Building work has begun to develop the latest addition to the Doddington Hall enterprise west of Lincoln.

In a move set to create one of the largest bike shops in the region and expand the web of cycle routes in the city’s rural surrounds, the new 8,000 sq ft development is being built off Main Street in the village of Doddington.

With a provisional target to open in October, site owners, along with a number of investors, are hoping to offer a cycling experience fit for all the family alongside the existing hall, gardens, shop and restaurant.

Brands available at the shop are yet to be announced by the hall.

Mark Hollingworth, President for the Lincoln area of the Chamber of Commerce, will take on the role of shop manager.

He said: “The shop will be one of the biggest bike stores in the region and will do everything that you’d expect a bike shop to do. We will have a bike fit, bike servicing and repair and a huge range of bikes as well.

“There will be over 100 bikes on the shop floor for people to look at. What’s really one of our key things is our bike range. We will have children’s bikes, electric bikes, hybrid bikes and a top end range of road and mountain bikes.

“Bikes will start at about £300, up to about £6,000 for top end mountain bikes and road bikes. We really do have bikes for every type of cyclist who would want to go out.

“We are very close to the Sustrans route and we have some plans in place to see if we can look at joining the current bridleway to the Sustrans route here.

“I do a little bit of cycling, I do triathlons as well, but I have always loved biking and to work in a bike shop is a real dream really.”

The University of Lincoln will support and enhance productivity in the agri-food sectors with the creation of a new Institute for Agri-food Technology.

The Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology, based at the university’s Riseholme Campus, will develop an agricultural field station for testing farm innovations, supporting training courses, crop trials, and experimentation, including in agri-robotics, water management and agronomy.

It will focus on the development of technologies to improve efficiency, sustainability, and reduce waste throughout the food pipeline, from farm to retailer.

It will also collaborate with the University’s College of Science on some of the projects.

Professor Mary Stuart, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Lincoln, said: “Productivity is a key aim for the UK Government and is vital to the success of our economy.

“The agri-food sectors are at the heart of our county of Lincolnshire and productivity lies at the heart of these sectors. Innovations in autonomous systems and robotics and other scientific innovations will drive that productivity.”

Professor Andrew Hunter, the University’s Pro Vice Chancellor for Science, added: “As populations grow, the challenge in providing sufficient food will intensify.

“The University of Lincoln is in a unique position to develop this new interdisciplinary research centre dedicated to meeting this challenge.

“Our academic expertise and the exceptional nature of our facilities, including parkland, farmland, woodland and watercourses, alongside our food manufacturing centre and world class science laboratories, provide a major opportunity to contribute to this global cause.”

If you thought that running a single business had enough of its own time-consuming challenges, then Tim Downing, 47, Senior Partner at Pygott & Crone may have bitten off more than he can chew — but he doesn’t think so. Buying out the estate agents in his 20s, creating property investment company Downing Development with his brother William, as well as looking to create a UK chain of cycle shops is only the beginning for this business-driven man.

Growing up, Tim had unique opportunities to study and gain real world experience. When he wasn’t at boarding school, he had a tutor in India and travelled the globe with his father who set up leather factories and would bring the leather back to the UK and Europe to be made into shoes, handbags and more.

“Travel is probably the best education I’ve had,” said Tim. “I hadn’t done particularly well in school, I have three O-levels, I think. I haven’t got any A-Levels or degrees or anything like that, but travel has been the best education for me because it really opens up your horizons and opens up what’s going on in the world.

This feature interview was first published in issue 43 of the Lincolnshire Business weekly magazine, now available to read at www.lincsbusiness.co. Subscribe to the email newsletter to receive the latest edition in your inbox this Friday.

“I talk to customers sometimes who haven’t even been out of Lincolnshire, let alone the country and yet I have been to Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, all over the place.”

Despite not being the academic type of person, Tim had inspiration from his parents after seeing how they did business and had a real passion for property. “I think that my mother, who sadly passed away, was a great inspiration to me over the years.

“I have always wanted to be self-employed. My mother and step-father were self-employed; they set up Hemswell Antique Centres. It’s always been in my blood.

“The beauty of property is that you are not selling the same thing every day. You are meeting new characters all the time. As a business we’re also involved with agriculture, financial services, auctioneering, commercial property — it’s very different and I enjoy the variation of it.”

Getting on the property ladder

Tim started on the path to property at the age of 17 when he went to work for Hambros Bank, which used to own the Countrywide brand of estate agents in North London. He progressed to manager very quickly, but he still wanted more. He moved to North Lincolnshire to work for Bell Watsons, but it wasn’t soon before he found Pygott & Crone.

