Annual Report 2008 / 09

Parish Plan

Executive Summary

The Holbeach Parish Plan was launched after extensive public consultation at the University of Lincoln, Holbeach Campus in May 2008. The plan highlighted 59 recommendations. At the end of April 2009, 21 of the 59 recommendations had been completed, 24 were ongoing pieces of work and 14 had not been started, broadly reflecting short, medium and long term objectives.

The highlights were:

1 • The development brief for the land to the west of Holbeach, to enable a roundabout at the A151 / A17 junction. • A conservation area appraisal for the town centre to enable more appropriate planning applications in the future that fit with the recommendations of the parish plan. • The setting up of a migrant workers forum with a bespoke conversational English course, run from the new Children’s Centre. • A business directory giving details of shops, banks, building societies, local authority, community and school facilities to name a few. • Completion of the National Centre for Food Manufacturing at Lincoln University’s Holbeach campus. • A multi-use games area installed in Holbeach St Marks to attempt to resolve issues around anti-social behaviour in the village. The first MUGA in South Holland. • The formation of an elected members group to monitor the parish plan, with all Holbeach and Fleet Parish Councillors, District Councillors for Holbeach and the County Councillor represented. A first for South Holland?

The global economic crisis and subsequent recession clearly had an impact on the delivery of a number of recommendations, with issues of high rent forcing some traders out of business, the demise of Woolworth’s, a major and very visible outlet on the high street and the lack of building, whether that be affordable housing or commercial / community projects.

Some issues were clearly outside of our control, such as a traffic warden and solutions to resolve congestion on the high street. However in the long term there are solutions coming to the fore with for example “decriminalisation of parking”, which will allow us to resolve some of these problems. The recession is clearly going to make some medium term projects longer term, but where there is a will there is usually a way!

A budget of £10,000 was agreed by South Holland District Council for the portfolio holder for Holbeach & Fleet to allocate to projects highlighted by the parish plan. At the time of writing £8,500 was allocated among 12 projects which in turn brought in inward investment into the parish of Holbeach of £131,894 from community groups and external grant funders.

Delivering the parish plan has been a true partnership between Holbeach Parish Council, the Portfolio Holder for Holbeach and external agencies and I particularly like to thank the chairman of the Parish Council, Cllr Terry Harrington and also Cllrs Christine Smith, Rita Rudkin, Isabel Hutchinson, Shaun Keeble and Jenny Worth. County Councillor Julia Taylor has as always been an invaluable critical friend and realist.

2 Groundwork Lincolnshire and Gemma Rainsforth have given invaluable support, bringing in external funding and delivered a number of initiatives in their own right. Holbeach Business Forum and in particular Graham Johnson, Lisa Teague and Andrew Hawkins have helped steer, monitor and publicise the Parish Plan. Holbeach Civic Society through Trish Bryant and the parish plan steering committee have all worked hard to help deliver the plan and have proved to be constructive, critical friends.

Community Lincs have been of tremendous support, not just in getting the plan up and running in the first place, but in guiding us down the right funding avenues as they have come on stream. Likewise South Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service has been keen to be involved in helping to deliver some key community projects, in partnership with the Police and District Council officers from Housing, Partnerships and Economic Development.

Val Braybrooks, Dean of Holbeach & Riseholme Campuses has provided inspiration and is always guaranteed to deliver, a quality much appreciated in a recession. Finally I must thank Karen Johnson for monitoring so vigorously my budget against the parish plan and Amanda Dickinson for arranging meetings and taking the minutes of the elected members steering group.

As to the future, the Parish Plan continues to evolve and has plans to take us through to at least 2012. It continues to take on new issues and innovative projects, such as the development by the University of Lincoln, Holbeach Campus of a field station for the delivery of agriculture alongside provision for practical land based courses. There is still plenty of work to do but much to look forward to!

Cllr Nick Worth Chair, Parish Plan Steering Group & Portfolio Holder for Holbeach & Fleet

Budget: Where the money was spent.

