Friday 31 May 2024

Owners of Waltham care home keen to expand with 70-bedroom project on former food factory site

 

Purpose-designed - agents The Planning Hub says conversion of old properties is an outdated concept 


THE owners of The Grove care home in Waltham have earmarked  land in Grimsby for an ambitious new development.

Country Court Care Ltd are keen to build a 70-bedroom home and eight apartments on land off Ladysmith Road and Cleefield Drive.

Part of the site is former home to a Birds Eye food factory which has long since been demolished.

Agents The Planning Hub say: "The applicants are experienced care home operators and are fully aware of the increasing need for care home places in the towns and villages within which they have premises. 

"The increasing need for such facilities also brings with it a desire for modern, purpose-built development over the well-established but dated format of the conversion of larger older properties.

"It is encouraging to see a business such as this looking to move forward and provide additional, functional care home facilities within the area.

"In doing so the business will create new full-time and part-time jobs and will boost the local economy accordingly as residents and their visitors will use the nearby facilities and services that already exist within this part of the town."

The proposal, which is currently under consideration by North East Lincolnshire Council planners, also provides for the creation of up to 40 car parking spaces with a further six for bicycles.


Functional - another view of the proposed care home off Grimsby's Ladysmith Road

Thursday 30 May 2024

Proposed revamp of Pier Gardens will lead to removal of two of seafront's most popular features

                                     

Popular with young children but the days of the maze are numbered 

TWO longstanding features of Cleethorpes seafront are to be removed.

North East Lincolnshire Council today announced that there is no future for either the privet hedge maze or the corkscrew-shaped conifer in front of the Memorial gate.

They are both to be sacrificed to make way for a proposed revamp of Memorial Gardens. 

Says the council: "As part of the early 'enabling' works, the privet maze at the southern end of Pier Gardens will be removed in the coming weeks. 

"Although a well-used attraction, particularly for younger children, the maze has unfortunately also attracted some anti-social behaviour over the years.

"Nor does it form part of our new plans for the Pier Gardens.

"The area occupied by the maze will be used by the Armed Forces team to enhance its display event later this year."

As part of  the revamp, other vegetation will be cleared.

This will include Buddleia that has sprung along various parts of the front, most conspicuously with in the Sea Road compound earmarked for a new amenity building.

To comply with wildlife regulations, NELC says a full check of the bushes and trees will be carried out  by ecologists to ensure no disturbance of nesting birds such as robins, wrens, dunnocks, blackbirds and house sparrows.

Plans for Pier Gardens include creation of an events arena and installation of play equipment.

 Also on Sea Road, the WCs will be closed early next month prior to stripping out of asbestos in advance of proposed demolition.

It is not known if planning consent will be required for any of the works given that Pier Gardens are within a conservation area.  

                                            
Removal beckons for this unusual spiral-shaped conifer 

A favourite food plant of butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects, but this buddleia on Sea Road will soon be ripped out by decree of the council


Tuesday 28 May 2024

Councillor quits Tories for Reform UK party and will stand as their candidate in General Election

 


Cllr Oliver Freeston - will he be next MP for Grimsby and Cleethorpes?

VOTES cast for a sitting North East Lincolnshire councillor could determine the outcome of the poll for the Grimsby and Cleethorpes constituency  at the General Election.

Cllr Oliver Freeston, a prison officer, was elected to the Croft Baker ward in Cleethorpes as a Conservative.

But it emerged today that he had switched allegiance to Reform UK and will stand as their candidate against sitting Conservative MP  Lia Nici and Labour's Melanie Onn on July 4.

It is thought that the Liberal-Democrats will also field a candidate, and various Independents may also enter in the fray.

Political pundits reckon  that Reform UK will pick up most of its votes from disaffected Conservative voters, but Labour will also be mindful of the threat.




 


Scrapping of pre-9.30 time restriction is sure to be welcomed by older and disabled bus pass holders

All aboard! Free bus passes are a welcome perk for older passengers


THERE is good news today for senior citizens and disabled who hold concessionary passes allowing them free travel on buses. 

At present, they are not permitted to use their passes before 9.30am on weekdays. 

However, as from next Monday, June 3, the time restriction will be scrapped and, if they hold passes issued by North East Lincolnshire Council, they will be allowed to travel pre-9.30am.