“I was out in Lincoln one evening in 1991, getting some money out of the cash point and I saw Pygott and Crone’s new office. I thought it looked really sharp. So I arranged an interview with Bill Crone, got the job the following day and then about two years later, myself, Kevin Scrupts, Iain Pygott and Steve Wilson bought Bill out and most of John Pygott and the rest is history.

“We took the firm over within two years. The four of us became majority shareholders of the business 23 years ago.”

The full cover interview with Tim Downing is available to read in full here. For the latest dispatch of business news from across Lincolnshire delivered in your inbox every Friday, subscribe to the Lincolnshire Business magazine.

The next phase of Central Lincolnshire councils’ Draft Local Plan has been revealed, setting out targets for 36,960 new homes by 2036 – of which Lincoln is in line for more than 23,000.

The next round of consultation on the 25-year plan sets growth targets for new homes, jobs and amenities surrounding Lincoln, Gainsborough and Sleaford.

Plans seek the development of 1,540 new homes per year across North Kesteven, West Lindsey and the City of Lincoln, nearly twice the rate of house building achieved in the last three years.

Growth has been recommended for preferred focus areas, mainly in the edges of existing urban areas, with a ‘cap’ proposed in smaller villages, unless villagers indicate there is need for more.

As previously reported, villagers have previously contested consultations on growth plans, stating Lincoln is being subjected to ‘urban sprawl.

The housing growth target for the Lincoln area is an additional 23,654 homes to the current stock level of 78,858 by 2036; an increase of more than 30% and just over 64% of the Central Lincolnshire housing target.

The biggest chuck of development would be the identified ‘Western Growth Corridor’ in Lincoln, along with the South East Quadrant in North Kesteven.

For areas like Sleaford, the housing levels are predicted to more than double by 2036.

The Draft Local Plan spans from 2012 and includes the last three years. Of the proposed homes, 9,085 (24.6%) have already been built or given permission, and a target has been outlined for the provision of affordable housing.

Under the plans, allocations for sites would be only for 25 homes or more.

Allocations have already been proposed for 28,095 new homes across Central Lincolnshire (equating to 78.2% of the housing requirement).

A policy sets out the recommended level of development for each village. This does not restrict growth but sets out a recommended level which could be deemed appropriate.

Large scale developments on the edges of the urban areas form the largest proportion of housing delivery across Central Lincolnshire. These will deliver a total of 16,300 homes over the plan period.

Allocations at this stage do not necessarily mean they will be adopted as development sites or built on.

A total of 3,463 homes have also been put forward for preferred allocations in villages with a windfall assumption of 1,691 homes over the plan period.

Central Lincolnshire Local Growth Targets have been published on August 26, as well as coinciding plans for infrastructure and details of housing standards, and affordability.

The document also includes policies to ensure infrastructure needed to support the targets is included in all planning applications.

In developing the plan, partners have identified a “shopping list of infrastructure requirements” which must be provided to support roads, schools and GPs – and will in part be funded by the developments.

The Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee is recommended to approve the Draft Local Plan at its meeting on Monday, September 7, after which consultation event dates will be released.

Councillor Jeff Summers, Chair of the Committee and Leader of West Lindsey District Council, said: “Due to the last few years of financial instability, house building has fallen way behind the physical demand.

“It is vitally important that we have a development plan which will inform everyone where housing and industrial uses should be located.”

North Kesteven’s Executive Board Member Councillor Richard Wright added: “When planning applications are submitted there are discussions about the viability of them.

“Regarding brownfield development it has to do with suitability. We are the same as everywhere else, we will always look at land we should build on first and if that’s suitable brownfield then that’s what we’ll do.

“We want to stress the message that the figures we are looking at are over a 20 year period.”

Thousands more jobs

Councillor Colin Davie, Executive Board Member for Economic Development at Lincolnshire County Council explained how the local plan would be worth “hundreds of millions of pounds” to the local economy.

Housing and employment growth are closely linked, and are being considered alongside one another.

The Economic Growth Delivery Plan, also published today, outlines targets for new jobs in the area.

Councillor Davie said: “An employment needs assessment outlines that the plans would bring 11,894 full-time-equivalent jobs by 2036.

“Whilst we have a target that is worked out on economic forecasting models, I’m hopeful that we not only deliver what we are setting out within the plan, but we aim to do even more.

“We are looking for inward investment from overseas and major brands into the Central Lincolnshire area.”

Balancing on the bypass

Leader of the City of Lincoln Council Ric Metcalfe added in a meeting on Wednesday, August 26 that figures in the growth plans are hugely reliant on the progress of major schemes in the area such as the Lincoln Eastern Bypass.

He said: “The levels of growth of this plan aren’t a million miles away from the growth that we have been experiencing for many years.

“People are apprehensive about change, but the good thing about this plan is that it is very well evidenced about the extent of growth and the needs.

