Sutton Bridge & Wingland Parish Council Newsletter
Winter/Spring 2016
Chairman’s remarks......
Welcome to our first Newsletter of 2016!
One of Council’s first tasks this year is to seek tenders for grass cutting in the Parish. Our contractor, Mr Kevin Portass has retired after many years of good service and we would like to thank him for the hard work he has undertaken in keeping the village grass looking tidy and in good condition. The new contract will not include areas which fall under the responsibility of South Holland District Council, the authority will be making its own maintenance arrangements.
Our ‘three yearly’ tree inspection was carried out during 2015 and all recommended works will be completed during January and February.
Flytipping - I think we are beginning to win the battle against the ‘Dumb Dumpers’ but one or two places still seem to be regarded as a place to dump rubbish despite installation of ‘No Flytipping’ signs, (the High Street being one location). We need to be aware and report all flytipping incidents in the village to the authorities. Let’s keep our village looking good and a nice place to live.
Again a big thank you to the ‘In Bloom’ team Members for their hard work during 2015. The Group is always looking for new members to help with planting and maintenance of flower beds etc. so if you have a few hours to spare, your support would be much appreciated.
Cllr John Grimwood – Chairman
Sutton Bridge Parish Council
THEPARISH OFFICE IS SITUATED IN THE CURLEW CENTRE.
OFFICE OPENING HOURS: TUESDAYS 10 am - 1 pm
To arrange an appointment with the Clerk at any other time, please contact the Parish Office: 01406 350802 or by email to:
Allotments
The Parish Council has a vacant garden allotment plot at Wright’s Lane.For further information, please contact the Parish Office, T: 01406 350802 or by e-mail to: or pop into the office on Tuesdays between 10am and 1pm.
Parish Council Meetings
Meetings are scheduled for 26th January, 23rd February, 29th March, 26th April, 31st May, and 28th June. They take place in the Curlew Centre, commencing at 7pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend and can raise any matter concerning them during the 15 minute open session at the start of the meeting.
SATURDAY SKIP SERVICE:
This service is located at Railway Lane Industrial Site. Lorries will be situated to the rear of the units. Please follow the 'one-way' system to avoid problems. Residents can take their household and garden waste for disposal.
The service is available on 16th January, 20th February and 19th March 2016 between 8am – 11am. At present we are waiting for confirmation of further dates.
Grey Bags
These are used for Garden Waste only and cost £1.50 each, available from the Parish Office which is open on Tuesday 10.00am till 1.00pm.
The Grey Bags should be put out on a Friday with the Black Bag Refuse.
Burglaries
There have been a few reports of burglaries in the The Suttons area. Residents should check that doors and windows are locked before leaving their homes even if it is just to go to the shops for a few minutes. Also check if you have any lighting outside that it works and to change bulbs if they are blown. Timer lights are a good deterrent for the evening and also radios being left on during the day or evening so that there is noise within the property.
Please report any suspicious behaviour to the Police on the 101 number as soon as possible, with a descriptions of persons or vehicle registration numbers.
Sutton Bridge FoodBank
The Community FoodBank has now been operational for nearly a year, this is a good time to pause and reflect both on its impact and need in the community.
So far we have supported over 50 adults and nearly 50 children, providing more than 1,200 meals. For those families the FoodBank has made a real difference and we will continue to offer this much needed support in our community.
We continue to explore other ways of helping our community, and are actively discussing options for a Community Charity Shop.
If you feel you can offer any food items to the FoodBank, or any of your time, then please do contact Rev David Oxtoby, Tel:01406 258572 or mobile:07595 387652.Please drop any donations off at the Church during the daytime, or contact Rev David at: . The Foodbank is open Tuesday & Friday from 1-3pm every week.
Christmas Lights
A big thank you to the businesses and homes that made a real effort with lights outside. It really helped brighten up the town. The Parish Council has allocated funds in its 2016-17 budget towards the creation of an ‘Improvement to Christmas lighting’ Reserve.
The Curlew Centre
The Curlew Centre is fast becoming the hub of our community since it opened in early 2012.
In addition to being one of this area’s leading venues for meetings, conferences and seminars, there are rooms available for all sizes of groups and functions.
If you are looking for a venue for your wedding or party then The Curlew Centre is the ideal place. Why not contact our team for a tailored quote for your event on 01406 351122 (24hour) or email
The current committee are looking for more people to join in and help to run “your community hub” Whether you can spare just a few minutes or hours per week.
We need people to help support
- Fund-raising
- Assisting in the occasional function making Refreshments
- Reception (no experience needed)
- General Maintenance/Handyperson
- Baking Cakes for our coffee mornings
If you have something or anything no matter how small to offer, we would love to hear from you.
For details of all our upcoming events please visit our website
We host many different groups and activities such as: -
Diamond Social Club
Meet every Tuesday from 19.30 – 21.30pm in the upstairs Jubilee Room.
Contact is Hazel Phillipo 01406 350276.
Slimming World
Monday 19:00 – 21:00
Call Selina on 01406 422938 or 07977 700059
Allsorts Craft Club
Meet 2nd Thursday of the month (excluding August) 13.00 –16.00pm
Call Josie Hartopp on 01406 351688 for more information.
Rebecca Dear School of Dance
Monday 16:30 – 20:30 and Wednesday 16:00 – 20:30
Classes held on Monday and Wednesday afternoon/evenings during school term times.
07752 891526 or email and visit
Sutton Bridge Art Group
Every Wednesday 14:00 - 16:00
Contact Sandra Carpenter 01945 780931 or email
Kickboxing
Monday 18:30 – 21:00
Free first class, kickboxing trousers and T-shirt
Call or text Aaron Farr 07882 581347 or Ben Merson 07912 790988
Citizen’s Advice Drop-in Surgery
The new Video link is available from 10:00 – 12:00.
Adviceline: 0344 411 1444 or Migrant Worker Advice Line: 0344 847 6128
Sutton Bridge Friendship Club
2nd & 4th Fridays each month 14:00 – 16:00
Contact Mrs Speechley 01406 351294
Bridge Church
Sunday 18.00 – 19:00 Call Tim Porter (of Kings Lynn Christian Fellowship) for more info 01553 766333 or 07796447229
Vitality
Every Thursday 10.00 – 11.00 Jubilee Room
A programme of exercise to music incorporating physio-based movement. Vitality is predominantly for the Over 60s or those of any age who have medical conditions which prevent them from exercising in a 'normal' setting.Followed by coffee and a chat.
Coffee Morning
Come along every Friday 9.30 – 11.30 for a coffee and biscuits and make new friends. All welcome.
Sutton Bridge Community Library
The Library goes from strength to strength. Friendly volunteers, a wide selection of over 4,000 books available and free computer use for members, a small charge is made for non-members.. The library is situated within the Curlew Centre and offers books to anyone within the area, not just in Sutton Bridge. The library is open during the following hours:
Monday 10am to 2pm
Tuesday 10am to 2pm
Wednesday 2pm to 6pm
Friday 2pm to 5pm
Saturday 10am to 1pm
The library is staffed by volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a library volunteer (no minimum time commitment) get in touch with us on 07852 549088 when we are open.
New volunteers are always welcome and training is given. The Library will shortly be part of the wider Lincolnshire library network.
Citizens Advice
Face-to-face advice is just around the corner
Now, with the help of digital technology, the Citizens Advice service will be available at the heart of your local community every day. The face-to-face service will be offered for two hours each day, five days a week using a free assisted video link and telephone access from the Curlew Centre. Offering general and specialist advice, the new daily service will provide FREE access to our Advice Line telephone link as well as a scan point for important documents. You’ll also be able to see the face of a friendly, fully-trained advisor too, making it even easier to make a personal connection with us.
CAN YOU HELP DELIVER THIS SERVICE? If you can spare two hours or more each week to provide voluntary help as a Curlew Centre receptionist with training provided to help CAB clients, then call the Curlew Centre on 01406 351122
Garden of Rest
Council has accepted a tender for the landscaping, construction of roads and ancillary work at the burial ground site, Fields Farm North, off Bridge Road.
It is hoped that development will commence shortly; detailed plans are available to view at the Parish Office. Development will be funded by the Power Station S106 Fund.
Members of the Burial Ground Committee and the Clerk would be happy to answer any queries you have concerning the project.
Bloomers
Hello again, it’s that time when we let you all know what your local In-Bloom team in Sutton Bridge are doing for the community.
In our last update in July 2015, we mentioned that the garden surrounding the RAF Memorial would be renovated. The hard landscaping has now been completed and it just remains for the team to plant up the newly arranged garden areas. This will be done in late spring. When deciding on our planting scheme, we need to take account of the exposed and dry conditions of the garden and, of course, it has to look nice throughout the summer and into early autumn. The funding for the renovation of this garden came from a grant from the Power Fund granted to SBiB in 2013. A portion of that grant had been set aside for the renovation of the bus stop garden close to the Nightingales estate. However, due to lack of volunteers it was decided to abandon this project for the foreseeable future, thus those funds were reallocated to the RAF Memorial garden renovation.
As yet, we’ve not decided on our plant choice and colour scheme for the containers and gardens throughout Sutton Bridge. Again, we have to take into consideration the different growing conditions which prevail in the areas in which we garden. We should have our plans finalised by the end of January so that we can place our plant order in good time
We have at last, secured an area for storage which enables any of the In-Bloom team to do gardening tasks without having to bring tools etc. from home. This storage facility has proven to be a great boost for the team.
Most of the gardens are looking quite sad at this time of the year. We are still in the process of tidying up and pruning – all in readiness for the warmer weather when the gardening year starts in earnest.
Interested in getting involved, contact us: E-Mail:
Sutton Bridge Best Front Garden Competition 2016
Advance notice is given that this year the Bloomers are organising this competition to encourage and recognise the beautiful gardens in the town with judging taking place between the 18th July and 31st July.
It's free to enter, simply pick up an entry form from the Parish Office or Community Library in the Curlew Centre. Entry forms will be available from 1st May. The rules are simple, the garden must be at the front of the house and visible from the footpath and must be in Sutton Bridge.
The competition is sponsored by Silverwood Craft & Garden Centre, which is putting up prizes for the three best entrants.
HIGHWAYS DEFECTS
Report defects (potholes for example) to highways and footpaths.
Please contact Lincolnshire Highways Department on 01522 782070 or complete an online report form @
Remember to pick it up!!
When you are out and about with your dog, please remember to clean up after your dog. Let's take a pride in our Village.
Sutton Bridge Youth Club
The Youth Club meets in the upstairs Jubilee Room of the Curlew Centre on Bridge Road every Thursday evening. It is open to children between 7 and 14 years and runs between 6 and 8 pm.
The Club is fully insured and has a fully trained and paid Youth Worker, along with young and mature volunteers. The recommended policies and procedures are in place, and are followed at all times. The Club is managed by a volunteer management committee, supported by our Youth Worker. We also have access to Lincolnshire County Council’s Children’s Services, should the need arise.
The current members went for an evening meal at MacDonald’s for their Christmas treat. On normal Thursday evenings, members have the chance to play pool, indoor ‘curling’, table tennis and table hockey; with x-box, Nintendo and Wii games projected onto a big screen for groups to use. There is a handicraft section and demonstrations of activities such as cookery skills.
New members are welcome, and adult volunteers are always needed. To contact the Youth Club, please see our ‘Facebook’ page ‘Sutton Bridge Youth Club’ or e-mail to;
The Friends of Sutton Bridge Playing Fields & Open Spaces
This small group (set up about 4 years ago) has contributed a number of improvements to the village. The last one being the Community Commemorative Wood [to help us remember the sacrifices of our past and current members of the Armed Forces], which will provide a relaxing area to rest during the late autumn, winter and early spring, and a shady area in which to picnic during the summer.
We are still trying to resolve the issue with the broken all-weather fitness equipment in the Memorial Ground, but the suppliers appear to be dragging their feet.
Unfortunately, we have lost one of our stalwarts, so things are going very slowly at present. New blood is what we need! If you are in any way interested and would like to know more, please contact Doreen or John Grimwood, Bett Ling or Chris Brandon-King through the Curlew Centre – telephone number 01406 351122 or e-mail to:
The Suttons Emergency Group
The Suttons Emergency Group has become operational after its trial exercise in Sutton Bridge but it does need more volunteers in case of emergencies.
Fly tipping
This is a major issue for our Parish which has got to stop. Anyone witnessing incidents, please record vehicle type and registration number and report to Michael Booth on 01406 350034 or South Holland District Council, Environmental Department on 01775 761161
Hare coursing
Another terrible activity taking place in and around Sutton Bridge from people outside the area. No one’s pets are safe and our local wildlife is being destroyed. If people see this activity taking place, please do not approach culprits but contact the Police on 999 or 101, please report the vehicle number and type.
Marina
A planning application for the long awaited Marina has been submitted to South Holland District Council by Lincolnshire County Council.
The proposals include the installation of 110m of commercial moorings and 60m of twin-sided leisure moorings. There is potential to increase the number of berths at a later date if required.
The County Council is hopeful that; if approved; the development will boost the village economy and lead to improved facilities in the area.
South East Lincolnshire Plan
The draft South East Lincolnshire Plan is currently under consultation (8th January – 19th February), documents are available to view in the Library. Please take part in the consultation, the plan will shape the local landscape and it is important that it reflects the wishes of our residents.
ENERGY PARK SUTTON BRIDGE
As reported in the July Newsletter, South Holland District Council Planning Committee unanimously rejected the planning application submitted by Energy Park Sutton Bridge for a gasifier incinerator type power station to be constructed and operated at Wingland.
The deadline by which any appeal process could be launched in respect of the application was 28th October 2015. We are pleased to report that no such action was undertaken by the applicant.
EDF Energy – Power Station B
The Secretary of State has given permission for the development of EDF B and the Parish Council has requested that she holds a public inquiry as we believe her decision is flawed.
The Council's Working Party has written an “open letter” to the Secretary of State, with copies to David Cameron, Relevant Ministers e.g. Environment, John Hayes MP, Henry Bellingham MP. Friends of the Earth, Natural England. Copies were also sent to the media and coverage was obtained on the BBC and newspapers. John Hayes has written to the Secretary of State asking that representatives from the Parish Council should meet with the Secretary of State. A date and time is awaited.
Sutton Bridge Health Centre
- Surgery opening hours are Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 6.00 pm (however we do open the doors shortly after 8.00 am so that patients are able to wait inside in comfort and are sheltered from inclement weather)
- Location is Railway Lane Sutton Bridge, PE12 9UZ
- Telephone number is 01406 350217
- Website address is
For appointment information we would suggest patients go to either the website, or to pick up a practice booklet from the surgery which explains about what appointments/clinics are available.