Says Matt Cranwell, managing director at Stagecoach East Midlands: "We are pleased to work with the council  to expand the hours of free travel for local concessionary pass holders.

"Being able to use bus passes before 9.30am  on weekdays will give people greater travel flexibility especially when booking GP and hospital appointments.

"Buses provide vital transport connections for our communities and help improve the independence, health and well-being of our older customers."

Sunday 26 May 2024

Alas, poor whale! Once-proud creature of the deep is now not even a shadow of its former self

 


The carcase of a sperm whale that washed up on the beach at Humberston in mid-March  is now now almost gone - partly as result of decay and partly because its blubber and flesh have been providing easy (and nutritious) pickings for passing gulls and carrion crows. Soon only the skeleton will be left, and maybe the bones will be washed out to sea. Above is a picture taken mid-morning today of the sad creature. Below is one taken on March 13. The cause of its demise may never be known.



Friday 24 May 2024

North East Lincolnshire Council's cabinet now has portfolio holder for all things green and leafy

                                                                   

Cllr Henry Hudson - he will oversee matters related to the environment 

THERE is a new member of  North East Lincolnshire Council's cabinet.

Henry Hudson, one of the  Wolds ward's two Conservative representatives, has been appointed portfolio holder for environment and net zero.

Announcing the appointment today, NELC leader Cllr Philip Jackson said: Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of the Council, said: "We welcome Cllr Hudson to the cabinet."

The Cabinet responsibilities for the forthcoming civic year are as follows:


Cllr Philip Jackson – Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economy, Regeneration, Devolution and Skills:

Economic strategy

Regeneration, inward investment and growth

Business support and local enterprise

Devolution, regional development and strategic economic collaboration

Skills and employability


Cllr Stan Shreeve – Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care:

Adult social care

Health and adult social care commissioning and provision

Public health and health inequality

Health and care partnership, collaboration and integration


Cllr M Cracknell – Portfolio Holder for Children and Education:

Statutory Lead Member for children’s services

Safeguarding of children and young people

Corporate parenting, care leavers and family support

Early help

School improvement and education


Cllr S Harness – Portfolio Holder for Finance, Resources and Assets:

Financial strategy and corporate governance

Revenue budget and capital programme

Digital strategy, inclusion and development

Shared services and commercial development

Financial inclusion

Assets (corporate, commercial, community) and estate management


Cllr H Hudson – Portfolio Holder for Environment and Net Zero:

Waste, recycling and environmental management

Neighbourhood services, street scene, parks, open spaces

Climate Change related policy implementation affecting the natural environment

Net Zero, decarbonisation, the NEL Carbon Roadmap and the Green agenda


Cllr S Swinburn – Portfolio Holder for Housing, Infrastructure and Transport

All aspects of housing

Planning, development control, highways and transportation

Traffic management, parking and regulation


Cllr R Shepherd – Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities:

All aspects of local authority enforcement and regulatory services

Environmental health, port health, food safety, pollution control, trading standards and licensing

Community safety and anti-social behaviour

Voluntary and community sector

Emergency planning and civil contingencies


Cllr H Dawkins – Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and the Visitor Economy:

Tourism and the visitor economy

Leisure, sport and recreation, including the playing pitch strategy

Culture, Borough heritage, museums and the arts

Equalities, diversity and inclusion


Other committee and panel membership

Scrutiny Panels:

Children and Education (Chair: Cllr Paul Silvester)

Health and Adult Social Care (Chair: Cllr Karl Wilson)

Transport, Infrastructure and Strategic Housing (Chair: Cllr  Sheldon Mill)

Economy, Culture and Tourism (Chair: Cllr Keith Brookes)

Communities (Chair: Cllr Nicola Aisthorpe)

Regulatory Committees:

Appointments Committee (Chair: Cllr Philip Jackson)

Planning Committee (Chair: Cllr David Hasthorpe)

Standards and Adjudication Committee (Chair: Cllr Sophia Farren)

Licensing and Community Protection Committee (Chair: Cllr Janet Goodwin)

Audit and Governance Committee (Independent Chair, Tim Render; Deputy Chair: Cllr Steve Holland)

Two Cabinet working parties have also been formed, with a focus on the following areas:

Selective licensing and Houses in Multiple Occupation

Environmental street scene and Enforcement

The appointments were confirmed at yesterday evening's  AGM.

