Was wool pulled over MP's eyes during recent sorting office visit? Emphatically not says Royal Mail

                                    

Demanding full disclosure - Melanie Onn

THE Government's Small Business minister, Blair McDougall, has been asked to intervene in a transparency row involving MP Melanie Onn and the  Royal Mail's sorting office in Grimsby.

When she paid a recent fact-finding visit to the Fotherby Street premises, the MP was shown empty mail frames, indicating that letters were out for delivery.

But she claims she has since been told by posties that the mail was not out for delivery - instead being hidden away to give the impression of service being carried out as normal.

However, this allegation - effectively that she had been duped - has been emphatically rejected by Royal Mail.

Now Ms Onn has written to the minister, asking him to get the bottom of the matter.

"I should be grateful if you could raise this disparity with Royal Mail," she writes. "Visits are of much greater value if they are honestly displayed.

"It is essential for my constituents that we can get a full picture of what services are being disrupted locally, why and how these matters can be addressed."                                                   

The MP has made public the letter she has written to the minister responsible for oversight of the Royal Mail

Heartbreak for Mariners as valiant fightback at Salford fails to clinch trip to Wembley

GRIMSBY Town have missed out on a Division 2 play-off final trip to Wembley.

Trailing 1-2 against Salford City after the first leg at Blundell Park, Town last night fell further behind when the Lancashire club scored early in the second half to make the aggregate score 3-1.

But then . . .

First Kieran Green, with a header, then a Jaze Kebia tap-in, levelled things up 2-2 on aggregate. 

The game went to extra-time, but Salford netted from close range in the 117th minute to clinch a date for the play-off final trip to London where they will play Notts County - last night's conquerors of Chesterfield 1-0 on aggregate following a 0-0 draw in the previous leg.

It is a hugely disappointing end to the campaign for Town after a momentous season which included  memorable Carabao Cup wins against Manchester United and Wolves early in the season.

But if they can keep together most of this season’s star performers - and maybe add a few more in the close season transfer market - they should have the springboard for another tilt at promotion in 2026-27.

Reform UK likely to miss out on control of council as current Conservative leader digs in heels

                                      

Cllr Freeston - audacious power bid likely to be thwarted

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A POWER grab by  ambitious Reform UK group leader Oliver Freeston looks doomed to fail at next week's AGM of North East Lincolnshire Council.

Following last week’s local elections, Reform UK emerged as the largest party with 14 seats.

But this is a country mile short of an overall majority because the other political groups have a total of 28 seats as follows - Labour 11, Conservative 10, Independent 4 Liberal-Democrat 3.

Talks about power-sharing deal between Reform and the Conservative hit the rocks earlier this week when current council supremo Cllr Philip Jackson (Con, Waltham) refused point-blank to cede leadership of the authority.

In an angry response, Cllr Freeston (Croft Baker) will call for his Tory opponent to be kicked out of the job at next Thursday evening’s meeting.

In a bluntly-worded motion, he has called for Cllr Jackson to be "removed" from the leadership so that he can be elected in his stead.

But his gambit looks likely to backfire - and both he and his  13 Reform colleagues face missing out on out on leadership, cabinet places and control of the authority.

This is  because Cllr Jackson is confident that - in return for the offer of places in the cabinet - he can stitch together a coalition with the Lib Dem’s and the Independents.

Will  the Labour Group like such an arrangement? Not one bit.

But they loathe everything Reform UK represents and will almost certainly opt to tread their own path rather than undermine their credibility by doing deals with those of other political persuasion.

Electors will be able to watch Thursday’s drama unfold because the AGM is due to be screened live via the NELC website.

In the meantime, spare a thought for new borough mayor Cllr Marian Boyd (Con, Park) whose responsibility it is to chair what looks set to be a fractious AGM. 

                                       

The notice of motion on the agenda for next week's annual meeting of the council

 

                                        

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A leafy car park site will provide temporary summer home for Cleethorpes' seasonal outdoor market

From next Wednesday, the temporary home of Cleethorpes outdoor market will be at the leisure centre end of the boating lake car park

A TEMPORARY new home has been found for Cleethorpes' twice-weekly seasonal outdoor market.

While contractors work on pedestrianisation of the town's market place, traders will ply their plants and other wares near the leisure centre at the north end of the boating lake car park.

North East Lincolnshire Council says  there are "plenty of reasons to visit the new site", identifying the chief of them  as: 

* Convenient parking – right next to the market

* Perfect setting – by the boating lake and coastal path

* A great day out – shop, walk, and enjoy the coast all in one visit

* Easier to find – with strong visibility from a main road and bus route

As before, the market will  run every Wednesday and Saturday from 9am to 3pm (weather permitting).

Trading at the temporary new location starts next Wednesday May 20 and will continues her until Wednesday September 30 by which time the re-modelling works at the market's traditional home should have been completed.

NELC says it welcomes inquiries from anyone  interested in trading at Cleethorpes Seasonal Outdoor  Market ( 01472 325836) / market.hall@nelincs.gov.uk.

