Conservatives hold on to power to pledge jobs and regeneration
RESORT MASTERPLAN AND FREEPORT ON AGENDA
THE ruling Conservative group on North East Lincolnshire Council say they will deliver on big projects to create jobs and regeneration after wins in the Local Elections.
They held on to most of the 16 seats contested in 15 of the borough’s wards, but lost one to Labour in Heneage and a cabinet member lost his seat in Freshney to an Independent.
But leader of the council Philip Jackson said: “We still have 30 seats which is a big majority and when we are in the mid-term of a Government it is devastating for Labour who you would expect to get far more and only gained one seat.
“There has been no big Labour revival and I thank the people of North East Lincolnshire who have recognised we are doing a good job.
“We have big projects in hand to create and attract new jobs and continue the regeneration.
“We will be working towards the Freeport for our ports and the Cleethorpes Masterplan and improving the local economy.
“Clearly we have challenges with Children’s Services and we have kicked off a review of The Local Plan.
“We recognised the strength of feeling over the Grimsby Western Link Road and we won’t bid for the new link road.
“We will continue to improve the street scene and reduce litter and provide more enforcement to stop fly-tipping and antisocial behaviour. We have the new CCTV network, which will be much more effective, having been unreliable.”
He said the damning report into NELC Children’s Services could only be put right if the local area had good investment and jobs to support young people.
Labour Group leader on the council, Matthew Patrick said: “We were hoping for more seats but it is a massive improvement from where we were.
“The Conservatives won with much thinner margins and the voters have put the Conservatives on notice for next year. There were a fair number came back to Labour and we are expecting more next year.”
Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers said: “For the Labour Party, after 12 years of a Conservative-led Government, you would normally be picking up seats such as Sidney Sussex and Yarborough and Heneage and winning seats like that with overwhelming figures.
“It is disappointing for Labour and it is disappointing for Conservatives that we couldn’t perform as well as before.
“The message from the electorate is they are concerned more with issues at a national level. It has been a commendable set of results in the circumstances.”
One of the biggest shocks for the Conservatives was the loss of the Freshney seat for cabinet member with responsibility for tourism, Callum Procter.
He lost out to Independent, Steve Holland, who had campaigned for The Friends of Freshney Valley to stop a western relief road and thousands of new homes.
“It became apparent people did not wish to see much-needed green spaces disappearing under concrete and they did not want the land built on for more urban sprawl,” said Councillor Holland.
He said he will work hard to protect the countryside and “leave the borough in better shape for the next generation.”
Liberal Democrat leader Steve Beasant won his seat in East Marsh, along with Lynsey McLean, also LibDem to hold on to three seats.
Councillor Beasant said next year will be his 20th year serving the ward.
“We work all year round for the good of the electorate,” he said. The turnout for the whole of North East Lincolnshire was just over 25 per cent of the electorate.