Four decades after her death, has there been breakthrough in Cleethorpes woman murder inquiry?


A 63-year-old man has been arrested as detectives relaunch a murder investigation after receiving new information in connection with the death of a woman in 1983 in Cleethorpes.

On Friday, 10 June, 1983, Olive Wilkinson (36) was found dead having sustained fatal injuries inside her  home on Montague Street.

A murder investigation was launched following her death.

However, despite extensive lines of inquiry and a number of renewed appeals the case has remained unsolved.

A cold case review of the investigation was launched in 2023  after detectives received fresh information in connection with her death.

Following the review, detectives began to explore new lines of enquiry, and, on Tuesday of this week, a man was arrested on suspicion of murder of the divorced mother of two.

He remains in custody pending further inquiries.

Senior investigating officer Det Ch Insp Amy Keane-Christie comments: "The information received has led to an arrest of a man who is a new suspect to the investigation, which originally launched in 1983, into Olive’s murder.

"Her family have been informed and are currently being supported by family liaison officers.

"A team of specialist trained detectives are currently dedicated to reviewing and progressing the investigation.

For most of this week, police have been searching two Cleethorpes locations, one of which is thought to be Humber Street.

Anyone with information is urged to phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or call  101 quoting investigation reference log 69 of 21 May.

Requests for anonymity will be respected.

Wednesday 22 May 2024

NELC leader Philip Jackson says opposition to National Grid's pylons scheme is 'growing by the day'

The National Grid's preferred route for the line is overhead from Grimsby West to Walpole in North Norfolk 


NORTH East Lincolnshire Council leader Cllr Philip Jackson says opposition to National Grid's electricity pylons proposal for Lincolnshire is "growing by the day".

Cllr Jackson, whose Waltham ward could be affected by the project, says the authority backs the campaign against an 87-mile long, high-voltage electricity line between Grimsby West and North Norfolk being installed overhead. 

Like others, he is dismayed by the potential visual and environmental impacts of 50-metre high pylons traversing the Lincolnshire countryside over 140kms.

He wants as much of the cabling as possible to be laid under the seabed.

And he is urging parish council, community groups and householders to join the campaign which is being fronted by Lincolnshire County Council, supported by those MPS whose constituencies will be affected.

Says Cllr Jackson: Opposition to this huge scheme is growing by the day. 

"While the council welcomes the need for an electricity upgrade, we are extremely concerned about the impact of these overhead power lines to our communities and the environment.

“We are supporting our neighbouring authorities in opposing this scheme and we ask local people not to sit back and let this pass without making their individual and collective views known. 

"This scheme will change our local landscape for generations to come and we believe that National Grid must urgently review its proposals.

"If it is needed, we fully support Lincolnshire County Council’s intention to take legal action to challenge the reasoning that this infrastructure is the best solution."

National Grid says The Great Grid Upgrade to meet ever-growing electricity demand will be the most expensive grid overhaul in generations, costing £1bn, compared to £4.4bn for an offshore alternative and £6.5bn for an onshore underground cable. 

It says maintenance costs will be reduced if the cable is overhead.

Choice on offer for Cleethorpes Tesco shoppers seeking a cuppa - and perhaps a sausage roll

 

There is no halting the growth of Newcastle-based pastries-and-cakes company Greggs. Its relentless expansion is now taking it into more and more supermarkets including this branch of Tesco in Cleethorpes. Its slot in the store is where the magazines used to be displayed so these have now been relocated elsewhere. Meanwhile, Tesco's own in-store cafe continues to trade just a few yards away. 



Saturday 18 May 2024

Investment company seeks planning consent to convert ground floor of former Natwest bank to shop

A distinguished past but what next for the former Natwest bank?  

 

NEW life beckons for the former  Natwest bank in Cleethorpes.

A planning application has been submitted for change of use of the property, which is next to Marples restaurant at the top of Sea View Street.

If approved by North East Lincolnshire Council, the ground floor will become a shop while the first and second floor will become a two-bedroom apartment.

The conversion proposal for the 1925-constructed building has been submitted by the Grimsby-based Chester Investment Group.