Date Applicant Project Recommend Amount payment ation made

30th June Holbeach Hurn Village Hall Rejuvenation of Village Hall 24 £500

30th June Hall Hill Road Residents Association Feasibility study and consultation 42 £500

14TH Oct Hooks of Holbeach Paint to improve general appearance of the 8a £350 town

11th Nov Holbeach St Marks Village Hall MUGA 22 £500

11th Nov Councillor Rita Rudkin MW forum 54 £350

25th Nov Holbeach Parish Council Pride in Holbeach - planting 38 £400

26th Nov Holbeach Parish Council Architectural survey of cemetery chapel 26 £1000 (pending)

02/02/09 Holbeach Parish Council 3 x dog bins and 1 x litter bin 33 £500

23/03/09 Tammy Smalley Feasibility study 37 £500

/03/09 Anderson & Glenn Conservation area appraisal 8 £500 Development Brief – Chequers Yard 11 01.04.09 Holbeach Community Association Directional signage 16 £400 04.09 Harry Stebbing Cast Aluminium Sign for Holbeach 35 £3,000

The following actions have been completed:

(Items in bold were priorities for Year 1)

Action Comments Money Known allocated External from funding portfolio levered in for budget project. 1. Look into purchase of interactive speed An interactive speed indicator was hired in indicator for use throughout the parish. Holbeach St Marks for two weeks and training undertaken, however the cost of purchasing and Nil Unknown insuring it would be prohibitive for the Parish Council. The Police have now purchased one which will be housed at Holbeach Police Station for use around the parish. 2. Prepare a development brief for the Consultation completed, report being prepared. commercial land off the A151 to enable a roundabout at "Peppermint Junct." Nil Nil 8. Produce a Conservation Area Appraisal A Conservation Area Appraisal is now being to enable enforcement of issues around undertaken by Anderson & Glenn and will be general appearance of town, shop fronts completed before the end of March. and too many take-aways & hairdressers. £500 £4,000

10. Businesses should be made aware of help Rate relief for businesses – The secretary of the that is available from the District Council for Holbeach Business Forum and myself met with rate relief and repair grants. representatives from the rating office from Lincoln and the East Midlands. The rating

5 process was explained and leaflets given out for Nil Nil retailers explaining how they could apply for rate relief. The conclusion was that there was always advice at the end of a phone and that rateable values were currently being re-assessed in the light of the current economic downturn. 11. Look into possibilities for an innovative An initial meeting with LCC and interested user solution for linking Boston Road Car Park parties have met from which positive feedback with the centre of town. Complete a design has been received. Nil £3,000 brief for the area. A Design Brief is required before we move on any further and obviously budget restraints and the current national economic crisis will not enable a quick solution. The Design Brief is being undertaken by Anderson & Glenn and will be completed by the end of March. 12. Encourage a wider variety of independent Business directory now printed and distributed. retailers into the town, through improved proactive marketing. Develop a business Nil £2,500 directory for the town. 21. Open current youth centre for longer hours The Youth Centre has already increased its’ and sports hall to the wider public & look at hours to include Friday night. longer term options for this building. Cllr Taylor & Worth have met the new development worker, Paul Radley. Open Day 29th Nov. 2008 Nil Unknown Mobile gym in the sports hall along with a number of activities for younger people.

22.Multi-use ball court for teenagers in Work started in January 2009 and was £500 £56,594 Holbeach St Marks. completed in February 2009. 24. Rejuvinate existing village hall in Holbeach Village Hall have been successful in all their Hurn. funding applications. They will now be able to £500 £34,611 complete project.

31. Increase visitor spend in Holbeach and the Business directory on display in the campus. wider parish by working with the University. Work with the University to help promote local Nil N/A services to visitors.

