Gary Fenwick, the ward and a biography

Gary Fenwick was initially elected to represent the Middle Rasen Ward in 2003. The Ward comprises the Parishes of Middle Rasen, Osgodby, North Owersby and West Rasen . In turn these include the following hamlets - Bishopbridge, Kingerby, Usselby, Owersby Moor, Thornton-le-Moor, Usselby, Fir Park , South Owersby , North and South Gulham . More >>

The GF Blog

A Champion for Children & YP's, the environment and other issues

2 nd January 2008  

First of all, happy New Year to one and all, I hope that 2008 will be a good one. Work continues on mitigating the risk of flooding in our local area. I am pleased that the public have had two opportunities to have their say about local issues in relation to flooding and certainly the public meeting in November at the Middle Rasen Village Hall, on a literally freezing night, was worthwhile and the representative from the Environment Agency was particularly challenged! I would like to thank all those who attended, both members of the public and agency officers, as well as the Rasen Mail for helping with receiving the questions. My role as chairman was helped by people's understanding of the need to get through all the submitted questions.

The swimming pool project is fast approaching a conclusion. I have been appalled by the politics of the Tories throughout this long saga and as for Adam Duguid's recent letter in the Rasen Mail, it really smacks of the worst kind of local councillor…the sort that doesn't turn up for meetings to move something forward but sits back and plays politics all the time. I will just carry on endeavouring to bring the swimming pool to a conclusion….my main worry right now is the fact that construction costs have increased markedly in the past 12 months. We will have to wait until 25 th February, when we will wade through the Business Plan and make a decision at an extraordinary full council meeting. As I have always said, I desperately want the swimming pool to happen but I will only vote to commit the council tax payer to a multi-million pound project if the business case is a sound one. This should be the view across the political spectrum, but for others it seems that political imperatives are more important than getting a job done. I do hope that the Tories don't endeavour to get the decision deferred in the hope that they can push it through after the elections this coming May, when they hope to be back in control! Don't forget that members of the public are invited to watch proceedings on 25 th Feb' and even ask questions before the discussion takes place – this needs to be arranged using the proper channels and if you want to do this then contact Sue Harrison on 01673 676676 or myself in plenty of time. The meeting will be held in the new District Council offices in Gainsborough.

20 th October 2007

I need to give an update on the respond to the flooding issues first. I am delighted to report that the Wolds Forum on 29 th October will give an update to any member of the public who chooses to turn up. I am sure mention will be made of the early results from the household survey and you will get an opportunity to ask any pertinent questions. I am even more delighted that through my own persistence I have managed to persuade others that a public meeting, focusing on the flooding, will be held in the area, probably on 15 th November (a venue is yet to be booked). This is the only truly public meeting being held in the whole district which will allow members of the public to challenge ‘the authorities' directly. As yet, I can not promise that the Environment Agency, Ancholme Internal Drainage Board or the County Council will be present. What I can promise is that they are being persuaded to be in attendance and we are looking to secure the services of a well known television personality to chair the proceedings (I am sworn to secrecy!). I have been steadfast in my determination to allow the public this opportunity and when I make a promise I always follow through, and at the time of the floods I made the promise of a public meeting.

There is a great deal of nonsense in the Rasen Mail this week, with quotes from the Tory group leader Bernard Theobald about the proposed swimming pool. I have no intention to write into the Rasen Mail (I have got better things to do – like write this blog and later this evening cheer on the England rugby team in the World Cup final…come on Johnny!) but the fact is that it has been the Lib Dems that have moved the swimming pool on and the good news here is that the current plan is to make a FINAL DECISION on 13 th February 2008 at an extraordinary Full Council meeting. Members of the public are invited to watch proceedings and even ask questions before the discussion takes place – this needs to be arranged using the proper channels and if you want to do this then contact Sue Redhead on 01673 676676 or myself in plenty of time. The meeting will be held in the new District Council offices in Gainsborough.

One of my more pleasant public duties since my last blog was an invite to say a few words at the opening of the new pre-school building, in the grounds of Middle Rasen Primary School . The pre-school is a great asset to the village and local area and the driving force is Jean Pettifor, ably supported by Pat Golby, other workers and the voluntary management committee. Thank you to all who provide such a quality pre-school educational service to our children, we truly are very lucky.

Please remember that once again I have £1,000 available for the ‘Local Councillor Initiative Fund'. The fund will be used to support local small scale projects and initiatives which benefit the local community. I have decided to put a deadline of 31 st October on applications for my funding. If you are interested then please see the guidance, terms & conditions and application form on this page and submit applications to me and I will send them on to Sue Redhead at the address on the form. I am happy to take any calls for clarification prior to applying. I only have a small level of interest in this funding at this time so please do not miss the opportunity!

20 th August 2007

I continue to work to challenge the authorities (Environment Agency especially) so that the risk of flooding is minimised as far is possible in the future. I am confident that once the survey which WLDC are conducting has been analysed we will have a public meeting locally to allow local people to ask questions of the authorities. Lessons will be learnt and we all should be more educated in terms of what the actual risks are, why flooding occurs locally, and what we can do to prevent or minimise damage to our own properties. There is a lot of confusion about who is responsible for what, and what has been the root cause of the flooding, with the cause being different in different areas. Yesterday we had some more rain, nothing out of the ordinary, and yet roads and gardens were flooded and at least one garage was left with water damage. People were worried and sandbags were put out once again. NOBODY SHOULD LIVE WITH THE CONSTANT WORRY OF FLOODING AFTER JUST A FEW HOURS OF RAIN and yet that is the case for a number of people in Middle Rasen. The authorities have to get it sorted and it is now my number one priority to help get it resolved.

Two other things to mention in this entry. The ‘Local Development Framework' (LDF) is being consulted upon with members of the public, between now and mid-September. The LDF “will set out how the Council intends to utilise its planning role to protect people's quality of life and the protection of the natural and built environment”. It will reflect plans for the next twenty years. Consultation events closest to Middle Rasen are at (i) Faldingworth Village Hall – 24 th August – 3pm – 9pm and (ii) Market Rasen Festival Hall – 3 rd September – 3pm – 9pm . A static display will be at Market Rasen Library and WLDC Council Offices, during normal opening hours or you can find it at www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/LDF . Your views do matter.

Once again I have £1,000 available for the ‘Local Councillor Initiative Fund'. The fund will be used to support local small scale projects and initiatives which benefit the local community. I have decided to put a deadline of 31 st October on applications for my funding. If you are interested then please see the guidance, terms & conditions and application form on this page and submit applications to me and I will send them on to Sue Redhead at the address on the form. I am happy to take any calls for clarification prior to applying.

14 th July 2007

Since my last blog my life seems to have been taken over by that eventful day / night of 25 th June. That was the day, of course, of the floods. Unusually that morning I was working from home, needing peace and quiet from the office to get a particularly complex report done! Peace and quiet is not what I got! My concentration was broken by a call from West Lindsey to tell me that Middle Rasen had been officially designated a high risk area for flooding. I knew it had been raining a lot but from my study I had no idea it was quite so bad! From early afternoon I went around the village (having ‘phoned my boss to book the time off work) to let people know how they could get hold of sandbags. Little did I know that I would be out (not none-stop) until 1.20 am the following morning.

I was quite frankly humbled (and pleased) to read the two letters in the Rasen Mail the following week thanking me for my efforts. It is always nice to get recognition and I accept it graciously. However, there were many others that night who gave their time in the cause of helping others and as always, when a community feels vulnerable or threatened in some way the very best of human nature comes to the fore (although the drivers of 4 x 4 vehicles who thought it was fun to drive through the water causing waves which entered some properties, were mind numbingly ignorant).The following day I visited some people in my Ward at West Rasen and the residents there who had had water throughout their homes were remarkable in their stoicism. I thought they received my visit with great grace.

Since the floods I have been committed to getting answers to some critical questions. The purpose being that we need to do everything in our collective power to lessen the risk of a repeat. I am really pleased that the Lib Dem group at West Lindsey have decided to do a survey of all householders in West Lindsey, to get the perspective of all those affected (and those not affected). I have earlier today emailed the Chief Executive in an attempt to ensure we ask the right questions! Some of the obvious areas I have already asked questions around are;

•  Did we have enough full sandbags available to meet demand?

•  Did the £1.1 million flood alleviation scheme work effectively?

•  Have the new estates built in the parish made Middle Rasen 'old' village
more vulnerable to flooding?

•  Why didn't the flood siren in Middle Rasen go off?

•  How often do the river banks get cleaned up and dredged?

•  Are the drains sufficient?

•  Finally, can we please have a public meeting - where the authorities could explain
their problems and how they think the response to the floods went, whilst at
the same time residents can ask pertinent questions and receive clarification?

I am pretty sure you and I know the answer to a few of the questions! I can only hope that we will, in the future, understand what needs to be done to minimise the risks to all properties. But we also need to acknowledge that the risk can never be zero. With global warming I have a feeling that very unusual weather today will become more usual in the years ahead. Residents therefore need to know the risk that they are in and be given advice on how we can take responsibility to minimise these very individual risks to our own homes.

As a footnote I can tell you that I have sent in to the NSPCC, as a result of running the London Marathon, a total of £517.50. I am therefore delighted that I reached my target of £500. I was always mindful not to be too pushy at times asking for money as I appreciate people give in many different ways and can afford differing amounts.

Now I've got that report to get back to!

24th th June 2007

Since my re-election we have had the Annual Council and I am pleased to have been elected to serve on the policy committee I wanted, the Neighbourhoods & Health committee. My interest in environmental issues and my experience and knowledge around children & young people are both part of the remit of this committee. I have also been re-elected as the ‘Member Champion' for Children & Young People. That means that I am the Councillor that gives a strategic lead on Young People and I work closely with the lead officer. This is an interesting area because the Government has given new statutory responsibilities to District Councils, largely through the Children Act 2004 and I am determined that the District Council will respond to these positively.

On a more local basis I would like to welcome Mr Rob Clarke to the Middle Rasen Parish Council. I am sure Rob will make a valuable contribution to the Council and as long as he doesn't mention his favourite football team I am sure we'll get on!! I am also delighted that Michael Stamp has been re-elected as the chair of the council with Dave Pattison once more the vice-chair. The position of chair is one which creates a good deal of work between meetings and the village ought to be extremely grateful to their councillors for doing an important job on a voluntary basis. I am working with the Parish Council on a couple of bigger projects, one of which is securing some sort of crossing of the A631 near to the Post Office crossroads. This is proving difficult but we are all trying to get Highways (County Council) to work with us on the project and to offer financial support.

At Osgodby there are a couple of big issues, one being car parking outside the Primary School and Pegasus (and the safety of the children) and the other is around an idea to build some affordable housing in the village. I went to the public meeting which discussed the car parking and I have to say that if motorists parked more considerately the problem would be greatly diminished – that is not my opinion but the opinion of the whole of the audience at the public meeting. I was happy to help in a small way by getting the Refuse Lorry to change its route so that it goes past the schools later and not at the busy time. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the Parish Council meeting which discussed further the potential affordable housing project (I was in Gainsborough at a Full Council meeting). I do tend to go to ‘local' meetings rather than those held at Gainsborough when there is a clash, but I should never miss a Full Council meeting as that is where important decisions are made. In the 8 years I have been on the Council I don't think I have missed a Full Council meeting. There may have been one I missed several years ago but I don't think so!

I some respects the highlight of my ‘Council' work since the election was chairing the ‘Global Warming Day' held at the Festival Hall on 9 th June. The quality of the keynote speakers was outstanding and when I did my part as David Dimbleby(!), with a Question Time panel at the end, the discussion was terrific and we didn't draw breath for one hour twenty minutes! It demonstrated to me just how one person alone can mobilise support for a project and make things happen. That person in this case was Chris Caton, from Osgodby, who encouraged, cajoled and persuaded others to give up their time to make the day a great success. Happily, at the same time ‘Friends of the Earth' have started a new local group and it is hoped that they will take forward a similar event in future years. I will be attending a meeting next week to look at ways in which we can perhaps, over the next few years, make this area a beacon of good practice with regard to environmental issues….I have no doubt that you will hear a lot more about this over the next few months and years. If you want to get involved from the beginning get yourself along to the Hub, off the John Street car park, at 7.30pm on 29th June.

As a footnote I can tell you that I have collected in and sent off £497 to the NSPCC as a result of running the London Marathon, but there are some people who still haven't paid pledged money so the final total will be over my £500 target, which I am really pleased about.

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8 th May 2007

Well, it's all over and done with! After a hard fought election I have been re-elected with a comfortable majority of 109 (534, Tory 425, UKIP 111). I am elated to have won and I am so pleased that the scaremongering and misinformation from my Tory opponent didn't wash with the electorate. It does though make me angry that at every election the Tories (certainly in my Ward) go for the negative tactics of discrediting their opponents without reason or truth. They also seem to be unable to express their own aspirations and plans for the future if elected.

At this point I ought to make reference to Dave Ranby, the UKIP candidate. Whilst I entirely disagree with his views and the policies of UKIP, I congratulate Dave on an election fought on the basis of his own views and without the dirty tricks of the Tory opposition. Many of you will be aware that my Tory opponent followed the bin wagons around and inserted an A4 sheet of paper under the lid of the emptied bins saying “Keep your weekly bin collection – vote Conservative”. A colleague of mine amusingly said “They missed out the middle man; they put their literature straight in the bin!”

I do have an apology to make to two people I came across whilst canvassing. To the lady that answered the door to a tired canvasser, to be met by “Hello Sir”….I apologise! It had been a long day. And to the gentleman, who answered the door, shook my hand, only then to promptly faint….I hope it didn't put you off the Liberal Democrats!

Thank you to all those that shouted words of encouragement as you passed in the car, or simply said on the doorstep that you would vote for me….you have no idea how uplifting that is.

Finally, with reference to the election, I have a mandate to serve another four years and I can guarantee that I will continue to work incredibly hard, after all there's never anything good on TV!

And, what about the London Marathon !? Well, it was hot! I did it though, but I am still barely recovered. My time was 4 hours 16 minutes and I came 12,773 rd out of 36,396 runners! I think when I have collected all my money I should have raised about £500 for the NSPCC, so thank you to everybody who donated. I ordered a stair-lift the day after the marathon (going downstairs was a nightmare) but by Wednesday I felt somewhat better so the stair-lift was cancelled!

I'll let you know the final amount raised when I know.