It is not known if a potential retail occupant has been lined up.

On the other side of the street, the former HSBC bank has become a bar, while the ground of the former Barclays bank on High Street remains vacant though planning consent exists for conversion to catering use, either as a restaurant or a takeaway.

Meanwhile, there is no word yet on the potential future of Lloyds bank when it ceases trading from its premises on St Peter's Avenue at the end of this year.


The brick-built property has some interesting architectural features but not all the refurbishment of past years has been sympathetic 




Friday 17 May 2024

Fire chiefs sound alert over proposed energy storage complex on leafy site near Tesco in Cleethorpes

 

The site off Hewitts Avenue that has been earmarked for  industrial development subject to planning permission

FIRE chiefs have sounded a safety alert on a proposal to develop an industrial energy storage complex at a leafy spot between Cleethorpes and New Waltham.

The site, which is adjacent to an electricity sub-station off Hewitt's Avenue,  not far from Tesco supermarket, is traversed by a public right of way.

In the absence of suitable precautions, lives could be put at risk if there were to be a blaze.

In advance of the proposal being determined by planners, Humberside Fire and Rescue  has written to North East Lincolnshire Council as follows: "It is a requirement that the responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed.

"The exact amount of information and level of detail necessary will vary depending on the nature and complexity of the building’s design.

" Where it is a requirement to provide access for high reach appliances, the route and hard standing should be constructed to provide a minimum carrying capacity of 26 tonnes. 

"Provision of water supplies for fire fighting appropriate to the proposed risk should be considered. 

"If the public supplies are inadequate it may be necessary to augment them by the provision of on-site facilities."

The applicants are Knaresborough-based Harmony Energy.

A planning decision on the proposal is expected later this summer.


Thursday 16 May 2024

Environmentalist and former football referee Steve Beasant back as mayor of North East Lincolnshire


Proud of his roots - new Mayor Cllr Steve Beasant and Deputy Mayor Cllr Janet Goodwin 

STEVE Beasant was elected Mayor of North East Lincolnshire at a ceremony yesterday evening in Grimsby Town Hall.

The Mayor-Making Ceremony takes place each year in May, and sees all 42 councillors elect a Mayor to chair council meetings for the forthcoming municipal year.

The role of Mayor in North East Lincolnshire is also a ceremonial one.

It sees the incumbent visit all corners of the borough, meeting representatives of charities, community organisations and businesses, as well as representing the council at official functions.

Cllr Beasant (Lib-Dem, East Marsh) was also Mayor between May 2022 and May 2023 and deputy mayor from May last year to May this year.

He has appointed Mrs Sandie Hullett as his Mayoress.

After thanking fellow-councillors for their confidence,  Cllr Beasant said:

"Members will recall that I held the role of Mayor quite recently, and they all know how much I enjoyed getting out and meeting local residents and hearing their stories.

“At times, the role can be emotional, listening to the achievements and struggles of other people, but one thing became clear: there are some incredible people in our borough doing some fantastic things, and I want to continue to use the office of Mayor to champion their causes and shine a light on their work."

Born in Grimsby, Cllr Beasant has lived in the East Marsh ward for more than 30 years and has been a ward councillor since 2003.

He is a passionate environmentalist who enjoys listening to the dawn chorus of songbirds in Grimsby's Grant Thorold park near where he lives.

He has previous stood, unsuccessfully,  as a parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats.

Although no longer to be seen as the man in black in the middle, he qualified as a Class I  football referee and officiated at a high level of the game.

The Mayor is not directly elected by the people and therefore holds no direct power. 

Like his predecessors, he will be politically neutral in carrying out his Mayoral duties and chairing council meetings.

Councillor Beasant has named Nurtrio, Friendship at Home, YMCA and Jax’s Stoma Appeals his Mayoral charities, and will undertake fundraising activities over the next 12 months  to raise funds for these  causes.

At the same ceremony, Cllr Janet Goodwin (Lab, South) was elected  Deputy Mayor, with Barry Goodwin to be her Consort.


Out of bounds! Three-storey car park in Grimsby closed after engineers identify structural damage

 

The car park - damage to the main support girders has been has been detected

THE three-storey Abbey Walk car park in Grimsby Town Centre has been "temporarily"  closed pending further safety checks.