“Of course the Eastern Bypass is a hugely important piece of infrastructure because it’s strategically important to the Lincoln growth area. To make the growth work well the scheme is hugely important.

“We will be waiting anxiously for the outcome of the second public inquiry.

“It’s important that people look at what is being proposed.”

More information on the Draft Local Plan can be found on the website here.

Work has started on a purpose built warehouse for DPD couriers at an industrial park off the A46 Lincoln, which is expected to open next year and create up to 90 new jobs.

Working in partnership with Gratongate and Bilfinger GVA commercial property agent, Pygott & Crone secured a 20 year lease on the 70 acre Network 46 business park near Witham St Hughs.

Network 46 provides design and build opportunities for industrial, warehouse and office use from 20,000 to 1 million sq ft 11 miles from Lincoln city centre.

The purpose built 42,783 sq ft cross-loaded distribution warehouse will include some 30 loading doors designed to meet DPD’s needs and is expected to open in April 2016.

In the last five years, DPD has experienced  growth in the UK due to the success of its Predict service, a service which notifies customers of their one hour delivery slot in advance so that they don’t have to wait in all day for a parcel.

Tim Downing, Senior Partner at Pygott & Crone, said: “With the development of the A46 dual carriageway, Lincoln is now attracting more international business. We’re delighted to welcome DPD to Network 46, which is proving to be a location of choice for growing firms and a strong distribution hub to the East and West Midlands.

”

A beautiful historic pub in upper High Street in Lincoln, which dates back to the early 1400s, is to be restored to its former glory, with a unique menu and refurbished interior.

The Cardinal’s Hat, a rare Grade II listed three storey building, has been leased by Lincolnshire businessman Rupert Abbott, who is creating 25 new jobs with the development.

The pub will serve a large selection of beers, guest ales, wines, ciders and spirits as well as a selection of dishes, sharers and bar snacks sourced from artisan producers.

An opening date for the pub has been set for September 7, complete with upstairs and downstairs bars, individual rooms, a small beer garden and state of the art refrigerated cellar.

Rupert from Louth, who owns a number of pubs in Lincolnshire said: “I got the lease for the building just before Christmas and started work at the end of July.

“We can date the site back to 1255, however we found a wall at one point which was Roman so the refurbishment of the site has been full of historic finds.

“The building as you look at it today was finished in the early 1400s.

“The building was previously called The Cardinal’s Hat and it was named after Cardinal Wolsey, Bishop of Lincoln, in 1514 – we wanted to keep that along with the historic elements of the building.

“It’s seen the great plague and it’s seen the two world wars and it’s quite a piece of history.

“I’ve been trying to get hold of the building for about two years. St John’s Ambulance, who bought the building for their HQ in 1952, are still going to be working at the back of the building.

“There are certain elements of the building’s former life that we are revealing. It was once a fish mongers and grocery store at the end of the 1800s. As much of the history that we’ve found that we can show, we are showing.

“Internally, we have tried to make a lot of different rooms with different feels and the building is on lots of different levels.

“What we are focussing on are products which are hard to find. There won’t be your Carling or Carlsberg, it’ll be a selection of niche beers from all over the world. There are some brands that you won’t see anywhere else in Lincoln.”

The business is going to be managed jointly by Simon and Belinda Hall, who have worked for Rupert for a number of years.

The opening of a second Pizza Hut Delivery store in a former Lincoln pub will bring more pizza lovers in the city a slice of their favourite dishes right to their door.

The new store, which opens at 6pm on Friday, August 28, has been fitted in the building which was formerly the Burton Arms pub at 68 West Parade.

In the lead up to the opening the company has employed 20 new staff and transferred five staff from the city’s first Pizza Hut Delivery on Newark Road, which was opened last year.

Approval for the takeaway was granted on April 1, with an investment of over £200,000 being put into the transformation of the building since.

General manager of the store Ian Smith: “We’ve not really tapped into the student market with the other store so we’ve really done that this year. We’ve tied up with Bishop Grosseteste with their freshers fair too.

“We have never delivered to the north of the city before so now we can deliver to St Giles, the Ermine, Glebe Park and all those areas. It’s a whole new market for us.

“This year we are celebrating 20 years of the stuffed crust and so for the next 12 weeks we have a variety of limited edition stuffed crusts being added to the menu.”

The application did previously receive a number of objections from local West End residents, who flagged up concerns about noise, littering and smells created by the kitchen.

Ian added: “We have paid close attention to the building so it is in keeping with the original building as it is in a conservation area.

“Other companies tend to stick to the High Street by with Pizza Hut we tend to go very residential and that’s across the country.

The takeaway will be open from 12pm until 12am Monday to Saturday and 12pm and 11pm on Sundays.

People can order in store, online and by calling 01522 244959.

