Shell UK Oil Products were recently  fined a total of £18,000 and ordered to pay over £53,000 in costs at Grimsby Magistrates Court as a result of a leak from one of the tanks at the Toothill petrol station in Yarborough Road which allowed poisonous unleaded petrol to enter the ground water supply and contaminate the public drinking water supply.  Shell stated that the leak had cost them millions of pounds

Follow this link to read the recent report on the case which was published by the Grimsby Telegraph:-

http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/

Crowds of people lined the route on Cleethorpes seafront on Veterans Day to honour those who fought for their country.The resort almost ground to a halt on Friday as about 200 ex-servicemen and women, led by the band of the Royal Air Force College, marched from the Market Place to the Strike Wing memorial in the first National Veterans Day Parade to be held at Cleethorpes.

Read the report and pictures of the parade from the Grimsby Telegraph on the following link:-

http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/

NORTH East Lincolnshire Council has begun to issue penalty notices to parents of children and young adults who do not attend school on a regular basis.Since the council’s cabinet agreed to allow penalty notices to be used as a deterrent from unauthorised absence, three penalties have been issued – for unauthorised holidays – and several more notices are set to be issued in the near future, some of which are for low school attendance.  Penalty notices are set at £50 if paid within 28 days, or £100 if paid after 28 days but within 42 days. All three of the notices recently issued were paid within 28 days.  Additionally, the council has adopted measures introduced by the Education And Inspections Act 2006, allowing similar penalty notices to be issued in relation to excluded pupils. Exclusion from school is seen as one of the last possible options available to education authorities when dealing with problematic young people, removing the individual from the school environment for a set amount of time. During such exclusions, pupils should remain at home: the expulsion is a form of punishment and should not be viewed as a break or holiday.Parents are responsible for ensuring their child is not present in school hours without excuse or in a public place during the first five days of any exclusion. Parents who neglect this responsibility may be issued with a penalty notice unless they are able to prove reasonable justification.The staff of Children’s Services are pleased with the initial impact of the notices and are hoping to see the increase of regular attendance as the fines come into widespread use.Here at North East Lincolnshire Council we take education and attendance very seriously. Children who regularly miss school have problems with basic skills including reading and writing. These skills are of the utmost importance in an individual’s ability to obtain a fulfilling and rewarding life.  Levels of attendance throughout the borough are on the rise, and I hope that with these new measures in place we will see a sharp decrease in the children and young people who are missing a basic education.

Football and netball sessions on a new-look Grimsby housing estate are proving a hot shot.  Scores of young people from Freshney Green, formerly the Yarborough estate, turn up for the regular Thursday evening sports academy at Yarborough Primary School.  The project has been sponsored by housing firm Shoreline and also by the Ward Councillors, with a donation from the Ward Councillors Fund.Organisers are hoping to attract more firms to join the team to help tempt young people away from anti-social behaviour.  The new academy was hailed a success by Shoreline neighbourhood manager Martin High.  He said: “The academy is fantastic.  It is healthy, fun and free and has already been hugely supported by local residents.”  He added: “We hope it will continue to improve the neighbourhood and reduce anti-social behaviour as well as bring young people and their families together.”Grimsby Town FC sports and education trust community manager Graham Rodger said: “We are extremely pleased. They are showing a desire to learn.   We would like to see some of them coming through the academy and end up among the professional ranks.”

Humberside Police youth diversionary officer Pc Paul Caswell urged more young people to join the project which is held for seven to 12-year-olds, from 6pm to 7pm, and 13 to 19 year olds, from 7pm to 8pm, each Thursday.

Andy Pollock (nine) said: “My favourite thing is learning football. I scored a hat-trick last week.”

Netballer Shaunnah Austin (10) said: “I enjoy learning how to play netball, shooting for goal, doing a pivot and what places there are for players, and I have met new friends.”

Among the teams were three Polish girls.  Karolina Lotycz (12) said: “It is fun playing in a team and I am meeting many other people who are English.”

 The first fixed speed cameras in North East Lincolnshire will be installed on the Laceby Bypass.  It is the first step being taken by the council in a £100,000 scheme to cut road deaths on the notorious stretch of the A46.  The cameras - which will be fitted within four months - needed special permission from the Home Office because of their permanent nature. Step two of the scheme will be to cut the speed limit from 70mph to 50mph, while step three will reduce the road to one lane by the Laceby junctions.The move follows years of campaigning by residents and road users concerned about the high number of accidents on the bypass and continuing A46 in both directions.On the bypass stretch from the A18 roundabout to Cottages Plot there have been 109 casualties from 50 crashes in the last 10 years. They have resulted in 34 people killed or seriously injured.