All 427 spaces were placed out of bounds after the last car left yesterday evening.

North East Lincolnshire Council say this is "a precautionary measure following the findings of a pre-planned structural survey".

It says: "The closure is to ensure safety and to allow further in-depth investigations. 

"These are needed after this latest survey identified structural damage to the main steel support girders on the ground and first floors. 

"The further specialist surveys will be carried out as soon as possible to determine the best course of action.

"The above actions were taken by owners North East Lincolnshire Council and its delivery partner Equans, following an annual visual inspection. 

"During that inspection, it was recommended that a more specialist survey should be carried out."

The statement continues: "This immediate action has been taken to ensure people's safety.

"While we understand this may be an inconvenience, it must be safety first. 

"We must ensure that the necessary further surveys are now done before deciding on the best course of action. 

"We stress that this is not unusual with structures of this nature, especially those that take heavy traffic over long periods of time."

Alternative car parks close to the town centre include  Duchess Street, Garden Street, and the facility at the Fishing Heritage Centre. 

Freshney Place also has its own public car park.

Monday 13 May 2024

Breakthrough in Pleasure Island revamp scheme as Environment Agency withdraws its objection

 

Most of the trees and shrubs - along with the songbirds and butterflies - will be lost if the former theme park is redeveloped - but, hey, that's 'progress' 

THERE appears to have been a breakthrough in the project to redevelop the site of the former Pleasure Island theme park on the outskirts of Cleethorpes.


A consortium is keen to clear the land of most of its its trees, shrubs and redundant buildings to make way for a Lidl supermarket, 272 holiday lodges and possibly two hotels, entertainment buildings and a garden centre.


Up until last month the Environment Agency had opposed the proposal for fear that lives could be lost in the event of a 1953-type North Sea surge or fluvial flooding from the Buck Beck which runs alongside the site.


But after tweaks in the proposed layout of the site - and an assurance that there would be no winter occupation of any of the lodges - the EA has formally withdrawn its objection 


Not that this guarantees the scheme will proceed.


Although there is plenty of local support for the revamp, there are are also many objectors, especially from nearby residents living who have serious concerns about noise and traffic.


Natural England is also a longstanding objector to the scheme because it fears a substantial influx of holiday visitors will disturb globally-threatened shorebirds that spend autumn and winter on this part of the Lincolnshire Coast.


Since being abandoned some two decades ago the parkland-type grounds of Pleasure Island have themselves become rich in nature - particularly songbirds.


When ornithological surveys were carried out between 2019 and 2022, the recorded some 58 species, but this research now needs updating because new breeding species are likely to have  moved in. 


Pleasure Island is also  thought to be one of the last few - possibly the last - breeding sites in North East Lincolnshire of a once common but now rapidly declining bird, the cuckoo.


To be heard most mornings between now and the end of June, the bird - which migrates here from the Congo - is thought to lay its eggs in the nests of the reed warblers which occupy the reedbeds of the site's lake.


But both species would be lost to redevelopment because the project envisages clearance of most of the greenery and clearance of the reeds to accommodate anglers.


Following the withdrawal of its objection  by the Environment Agency,  it is thought that North East Lincolnshire Council  planners might now move to determine the application, possibly as soon as later this summer.


                                                   

Because they call from the uppermost branches of trees, cuckoos, such as this bird, are not easy to see, but they definitely like life at Pleasure Island

Saturday 11 May 2024

Council's appeal to Cleethorpes watersports enthusiasts: please show a bit of respect for wildlife

Too close for comfort - shorebirds take the skies after being disturbed at high tide in Cleethorpes earlier this week

A PLEA to watersports enthusiasts to stay away from Cleethorpes saltmarsh and sandbanks has been sounded by North East Lincolnshire Council.

It has been issued to coincide with today's  (May 11) World Migratory Day, the purpose of which is to encourage respect for wildlife - particularly birds, some of which fly to our shores from as far away as the Arctic or south of the Sahara Desert.

Whether the NELC appeal will have the desired impact remains to be seen.

Just hours before it was issued, paddleboarders were spotted disturbing thousands of shorebirds, such as knot, sanderling and plovers, that had been resting or feeding on the outer beach in readiness for their long flight to breeding grounds in the Arctic.

The council does not seek to be killjoys, spoiling the fun of watersports enthusiasts - it just wants them to stay away from flocks of birds which need both to feed and to conserve energy in advance of the arduous migration flights that await.

"Cleethorpes and the Humber Estuary are designated Special Protection Area for wildlife,"says a NELC spokesperson. 

"Preventing SPA birds from feeding or roosting and causing them to take flight is a criminal offence and offenders can be prosecuted."



Birds use up precious energy as they flee the approach of watersports enthusiasts

 
Paddleboarders coasting through  a creek in the saltmarsh mean no harm but they often inadvertently frighten roosting or feeding redshank, curlew and other wetland birds 

Friday 10 May 2024

'One-eyed monsters coming over the hill' - Cleethorpes MP sparks debate on headlight 'glare'

Martin Vickers believes older motorists are particularly discomforted by headlight glare


CLEETHORPES MP Martin Vickers this week initiated a debate in the 'Commons on the glare from car headlights  which, he claimed, were often so bright as to discomfort motorists driving in the opposite direction, thereby potentially increasing the likelihood of road accidents. Here, courtesy of Hansard, is part of the debate.  


Martin Vickers Con, Cleethorpes): I know I am not alone in believing that modern headlights on cars can be too bright, causing discomforting glare for motorists and potentially increasing accidents. 

Many of my constituents have made their views known, following an article in my local newspaper, the Grimsby Telegraph, which detailed the findings of a study by the Royal Automobile Club.

I am sure successive Ministers have been aware of and considered this issue, but I am disappointed that no action appears to have been taken until recently when the Government decided to commission an independent study following a public petition. 

I hope that by bringing this matter before the House, a meaningful series of exchanges with motorist organisations, road safety campaigners and others will follow.

Jim Shannon, DUP, Strangord: Back home, this is a big issue for many of my constituents when they observe what they refer to as one-eyed monsters coming over the hill.

 These new headlights seem to have almost a searchlight quality. 

On another issue, does the hon. Gentleman agree that it is essential that learner drivers learn to drive in the dark? 

For new licence holders learning to drive at night when a car is coming towards them can be overwhelming. 

Does he agree that there should perhaps be time in the driving licence application and instruction process to practise night-time driving?

Martin Vickers: Night-time driving is very different from normal daytime driving. 

Perhaps consideration should be given to whether that should be part of the driving test.

It is a statement of the obvious that vehicle headlights are crucial in enabling drivers to travel safely in the dark or in poor weather conditions. 

They are required to identify signs, bends, obstacles and other road users, pedestrians in particular, and to make their vehicle visible to others. 

Over the last 20 years, however, vehicle lighting technology has changed rapidly from halogen to high-intensity discharge to light-emitting diodes. 

I appreciate that they are slightly different technologies, but I will use LED as an all-encompassing shorthand for the various alternatives.

In general, LED vehicle headlights are advantageous for sustainability and the driver’s view of the road ahead, but they do also cause problems. 

Although I intend to focus on high-intensity headlights, it is worth highlighting that dazzling taillights, front and rear indicators, fog lights and reversing lights may also cause concerns about glare in various situations.

Dr John Lincoln, of LightAware, explains that, although the human eye can adapt to a wide range of light levels, from bright sunlight to almost total darkness, it cannot adapt in a short space of time.

Comfortable vision requires a limited range of light levels at any particular time. 

LED vehicle headlights are much bluer and brighter than the halogen headlights of the past. 

Halogen headlights are usually around 3,000 lumens, but LED lights are commonly double that, with a colour temperature of 6,000 Kelvins, which is much bluer than that of halogen bulbs.

In January, the RAC published the results of research conducted with 2,000 drivers. 

It found that 89 per cent of drivers think that some or most vehicle headlights on the UK’s roads are too bright, while 74 per cent said that they are regularly dazzled by them while driving. 

What is more, it has probably not gone unnoticed that there are a lot more large cars on the roads nowadays. 

Sport utility vehicles sit high off the ground and are particularly likely to cause glare. 

About six in 10 drivers of conventional vehicles blame the higher angle of SUV headlight beams. 

All that ought to suggest that vehicle headlight design needs a rethink.

Although the hazard caused by headlights is primarily due to unregulated luminance and blue wavelength light, as existing standards largely predate modern vehicle designs, some may argue that it would be best simply to enforce the highway code, rule 114 of which states: "You MUST NOT use any lights in a way which would dazzle…other road users."

Personally, I would show caution here. 

Much of the issue is down to new, supposedly intelligent, technology that largely takes control of the headlights from the driver. 

Although the driver can override the technology, it can be difficult to know when to do so. 

I would much rather see that resolved by fixing technology than by punishing motorists who may be unaware of the issue that they cause, not to mention the fact that it would be practically impossible to police as we know that officers cannot be on every corner.

In built-up areas, sleeping policemen, or speed bumps, cause oncoming vehicles suddenly to angle upwards, frequently shining their headlights directly into the eyes of oncoming traffic. 

Similarly, a driver properly in control on a dark country road can see vehicles approaching and dip their full-beam headlights, even if other vehicles are around the bend or over the brow of a hill. 

Matrix lighting systems are LED headlights made up of multiple units, and portions of the lamp can switch on and off automatically depending on road conditions, but they do not have human anticipation and switch off only when they directly sense the oncoming headlights, which can be too late to avoid blinding the oncoming driver.

Having set out to raise the issue, I consulted with a range of organisations, such as the RAC, the College of Optometrists and LightAware, which have done their own research into the matter. 

I also point to the noble lady Baroness Hayter, who has also been campaigning on this issue.

All of them told me that this is a very real issue for all motorists, but particularly those over 60, about half of whom, according to the College of Optometrists, have early-stage cataracts in one or both eyes, which make them even more vulnerable to the glare from bright headlights.

LightAware reports that, as a result of headlight glare, many drivers are restricting themselves to driving in the daytime and purposely avoid driving at night. 

The RAC’s study found that as many as 14 per cent of drivers aged 65 or over find glare such a problem that they have stopped driving at night. 

That has two primary impacts. 

First, the individual is less able to get out and less flexible in making medical appointments or seeing friends, leading to increased social isolation. 

Secondly, it reduces the number of reports into the issue of headlight glare, making it appear to be less of an issue than it really is.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents states that "between the ages of 15 and 65, the time it takes to recover from glare increases from one to nine seconds."

When travelling at 30 mph, that equates to travelling 13 metres for a young person and 117 metres for someone aged around 65. At 60 mph, that equates to an older person travelling 229 metres. Imagine the potential damage that could be caused by travelling 229 metres while visually impaired.

Plainly, this is not a problem reported just by UK drivers. 

A number of RAC-equivalent organisations around the world have conducted their own studies and reached the same conclusions.

 Organisations in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are finding the same results.

Carla Lockhart (DUP, Upper Bann): I  commend the hon. Gentleman for securing this timely debate. 

He will be aware that the investigation concluded that 44 per cent of drivers think dazzle could be caused by badly aligned headlights.

 Does he agree with me that there is more that MOT centres across the United Kingdom could do to ensure that lights are aligned adequately?

Martin Vickers: I was coming on to mention MOTs. 

The first point I put to the Minister is that he should bring together car manufacturers, the lighting industry, eyecare professionals, neurologists, driving organisations and other interested parties to gain a broader understanding of the problem of headlight glare and its true causes.

Secondly, the Minister should direct the National Institute for Health Protection, or another suitable body, to sponsor research to establish how vehicle lighting is causing discomfort in drivers, other susceptible individuals, and road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians. 

Thirdly, the research should be used to develop a set of realistic safety standards for headlights and other vehicle lighting, and to outlaw those that do not meet the standards.

Fourthly, legal limits should be set for the amount of blue light that vehicle headlights can have in their spectrum by setting standards for their colour temperature. 

Fifthly, garages undertaking MOTs should be provided with guidance and training on how to recognise inappropriate after-market installation of LED bulbs and ensure that such cars fail their MOT.

My sixth point is that the matter should be raised internationally, via the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Working Party 29, and a request made that the informal working group on glare prevention be revived.

Anthony Browne (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport):  I notice glare as a driver myself, I get a huge amount of correspondence about it from Members and constituents, and I spend a lot of my time as a Minister answering letters about it, so I know that it is a real issue and one on which the Department has done quite a lot of work. 