North East Lincolnshire's new mayor, Cllr Marian Boyd, keen to raise funds for dementia charity

                                                         

North East Lincolnshire's new mayor - Cllr Marian Boyd

A DEMENTIA charity is set to be one of the beneficiaries of the year in office of North East Lincolnshire's new mayor, Cllr Marian Boyd.

Chris Suich set up the charity, Bob's Brainwaves, after her husband, Bob, began suffering memory loss in 2003.

He is a former manager of the Embassy Theatre in Skegness, then head of tourism and entertainment at Manby-based East Lindsey District Council.

The new mayor's other chosen charity needs no introduction - it is the RNLI.

Cllr Boyd, who has been a representative for Grimsby's Park ward since 2022,  was elected  at the annual mayor-making ceremony held in Grimsby Town Hall yesterday evening.

She certainly knows her way around local government.

She  began her career in 1972 in what was then the Great Grimsby County Borough Council, working in the education department before transferring to the housing department.

Subsequently, she became a college lecturer.

Her consort will be David Boyd and her chaplain will be the Rev Andrew Race.

The new deputy mayor is Cllr Robson Augusta.

In her speech, Cllr Boyd thanked council colleagues for their support and described becoming mayor as "a great honour".

Boost for Pleasure Island consortium as Natural England withdraws its objection to revamp

                                       

Pleasure Island - is a new chapter set to open for the former theme park?

COULD there be light at the end of a very long  tunnel for a consortium's oft-frustrated attempts to redevelop the former Pleasure Island theme park in Cleethorpes?

The last big hurdle  came in the form of Natural England which had long objected to the proposal for construction of a discount supermarket, two hotels, a garden centre, a coffee drive-thru andup to no fewer than 272 holiday lodges.

But NE has today told North East Lincolnshire Council's planning department that it has withdrawn its objection subject to appropriate mitigation to reduce disruption for birdlife - not the various songbirds on site but the scarce migratory shorebirds that spend autumn  and winter on the estuary.

The proposed mitigation includes the following:

• The closing of the site between  November 1 and  March 14 (exact dates dependant on school holidays)  

• The provision of improved links to the Cleethorpes Country Park (to reduce human footfall on the shoreline where wading birds such as Curlew and Knot feed) 

• Site design and structural planting to limit noise and light pollution  

• A no-dogs policy at both the holiday park and hotels to limit disturbance  

• Interpretation  signage to showcase the estuary's wildlife.

Natural England is also insisting on the appointment of an independent ranger to monitor the welfare of birdlife, to educate visitors and to ensure the mitigation conditions are met.

It wants the ranger to be employed by Humber Nature Partnership, with the consortium to contribute to her/his salary to the tune of £22,264 per annum (to be adjusted in line with inflation)

The Environment Agency withdrew its flooding objections last year, and it is not believed any other statutory consultee stands in the way of planning consent.

However, there are also many objections from nearby residents, and it is not clear if NELC's trees officer, Paul Chaplin, is content about the proposed landscaping plan once hundreds of trees and shrubs have been removed.

It seems likely now that the proposal - which dates as far back as 2020 - will be determined by a newly-elected (and inexperienced)  NELC planning committee later this year, possibly even in summer.

The project was originally the brainchild of Liverpool-based property developer Sze Ming Yeung but it is understood that supermarket chain Lidl is now the majority shareholder in the consortium behind the proposed revamp. 

Even if planning consent is granted, it may be many months before finance is in place, the site is cleared and redevelopment can start.

Most of the trees will have to be felled to make way for the redevelopment 

Arab investment giant's swoop for 50 per cent stake in windfarm that will be serviced out of Grimsby

The North Sea location of where Hornsea 3 is due to be constructed, with the underground cables being routed to come ashore in Norfolk

A MIDDLE Eastern investment company, Mubadala,  has made a surprise swoop for a 50 per cent stake in  Hornsea 3, which, once completed, will be the world’s single largest offshore wind farm with no fewer than 231 turbines.

The project is expected to create further employment at the operators, Ørsted, which will retain 50 per cent.

The Danish company already employs some 600 staff in and around Grimsby from where the sister Hornsea 1 and Hornsea 2 wind farm turbines are already maintained.

Based in Abu Dhabi, Mubadala is the sovereign wealth company of the United Arab Emirates. It has investments all over the world including the London-based bank, Revolut, which is currently being heavily promoted in an advertising campaign fronted by comedian Graham Norton.

Its investment in Hornsea 3 is put at $325-million - £240.8-million pounds.

Says Karim El Jazzar, Mubadala's head of infrastructure: "Hornsea 3 is a large-scale infrastructure asset supporting the expansion of renewable generation capacity in one of the world’s most established offshore wind markets.

"This investment reflects Mubadala’s approach of investing alongside experienced partners in high-quality infrastructure assets that support the energy transition while delivering long-term value.

"As electricity demand continues to grow, projects of this scale will play a critical role in expanding generation capacity and supporting the transition to a more sustainable energy system."

                                           

Investment in the North Sea wind farm project is being backed by Mubadala's chief executive, His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak