Plans for a 78-home estate in a village to the south of Lincoln have been approved by North Kesteven District Council.
Councillors voted strongly in favour of the proposed development on land off Headland Way and Winton Road in Navenby at a meeting of the planning sub-committee on April 22.
Application for 78 homes in Navenby approved.
For: 17
Against: 1
Abstain: 2
Developers NDC Group Ltd will build a combination of two, three and four-bedroom properties on the site, providing up to 108 parking spaces for residents.
The new homes will be either semi-detached or detached and the site, currently vacant, will be split while construction work takes place.
Concerns were raised by residents about the pressure on educational and health services in the area, and that Roman remains would be damaged as a result of the development.
One such resident wrote: “This is a development of significant proportion and we are concerned that the infrastructure is not able to stretch any further. We echo the concerns raised about local facilities and the chaotic and overcrowded high street in Navenby.
“We have frequent power cuts and surges and also question the flood risk of this new development as excess water drains onto this field. These issues directly affect the quality of life of residents of this village.”
However, councillors were satisfied that these concerns were suitably addressed in the application, adding that more houses are needed in the area.
The officer report argues more houses are needed in the district, plus the site application is sustainable.
Lincoln events surrounding the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta are predicted to draw thousands to the city, and local firms and organisations are banding together in a tourism campaign which will tour the length of the country.
With the £22 million restoration of Lincoln Castle complete, and a packed programme of events bringing people to the area, freight delivery chain Rase Distributions has decided to sport a brand new livery to advertise the city.
The images on the new branding include the cathedral, which formerly housed a copy of the Magna Carta along with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, which also has strong heritage links to the city.
With family ties in Lincoln dating back to 1865, Geoff Hill, Managing Director at Rase Distribution, said: “We are very much rooted in Lincolnshire. Rase headquarters is on a World War II RAF base where 12 Squadron and 626 Squadron were stationed and that’s the reason why the livery references the Battle of Britain Flight.
“Now the visitor centre is complete, we felt the time was right to tell the rest of the UK how fantastic we think this city is.
“As vehicle liveries go it must be one of the most eye-catching on the road and we’re looking forward to ‘delivering’ the message about Rase Distribution and our home town of Lincoln as far and wide as possible.”
The new attractive Lincoln livery on the side of the Rase Distribution lorries.
Approximately 150,000 people visit Lincoln Castle every year. An independent assessment concluded that the wider Lincoln Castle Revealed project could lead to a 29-55% increase in the overall value of Lincoln tourism.
Visit Lincoln has unveiled a new national marketing campaign designed to boost Lincoln’s profile as part of its ongoing strategy to raise the awareness of Lincoln and increase the number of visitors and the length of stay throughout 2015 and beyond.
The ‘The 800 Campaign’ is hoped to bring people to the city through a range of national advertisements in leading publications.
The Lincoln Castle Grand Opening. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Emma Tatlow, Visit Lincoln Partnership Manager said: “This year provides Lincoln with a once in a generation opportunity to deliver a strategic marketing campaign that raises awareness of the city and all it has to offer visitors.
“We know that Lincoln and its rural hinterland has a very strong visitor offer – but we also know that awareness is low and that there is potential for growth in the areas visitor economy.
“The 800th Anniversary of Magna Carta and the opening of Lincoln Castle are two fantastic hooks to launch this campaign. This is a real partnership approach and we couldn’t have delivered this activity without the support of partners across the public and private sector, it is the start of something I hope we can continue for years to come.
“The combination of the investment in the city, promotion of the area and efforts to ensure we can provide a warm welcome to all visitors is one that we hope drives growth in the value of the economy – currently worth £168m to the City of Lincoln.”
An application to expand popular kickboxing gym Lincoln Fight Factory, on Vulcan Park, has gone before the City of Lincoln Council.
The gym off George Street is hoping to expand into the neighbouring unit on the park, formerly occupied by Monkey Removals.
The council’s planning committee will consider the application at a meeting on May 13.
Lincoln Fight Factory was launched in 2011 by cousins Shawn Burton and Aaron Robinson. It’s also home to the Lincoln Kickboxing Academy.
The expansion will mean the club can increase its floor space by 144m2, which would provide more room for existing classes and provide a new machines and weights area for members.
The units on Vulcan Park in Lincoln
The gym would continue to operate to the current hours.
The planning report states that the application is consistent with the advice in Paragraphs 19 and 20 of the National Planning Policy Framework which state that local authorities should ‘place significant weight on supporting economic growth’.
The Lincolnshire County Council Highways Authority has deemed the parking facilities as sufficient for extra demand and there have been no objections to the proposal.
It has been proposed that the city council grants the plans conditionally within three years. The premises must only be operated as a kickboxing gym.
The long-anticipated, 24 hour gym in St Marks will be opening its doors for new customers on Thursday, April 30.
As previously reported, Pure Gym announced that it would open from the former Sports Direct store at the end of last year.
It has now been completely refitted to provide a large workout space, showers and changing rooms.
Steven Norton, Manager at Lincoln Pure Gym, said: “We combine the elements that a lot of gyms miss out on. Not only are we low cost, but we are open and staffed 24 hours and there’s no contract.
“We have a huge amount of equipment and classes. Some gyms will offer some of it, but no other gym will offer all of it together.”
For people who sign up before April 30, there is an introductory offer of £10.99 a month, contract free with a £15 admin fee. Although the gym will be open, classes will start on May 4 from 6.30am through to 8pm.
Membership at the gym provides access to plenty of cardio machines, a large free weight area and offers over 50 classes each week.
Located in the city centre, it offers a convenient location and parking is also included in the membership.
On opening, Pure Gym will have seven personal trainers to choose from for an additional cost, to work along side the classes and make sure that members get the most from the services that they offer.
“A lot of people have made a judgement that we haven’t got parking but members can park anywhere in St. Marks for two hours for free at any time”, Steven added.
“All they have to do is simply type in their registration plate when they enter the main part of the gym. The parking attendants have an iPad which has a live feed of all of the registration plates to make sure that nobody gets a ticket.
“Our team of personal trainers will offer support from programming, diet and nutritional advice to complete lifestyle support.
“Depending on what people are looking for, they are between £15-£30. It all depends on whether you want just a simple programme writing or whether you want regular sessions and lifestyle advice.”
After being in a severe car accident involving a HGV, Julian Patrick, 39, started to re-evaluate his life, wanting to give something back to the world. Realising what is really important in life, he came up with the idea of Freewatt Limited in 2008. This didn’t just allow him to do his bit for the environment, but meant he was able to help businesses across the country save money on their energy bills through difficult times.
On the cover of issue 26 of Lincolnshire Business magazine is Julian Patrick. Click to read.
With a love of the outdoors, Julian tries to take his wife Ruth, his seven-year-old twin sons and his three-year-old daughter out on the hills and to the lakes as much as he can. Helping to preserve the countryside seemed like the obvious choice.
“I thought, ‘I want to do something that will make a difference, and do something that is motivated for the right reasons’. I always believed that renewables was something that was going to take off as they are not making any more fossil fuels. As it happens the risk now isn’t just that they are going to run out, the risk is that if we use everything that we’ve got then the planet will be destroyed anyway,” said Julian.
Starting a business at the beginning of the recession was no easy feat, especially as renewable energy was not widely embraced. Many people saw solar energy as being too much of an expense, without seeing any return on it for over a decade.
“The business was founded on the ideal of getting into renewable energies. I worked in pharmaceuticals for about eight or nine years in sales and marketing. I did quite well at that but I never really felt that it was my forever job.”
Julian acted on his impulses to do his part, although it didn’t turn out exactly as he planned. “Initially I thought that it was going to be based mostly in wind but because of the objections in the planning, solar ended up being the path of least resistance. It was the greatest opportunity.”
Starting out as a one-man-band, Julian did everything from pitching the sale to installing the panels. “In the first year our turnover was £35,000. How we survived the first year I really don’t know. The second year, was quite tough as well.”
Renewable energy didn’t come into its own until the Feed In Tariff was introduced, meaning that by installing solar panels, a person’s home can be powered by the energy collected, and any additional energy can be sold back to the government.
“This was when the industry really took off. It was initially about educating the customer and saying, ‘right, this is the concept, this is how it works. It is genuine and not some dodgy offer.’ People were often saying that this was too good to be true.”
After about 18 months of the Feed In Tariff being capped at a high rate, and the cost of the technology quickly reducing, the government stepped in and reduced the tariff dramatically. “There was a massive reduction in the Feed In Tariff to try and bring it back into check to where it should be. But then the press got a hold of it and said ‘Oh no! It’s the end of the world. There will be people going out of business,’ and actually that is now the biggest challenge that we face. It’s the perception that it isn’t worth it.”