33. More dog, litter and cigarette bins Dog bins installed in Market Rasen Way, Cecil required across the parish. (Design in line Pywell Avenue and Park Road (near George with other street furniture). Farmer) and litter bin for Spalding Road (Bus £500 Nil Shelter) 38. Work with all schools in the parish to A specific litter picking day launched the design, promote and be actively involved in a campaign in Carter’s Park. Arranged by “Pride in Holbeach and our Villages” campaign, Groundwork Lincolnshire with Parish £400 Unknown targeting known “grot spots”. Councillors. Local Primary Schools involved and community groups. To be continued by Parish Council, as part of existing Pride in Holbeach and Britain in Bloom Competition. 40. Public want to see more police patrolling 2 Bicycles bought to patrol the parish and give the street. an old fashioned visible presence across the Nil Unknown parish. Full compliment of regular officers & PCSO’s who regularly patrol the street. 44. Liaise with PCT and local doctors to ensure Planners, PCT and Kings have now resolved the medical facility in Damgate (when built) amount to be paid over as part of 106 gets the services that are most needed by the agreement to guarantee it is built. The final See 106 community. location for the facility is flexible, so could still be Nil agreement nearer to the town centre. 45. Encourage walking schemes for older Walking scheme launched at Holbeach Library people around Holbeach, utilizing the rural part on April 2nd, 2009. Nil Unknown of the parish.

50. Look at the Lefley site for a mix of Planning application approved for residential Nil Nil residential and light industrial use. and light industrial use.

7 51. Further develop and build on successful Much improved Christmas fayre with more stalls events such as the vintage tractor rally and the and parade. Paula Loweth liaising with Business Christmas fayre. Forum and District Markets manager for further improvements. Vintage tractor rally liaising with Paula Loweth Nil £10,000 for increased craft market and talking to District (Awards for All) about chainsaw carving and ice scuptures. Groundwork Lincolnshire / Parish Council successful with bid to put on more events. 54. Investigate setting up a migrant workers Cllr Rita Rudkin has set up the forum based forum to help further integrate into the local around bespoke conversational English courses. £250 Nil community. Now regular group of Eastern Europeans attend at the new Children’s Centre in Boston Road 56. Improve communication throughout the * Initially intended for the Hurn Ward only. With parish* with a sustainable magazine. the demise of the Target newspaper and the Holbeach Diary, an opportunity arose to have a Nil Unknown monthly glossy magazine with community news. “Simply Holbeach launched its’ first edition in March 2009. 59. Publicise the Children’s Centre in its’ role Presentations to the Rural Action Zone partners as an information / support centre that primarily and to the South Holland Alliance for Lifelong signposts parents / families to services that are Learning (Education providers, transport driven by the needs of the community. Early providers, Youth Council..) Public article in the Nil Nil years provision, Outreach workers, family new “Simply Holbeach” magazine in March. support, child and family health services, parental involvement and Job Centre Plus.

Projects that have started but are not yet completed:

Actions Comments Money Known allocated external from funding Portfolio levered in Budget for project 5. Receive report from LCC with their recommendations Currently checking traffic regulation for on-street car parking. orders ready for civilian parking Nil Nil enforcement which is due to start in 2010 6. Look at longer term solutions to traffic congestion The design brief for the land to the West on the High Street, in conjunction with plans for of Holbeach that will enable the roundabout at "peppermint junction" and link with roundabout has finished its’ consultation Boston Road car park and town centre. and will be published shortly. In the meantime the Business Forum are Nil N/A receiving a presentation from LCC Highways on the traffic lights and ensuing congestion in the town. Medium term objective. 7. Identify & train Crossing Patrol Person for William A crossing patrol person for William Stukeley School. Stukeley School has been advertised on numerous occasions, but at the moment Nil N/A no volunteers have come forward. Cannot be pursued further until a volunteer comes forward. 13. Encourage more market traders through improved A small continental market was brought marketing and increased footfall in the town. Proactively into Boston Road Car Park in approach traders from other markets to come to conjunction with the Music in the Park. Nil N/A Holbeach and also investigate the setting up of an A baker and Fishman have recently

9 auction. been added to the market.

15. Build new or identify a building that can be used as a An initial meeting with LCC and multi-use building for all sections of the community, that interested parties have met from which incorporates a range of services, including Library, Pop- positive feedback has been received. Nil - in centre, Information kiosks – Different locations are now being looked at. Recommendation by LCC to include this in their Forward Library Review. 16.Help Holbeach Community Centre to further develop New directional signage erected in the their facilities, to compliment the proposed multi-use town centre to promote facility. Further centre. development of the building largely dependent on the outcome of the £400 £189 Holbeach Depot Development Brief and possible section 106 contributions from that. 18. Continue to develop plan for Carter's Park, to provide Cllr Hutchinson is taking this forward on improved open space and provision of facilities for all behalf of the Parish Council. New sections of the community. basket ball posts put in and some new Nil Unknown equipment just arrived. 19. Develop centre of excellence for football by Outline plans have now been drawn up. relocating football and bowls club to new location. The club, the portfolio holder for Holbeach and representatives from the George Farmer School have met with the FA . A business plan now has to be Nil Unknown put together and matched funding found. Grass to be seeded in the spring. Realistically ready for season in 2010. 20. Investigate "Internet café" for younger people. The Internet Café proprietor is currently submitting plans for a change of use for Nil - premises at top of Albert Street.

25. Look at options for indoor sports provision at George Suggested as section 106 agreement Farmer Technology College. from land west of Holbeach. In separate Nil -

10 discussion with George Farmer School. 26. Look into options for usage and renovation of Pre-application sent into Heritage cemetery chapel. Lottery by Parish Council sub- committee. Tenders invited for options £1,000 £5,000 to date appraisal for which the Parish Council are now seeking external funding. 28. Maximise the learning opportunities and courses Funding is currently being persued available to all sections of the community. Produce one through “Active Parishes”. Expression of brochure combining all providers that shows all the interest submitted. Grant awarded Nil £16,000 courses available. March 2009. Due to publish in August (Active 2009. Parishes & Others) 29. Local businesses in the town to work more closely Link to Phase 3 (See NEW with the University. Explore the opportunities for the Recommendation) in longer term but in University of Lincoln to widen its' offering to local short term develop links with Holbeach Nil N/A businesses outside of the food sector. Business Forum through their forum meetings and by providing conference facilities. 30. Promote the facilities at the Holbeach Campus to Conference facility used for the public people in the parish. Run a number of open days to raise consultation on the design brief for land awareness in the community of the University's work at to west of Holbeach. Once the National Nil N/A Holbeach. Centre for Food Manufacturing is opened in the spring, specific open days will be arranged. 32. Put Holbeach Library and the Children’s Centre at the Promotional piece on Children’s Centre hub of family learning and information for the community. in “Simply Holbeach” magazine, March Nil N/A Promotion and marketing required. 2009.

35. New "Welcome" signs for Holbeach 4 signs required. Cllrs Julia Taylor & Jenny Worth have contacted the George Farmer Technology College to £3,000 Not yet known design some of the signs and get quotes. Cllr Worth has ordered one in

11 cast aluminium from a specialist firm to come from Portfolio Holder Budget. 36. Improve communication of street cleaning routines Email sent out to the press and all and how to request street cleaner. Leaflets for Library, members of Holbeach Business Forum Children’s Centre and Parish Councillors and Parish informing them of street cleaning Nil Nil Office. schedules.

37. Investigate the options for an Eco-centre, to Initial meeting held at RAF Holbeach in incorporate an environmentally sustainable building for June 2008 with Natural England, bird watching, educational displays on the environment, WESG, Wildfowlers and other agencies. climate change, flood protection, the work of RAF This is now being brought together in a Holbeach and the Drainage Boards. package which includes the Peter Scott Lighthouse at Sutton Bridge. Landowner £500 Not yet Known has been consulted. “Shep Whites Viewpoint” could be a smaller version of “Cley Spy” an environmentally sustainable building on the Norfolk coast. Some funding has already been identified and a detailed business plan is now being drawn up. 39. Work with the police to resolve issues around Community Panel has merged to community safety and anti-social behaviour. Liaise with coincide with Holbeach Parish Council and attend meetings of the meetings and their open forum, as most Holbeach & Fleet Community Panel. of the attendees are the same at both Nil N/A meetings. Update reports on anti-social behaviour going into “Simply Holbeach” magazine for May/ June edition (2009). 41. Re-open Boston Road Car Park in the evenings & at Letter written to ombudsman. Holbeach weekends. Work with SHDC, the business forum, local Business Forum objective. government ombudsman, local affected residents and the Nil N/A Police for a satisfactory outcome

42. Work with the Police to resolve issues at Hall Hill. A new action group has been set up of Obtain grants for play equipment and other items. tenants, officers from SHDC Housing, Anti-social behaviour officer, Police and probation service, lead by the Community and Voluntary Service. The portfolio holder for Holbeach have given them £500 for a feasibility study as part £500 Awaiting grant of a larger funding application that they applications will be submitting shortly for a multi-use games area, which alone will cost in the region of £50,000. Youth have had meeting to start completion of application to Youth Opportunities Fund. Awaiting outcome of grant applications. 49. Produce a design brief for Holbeach Depot. Tenders for the work have gone out. Nil Unknown Should be completed during 2009. 52. Develop Music in the Park into a weekend event, with A small continental market was put in associated activities, that can link into the emerging Boston Road to coincide with this years’ cultural festival that will be developed as part of South festival as a start to that process. Nil Not yet known Holland’s cultural strategy. Money from Awards for All now available to expand this event. 53. Improve public transport to the town and Spalding Extension to current Call Connect from the villages, particularly in the evening. service on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays started on April 1st, 2009 and a Nil - more regular service is now available on the main route between Holbeach and Spalding.

13 Projects not yet started:

Action Comments Money Known allocated external from budget funding levered in for project 3. Traffic Warden for Holbeach All district councils in Lincolnshire are now signed up to “decriminalisation of parking”. Effectively the police will be handing over this - - duty to district councils. Due to come into effect in October, 2010.

4. Identify long term car park for traders. Long Term car parking options are being explored with the Holbeach Campus, in conjunction with their longer term expansion - - plans. 9. Discussions to be held with property owners / estate agents to try to resolve issues of high rent. - -

14. Look at the merits of half day closing. - -

17. New toilets at Summerfield end of town - -

23. New basketball / games area for teenagers in Holbeach Hurn. - -

34.More vigorous enforcement of fly tipping, particularly in the more rural areas of the parish. Identify hot spots, make use of covert CCTV to - - enable convictions.

43. CCTV camera for Carter’s Park. No longer considered appropriate by police. - -

46. Encourage healthy eating through specific markets and events in the parish. - -

47. More genuine affordable housing for local born people, to include flats where appropriate. - -

48. Encourage Eco-Housing on Rural exception Need to consider whether this is this still sites. relevant. - -

55. Footpath for Starr Lane to enable safe Long term objective. access to Holbeach Bank Primary School from Washway Road as part of the school's travel - - plan.

57. Maximise publicity for the Hospital and the Opportunity will be available with launch of facilities that are available. “Simply Holbeach” magazine. Feature article? - -

58. Build a new outpatient facility that includes Withdrawn from the hospital’s long term plan consulting / treatment rooms for Opthalmic, Phlebotomy, Physiotherapy, Audio logy, Sports - - Injury Clinics and possibly Orthodontic, Special Needs Support and minor surgery unit.

15 New initiatives identified for inclusion in the Parish Plan:

Action Comments 60. NEW! Discuss the opportunities for and types of play facilities Parish Councillor for Holbeach St Johns to arrange required by the young people of Holbeach St Johns. meeting 61. NEW! Visitors to the area need to be more aware of the facilities at Arrange meeting with LCC Highways for Brown Signs the University of Lincoln – Holbeach Campus 62. NEW! Continue to develop the Holbeach Campus Development to widen the offering to include business, Phase 3 sciences, land based and environment. 63. NEW! Further develop the Holbeach Campus Develop a field station for delivery of Agriculture and Phase 4 practical land based provision.