A lot of interesting points have been raised in the debate. 

Glare from headlamps is a perennial issue - it has been around for a long time - but there is a compromise between providing illumination with sufficient intensity and distance to enable drivers to see and anticipate potential hazards, and the propensity to cause glare for other road users. 

There is a clear balance to be struck. 

In order to strike the right balance, all vehicle headlights are designed and tested to follow international standards - developed under United Nations rules to ensure that they are bright enough to illuminate the road ahead but do not affect the vision of other road users.

The standards define the beam pattern, and include maximum and minimum light intensities: down on the ground, at a higher level and what would be seen at the driver’s level. 

The colour of the light is also regulated. The rules are neutral on the form of light, so they apply to LED lights as much as to halogen lights or any other form of light. 

We have statistics for Cleethorpes, which I thought my hon. Friend might be interested in.

From 2013 to 2022 - so in the last 10 years - there were five accidents where dazzling headlights were cited as one of the causes, which is obviously five too many. 

That does not mean that the statistics are perfectly accurate. 

Glare is clearly problematic for drivers for all the reasons that my hon. Friend mentioned. 

The Department has not been inactive on the issue. 

Over recent years, it has raised the issue at the United Nations international expert group on vehicle lighting.

Following lengthy and significant negotiations, proposals to mend headlamp aiming rules were agreed in April last year, together with requirements for mandatory automatic headlamp levelling, which is a system that automatically corrects the aim of headlamps based on the loading of a vehicle - for example, when passengers are sat on the backseat or there is luggage in the boot.

Some cars have manual headlamp levelling, but very few drivers know to set it, so when somebody sits on the backseat and the car lifts up slightly, they will not dip their headlights further. 

The point of automatic levelling is to correct that. 

I accept from the volume of correspondence I receive that concern about headlamp glare is rising, but we do not know why that is. 

My hon. Friend mentioned that older drivers are more susceptible to dazzle, which is probably true, and the number of older drivers is growing rapidly. 

The number of people over 70 who are still driving has risen by 50 per cent over the last 10 years. 

Driving has become easier because of power steering, automatic cars and a whole load of other safety features, and people feel confident to drive later in life even though they might be more prone to dazzling.

Things such as road humps are a cause of dazzling as the car lifts up, and I am guessing that there are a lot more road humps now than there were 10 years ago. 

My hon. Friend the Member for Cleethorpes made a lot of interesting suggestions about the sort of people who should be consulted and involved, and my officials will be taking on board everything he said.

 The research will include real-world trials to test the impact of different light technologies under different scenarios, and driver and vehicle characteristics, to fully understand the root causes of driver glare and how significant it is. 

We welcome input from relevant experts in the area and those taking part in this debate.

Once the research has been completed, the Government will consider the outputs fully and share them within the UK and with international lighting experts, as my hon. Friend requested. 

Once we have that research, we will look at whether there need to be any other changes to rules and regulations, and we will discuss that at international level. 

We will do everything we can to reduce the problems of driver glare, and ensure that our roads are safer and that people can continue to drive for as long as it is safe for them to do so. 

I am personally determined that the only way the people in the constituency of Cleethorpes should be dazzled is by the wit and wisdom of their Member of Parliament.

Thursday 2 May 2024

Grim night for Tories on North East Lincolnshire Council as Labour make widespread gains

Robson Augusta - triumphant for Labour in Park ward

THE Conservatives on North East Lincolnshire Council have taken a pasting in the local elections.


By the time  all the votes had been counted in the early hours of this morning, they had been victorious in just three of the 12 seats up for grabs - Haverstoe. Humberston & New Waltham and Immingham.


It was an excellent night for Labour with wins in Park, South, Scartho, Heneage, Croft Baker and Sidney Sussex.


Meanwhile, the I dependents will have been delighted with their wins in Yarborough and Freshney.


The Liberal-Democrats - once such a force on the council - failed to make any inroads, but they held on in their East Marsh stronghold.


With the  win in Immingham, by just 10 votes following a recount, the night at least ended on a note of cheer for the Tories because this was a seat they might have  expected to lose to Labour.


Although the Conservatives remain the largest party on the council with 19 seats, their continued control is not guaranteed because 

Labour now have 15, the Independents  have five and the Liberal-Democrats have three.