What’s the secret to steering one of the fastest growing and in-demand printing firms in the UK from the heart of Lincolnshire? For 26-year-old Stuart Maclaren it’s a mixture of chasing down evolving targets, building a reputation and staying ahead of the game — and his career story is one which is as fast-paced as his passion for high-octane water sports.

Recognised for his achievements in becoming the youngest managing director of a fabric printing company in the UK, Stuart already has plenty of reasons to be proud of his four-year-old business Your Print Partner, based in Lincoln (not least because of its staggeringly quick growth). If his infectious enthusiasm for new heights is anything to go by however, he’ll not be resting on his laurels anytime soon. In fact, in his eyes, the journey to success is only just beginning.

This feature interview was first published in issue 44 of the Lincolnshire Business weekly magazine, now available to read at www.lincsbusiness.co. Subscribe to the email newsletter to receive the latest edition in your inbox this Friday.

Growing up on a council estate on Roman Pavement in Lincoln, Stuart’s leap into the world of entrepreneurship was somewhat unconventional. “I don’t think many people realise that I’m from a council estate,” he said. “My parents were working parents, my dad was in the RAF, my mum was a bar manager and worked at supermarkets. Lots of people assume that my mum and dad gave me the business, but it was far from that.”

When he talks of his school years, Stuart jokes that he didn’t do particularly well, and seems to have always had itchy feet for the working world. “I didn’t really like primary school. Secondary school I was better at. I was a little bit cheeky, but I was mainly into computers and maths, they were really my strong subjects. Then I went to Lincoln College to do business management.”

He says he always wanted to work and never relied on his parents, and earned his pocket money from age 13 by working in a local fish and chips shop. Unsurprisingly, his idol growing up was Richard Branson.

The road to YPP

At age 18 Stuart took on his first role at a Lincoln sporting events supplier packing boxes in the warehouse before working his way up to junior sales; but he had far bigger ambitions than a junior role. “I started off as the cocky young lad in the warehouse and when I came up to sales I was an office junior in effect. One day though I told the MD that I wasn’t making them a cup of coffee, I wanted to do sales.”

Stuart climbed the ladder to become head of sales and marketing, but there was a bigger target niggling away. “My experience there shaped me as a person and I had a key role in increasing the turnover by 20% in one year. It also grew my passion to work for myself, I was starting to realise I didn’t want to work for anyone else, making them the money. I knew from a young age that I wasn’t going to always be working for someone else.

The full cover interview with Stuart Maclaren is available to read in full here. For the latest dispatch of business news from across Lincolnshire delivered in your inbox every Friday, subscribe to the Lincolnshire Business magazine.

The Lincoln University Technical College has officially opened the doors of its new campus on Lindum Road after a £7.5 million investment transformed the former Greestone Centre.

One year after the college welcomed its first cohort at its temporary home in Chad Varah House in the Cathedral Quarter, the college kicked off the school year on September 7 by greeting 170 new students, 140 returning pupils and staff to its new home.

The building, which was formerly a girls’ school before being run for a spell by the University of Lincoln’s School of Art and Design, has been totally refitted with a brand new extension and facilities.

A new three-storey engineering and science suite at the back of the site has been designed as a modern extension, blending into the slope to the south side of Lincoln Cathedral, against the original Grade II listed building.

Lincoln UTC provides industry-led study for 14 to 18-year-olds, combining core subjects like maths and English, with specialist STEM subjects such as engineering.

Facilities include high-tech equipment in six science laboratories and eight engineering workshops.

It is the first educational establishment in Lincolnshire dedicated solely to industry specialisms, with a bold vision: “In pursuit of excellence, we will create a supportive, innovative environment and develop professional, respectful relationships.”

It is part of more than 30 UTCs supported by the Baker Dearing Educational Trust.

The build has been 18 months in the making, alongside contractors including Willmott Dixon and architects JR Roberts.

The college is also in partnership with a number of local businesses including Lincoln College, Siemens and the University of Lincoln.

It is hoped the college will bring a new supply of skilled professionals to the county, and is breaking through a gender gap in the STEM industry with 55 young women enrolling.

College Principal Rona Mackenzie said: “I see us as producing the next generation of young people that are going out to fill the skills shortage that there clearly is out there.

“There are businesses that are saying to us they are looking for people who have these very technical skills and we work very hard with our students to improve the skills that make them employable.

“We have lots more female students this year and I’m looking forward to welcoming them. Particularly as a female myself I want to encourage girls into STEM subjects as much as possible.”

Student Lucy Marriott began her first day at the college in year 12 on September 7. She said: “I was attracted to the college because it was science and engineering specialised. I love science so I thought it would be perfect.

“I don’t really see there only being opportunities here for a certain gender and there are quite a lot of girls in my year, it’s very balanced.