Supermarket chain Morrisons has announced that it will introduce two express checkouts at its store on Tritton Road to offer customers an improved service.
The express lanes will serve customers who wish to buy ten items or less and will be installed later this week.
One of the lanes will be operational from 8am to 8pm and both will be available during daily peak shopping periods of 12-2pm and 4-6pm.
Richard Lowe at Morrisons Lincoln said: “We’re listening hard to our customers and responding quickly wherever possible. If customers from time to time do smaller shops, they want to get in and out of our stores quickly.
“We are responding by introducing express checkouts which shoppers with ten items or less can use. These checkouts – and our very helpful staff – will offer a quick and personal service, helping to keep queues low and improving thousands of shopping trips.”
The development comes after Morrisons retail team and CEO David Potts asked colleagues and customers how to make the shopping at Morrisons better.
Recent improvements have included the introduction of contactless payment, new in-store music playlists, the redesign of stores and a major spring clean of stores nation-wide.
A new Irish/American-inspired bar opens its doors Thursday, April 30 in the former Scy venue on Mint Street in Lincoln, after a complete refit costing hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The bar is the latest venture by the owners of The Strait and Narrow on The Strait, and has created 12 new jobs for the city.
The venue was opened in November by the team as alternative nightclub Second Nature, with thousands invested. The club closed its doors however after only a couple of weeks, and the team went back to the drawing board.
The new venue will specialise in whiskeys, vodka, gin and brandy-inspired drinks from pre-prohibition America of the 1860s and 1870s.
It will also provide long-lost cocktails from the era as part of its Survivors Collection – as well as hand-pulled ales and Guinness.
The bar will host a range of entertainment such as live music and DJs, and includes a dance floor. During the day, the music will be a mixture of Rock and Roll, Blues and Rhythm.
Doors will open at 6pm April 30, and normal opening hours from then on will be 12pm until late.
Having grown up in Dublin, Robbie Dowdall, General Manager of The Rogue Saint wanted to bring some of his home culture to Lincoln.
General Manager Robbie Dowdall. Photo: The Lincolnite
He said: “There isn’t an Irish bar in Lincoln. It is what the city is missing. We love our bourbon and we love our rye whiskeys and we liked the innovation that was happening through the years of pre-prohibition. It’s all about the different kinds of whiskeys that we’ve got.
“We found the pre-prohibition years interesting. The whiskeys, bourbons, gins and brandies at that time were very big things and that’s what we want to develop and showoff.
“When you go to a bar where I am from, you go there for the conversation and drinks and you make it your second living room. You go there to enjoy the atmosphere and soak it up. That’s what we are doing here. Creating that atmosphere where you can feel relaxed and get a really good drink.”
Local coffee provider, Stokes of Lincoln, has been selected as one of the finalists in the Taste of England Award Category for this year’s VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.
Stokes Tea and Coffee stood out among many businesses across the country to become one of five companies nominated for the national award, which will be presented at the Sage, Gateshead on May 11.
They are guaranteed to walk away with either a Gold, Silver, Bronze or Highly Commended.
The company, established in 1902, is a fourth generation, family run business, specialising in freshly roasted coffees and fine teas.
From their early days, they have occupied the 16th Century half-timbered building on the medieval High Bridge which spans the River Witham.
The Stokes cafe on Lincoln city centre.
The business is unique as everything takes place under one roof, the sourcing, blending, roasting and packing.
Jean-Sebastien Braën, General Manager for the cafés said: “We are absolutely delighted, humbled and amazed to be nominated for this award.
“It is an honour to be considered a finalist, especially within a highly competitive industry such as catering. We have a fantastic, hardworking team. We are dedicated to excellent customer service.
“2015 is such an important year for the City of Lincoln and we are more than happy to help put this small but beautiful city on the map!”
National coffee chain Caffè Nero will take on the former Cafe M in the St Marks shopping centre in Lincoln.
Cafe M closed last week and has emptied the premises. The cafe had previously had unsafe food removed from the premises between April 2014 and February this year after an investigation carried out by The Food Standards Agency in Lincoln.
The establishment also suffered from a fire in April 2012 which led to Cafe M’s temporary closure.
A Standard Life Investments spokesperson, which own the St Marks centre said: “We can confirm that Café M has recently left St Marks Shopping Centre. We’re looking forward to welcoming Caffè Nero to the centre shortly.”
Caffè Nero is a family owned chain with more than 700 premises across seven countries.
An online petition launched to keep Lincoln’s Corn Exchange market open has attracted over 1,000 supporters.
Stallholders and market traders have criticised Lincolnshire Co-operative’s plans to close the market in a phased redevelopment project which they have committed £70 million to so far.
Corn Exchange Market traders who have signed the online petition are claiming that the Co-op has told them they will be evicted, and no plans are in place to provide alternative accommodation for them.
Lincolnshire Co-operative plans to remove modern extensions to the Corn Exchange and revamp the old facade.
Chris Padley, who started the petition, said: “The greatest blow to the city would be the complete loss of the fresh fruit and vegetable market.
“This is at a time when people are being urged to eat their “five a day” to improve health and cut NHS costs, and when the market is by the far the cheapest way of buying fresh produce, and the only source easily accessible for those without a car.
“But the other stalls in the Corn Exchange market will go too, all offering important convenient and low cost service in the heart of Lincoln on the doorstep of both the bus and railway stations.”
Stallholders at the Corn Exchange
In response, a spokesperson for Lincolnshire Co-op said: “Lincolnshire Co-op consulted with the public on phase one of The Cornhill Quarter scheme in February of this year.
“Ahead of this, we held a private meeting with our traders to introduce the plans to them and offer the chance to ask any initial questions. We explained that we were available at any time to listen to concerns and assist in finding suitable alternative locations.
“In the interim period, a number of traders have accepted our follow-up invite to individual meetings to explore these alternatives, which is an ongoing process. We have also held a further group briefing alongside Lincoln BIG.
“City of Lincoln Council is currently working on its plans for improvements to the Central Market, which may include some external stalls that could provide opportunities for Cornhill traders.
“We have distributed to all our traders on behalf of the council, information and an ‘expression of interest’ form, in order that they can put forward their requirements relating to this.
“The council has confirmed that the provision of fresh, local produce, such as fruit and vegetables, is a priority within the reconfigured market offer.
“We understand that many traders are anxious during this early stage of The Cornhill Quarter scheme, and we have made our team available to them whenever required in order to provide as many answers as we can at this point.
“We will continue to discuss possible alternative locations with our affected traders in the many months before any work could begin on site.”
Lincolnshire Co-op have said that the Cornhill regeneration would be completed by 2020 after a phased process of development.
The scheme will in large part be funded by the Co-op, however the City of Lincoln Council has allocated its own funds and secured a grant for the Transport Hub element.
An overview of the Cornhill redevelopment as part of the wider Lindongate scheme
Phase one of the project, which will cost around £12 million including land and buildings, will introduce five new units within the Corn Exchange, three new units within the stretch from 30a to 35 Sincil Street, and new kiosk units behind 34 and 35 Sincil Street.
Modern extensions to the existing Grade II listed Corn Exchange building will be stripped away and City of Lincoln Council is developing proposals for its Market Hall.
Four out of five shoppers, residents and traders said they would support the phase one proposals in a week-long public consultation held in March this year.
Workers in Lincoln are the 10th worst paid in the East Midlands according to analysis by an employment and training group.
The study by ManpowerGroup shows that paid workers in Lincoln, on average, receive £13,800 less per year than Rushcliffe which is the highest paid.
The analysis looked at the average annual pay by local authority, showing the top three earners as Rushcliffe on £41,000, South Northamptonshire on £40,400 and Harborough on £37,000. In comparison, paid workers in Lincoln receive £27,200.
The worst paid workers were in Boston in Lincolnshire, where workers are handed around £24,500 on average each year.
Over the last year, average annual pay for those living in the region fell by 0.2% – compared to the 0.6% increase recorded across the UK as a whole.
Study by ManpowerGroup (Click to expand)
At £30,200, average full-time annual pay in the East Midlands was £3,300 less than the UK average of £33,500. However, Manpower is seeing the outlook for the region’s pay beginning to improve.
ManpowerGroup’s analysis has also revealed a marked pay gap between the region’s men and women, with men in full-time work earning an average £15.10 an hour, compared to £12.99 per hour for women in full-time work.
However, the group says this gap is shrinking and, although both genders saw their pay fall over the past year, men’s average hourly pay fell faster than women’s pay (-1.8% vs. -0.1%).
The 2015 pay league for the East Midlands.
Greg Hollis, Operations Manager at Manpower, said:“Unemployment in the region is below the UK average and the employment numbers have been strong for a while now, which means that the candidate pool is shallower.
“In response, to secure the skills they need employers are becoming more willing to offer higher salaries and better packages.
“There has traditionally been a difference in pay between men and women in the East Midlands, linked to the prevalence of male-dominated roles and industries in the region.
“However, this gap is shrinking and the East Midlands is leading the way in reducing the gender imbalance in pay. As more and more women seek work in the booming manufacturing sector, we hope that this will herald a further narrowing of the gender pay gap.”
A managing director of the former Tokyo night club in Lincoln has been found guilty of putting the lives of staff and revellers at risk in 2013.
Aaron Mellor, 44, appeared at Lincoln Magistrates Court between April 21 and 24, and was found guilty on May 6 of 11 offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. He is set to appear at Lincoln Crown Court for sentencing on May 22.
Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue visited Tokyo in Silver Street in April 1, 2013 and discovered lives were being put in danger according to fire safety regulations.
The offences included failing to take general fire precautions required to ensure the premises were safe, which could have resulted in one or more people being at serious risk of injury or death.
Fire exits had been blocked by rubbish bags, chairs and tables, and in the basement area of the club, where there was a maximum capacity of 280 people, there were 460 on the night in question.
The establishment had unclear fire exit signs and routes that were not correctly illuminated with emergency lighting of adequate intensity in the case of the normal lighting failing.
The premises also had emergency doors locked and could not be immediately opened by any person who may require to use them in an emergency.
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue is legally responsible for making sure that premises have preventative and protective measures in place in case there is a fire.
Keiron Davey, Technical Community Fire Prevention Manager, said: “We offer advice and support to local businesses to make sure their premises are safe, however we will take action against those who are seriously breaching the regulations or have disregard for safety in the event of fire.
“Significant changes were made to this building to convert it into a night club which left it without a sufficient number of fire exits.
“In the event of a fire, people enjoying their night or serving drinks would have struggled to escape to safety.
“Considering fire safety isn’t an option, it is the law. It works exactly the same as health and safety legislation – if you ignore it there isn’t a warning and it will be treated as failing to comply.”
Aaron Mellor and Tokyo Industries declined to comment. The company still operates the premises on Silver Street, which have since been renamed.
For someone who was fairly indecisive about which interests to pursue in his further education days, Richard Parnell, 41, certainly climbed the Bridge McFarland ranks quickly once his eyes were on the ball.
A swift jump from politics and international relations to the world of law ended up being the beginning of an 18-year career with renowned Lincolnshire businesses. After just over two years in the Bridge McFarland Managing Partner seat, Richard and the firm are preparing to move forward with a new structure.
Richard, who now lives in Sudbrooke with his wife and three boys, grew up in Retford, Nottinghamshire and admits that, during his schooldays, he always wanted to be a carpenter or a fireman. “I actually then went to university to do geography”, he said. “I didn’t like it and switched to do politics at the University of Lancaster because that was where my interest was at that stage.”
He certainly discovered his niche in law however, finding his footing on the ladder after converting to the College of Law in York and applying for a training course at Chattertons Solicitors in Horncastle and Boston.
After gaining a trainee position at Chattertons in 1997, Richard went on to deal with some of what he still considers to be his most interesting and challenging cases.
Richard was admitted as a solicitor in 1999 and joined Bridge McFarland in 2001. By May 2004, aged 30, he’d been awarded the position of partner of the leading regional law firm, transferring from Grimsby to Lincoln. He has since gone on to play an instrumental role in the company’s mission to bring speciality practice to the forefront of the service.
Richard also works closely with organisations such as the Lincoln City Football Club, Lincolnshire Sport, the Amateur Swimming Association and Basketball England, among others. Photo: Steve Smailes for Lincolnshire Business
Stepping down
When Richard took on the role of managing partner he was adamant that he didn’t lose contact with his roots. “As managing partner, one of the difficulties is it takes you away to a certain extent from your client base and the law itself. So if you spend too long out of that process then you can cut yourself off from it, so we tend to have a two to three year cycle of being in a managing partners post.
“I’ll be stepping down from the managerial role in about two or three months. Our financial year starts in May, which is when we will start the handover process. I’ve known that for a while and I’ve been putting measures in place to cater for that so it’s not just an abrupt change, but it’s pretty much a seamless change overall.
The full cover interview with Richard Parnell is available to read in full here. Look out for the next edition of Lincolnshire Business magazine, which is published every Friday.
Police are appealing for help to identify a man who officers want to talk to in connection with a robbery at Thorntons on the High Street in Lincoln.
At around 4.10pm on Wednesday, May 6, a man entered the shop and allegedly threatened two female members of staff with a metal spanner before leaving with cash from the till.
Nobody was hurt in the incident but the two women were left shaken up, police said.
Investigating officers would like to trace and talk to the man pictured above to see if he has any information that could assist the enquiry.
If you think you recognise the man pictured, or have any information relating to the incident, call Lincolnshire Police on the non-emergency number 101 quoting incident 230 of 06/05/2015.
Letters are being sent to more than 800 businesses in the city urging them to pay workers the living wage.
‘Making Lincoln Living Wage’ is a campaign started by Lincoln Living Wage Forum, made up of representatives from the private, voluntary, educational, trade union and public sectors, including City of Lincoln Council.
The aim is to encourage employers to pay the rate that is calculated to meet the basic cost of living in the UK, currently £7.85 an hour outside of London. This is different to the National Minimum Wage set by HMRC.
City of Lincoln Council Leader, Councillor Ric Metcalfe
Councillor Ric Metcalfe, Interim Chair of Lincoln Living Wage Forum and Leader of the city council, said: “Paying staff the living wage not only helps the employee but has proven benefits for the employer.
“Studies have shown that living wage employers enjoy better staff retention rates, lower absenteeism and a committed workforce that feels valued.
“A study in London revealed 70% of living wage employers felt it had increased consumer awareness of their organisation’s commitment to being an ethical employer.
“At the recent annual meeting of the Institute of Directors in Lincolnshire, business leaders highlighted the importance of increased wage packets to boosting the economy.
“City of Lincoln Council has been paying its staff the living wage since the summer of 2013 and I would strongly encourage businesses in the city to do the same.
“Lincoln is a city of ambition and growth, and we want as many people to share in its prosperity as possible. The living wage enables this, and promotes the city as an attractive and modern place to live, work, and do business.”
A number of businesses have already joined the Lincoln Living Wage Register, which is free to sign up to. The aim is to create a list of all the employers in the city paying the Living Wage.
Each company or organisation listed gets to say why they use this rate of pay.
Businesses signing up to the register will receive a window sticker and electronic logo that can be displayed to show they pay the living wage.
The accreditation works on a three-star rating:
One star for being a living wage employer
Two stars for being a living wage employer and using living wage suppliers; or being a living wage employer and banning zero hour contracts (except relief contracts where the employee is free to turn down hours)
Three stars for being a living wage employer, using living wage suppliers and banning zero hour contracts (except relief contracts where the employee is free to turn down hours)
Firms paying the living wage can sign up to the register by filling in an online form here.
Development Plus say on the register: “We believe it is essential to pay our staff a living wage because we value the work they do. One of our guiding principles is social justice and equality, paying the living wage is one way to demonstrate that.”
Acts Trust states: “As a local employer who has a particular focus on alleviating poverty in the city we feel it is important to value our own staff and ensure a fair wage is paid, one which more accurately reflects the cost of living today.”
Chris Rooke Management say: “We provide a personal accountancy, taxation and business advice service looking after our clients along with our staff and that’s why we pay above the living wage.”
Lindum College states: “We pay way above the living wage as most of our staff have undergone a huge learning curve to do the job, and the others from cleaner upward are respected and rewarded accordingly.”
More information about the living wage, including frequently asked questions and employer and employee benefits, can be found on the Lincoln Against Poverty website.
Lincoln-based Stonebow Media has been shortlisted for Best Business/Finance News Site at The Drum Online Media Awards 2015 with Lincolnshire Business magazine.
The company, publisher also of award-winning news website The Lincolnite, launched the online magazine just six months ago.
It will be competing against three other sites, including agrimoney.com, Progressive Customer Publishing, and Quartz.
The winners of the award, which recognises the best in online news and journalism, will be announced on June 10 at a ceremony at the Marriott Grosvenor Square in London.
Now in its fifth year, The Online Media Awards acknowledges the cleverest, boldest and most original purveyors of news and views from around the world, in an aim to find the best application of talent and technology online from both.
Among the judges are Mark McSherry, a New York-based business journalist and media professor who writes for The Guardian and Forbes and is Professor of Communication Arts at St Francis College, Brooklyn, New York; and Raymond Snoddy, presenter of BBC’s Newswatch, previously a journalist for the Financial Times and The Times.
Last year the Best Business/Finance News Site was awarded to Forbes Media with agrimoney.com receiving a commendation.
