Question 1

Councillor Ros Jackson

Subject

Number of Empty Homes in East Lindsey

Response by

Councillor William Gray, Portfolio Holder for Communities and Better Ageing

Supplementary

Can we be assured that an analysis will be undertaken on the main reason homes remain empty?

Response

You will see in my response, once the strategy is adopted we are bringing forward an empty homes policy so watch this space.

Question 2

Councillor Travis Hesketh

Subject

New information from NWS on the GDF

Response by

Councillor Craig Leyland, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Affairs

Supplementary

The last government held a referendum for Brexit with everything tied up in 3 ½ years.  Why can’t your administration do this for the proposed GDF in the same amount of time?

Response

The timescale has been frustrating.  We have had a motion to Council and NWS is engaging with community activities in terms of getting their experts in to discuss issues.  The Community Partnership side needs to be equally paced.  As a Council, we said we would review in June/July 2025 on the back of that motion and we are progressing, but I understand your frustration.

Question 3

Councillor Travis Hesketh

Subject

Timeline of NWS changes announcement

Response by

Councillor Craig Leyland, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Affairs

Supplementary

NWS Community Partnership knew nothing about the announcement that Theddlethorpe was too small for the GDF.  There are no actions recorded in their last set of minutes, so how do you hope things will work in the future?

Response

As Leader of the Council, I have the opportunity and obligation and sometimes the responsibility and burden where information is given and I have to make a judgement when it is shared.  We received an update from NWS that said they had a competing interest on the site and it may be that they had to look elsewhere.  On that basis I had to wait until the Community Partnership discussed it and it is a burden of knowledge.

Question 4

Councillor Travis Hesketh

Subject

Expansion of search area for GDF

Response by

Councillor Craig Leyland, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Affairs

Supplementary

Why are you not suggesting other areas that are more suitable for a nuclear waste dump?

Response

If the recommendation was to consider other areas I would have an open mind of the benefits of that going forward.  In respect of where this process goes, the search area is discussed by the primary senior council involved (LCC) at the working group stage.  Currently the search area remains the same and there has been no intention to change this by NWS as I understand this.  We have not received a report back from their investigations into potential other sites in the search area.

Question 5

Councillor Travis Hesketh

Subject

Financial and community benefits from proposed National Grid infrastructure project

Response by

Councillor Craig Leyland, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Affairs

Supplementary

How can you come to a wise and right decision so quickly when it takes you 3 ½ to 7 years to make a decision on what my community knows intuitively from the outset?

Response

The siting of the potential GDF site follows a government process in the same way the proposed pylons will follow a process but they have different timelines.  According to government guidance, we are adhering to the timelines for the GDF proposal and we have accelerated this by taking the decision with regards to the motion and also the agreement with LCC that by 2027 we would be pulling out of it unless there was a test of public support.

Question 6

Councillor Jill Makinson-Sanders

Subject

Criteria for Changing Places initiative

Response by

Councillor Craig Leyland, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Affairs

Supplementary

This was funded by the Council, so why is it called a changing place facility when it isn’t.  A member of the public has queried this because it is not accessible for the public to use it?

Response

It is but a name, but in respect of that we don’t know any future needs of staff or Councillors.  The changing place name describes the facilities and I take your point that it is named after a government initiative.

Question 7

Councillor George Horton

Subject

Criteria for writing off debts

Response by

Councillor Tom Kemp, Portfolio Holder for Finance

Supplementary

Do any of the claims reach court and how long before it becomes a bad debt.

Response

A written response to be requested.

Question 8

Councillor George Horton

Subject

Reduction of waste refuse collections

Response by

Councillor Martin Foster, Portfolio Holder for Operational Services

Supplementary

I still have not received information on the acronyms, could this be made available.

Response

I will share the response with you that provides the details for this.

Question 9

Councillor George Horton

Subject

Cost for application – 3G Pitch, Louth

Response by

Councillor Graham Marsh, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Leisure and Culture and Carbon Reduction

Supplementary

None

Question 10

Councillor George Horton

Subject

Lack of dentistry across the district

Response by

Councillor William Gray, Portfolio Holder for Communities and Better Ageing

Supplementary

None

Question 11

Councillor George Horton

Subject

Council spend on external consultants

Response by

Councillor Tom Kemp, Portfolio Holder for Finance

Supplementary

None

Question 12

Councillor Roger Dawson

Subject

Impact from post-planning permission delays

Response by

Councillor Tom Ashton, Portfolio Holder for Planning

Supplementary

None

Question 13

Councillor Roger Dawson

Subject

Value/legal requirement for post-planning permission work

Response by

Councillor Tom Ashton, Portfolio Holder for Planning

Supplementary

None

Question 14

Councillor Roger Dawson

Subject

Lessons learned from Briggs Meadow planning application

Response by

Councillor Tom Ashton, Portfolio Holder for Planning

Supplementary

Specifically to the Briggs Meadows application, could I have a response regarding the specific application process and why it took so long?

Response

I’m happy to take that as noted and facilitate.

Question 15

Councillor Roger Dawson

Subject

ELDC’s current planning capacity

Response by

Councillor Tom Ashton, Portfolio Holder for Planning

Supplementary

The responses to these questions refer to a service review of capacity and process – when would it be started and expected to be completed and who would the report go to?

Response

I’m happy to talk to the Overview Committee at any time with regards to this review and planning processes.  I am optimistic that the work the Assistant Director for Planning and Strategic Infrastructure has been doing and we will see clear evidence of progress in the new year.

Question 16

Councillor Daniel Simpson

Subject

Position on resolving legal matters at Kingfisher Caravan Park

Response by

Councillor Craig Leyland, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Affairs

Supplementary

None

Question 17

Councillor Daniel Simpson

Subject

Infrastructure issues at Kingfisher Caravan Park

Response by

Councillor Craig Leyland, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Affairs

Supplementary

None

Question 18

Councillor Daniel Simpson

Subject

Future of Kingfisher Caravan Park

Response by

Councillor Craig Leyland, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Affairs

Supplementary

None

Question 19

Councillor Daniel Simpson

Subject

Consideration of Invest East Lindsey (IEL) Scrutiny report

Response by

Councillor Craig Leyland, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Affairs

Supplementary

None

Question 20

Councillor Daniel Simpson

Subject

IEL presentation to Council

Response by

Councillor Craig Leyland, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Affairs

Supplementary

None

Question 21

Councillor Daniel Simpson

Subject

Response times to email and phone calls

Response by

Councillor Craig Leyland, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Affairs

Supplementary

None

Question 22

Councillor Jill Makinson-Sanders

Subject

Explanation of domestic abuse meaning

Response by

Councillor William Gray, Portfolio Holder for Communities and Better Ageing

Supplementary

(Further to an anecdotal situation highlighted) Can you follow this up and make sure adequate training is provided to the right people in the right places?

Response

If you can provide me with the details I will follow up with Platform Housing Group.

Question 23

Councillor Jill Makinson-Sanders

Subject

Re-housing of asylum seekers

Response by

Councillor William Gray, Portfolio Holder for Communites and Better Ageing

Supplementary

Further to the list of asylum support agencies provided, the recipients are isolated so could this be fed back?

Response

I provided a detailed response so all Councillors know who to contact.  If we hear about these things we do feed back.  We will be having a meeting in the new year to address any local issues highlighted to us.