At the Caistor Road junction there have been 17 crashes resulting in 35 casualties with 10 people killed or seriously injured.

At the Grimsby Road junction there have been 20 crashes with 44 casualties resulting in 12 people killed or seriously injured.

To accompany the new fixed cameras, mobile ones will be used on other stretches of the A46 - which runs from Isaccs Hill, Cleethorpes, by Laceby, through Lincolnshire and then on to Oxford. North East Lincolnshire Council's network manager, Stuart Greaves, said: "We are very much feeling our way as we go along.  "Clearly the cost of safety measures are prohibitive and we don't feel we can afford to build the Rolls Royce solution. Eventually, our ultimate aim is to make the whole of the A46, from one end to another, into a corridor. The cameras could then be moved to where they are most needed."Council leader Coun Andrew De Freitas described the plans as "the sensible option".  He said: "It is a necessity that it is being done. It is the sensible option. If the intention is to defer speeding then it is the best possible option."

Humberside Police casualty reduction officer Pc John Mallett said: "Any form of engineering to rectify the situation should be welcomed. We provide high-visibility patrols along the whole stretch to influence driver behaviour as part of our normal policing business.  We will support with education and enforcement any engineering solutions put in place. All partner agencies need to assess the effectiveness of the cameras and see if a longer-term solution is needed."

 I have noticed today that there is an item on the NELC website which attempts to explain the recent changes to the road layout at Bradley Crossroads which I have reproduced here for information only.  If you have any opinions on the changes please let me know, and I will see that they are passed on:-Road layout changes have been introduced at Bradley Crossroads to address long standing safety concerns when pedestrians attempt to cross the dual carriageway from the Bradley Inn towards the shopping facilities.Accident studies have shown that pedestrians are particularly vulnerable at this location from vehicles coming from Bradley Road turning left and from Laceby Road going straight on, as well as from vehicles turning right from Littlecoates Road.. The experimental scheme has seen the left lane of Laceby Road, exiting from

MEN’S health really does matter – that’s the message from North East Lincolnshire Council’s public health team as they launch a new Full Monty styled DVD aimed at getting men to talk more – and do more, about improving their health.The DVD tells the story of five men in a pub – and as the packaging suggests, their discussions cover the full monty of men’s potential health issues, from high blood pressure to erectile dysfunction.Greg Gilbert, men’s health programme coordinator, said: “If you’ve been looking for information on men’s health – then here it is. The first of its kind – a DVD specifically for men, talking about men’s health issues in a language that men can understand.“The idea is not to tell men what to do but to inform them of what is available, then if they decide to make some changes to their lifestyle the DVD contains information about where to get help. It’s as easy as that. No finger wagging telling you what a bad boy you’ve been – it’s up to you. Just watch the DVD and see.” The DVD will be available at the official launch at the Imperial Pub, Grimsby Road, Cleethorpes on Friday, June 27, between noon and 2pm. Men (and women) are invited to come along and pick up a copy of the DVD and enjoy a healthy free buffet. Quick health checks, known as Men’s Health MOT’s, will also be available free of charge.Dr Tony Hill, North East Lincolnshire’s director of public health, said: “Men’s health is an important priority in North East Lincolnshire. Men die several years earlier than women and men’s health is worse than women’s in almost all ways.“This innovative DVD is one part of an important programme of work to try to change this.”The DVD will also be available at NELC customer access points, libraries and at selected factories and pubs across the borough. 

A group of residents of Maxwell Court and Romsey Court presented a petition for the closure of the alleyway to a meeting of the Environment, Culture and Tourism Committee which took place earlier tonight.  After hearing  from the spokesperson for the residents and also from myself  the committee took the decision to recomend that the alleyway be closed to reduce the antisocial behaviour which has taken place in the area for a number of years.  The result was a victory for the residents and an example to us all!

Closing a public right of way is quite a lengthy process, but this is an important step which should result in the alleyway being closed sometime over the next 12 months. 

An application form and supporting information may be obtained by e-mailing standardscommittee@nelincs.gov.uk or by written request to the Director of Law and Democratic Services at the Municipal Offices, Town Hall Square, Grimsby, DN31 1HU. The closing date for the receipt of applications is the 10th July 2008.

CHANNEL 4 newscaster Jon Snow will reveal if North East and

Almost 450 entries were submitted to this year’s MJ Achievement Awards. And the two councils have made it to the final six entrants in the Best Use of Resources category for their joint strategic procurement unit entry. North East and