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15 th April 2007

I have been humbled to receive such a positive response from people on their doorsteps in my re-election campaign. I am also grateful to those who have recognised the many hours I have put in, every week, over the past four years, in my attempts to make the local area a better place to live and in response to the many requests for help I get on a wide range of issues, such as planning, litter, dog mess, speeding and the state of footpaths, to name just a small number.

Reflecting back to May last year, when the Lib Dems once again became the controlling group on West Lindsey District Council, we have had a very successful year. The Council has received glowing reports from independent government appointed assessors, a testament to the progressive work of the Lib Dems.

In the area as a whole we are actively engaged in tackling the menaces of anti social behaviour, fly tipping, littering and fouling; all of which have a negative effect on all our lives. We have appointed neighbourhood wardens, who working with Police Community Support Officers, are becoming the front line in the strict enforcement of rules against littering, fly tipping, dog fouling and yobbish behaviour.

We are allocating money and resources to the villages to improve country roads, to provide street cleaning machines and to upgrading facilities such as providing broadband for all village halls.

Our social agenda includes support for Sure Start Schemes, combating poor housing by tackling bad private landlords and trying to end the scandal of so many empty houses not occupied in order to maximise the capital gain of their corporate owners.

Going back to the election campaign. I have though been appalled by the campaign being waged by the Conservatives. It has focused on scaremongering and misinformation. Let me make it absolutely clear. It is a lie to say that the Lib Dems will take away the weekly bin collection. This is scaremongering. It is appalling that the Tory ‘calling card' states “Put an end to the massive increases in Council charges”. The FACT is that we have put the District Councils part of the Council Tax up this year by 2.89%. This is LESS than the increase from the Tories in both the previous years.

In their leaflet, in relation to the Market Rasen Swimming Pool they have written that there are “more and more doubts that the Lib Dem controlled Council will deliver on the project the foundations of which were laid by the Conservatives”. The FACT is that in two years of control the Tories did NOTHING to move the project forward. In the past six months the Lib Dems have commissioned professionals, at significant cost, to come up with a business plan and a decision will be made within the next year (I am confident it will be to go ahead with the pool). Also, the Pool was put back on the current political agenda by me and former Councillors Neil Taylor and Adrian Rosser, back in 1999.

I hate the negative campaigning of the Tories at election time. I prefer to straightforwardly say what I have achieved and what my aspirations are, rather than being sucked into having to respond to Tory misinformation.

I thought elections were about democracy, not lies!

I can't finish without mention of my London Marathon prospects! Training has gone very well; all I need to do is stay away from people with colds! (Difficult to do when canvassing for election!). I am getting nervous about the whole event, eating right beforehand, getting to the start in time, whether I will go off too fast because I am too excited! The number of things that could go wrong are immense but hopefully I will cross the finish line in decent physical and mental health and I will be elated by a good time and more importantly, by the thought of having raised significant money for the NSPCC….I'll let you know!

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17th March 2007

The election campaign has started and it's certainly going to be a busy time for me, what with the election and the London Marathon training. Last Sunday was a good example. To get used to running in races I entered, as part of my training, the Grantham half marathon. I did the 13.1 miles in 1hour 39 mins which I was really pleased with and then in the afternoon, with the help of my daughter and a friend, I started delivering leaflets in Osgodby and North Owersby ! I was ready for bed that night!

The main agenda item at Full Council on 5 th March was the budget speech. It is a prudent budget whilst allowing growth in priority areas. I won't bore you with the detail (go to www.west-lindsey.gov.uk if you want to hear a recording of the whole speech).

What is traditional at these meetings is that the group in control put forward a council tax increase of a certain % and the opposition then undercut it, lose the vote, but then they are able to say to the electorate that they would have reduced the current level of council tax – irrespective of the long term financial consequences! It's not something I condone and it has been both the Tories and my own Liberal Democrats who have done it. Politics is a funny old game!

Also in this blog is a letter I have written to the Rasen Mail. Hopefully it will be published in full in next weeks Rasen Mail (that's the 21 st March edition). At least if it's not, the editor can't stop me from putting it out in this blog!

Finally, if you feel able to I would be really grateful if you could sponsor me, raising funds for the NSPCC, at the London Marathon. The easiest way to do so would be through www.justgiving.com/garyfenwick

There's even a distressing piccy of me in my shorts on the page!

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3 rd March 2007

I have certainly been busy since my last blog entry. The highlights have been a ‘showcase' seminar at the Bentley Hotel which I attended as the ‘Children & Young People's Champion' at West Lindsey, deciding on my Councillors Initiative Fund grants and the Special Community Committee meeting which had the Market Rasen Swimming Pool as it's only agenda item. Oh yes….I've also increased my mileage in preparation for running the London Marathon!!

As Member Champion for Children & Young People I am the lead Member for developing, with officers, our services to, surprisingly, children & young people! This is an important role because safeguarding children and improving their quality of life makes the world a better place for us all. At the seminar it was heartening to listen to young people themselves tell us how they personally had benefited from the services provided by a range of organisations, not least the County Council Youth Service, my old employer! The Children Act 2004 requires WLDC to work in collaboration with the Counties Children's Services and other agencies, and I am ensuring that we play an appropriate part in this new agenda.

More locally I was put in a very difficult position in the past week! I had to make some judgements about where to allocate the £1,000 each local Member had at is / her disposal. The applications amounted to £3,895 in the Middle Rasen Ward, so you can see there were bound to be some disappointed people. I followed a criterion though and I was really delighted to get the applications in, in such a short timescale. Offers have now been made to the ‘Middle Rasen Primary Friends of School' - (£122 towards a secure outdoor storage unit), £428 to the wonderful LIVES First Responders (Osgodby) – to buy a Resusci-Annie and £450 to Middle Rasen Parish Council, alongside their matched funding, to erect an additional streetlight on the footpath from Dovecote to Church Street.

After a dash from De Aston school, where I was attending a parents evening for my eldest daughter (I am proud of how hard she works at school), I got to the Guildhall in Gainsborough with seconds to spare to discuss the next step forward with the Swimming Pool . I know it is frustrating and even irksome to have to jump through so many hurdles but, let us be clear, this meeting signalled a very significant step forward. So on the evening of 27 th February the go ahead was given for a business plan to be written up, a location to be identified and a specification for the actual Pool to be devised. This will all be overseen by a project board. One thing I have asked for is for communication from the board to the public to be improved, so that everyone knows what the plans are. One of the first jobs will be to devise a time-line for the project so that we can all be told when it might happen. There will however come a time when the plans are all pulled together and the project is brought before the Council. At this point there has to be a leap of faith by my colleagues on the Council, a deep breath before they take the plunge. As long as the business plan stacks up I am more than happy to go for it and the same, I am sure, can be said for my colleagues, both on the Liberal Democrat and Conservative sides. Just one more word about the Pool – the response to the consultation was immense. To get a 20% response to such a consultation is incredible and I impressed upon my colleagues at the meeting just what an achievement this was. That's not to mention just how positive the feedback was from the consultation.

I've got to go now, my training schedule, cruelly(!) given to me by Cathie Mair, from Beechers Way, Market Rasen, tells me I have yet another run to do….if you wish to sponsor me, I am raising funds for the NSPCC, then please make contact or go to www.justgiving.com/garyfenwick

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20 th January 2007

As is the case for everyone, Christmas and New Year now seem such a distant memory! Just a few days before Christmas though I got the best possible present….a place in the London Marathon. As a runner I first applied for the “ London ” twenty-five years ago (!) and I have been rejected six times before now being accepted. So I am really pleased that I have the chance to raise funds for charity (more about that in a minute) and achieve a lifetime's ambition at the same time. It's a real challenge though; I have done a marathon once before, when I was 21, so that's a quarter of a century ago! My time then was 3 hours 56 minutes, so it would make a middle aged man very happy to beat that time! As far as raising funds for charity, I have chosen to run for the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children). They are a great organisation and as I am a member of the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Board, and much of my professional work is in child protection, I thought it would be appropriate. However, I have now been on at them for three weeks to get to me their fundraising pack and it still hasn't come through. It is a tad annoying that I am offering to raise hopefully hundreds of pounds for them and they are not being responsive. Anyway, hopefully they will come good and a future blog will tell you how you could sponsor me…..please! (I haven't got a charity place in the marathon, so every penny raised will go to the charity).

As far as my council work has gone, I have been to a Resources committee meeting when one of the discussions was the ‘Local Area Agreement'. This agreement is a government led mechanism which encourages local district councils to work in partnership with the County Council and a broad range of other agencies (PCT's, the police, housing, the voluntary sector, etc) to deliver services in a co-ordinated fashion and in a way which addresses need where it is greatest. The thinking behind it is right, but right now there is a whole lot more talk than action. To be fair, the agreement kicks in from this April, so I am looking forward to the discussion in a years time (if I am re-elected in May) when we reflect on how services have improved. Watch this space!

At Full Council on 15 th Jan' the Local Development Scheme – First Revision was adopted. This sets out the blueprint for planning in the district in the medium term future. I have to say I steadfastly choose not to serve on the Planning Committee because I have a real problem with bureaucratic dictating to individuals. There clearly needs to be some mechanism to control what is built where, but the system has gone too far and is too oppressive – that is just my opinion! At the same meeting we had an excellent discussion about the possible development of underground gas storage around Welton, Nettleham, Scothern, etc, as well as another storage area near Gainsborough. I am pleased that there is cross political party support to challenge the siting of these storage areas within our district. I say challenge, in the sense that there is a determination to understand all the issues before a planning decision is taken (if an application re-appears). As a District Councillor, I have duties to support the residents of my Ward but, with the two examples above, I also have a duty to represent the whole District as one of 37 Members offering strategic direction to officers.

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17th December 2006

On 4 th December I attended a Full Council meeting. There were agenda items about Performance Management, the Gambling Act 2005, the Development Plan, Climate Change and other important issues. But what has been the issue which has received coverage in the newspapers since.. Members Allowances! It is absolutely right that the public should know that councillors currently receive £4,550 per annum for the work we do. As a sub-committee chair I get an additional £1,139. The real problem is that the Government forces Councillors to make the decision themselves about the allowance we receive. That is an absurd situation and will succeed only in making the public think Councillors are lining our own pockets. We do have an independent remuneration panel which makes an annual recommendation for councillors to vote on. I feel so strongly that it is appalling that the Government puts us into this crass situation that for the last four or five years I have refused to take part in the discussion and I walk out of the Council Chamber. This I did on 4 th December. It appears that once again the independent panel's recommendations were ignored and politics got in the way of a sensible discussion. The process of making these decisions around remuneration will always lead to politicising the issue. Why can't the Government develop a national equation and tell councillors and the public (some of whom may want to stand for office) what the allowance will be? Then the issue won't get politicised and the public won't have the feeling that councillors are lining their own pockets. Having written this I do need to point out how appalling the letter from the Tory Councillor Jeff Summers is in this weeks Rasen Mail. The facts are that the Leader of the Council had committed all of his expected increased allowance (which the independent remuneration panel had recommended) to the ‘Home Start' charity; the WLDC chief executive had previously been given a letter committing to that fact. I remain steadfast in my long standing opposition to councillors being put into such an invidious position and I will continue to walk out of the council chamber when decisions around allowances are being made….I will accept whatever others judge to be fair. It is a shame that Summers, who has accepted many increases himself in the past, chooses to behave so shamefully. It reminds me of the public comments made by Councillor Summers that I leave the council chamber for political reasons. He is so wrong; I do it because to put us into such a situation is wrong. Simple as that.

Since my last blog I have also attended a public meeting about the prospective swimming pool and I look forward to moving this forward over the next two months. I was correctly quoted in the Rasen Mail saying that it may be not until 2010 before a pool is opened and also that it is still not definitely happening. I do though remain optimistic.

I have also chaired a Taxi & General Licensing sub-committee meeting when we reviewed the policies of the District Council in relation to granting Taxi licences. I am mindful that there are at times some very vulnerable people who get into taxi's, often after an alcohol fuelled night out, and we therefore need to ensure the safety of the public is paramount in our decision making processes. Whilst examining policy isn't the most exciting use of an evening, I do feel that the safety of the public in West Lindsey will be better served as a result.

By the way, I now have a super new study making it far more comfortable and well organised at home to do my council work. The family are worried that I'll spend even more time in ‘here' but I have assured them that I'll try my best not to!

Have a great Christmas and Happy New Year.

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2nd December 2006

Welcome to my first ever blog entry!

This will be my attempt to demonstrate just a little of what I do as the elected District Council Member for the Middle Rasen Ward. I will update it on a random basis(!) but hopefully fairly frequently.

Today is Saturday and, as usual, I have been stuck in my study for most of the day. In fact it's very uncomfortable because my desk has been taken away, so I am lying on the wooden floor typing this! I have new furniture, courtesy of MFI, waiting to be installed this coming week and then I'll have a brand new study…great!

The reason I have started it now instead of 1 st January as planned, is some information about £1,000 which has been made available to each District Councillor to allocate as we choose with-in our Ward.

There are some criteria to follow, and an application process, so if you are have any idea to benefit the local community (in Middle Rasen, Osgodby, North Owersby or West Rasen), and you want to apply, then please contact me and make an application. I am not sure what the exact deadline will be but it is going to be around the 11 th February 2007.

Whilst I'm lying here I can tell you that I had an interesting 15 minutes at Tesco this afternoon! I went to see the display about the prospective swimming pool and to chat with the consultants. There was loads of support for the pool, which is really gratifying, but I was amazed to be told of the number of people who were shopping in Market Rasen and they lived near or even in Lincoln . They often stated that they preferred to drive and park in Rasen rather than drive into Lincoln . One elderly lady told me that whilst I was there. People are also saying they would drive to Rasen to use the swimming pool!!

It is also clear from the feedback so far that there is a swell of opinion against siting the pool in the grounds of De Aston. This is a difficult one but it does press the District Council into looking at the full range of options around siting and I hope the surveys (I hope you've completed yours!) suggest the reasons why people seem at this early stage of the feedback to be against the school as a site. The two obvious reasons are that it is a little way out of town and the school would dominate usage in term time. All options will be looked at.

Just one other thing about the pool. Don't listen to the Tories if they want to be political about the pool. The fact is that the Conservative group have made it absolutely clear that they support the pool. The Liberal Democrat group (and the leader of the group and council) have done the same. There are some members of both groups who are against the pool (they usually live some distance from Market Rasen!) but whether the council is run by the Liberal Democrats (as it is at present), or the Tories, or indeed if it were to be a hung council, the pool does have the political will to make it happen. I am just proud of my role in putting it back on the agenda in 1999.

Finally for now, I was at a Resources committee meeting last Thursday night and was pleased to get home in a record time. A couple of traditionally vocal Members were absent(!), the chairman did a great job and I was home for 8.15pm. Excellent! Back to Top

SUPPORTING INFORMATION

Local Councillor Initiative Fund

The Community Committee has recently considered the criteria and guidance to assist Members in the application of the Local Councillor Initiative Fund.

This Fund will comprise the sum of £1000 per Member, which can be utilised at the Councillor's own discretion (within certain criteria as detailed on the attached sheet) in their own Ward, to fund, aid or kick-start small scale community projects or initiatives which may otherwise never get off the ground.

The cost of this to the Council will be £37,000, but it is hoped that this money will be, or should be, invested back into the community and should, if used to its best effect, lever in further external funding.

Please note that this is a one-off allocation and must be committed by the end of February 2007 and spent by the end of June 2007.

Conditions

Grant offers will normally be made subject to the following conditions:-

•  That any other major sources of funding, essential to the project proceeding are secured.

•  That the project proceeds as set out in the application or in a revised form which is submitted in writing and agreed.

•  That West Lindsey District Council reserves the right to inspect any goods/works before releasing payment.

•  That payment is made directly to the applicant body, not to an individual.

•  The payment of the grant is based on the actual costs incurred. If the actual costs are less than the quoted costs, the grant will be reduced pro-rata.

•  That the offer of the grant is formally accepted within four weeks of the date of the offer and any additional conditions within it are adhered to.

•  Should a project not go ahead, or does not meet the conditions of the offer, West Lindsey District Council reserves the right to reclaim/not release grant monies. Back to Top

Letter MRM 14th March 2007

EDITOR - The Liberal Democrats' budget for West Lindsey District Council had much to commend it, in so far as it was a continuation of the successful policies started by the previous Conservative-controlled Council. However, there are a number of points of concern which may be of particular interest to residents of Market Rasen and the area.

This budget was very much a budget for Gainsborough.

The Liberal Democrats have proposed spending £2.7m on improvements to Gainsborough town centre. Market Rasen and Caistor will receive nothing. It is not clear to me why Gainsborough needs such a large sum of money spending on unspecified improvements to its town centre, especially after the hugely successful Marshall's Yard development has been completed.

The Marshall's Yard development was supported by the previous Conservative administration and has attracted dozens of new national retailers into the town and created 800 new jobs in a highly successful example of public-private partnership.

I think that given the boost Marshall's Yard has given to Gainsborough it is now the turn of the towns in the east of the district to receive some attention. Caistor, in particular, desperately needs money spending on its beautiful but dilapidated buildings before it is too late.

It is a tragedy that the Liberal Democrats have no interest in the eastern part of our district and instead lavish all the Council's resources on spending in Gainsborough. It is perhaps not unrelated to the fact that 8 of the 9 Gainsborough council seats are represented by Liberal Democrats whereas they have only 3 councillors representing areas east of the A15.

Market Rasen will not even get a new street sweeper under the Liberal budget proposals but will have to continue relying on a Gainsborough-based sweeper trundling up the road once per week.

The battle lines for the coming election are being clearly drawn and giving voters a real choice between the parties.

ADAM DUGUID

Conservative, Market Rasen Ward.

REPLY Gary Fenwick, District Councillor

17 th March 2007

Dear Editor,

O' dear, it's that time of year again. The time of year when my fellow district councillors get all political because there is an election looming! The time of year when the Tory Market Rasen Ward Member writes to the Rasen Mail (see last week) with laughable comments aimed at discrediting the Liberal Democrats.

The facts are that the 2.89% increase in Council Tax is a lower increase than last year (when the Tories were in control) and it still delivers half a million pounds growth in priority areas.

As far as the notion of doing little for this side of the district, the facts speak for themselves. With regards to the swimming pool the Liberal Democrat administration have put in significant resources and started the processes of developing a business plan, finding a definite location, agreeing detailed specifications, definitively costing out construction and maintenance and creating a project board to drive it forward. All your readers will be aware that the swimming pool is a massive commitment but it has taken the Liberal Democrat administration to deliver action, not just words.

By the way, in my election material my potential voters will not read empty promises and insults by me against the opposition, they will read about what I have done in the Ward and I can confidently challenge any person in my Ward to come up with an instance when I have not followed through with a promised cause of action.

For me what matters is serving the community…not the political party!

Yours sincerely,

Gary Fenwick

District Councillor Gary Fenwick

Biography (continued)

Gary, who is a Liberal Democrat Member of West Lindsey, first became a councillor in 1994 when he was elected to Market Rasen Town Council. He stayed on the Town Council until his election to the District Council in 1999.

Initially he was elected to represent the Market Rasen Ward but after moving to Middle Rasen he gave up his seat as Market Rasen Ward Member in order to represent the Ward he now lived in. His risk of putting himself up for election a year before he needed to paid dividends when he was indeed elected to the position he now holds.

Gary continues to live in the heart of the village with his wife and two girls, aged 12 & 14. He was the Chair of the Environmental Committee from 2002 – 2004 and steered the introduction of Wheelie Bins throughout the district and helped develop the strategy which today has increased remarkably the recycling rate within West Lindsey. He is currently the Chair of the ‘Taxi & General Licensing' sub-committee.

Professionally, Gary is Assistant Director (Operations) at Connexions Lincolnshire & Rutland and is the Child Protection co-ordinator for the company. Connexions support young people in their transition from childhood to adulthood and is a publicly funded company. He is also a trustee of the Middle Rasen Wilkinson Trust charity as well as the Poor Land & Poor Meadows charity.

Finally, away from his public duties he likes nothing better than to pound the streets of his Ward in running trainers and shorts! He has completed the Great North Run in the past two years and has applied (unsuccessfully) to the London Marathon five times!

Gary can be contacted at;

3, Mallowfield, Middle Rasen, Lincs,

LN8 3TU.

(Home) 01673 843597

(Mobile) 07900 535 155.

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LCIF

1. Criteria

Each application will be submitted in accordance with Sustainable Community Strategy's priority areas and the Council's Outcomes Framework in the Corporate Plan 2007/2010. The application will only be considered if it contributes towards these areas and/or outcomes.

a) The West Lindsey Sustainable Community Strategy details the following vision for the area:

“West Lindsey is seen as a place where people want to live, work, invest and visit”

The strategy is divided into the following three priority areas;

•  Healthier Communities and Well-Being

•  Safer and Stronger Communities

•  Economic Development and Regeneration

The aspirations, evidence and outcomes associated with each section are underpinned by two central cross-cutting themes; children and young people and social inclusion.

b) The Council's vision is supported by the Outcomes Framework 2007/08:

•  Neighbourhood Management/Quality of Life

•  Improve public satisfaction with the streetscene

•  Reduce incidence and fear of crime and anti-social behaviour

•  Improve Housing Standards especially in the private sector

•  Recycling: Increase opportunities

•  Health

•  Reduce Inequalities in health

•  Improve health by increasing rates of physical activity

•  Inclusion

•  Housing issues

•  Improve Service Access and Community Engagement

•  Young People

•  Regeneration

•  Strong Vibrant Gainsborough Town Centre to support growth

•  Improvement in Quality of Life in the South West Ward in Gainsborough

•  To achieve the planned growth and development of Gainsborough as set out in the Master Plan

•  Sustaining the growth of the towns of Caistor and Market Rasen and the Wolds area

•  Increased Jobs and Business Creation throughout the District.

c) The Fund cannot be used for any political or religious purpose.

d) The Fund can be used for a community building/facility which is either owned or managed by a religious group, providing the facility is open and available to all members of the community.

e) The spend should be in accordance with the Members Code of Conduct.

f) Members cannot spend the fund money themselves and then be reimbursed by the Council.

g) Two or more members may agree on a joint proposal for the whole or part of their ward.

h) Ward Members may consider proposals in an area wider than their own Ward, if it is deemed the proposal would be of benefit to the area as a whole (including the Members own ward).

2. Process

a) All applications from the Councillor's chosen applicant body must be submitted by 1 February 2008 . Payment receipts/proof of purchase must be submitted by 7 March 2008 .

b) Receipt of applications will be acknowledged within five working days. It is the applicant's responsibility to obtain all necessary permissions and comply with all relevant legislation. Application forms will not be accepted where the relevant permissions have not been applied for.

c) Applicants will either be advised that their application has been unsuccessful or will be made the grant offer. Following the return of a signed offer letter, the project may commence (unless prior “without prejudice approval” has been given).

d) Once the project has been completed and the supplier(s) and/or contractor(s) paid, copies of payment receipts (not invoices) should be forwarded to Central and Democratic Services. A site visit/inspection may be made at this stage.

e) If all the paperwork is in order and any other checks are satisfactory, a cheque will be raised and sent to the applicant body within 14 days.

3. Conditions

Grant offers will normally be made subject to the following conditions:-

•  That any other major sources of funding, essential to the project proceeding are secured.

•  That the project proceeds as set out in the application or in a revised form which is submitted in writing and agreed.

•  That West Lindsey District Council reserves the right to inspect any goods/works before releasing payment.

•  That payment is made directly to the applicant body, not to an individual.

•  The payment of the grant is based on the actual costs incurred. If the actual costs are less than the quoted costs, the grant will be reduced pro-rata.

•  That the offer of the grant is formally accepted within four weeks of the date of the offer and any additional conditions within it are adhered to.

•  The applicant body acknowledges the grant in all publicity.

4. Review

a) The scheme will be kept under review by the Central and Democratic Services Manager.