Founding Director of Stonebow Media Daniel Ionescu said: “We are very proud at Stonebow Media of what we were able to achieve with our Lincolnshire Business magazine.
“Merely six months after launch, closing in to 10,000 subscribers (and over half a million pages read so far) Lincolnshire Business magazine shows that we continue to be at the top of digital publishing in Lincolnshire.”
Plans for phase one of redevelopment of the Cornhill Quarter area in Lincoln have been finalised and a formal planning application has been submitted to the City Council.
As previously reported, Lincolnshire Co-operative will be investing a total of £70 million to revitalise the Cornhill Quarter, pending planning permission, as part of overall proposals to regenerate the city centre over the coming years.
Co-op says the scheme will provide a quality and size of retail space that is currently unavailable in the city centre and is creating a barrier to attracting the types of retailers that could revitalise the city’s shopping streets.
The former Blue Banana store, one of the unsightly modern extensions to the Grade II listed Corn Exchange.
Some 70% of people who responded to an open consultation in February of this year supported the scheme.
Phase one, which will include an investment of around £12 million, will look to improve security and access by creating a brightly lit covered walkway in place of the narrow, dark passage to the current bus station.
Lincolnshire Co-op has been working alongside English Heritage to ensure that the unique character of Lincoln is preserved within the plans.
Although there has been a petition to keep Lincoln’s Corn Exchange market, Ursula Lidbetter, Chief Executive at Lincolnshire Co-operative, confirmed that the market and especially the fruit and vegetables stalls are very important to everyone involved in the planning.
Modern extensions to the Corn Exchange will be demolished, allowing views of the new facades from the High Street.
A study by the National Association of British Market Authorities was commissioned to inform the proposals, jointly funded by the City Council, the Co-op and Lincoln BIG. This concluded that a cohesive strategy, providing one market with a good range of quality goods and services, would create the strongest offer.
The Central Market will remain, and will benefit from a refurbishment to be undertaken by the City Council.
Lincolnshire Co-operative plans to remove modern extensions to the Corn Exchange and revamp the old facade.
Ursula Lidbetter said: “We’re delighted that so many people have taken the time to share their views on this scheme, and of course, that those views strongly support it.
“Our ongoing consultation with our market traders is making good progress and we are hopeful that we will find suitable accommodation for each of them, as was our intention at the start of this process.
“Reassurances from CoLC that the refurbished Central Market will prioritise fresh, local produce such as fruit and vegetables adds to our confidence that this improved market facility in the city centre will continue to prosper and serve its community well for many years to come.”
When it was time for Simon and Tim Jones – who are as different as chalk and cheese (pardon the pun!) – to start earning a living, no-one expected they would actually work together.
Simon, a country boy with a passion for livestock, was eager to join his father Richard on the family-farm near Alford, but Tim was attracted by the bright lights of London and the exciting prospect of a corporate lifestyle.
But, fast-forward to 1997 when a spontaneous turn of events brought them back together and set them on course to turn Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese into a hot favourite with cheese-lovers at home and abroad.
Today’s top chef Jamie Oliver serves it in his London restaurant, Union Jacks. It is also stocked by 100 farm shops across the country and selected supermarkets. But that’s not all – this Select Lincolnshire members’ product is also exported.
Simon and Tim also make a small amount of butter, which is loved by discerning customers, including Nottingham restaurateur Sat Bains and Richard Corrigan of Corrigan’s in London.
Unsurprisingly, production of Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese, which is made at F W Read & Sons Ltd farm at Ulceby Grange has hit capacity, so what now?
Bothers, Tim and Simon Jones in Lincolnshire Poacher’s Cheese cellar. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Tim said: “We want to keep Poacher special. We will carry on striving to make brilliant cheese. It’s all about producing the best you can – it’s a goal that you never reach.”
Tim and Simon are fourth generation family members working the 780-acre tenanted mixed farm, which is home to a 230-strong herd of Holstein Friesian cows, who produce 6,000 litres of milk a day for its seven-days a week cheesemaking operation.
Half of the land is used for grazing and the Jones grow their own silage, feed beans and feed beet, as well as maize and wheat, some of which is sold. Ninety-five per cent of their milk goes into cheese-making, but some is sold raw at farmers’ markets.
The full cover interview with Richard Parnell is available to read in full here. Look out for the next edition of Lincolnshire Business magazine, which is published every Friday.
Each year in May Dying Matters Awareness Week encourages people to consider and discuss a range of issues linked with the ‘end of life’.
Whilst this is a difficult and emotive subject, in reality it’s far better to discuss such matters before the imminence of death when a considered and dispassionate conversation can be held with family and friends.
Set up in 2009 by the National Council for Palliative Care, Dying Matters is a coalition of some 30,000 members including NHS organisations, funeral directors, care providers and faith groups.
This year’s awareness week runs from May 18–24 with the theme ‘Talk, Plan, Live’. You can see what’s going on by following the hashtag #YODO, which stands for You Only Die Once.
During Dying Matters Awareness Week Lincolnshire Co-op Funeral Services will be encouraging people to consider their wishes by holding coffee mornings at its funeral homes. You can drop in for a cuppa and ask any questions you may have in a friendly surrounding.
The awareness week aims to encourage members of the public to take five simple steps to make their end of life experience better, both for them and for their loved ones. These are:
• Write a will
• Record their funeral wishes
• Plan future care and support
• Consider registering as an organ donor
• Tell loved ones their wishes
One effective way of recording funeral wishes and also saving money is through purchasing a funeral bond but many people are unsure what is involved.
What is a funeral bond?
A funeral bond is a way of recording your funeral wishes, planning and paying everything in advance. It can give real peace of mind as all of the details are taken care of, meaning family members won’t have to make decisions at a difficult time in the future.
Why choose a funeral bond?
It is a well-known fact that burial and cremation costs continue to increase at a higher level than inflation, and it’s likely that monies paid into insurance policies may not provide adequate cover for funeral expenses, so it makes perfect sense to provide for the one thing none of us can avoid.
What will happen?
Most people have specific wishes associated with their eventual funeral, whether it be the music they want playing in the service, the type of flowers they would like or even the transport used to convey them to their final resting place.
A funeral director can go through all of the arrangements, providing information and advice to make sure everything can be tailor-made for you.
What if something changes?
Don’t panic, you’re able to change, upgrade, downgrade or cancel your plan at any time.
Why do I need to do it now?
A funeral bond enables you to pay for your funeral at today’s prices. Once paid, your Lincolnshire Co‑op funeral bond will be honoured however much prices have gone up in the future. Plus, members receive double dividend when they purchase a funeral bond and being a co-op business, our profits are recycled into the community.
Find out more about our funeral home coffee mornings and funeral bonds at www.lincolnshire.coop.
Set for an early retirement Henry Ruddock, 67, never intended to take on the family business, but due to unforeseen events he made the choice to continue the legacy of one of Lincoln’s oldest family-run businesses.
“My father always wanted his two sons to do something different, rather than just walk into the business. His reasoning for that was that he had always been expected to join the business but he wanted to pursue a career as a land agent. But then the war came and things changed,” said Henry.
The legacy of Ruddocks of Lincoln was established when Henry’s great grandfather entered into the business in 1872. The business itself had already been running since 1820. Eight years later, in 1880 he started his own business in printing which has been carried on to this day as Ruddocks Design and Print.
Issue 29 of the weekly Lincolnshire Business magazine is now available to read.
After WWII, Henry’s father realised that it would be a great opportunity to start an advertising company with the war being over and businesses trying to rebuild and secure their place in the future. Still not a part of the family business himself, he would use his father’s printing business for his advertising business, helping both companies to rebuild.
“Clever move. He was quite a smart guy my dad, and I am only beginning to realise this. But then eventually his father died in 1956 and his uncle died in 1965, so he gained control of the family business.”
Henry took a different career path. After working in the NHS for 16 years and making his way up to middle management, he received a phone call three months before his 50th birthday.
Henry Ruddock makes sure that nearly everything in his store has a creative theme
“He said, ‘A little bird tells me you might be interested in taking early retirement. If we made you an appropriate offer would that be the case?’ To which I replied, ‘Well it might be, I don’t know.'”
A couple of days later Henry was offered some figures of which he accepted, leading him into an early retirement at the age of 50. Excited about the news, he came to Lincoln the following Monday to tell his dad the news. His dad was still working at the age of 80 and was surprised by the news.
Not sure what he was going to do with his new found free time, Henry didn’t have much time to think about it, as the following Saturday his father died suddenly, which led Henry to take on the family business in 1997.
“How much of a choice was it? I don’t know. I suppose that I could have closed it but I never really thought of doing that because it has been going a long time.”
The full cover interview with Henry Ruddock is available to read in full here. Look out for the next edition of Lincolnshire Business magazine, which is published every Friday.