“I like the style of learning I feel very professional and I am getting ready for the workplace. I was to be a scientist, so biochemist or something to do with medicine.”

A new mobile app, designed in Lincoln, is filling a gap in the market by helping local tradespeople find work at short notice.

Local businessman, Paul Gascoigne, designed Frunbu (free/unsure/busy) for both Andriod and iOS.

It allows tradespeople to fill unexpected gaps in their work schedule free of charge.

Paul raised funds totalling around £150,000 to develop the app by selling his share in another software development business, as well as attracting several private investors who put in a total of £142,500.

He also received a grant from NBV Enterprise Solutions of £4,800.

The team will be promoting Frunbu in and around Lincoln, where they will be giving demonstrations at local builders’ merchants over the next few weeks.

Should the app receive enough interest, Paul has plans to expand the coverage area.

Paul, 44, said: “I came up with the idea after noticing that a lot of my friends who are also local tradesmen very often have to rearrange their working week because of last-minute cancellations or bad weather.

“Similarly, finding a tradesman who is available to do some work at short notice is never very easy, Frunbu helps to solve both of these problems.

“Whenever a tradesman finds that they have some unexpected time on their hands, the app allows them to broadcast their availability to other users in their local area.

“I’ve shown the app to many friends and business colleagues and so far the response has been very positive.

“This business has the potential to rapidly scale as it requires very little resources in terms of actual boots on the ground.

“If it grows quickly we may need to employ more software developers, and if we find it has the potential to grow outside of the UK we may need to translate the app into other languages.

“We don’t get involved in the transactional side of things – we’re just providing a platform which brings people together to solve a mutual problem.

“It’s been a challenge to get the idea off the ground. As with any investment there are risks involved but we’ve received a lot of support from some key players within the local construction industry so I feel much more confident that this app has a chance to be a success.”

Towering over the city alongside the cathedral, Lincoln Castle completes the tourist circuit after a £22 million revamp. With more than 150,000 visitors coming through the doors since the grand reopening in April, businesses around the city are reaping the benefits from the increase in visitors.

When it became obvious that the castle required serious restoration work and plans got put into motion, it was Mary Powell, 58, who was asked to take on the challenge of organising the project and acquiring the funding for it. She jumped at the chance, eager to see what secrets could be revealed.

The multi-million pound project was part of an overall plan to rejuvenate Lincoln as a tourist destination, and the money has proven to be more than justified. In only five months the castle has brought in more than triple the visitors in comparison to last year and has taken over £1 million.

This feature interview was first published in issue 45 of the Lincolnshire Business weekly magazine, now available to read at www.lincsbusiness.co. Subscribe to the email newsletter to receive the latest edition in your inbox this Friday.

Starting off as a Tourism Officer for the Derbyshire Dales District Council, Mary’s role has changed somewhat over the last 24 years. After moving to Lincoln she became involved with marketing and PR, but 2000 wasn’t just the turn of the millennium, it was the turning point of Mary’s career. She set up Taste of Lincolnshire in 2002 and the Lincoln Waterways Partnership in 2003.

“I always said that I would leave when I got bored but I haven’t got bored yet,” Mary smiled. “I bid for money for Taste of Lincolnshire in 2002. It was the most difficult thing that I had ever done. But it was successful and we got some European money.” After this she started to understand what was required to be able to obtain funding for events and projects that could benefit the county and boost tourism.

With her expertise, she was asked to organise one of Lincoln’s biggest redevelopments starting in 2005, the £22 million Lincoln Castle Revealed project. It was anticipated to boost Lincoln’s tourism economy by between 29-55%, equating to £36-£68 million and provide an additional 600-1,100 full time jobs.

“I was personally interested in the castle, I thought that the castle was underperforming to a considerable degree. I always used to say to people that you come in the castle through the East Gate and you see the [Crown Court] – well you can’t go in there. You look to the prison building and there was only about 30% of that open to the public.

“So the place was almost an instant disappointment because you couldn’t access it. Hence why I eventually called the bid ‘Lincoln Castle Revealed’ because we were opening up so much of it that wasn’t open to the public. I think that that was the reason that I wanted to do it.”

Finding the funding

Mary knew that there would be challenges ahead and unforeseen events that the restoration scheme would have to be able to adapt to. However, as much as Lincoln Castle was in disarray, bringing more tourism to Lincoln and the rest of the county was something that Mary and the Historic Lincoln Trust kept at the front of their plans.

“We were seeing the castle as a catalyst for tourism to Lincoln and Lincolnshire and what it would do for the county,” Mary said. She applied to the National Heritage Fund for a grant. “When we applied at round one, we asked them for £6 million and then when we started doing all of the work and looking at the state of the building, it was way worse than we thought and got worse while we were doing the plans.

“We realised that it wasn’t going to cost £15 million, it was going to cost a lot more. In round two we said, ‘Can we not have £6 million, can we have £12 million?’ Which is a big ask. We are the biggest uplift that they have ever given.”

The requirements for some of the funding was that a full archaeological dig must be done on the ancient ground before the work was carried out, which literally dug up a few skeletons and caused a few delays along the way.

The full cover interview with Mary Powell is available to read in full here. For the latest dispatch of business news from across Lincolnshire delivered in your inbox every Friday, subscribe to the Lincolnshire Business magazine.

A £16 million contract for construction of the University of Lincoln’s Isaac Newton Building on the Brayford Pool Campus has been awarded to BAM Construction.

Start of construction on site is scheduled for this autumn, with completion in early 2017.

As previously reported, the new four storey building will be an extension to the existing Engineering hub with a floor area of 7,500 sq m.

It will house a range of state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and research for Schools of Engineering; Computer Science; and Mathematics & Physics.

As well as specialist and general teaching spaces, and a 500-seat lecture theatre, there will be a social atrium space, including a canteen.

Specialist facilities include rooms lined with conductive fabric to create a Faraday cage, along with a sound deadening semi-anechoic chamber.

BAM Construction have worked on several projects for the university previously, including the Architecture, the Media and Communications Building in 2002, the new library in 2004, Media, Humanities and Computing building extension in 2005, the Performing Arts Building in 2007 and the Engineering Hub in 2011.

BAM will involve engineering students to help them use the building process as a learning experience as part of their studies.

Jason Pink, BAM’s Construction Manager, said: “We are very much looking forward to returning to the University of Lincoln to add to the facility we created.

“We will work hard as always to ensure we do our best for the local community and environment as well as creating a first class building for students and staff.”

Lincolnshire County Council is to sign a formal declaration of economic collaboration with the Chinese province of Hunan.

A delegation from Hunan, one of China’s fastest-growing provinces, will come to the county for two days on Thursday, September 10.

It is hoped that the deal will open the gates for further industry co-operation, friendship and common prosperity for both regions.

Hunan is home to more than 65m people, and its economy is worth more than £200bn per year.

Traditionally a rice and cotton growing area, Hunan has been developing its machinery, steel, tobacco and food processing, and electronics sectors, as well as new creative industries, such as broadcasting and motion pictures.

Some of the sectors that are earmarked for future collaboration are agriculture, engineering, adult social care, culture and education.

Over the course of the two days, the guests will meet senior councillors and officers, visit local businesses and be given a tour of the University of Lincoln’s School of Engineering, exploring all the county has to offer in these areas.

Councillor Colin Davie, Executive Member for Economic Development, said: “China has become one of the largest and most important export markets in the world, and many county firms already have ties there.

“However, we’re very keen to forge an even stronger relationship with Hunan in particular as we feel we have a lot in common.

“This visit is the first step on that journey, and will give us a firm foundation on which to develop our relationship, something that will bring significant economic benefits for both regions for many decades to come.”

Mr Shi Shaolong from the delegation said: “We look forward to spending time in Lincolnshire and meeting local leaders and businesses.

“We hope the visit will bring mutual understanding and friendship between the people of China and the United Kingdom, and consolidate and develop friendly cooperation between our two regions.”

Marian Sudbury, UK Trade & Investment Director of Global Investment Operations, added: “UKTI is pleased to support Greater Lincolnshire in welcoming the delegation from Hunan in order to promote the opportunities for investment in this historic and vibrant region.”

Lincoln pub The West End Tap is celebrating its first entry into the ‘Good Beer Guide 2016’, joining eight other city pubs.

The family-owned pub, located on Newland Street West, opened in December 2013, following an extensive refurbishment.

The ‘Good Beer Guide’ has celebrated cask-conditioned real ale and pubs for over 40 years.

Around 110 Lincolnshire pubs feature in the “Good Beer Guide 2016”, which was published on Thursday, September 10.

Lewis De-la-Hey, owner of the The West End Tap, said: “It was our partnerships goal from the outset to gain recognition for the range of cask ales we work hard to source.

“As a team, we work extremely hard on the conditioning of our ales and cleanliness of our lines, the pinnacle for any publican running a wet sales led pub is the Good Beer Guide.

“I speak for all members of The West End Tap team when I say how happy we are to gain entrance into the guide in such a short space of time and we will take every measure throughout next year to make sure we’re in the 2017 edition.

“Having achieved what we set out to when we started, we’re are concentrating on the future and improving The West End Tap in order to extend our range of ales along with incorporating a food offering and increasing the capacity of the Pub. So watch this space the New Year will hopefully bring some exciting developments for the West End Tap and Real Ale lovers.”

