to recruit a commercial manager, but these are medium term projects.

“Our plea to our fans and potential or existing sponsors is can you help ease this situation? If anyone can assist the club to get through the next six weeks when cash will be tight, then please contact us.”

Interested sponsors should call 07711 241810 or e-mail granthamtownfc@
hotmail.co.uk

A man hours away from proposing to his girlfriend and meeting his new-born child for the first time died after he fell through the roof of a tyre depot in Grantham.

A man hours away from proposing to his girlfriend and meeting his newborn child for the first time died after he fell through the roof of a tyre depot in Grantham.

An inquest heard how Kacper Jaworski, of Albert Street in Grantham, fell through the roof of ATS Tyres in Elmer Street after binge drinking on vodka and scuffling with a friend.

The accident happened the day before he was due to fly back to Poland where he would attend the christening of his daughter.

The inquest also heard how Mr Jaworski had withdrawn money from Barclays bank in Grantham and asked a friend to lend him cash so he could buy an engagement ring.

Mr Jaworski planned to attend the christening before flying back to the UK with his partner and daughter so they could live together in Grantham.

The inquest heard how Mr Jaworski had turned up unannounced on the morning of Friday, November 25, holding a bottle of vodka at the home of a friend, Michal Lihs, in George Street, Grantham.

The pair and another male - Pawel Giza - then began an all-day drinking binge with numerous trips back and forth to off-licences to get more vodka.

Michal Lihs had been called as a witness but failed to appear at the inquest. It is believed he has returned to Poland so a statement submitted by him was read out instead.

In the statement, Mr Lihs described Mr Jaworski becoming abusive and calling him a “grass” and a “sucker”.

Mr Lihs said he asked Mr Jaworski to follow him outside before slapping him, causing Mr Jaworski to start to cry and apologise.

The men returned indoors but Mr Jaworski soon began taunting Mr Lihs again until Mr Jaworski was ushered out of the back door to prevent Mr Lihs from striking him again.

Once outside it would appear Mr Jaworski went up the fire escape rather than down and ended up on the roof. He then walked on to the roof of ATS Tyres before falling.

In summing up, coroner Stuart Fisher said: “I have thought very carefully about this matter and have formed the view that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding this death, indeed Mr Jaworski’s death was the result of an accident.

“While in a state of some intoxication he walked on to the asbestos roof of a tyre depot and unfortunately fell through. That, unfortunately, caused fatal injuries.”

A 32-year-old woman died following a crash involving multiple cars on the A1 at Little Ponton on Friday evening.

The accident happened at around 6.10pm on the A1 southbound at the junction with the A607 and is being investigated by police.

A woman from Peterborough died in the accident when the silver Nissan Micra she was driving left the road and crashed. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

No one else was in the vehicle and there were no other casualties.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact Lincolnshire Police on 101 quoting incident 304 of January 18.

The A1 has now completely re-opened in the Grantham area.

Nottingham Forest Supporters’ Club (Grantham branch):

Forest are away to Derby County today (Saturday, January 19), kick-off 1pm.

Bookings are being taken for away games at Birmingham City on February 2, 3pm, Bristol City on February 9, 3pm, and Charlton Athletic on February 23, 3pm.

For details contact Bob Taylor on 01476 550242.

Grantham Badminton Club ladies’ second team were in action twice this week, firstly losing away with only two pairs to Devon.

Sarah Bransby with Susie Steeples won two rubbers, Sophie Lamb with Jaz Gilbert won one rubber, for a final score of 6-3.

Grantham men thirds endured a gruelling away encounter versus Balderton on Wednesday. Juniors Andrew Watson with Carl Jennings superbly claimed two from three rubbers, all in the third end. Josh Gould with Brian Coyle added a rubber with a 23-21 final game, but unfortunately Daniel Watson with Mike Woodhouse were unable to convert either of their two three-enders in a match which finished 6-3 to Balderton.

At home on Friday, Grantham ladies’ seconds whitewashed Lincoln Albion 9-0. Sonal Modi played with Laura Graves, Jaz Gilbert with Sandra Jennings and Sarah Bransby with Susie Steeples.

Also at home on Friday were the men’s second string team, who beat Devon’s two pairs 6-3. Toby Mills with Jon Ashley won one rubber and went close in another. Joe Attwell with Rob Young won both their rubbers, but Declan Hill with Chris Graves had a bad night, failing to claim any.

Under-17

South Kesteven Ladies 9

Southwell Ladies B 1

South Kesteven produced their best league result of the season with an impressive nine rubbers to one victory over Southwell B at Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School.

The South Kesteven team comprised captain Laura Graves, Meg Anderson, Zoe Foote and Emma Lamb.

A new film starring Sean Penn has blasted on to the Reel screen.

Gangster Squad (15) is a rip-roaring, blast ‘em up action movie which will act as an antidote to the more ‘theatrical’ films that are also showing at the Reel over the next week in Les Miserables and Quartet.

Ruben Fleischer’s film also stars Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte and Emma Stone. It is based to some extent on fact and tells the story of Los Angeles police officers who formed a group called the Gangster Squad Unit in an attempt to protect the city from Mickey Cohen and his gang in the 1940s and ‘50s.

If you are a big fan of the stage-set musical Les Miserables, there is no doubt the film will win you over as well. Predicted to break box office records, as it has theatre records, Tom Hooper’s film has all the grand pomp and ceremony of the West End musical but of course given a much wider canvass. Russel Crowe, Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway all sang ‘live’ for the film and it seems it is no worse for that. Most critics have lapped it up and so be sure of a long run at the Reel.

Also showing at the Reel this weekend are: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D (12A), Pitch Perfect (12A), Rise of the Guardians (PG) and Hotel Transylvania (U).

Talks to the Gardening Group of the Grantham U3A have been so successful in past years, that on Thursday, January 24, the 2013 talk will move to a larger venue, the Guildhall Theatre, so the general public can be included.

Andrew Sankey returns to give his Illustrated talk on the History of the Cottage Garden. The talk includes the uses of plants, sayings and old wives tales. He is a garden designer/landscaper, nursery man, author and lecturer who is based at Potterhanworth near Lincoln.

The U3A is a national organisation for retired and semi-retired people. For details of the Grantham branch go to u3asitec.org.uk

Campaigning MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham Stephen Phillips has been battling to have the speed limit through villages in Lincolnshire reduced to 30mph since before he was even voted into office.

This week he spoke out in the House of Commons, calling on the Transport Minister to lean on county councils such as Lincolnshire to reduce speed limits and help save lives.

Q) How long have you been aware of the problem of speed limits on village roads in the county?

A) Even before I was elected in May 2010. Villagers in Fulbeck came to me, West Willoughby not long after the election. Branston, Metheringham, all over the constituency really, right from day one.

Q) How have you found dealing with the county council on the subject?

A) They have been receptive to listening to me. The difficulty for the officers is the council had its own speed limit policy long before I was elected and there is a reluctance to change that policy or even look at it until after the Government consultation on it.

Q) Would you like to see a 30mph limit through all villages?

A) That’s exactly what I would like to see for two reasons; one, it improves the quality of life for people living in these villages and, secondly, to make roads safer and ensure road users know how fast we should be driving so drivers know as soon as we enter a village we should be down to 30mph. At the moment there is this miss-mash of different speed limits in the same village. In Branston there is a 30mph, a 40mph and a 50mph. In Navenby and Wellingore one is 40mph and one is 30mph which makes no sense. It’s all very important for road safety because if you hit a child at 30mph instead of 40mph there is a massive difference in terms of survival.

Q) A particular bugbear of yours seems to be the county council’s system of using the average speed on a road to set speed limits...

A) As I said in the House of Commons it seems to me to be potty to take into account for the setting of speed limits anyone exceeding the speed limit for that road and national speed limits as well.

Q) Following your House of Commons speech the Minister for Transport accepted your invite. Would you welcome his visit to Fulbeck?

A) Yes, he is going to come and take a look at the issue himself. But he has made clear he expects Lincolnshire County Council to follow the Government’s guidance and I hope they are listening to that

message.

Q) The minister said he hoped the issue would be sorted before he arrived. Is there any chance of a swift resolution?

A) It may happen. I think it depends on when the county council reviews its own speed limit policy and brings it into line with Government guidance - the sooner the better. Only last week a car in Fulbeck demolished a speed sign so the sooner they do what I think is the right thing the better.

Is a 30mph limit in villages a good idea? E-mail: comment@granthamjournal.co.uk

Zany rythym and blues band King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys ride into town on January 25 for a gig at the Guildhall Arts Centre.

The band are regarded as one of the best R&B bands around outside the States.

Tickets cost £14/£12 and are available from the box office on 01476 406158 or online at www.guildhallartscentre.com

So, Nick Boles advocates the destruction of our countryside by building more houses on greenfield sites, yet fails to mention one primary driver of the housing shortage - mass immigration and high birthrates among immigrants already here.

Overcrowding of our transport infrastructure, health services and other social problems arguably have a similar source.

So much for Boles’ appreciation of the nature of “democracy” and “debate”.

Dr Stuart Russell

Dawns Lane

Aslockton

The deadline for entries to this year’s Grantham Musical festival is looming with entries due in by Wednesday, January 23.

The 51st festival will take place from Wednesday, March 6 to Wednesday, March 13, at ChristChurch, Finkin Street, with a trophy winners’ concert on Saturday, March 16.

Hundreds of entrants will take part in numerous instrumental and vocal classes. The instrumental classes include those for recorder, piano, guitar, orchestral string, woodwind and brass instruments and handbells.

Vocal classes include those for solo, duet, ensemble and choral singers. There are classes for families and adult beginners among others.

Admission forms are available in the syllabus for this year’s festival. The syllabus is available from Grantham library, the Guildhall and Fox Music on Westgate.

There are further details, archives and much more on the festival website at www.grantham
musicfestival.co.uk