Training a sooper-dooper pooper-scooper...?

A South Lincs council is unable to tackle problem dog-fouling until an officer has been trained in - wait for it - evidence gathering techniques.

Apparently, a South Holland Council officer is away on a course as we speak. No doubt, s/he is learning how to properly look into the matter.

Hope they issue him/her with a shovel...

Lifeline scrapped for Deepings, but not for Grantham!

Dial-a-ride, a lifeline for elderly housebound people, is to be scrapped in The Deepings, Stamford and Bourne. But not in Grantham.

The Stamford Mercury report that Lincolnshire County Council will only continue to fund Dial-a-Ride in partnership with district councils.

Just a month after Grantham-based South Kesteven District Council was shamed as the only district in Lincolnshire to refuse to support extending bus passes for over-60s and disabled people, they - and Spalding-based South Holland are the only two districts refusing to back Dial-a-Ride.

The fact that South Kesteven will continue to fund Dial-a-Ride for Grantham only adds insult to injury.

A total disgrace.

UPDATE: I see there is a partial Call Connect service to be launched as a partial replacement for Dial-a-Ride where there are no local buses.

UPDATE 2: As of Friday morning, still no news on SKDC's own information website about the scrapping of Dial-a-Ride in The Deepings, Bourne and Stamford. SKDC's website has some info on the scheme, but says the last update on info on Dial-a-Ride was made in September last year...

More important, no information at all on the Call Connect 'service', which the Mercury says will not be provided on bus routes...The whole point of Dial-a-Ride was that it was specifically aimed at people who were unable to use local buses!

More discrimination on the buses for local pensioners and disabled people...

Pensioners and disabled people across South Kesteven are being denied free all-day bus travel - thanks to the meanest district council in Lincolnshire.

South Kesteven District Council is the only local authority in the whole of Lincolnshire refusing to join a county-wide scheme to help pensioners and disabled people.

Over the years, I've campaigned to improve bus travel, particularly for our pensioners and disabled people. That's how I became known as Fair Deal Phil!

As county councillor for Deeping St James, I've lobbied for a county-wide scheme to end the unfairness. But South Kesteven District Council - and even our local district councillors elected to represent local people - would not sign up.

There was great news in April when Gordon Brown brought in free off-peak bus travel across the country for pass holders.

In a welcome gesture, Lincolnshire County Council has now agreed to stump up the cash to top up the Government scheme and make the bus passes free round-the-clock - if the district councils would match this subsidy.

Six district councils have willingly agreed - South Holland, Lincoln, Boston, East Lindsey, West Lindsey and North Kesteven.

But not South Kesteven.

According to figures in today's Spalding Guardian, it would cost SKDC a little over £17,000 to allow pensioners and disabled people to use their passes at any time.

That sounds like good value to me.

But the county scheme will go ahead without SK.

That means that every council taxpayer in the Deepings and across SK will be forced to pay the county council subsidy - but receive none of the benefits.

Once again, local pensioners and disabled people will have to pay for the incompetence of our Grantham-based district council.

SKDC: Hang your heads in shame.

Tory quits saying Tories have 'elevated egos...'

The Tories who run South Holland District Council have been accused of having 'elevated egos' who make decisions without 'real consultation'.

Wayne Seaborn has resigned from the Tory Group, according to today's Lincs Free Press alleging that being a member of the ruling Conservative group on the council was stifling his ability to represent his electors.

Same old Tories eh?

Farce if councillor who 'won' with fewer votes...

The case of the missing ballot box has turned to farce. It has now been proved that one of the councillors returned to South Holland District Council on 3 May polled fewer votes than a candidate who "lost". But the distorted result stands!

When it became known that all the votes from one ballot box had not been included in the original count, a court gave permission for the sealed container of ballot papers to be opened.

A recount which took place last night changed the result in the Crowland and Deeping St Nicholas Ward.

As Returning Officer and Chief Exec at the Council Terry Huggins explains - in language that only a Returning Officer could use -

This recount indicates a different relative ranking between the candidates from the result of the poll declared on the 3/4 May, 2007. This being a three member ward, of most significance is the changed position to the ranking of the candidates ranked third and fourth.

What he means is that Jim Astill who was returned as being elected by one vote at the official count, actually polled seven fewer votes than Angela Harrison who was not elected.

Terry Huggins points out that the recount does not in itself change the declaration he made.

What he means is that Jim - the loser who really won - remains duly elected. And Angela -the winner who really lost - does not!

Only a successful election petition to the High Court can change the cocked-up result.

It seems farcical that only candidates or their agents can make the costly petition to the High Court - not the people who made the mistake.

Since Jim and Amanda are both Conservatives, the cock-up does not affect the political control of the council.

It seems unlikely that either they - or the Conservative Party - will go through the expensive High Court process.

So justice will not be done.