Other pubs featured on the list include modern pub/restaurants, such as the Centurion in North Hykeham, to traditional back-street pubs, such as Lincoln’s Victoria.

There is also a selection of classic village pubs in the list, including the Three Horseshoes at Waddington and the Dambusters Inn at Scampton, which are at the heart of their local community.

Aaron Joyce, Chairman of the Lincoln Branch of CAMRA, said: “Because of the production time for the Guide, we have to make our selections in the spring. So it’s a great achievement by Lewis De-la-Hey and his team at the West End Tap to be selected when the pub had been open for just fifteen months.”

In the aftermath of a scandal that saw outraged motorists appealing against ‘fraudulent’ parking tickets issued in Lincoln, a former warden has made claims about how attendants ‘bend the rules’ for bonuses.

In recent weeks, a number of people who had parked at the Tritton Road retail car park in the city have spoken out about parking charges of £100 which they said had been “doctored”.

Fuming motorists described how photo evidence supplied to them in response to the fines had been altered with false time stamps to accuse them of overstaying the two-hour limit.

The claims are under investigation with Action Fraud and the British Parking Association.

The independent firm operating the ticketing system at the car park UK Parking Control (UKPC) responded to enquiries stating that the issue was investigated and staff involved “are no longer working for [them].”

Now, a former UKPC employee is speaking out with claims that wardens had many questionable tactics to meet targets.

In an anonymous statement sent to The Lincolnite, he said: “This was one of my former sites I used to cover, being an ex employee of UKPC.

“When they take you on, you are on a KPI scheme. For 20-30 tickets it’s £2 a ticket, 30-40 £3 and so on, however in real world terms, in this car park (Tritton Road) that’s big ticket numbers.

“The push for tickets on this site was unreal, I used to get calls, texts and emails at all hours of the day and night, constantly demanding more, more, more.

“It seemed, on this site, to get big numbers you had to be prepared to bend the rules somewhat.

“On this site there are two parking spaces which are not actual spaces, even though they are marked up as bays, a lot of tickets were issued in these spaces to get numbers up (and probably still are).

“The end bay outside Staples, another bay between Pets at Home and PC World, were used as (cash cows), no signage to say these were not bays.

“Photos often used to be taken at angles to make it look like people were parked really far out of bays, when they were not.

“As for the time stamp fiasco, CCTV used to be checked first thing in the morning by the car park attendant.

“Let’s say a car entered car park at 9:45 and it was seen on CCTV at 12:00 that time, the warden would change time on camera phone to 9:45 go out and take a picture, then change time again to 12:00, then take a final picture – this was common practice.”

The scandal has gained national attention, including that of parking blogger Alex Shipp aka the Parking Prankster.

Alex said: “There is currently no information from UKPC detailing how many car parks this was going on at, how long it was going on for, or how many motorists were wrongly charged.

“However, at the rate of two tickets per car park per day, the rogue wardens would have been making their employer £12,000 a month or almost £150,000 a year. According to their website, UKPC cover over 1,400 sites nationwide.

“The situation is perhaps an inevitable result of how many car parks around the country are now managed. Several years ago, car park operators would charge a management sum to look after a car park. That has now largely changed; operators now offer their services for free, and make their money from issuing as many parking charges as they can.

“This leads to aggressive parking enforcement, and in this case, fraud. UKPC have featured on Parking Mad, where ex warden Tony Taylor exposed some of the tactics used to increase revenue.

“Wardens get no bonus for the first 20 tickets issued and paid, and up to £5 per ticket if they issue 50 or more. The bonus can be more than the actual wage and therefore the temptation to issue a few bogus tickets cannot be ruled out. Even an incorrectly issued ticket can scare a motorist into paying up.”

UKPC has been contacted in relation to the fresh claims from the whistleblower, but have so far not responded.

Youth clubs, schools, scouts and sports groups in Lincoln are among 80 good causes across Lincolnshire to benefit from a share of £43,065, raised by Lincolnshire Co-op members.

The money was raised over the last three months as part of the co-op’s Community Champions scheme.

The scheme sees every one of the society’s 240,000 members liked to a good cause close to where they live.

Every time they use their dividend card in any Lincolnshire Co-op outlets where dividend is issued, a donation from the Community Champions pot goes towards their local good cause.

The Community Champions for the period from June to September will now be awarded a cheque or vouchers for the total amount raised by shoppers in their area.

Altogether in the Lincoln area, some £14,191.77 will go to 23 causes including the 12th Lincoln Scout Group, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Lincoln Fight Factory Wrestling and Hykeham Tigers FC.

Member Engagement Manager Richard Whittaker said: “We’re very impressed that our members have managed to raise so much money for good causes in their local areas.

“Community Champions is great because it means local people can see the difference that shopping with us makes in their own communities.

“The champions change four times a year so we have the chance to support lots of different groups – if any groups out there need help with a project we’d like to encourage them to apply to be a Community Champion.”

Now this set of Community Champions’ three months is up, new champions have taken up the baton and stores have begun raising money for different local groups. Customers can look for displays in store or check the bottom of their till receipt to see who they’re supporting now.

Lincolnshire Co-op is encouraging members of local groups and organisations who need money to put towards a project to apply to become a Community Champion. An application form is available to pick up in store or accessed online.

Many will recognise The Cardinal’s Hat as the hidden HQ of St John’s Ambulance, but very few will have seen it in its heyday as a vibrant pub – until now.

The Grade II listed building has kept its name and its Tudor-style facade, but when local businessman Rupert Abbott set his sights on bringing it back to use as a pub he had his work cut out inside to find its original character.

The pub, which was built in the early 1400s, has served many former lives including a fishmonger, grocery store and tavern.

The new renovation has transformed it into a specialist bar serving beers, guest ales, wines, ciders and a selection of dished sharers and bar snacks from artisan producers.

Guests at The Cardinal’s Hat will also be able to enjoy a vintage-inspired newspaper-style menu, and some special products which change weekly.

After a slight delay, the pub opened on Thursday, September 10, complete with three storeys of uniquely furnished rooms, a small beer garden and a state-of-the-art refrigerated cellar.

The venture has also created 25 new jobs in the area and is being managed by Simon and Belinda Hall.

Business owner Rupert Abbott said previously: “Internally, we have tried to make a lot of different rooms with different feels and the building is on lots of different levels.

“What we are focussing on are products which are hard to find. There won’t be your Carling or Carlsberg, it’ll be a selection of niche beers from all over the world. There are some brands that you won’t see anywhere else in Lincoln.”

UKPC has admitted that some of its employees have been doctoring photos and handing over illegitimate fines to motorists in Lincoln and across the country.

The Lincolnite was the first to reveal the issue, with several locals coming forward about fines they have been issued at the car park operated by the company at Tritton Retail Park in the city.

A former warden working for the company also spoke out about the practice of altering timestamps in order to make it look like motorists overstayed in the car park and fine them.

After not responding to comment requests and issuing vague statements, UKPC has finally spoken about what happened.

A UKPC spokesperson said: “We regret to confirm that a limited number of pictures of vehicles, at a small number of car parks, have had their timestamp altered by a few of our employees to make it appear as though the vehicles had over-stayed when this was not the case.

“We have taken this issue extremely seriously and decided that even though a number of the relevant parking charges are likely to have been legitimately issued, we will refund all potentially affected parking charges for over-stays issued by these employees, to ensure that there is no room for error.

“The repayments will be refunded automatically to drivers’ bank accounts over the next few days. Disciplinary action is in progress in relation to the relevant employees and therefore our solicitors inform us that we are unable to comment further in that regard.

“We have never before had a problem of this nature, which runs contrary to the normally high standards of our business and the rigorous training of all our staff. We have taken steps to ensure that no further incidents of this nature can occur in the future.”

The British Parking Association also confirmed it is currently investigating allegations of evidence tampering by parking operator UK Parking Control.

On the second day of their visit, representatives from Hunan province in China visited the Engineering Hub at the University of Lincoln before signing a formal declaration of economic collaboration with Lincolnshire County Council on Friday September 11.

As previously reported, it is hoped that the deal will provide an opportunity for further international economic development for Lincolnshire businesses.

Yesterday, the visitors took a tour of Lincoln Castle and the David Ross Magna Carta Vault as well as the Usher Gallery on Lindum Hill.

Hunan is home to more than 65 million people, and its economy is worth more than £200 billion per year.

Qiu Dinggao, Secretary General Office Director, believes that there are many similarities between Lincolnshire and Hunan that will allow growth potential in the county as well as a range of other opportunities for both areas.

A giant advertisement for the Lincoln tank memorial will be going on a tour across the UK on the side of a Cartwright Bros lorry.

The Lincoln Tank Memorial Group, in partnership with the haulage firm, unveiled a specially commissioned carriage to commemorate the  memorial, which was gifted to the city in May.

The £100,000 memorial is a representation of the Mark I Foster Tank, first designed and built in Lincoln in 1916.

It was placed on Tritton Road roundabout, close to the Wellington Foundry where it was produced.

The sculpture, which was made possible after a variety of donations form people and businesses, joined the city’s growing collection of tourist attractions.

A Lincoln Tank Memorial spokesperson said: “This new eye-catching vehicle will be a great advertisement of an important slice of the city’s history.

“Cartwright Bros operate over 60 vehicles nationwide 24 hours a dar, seven days a week.”

Watch footage taken at the unveiling of the memorial.: