New chairman of North Kesteven District Council sees role as a ‘great honour'

With the support of his wife of 51 years Chris at his side as consort – and a third Chris (Coun Christine Collard) as vice-chair – he said he would fulfil his civic duties to the best of his ability.

“It is a great honour to be elected to this role and I will do my utmost to diligently represent this wonderful district,” he said.

Coun Goldson is a member for Skellingthorpe & Eagle and Coun Collard serves Heckington Rural.

In proposing Coun Goldson, Council Leader Coun Richard Wright said he had greatly enjoyed working alongside him over the years and knew that he would be a very diligent and highly respected chair. And in supporting Coun Collard as vice-chair, Deputy Leader Coun Ian Carrington singled out her extensive connectivity within her local community, saying they would both be superb ambassadors for the council, the district and its communities.

Now in his 35th year and ninth term as a district councillor for his home village of Skellingthorpe, Coun Goldson is North Kesteven’s longest serving member.

He takes the office of chair of the council for the first time, after a year as vice-chair.

He served on Lincolnshire County Council in the 1990s for the Tritton Division in Lincoln, taking over from his mother Irene Goldson who had also been the City Sheriff, with Mrs Chris (as she’s fondly known) acting as consort.

Born in Skellingthorpe, and resident of the village on Lincoln’s edge for 47 years, he is deeply rooted in the local community, serving on and chairing the parish council on three occasions, contributing to many aspects of village life including the annual gala, the warm hub (now called the Social Cake & Cuppa) and the 50/61 Squadron Reunion connected to the former RAF Skellingthorpe.

Aged 73, he is still involved as an Employment Tribunal Member drawing on his extensive experience as a trade union official during a 35-year career as a British Telecom engineer which followed earlier work with the Central Electricity Generating Board and Smith-Clayton in Lincoln.

Feeling that the traditional role of chairman is ‘as far from me as you could get’, he is keen to shape it and ‘do it my way’, in a more relaxed, ‘low key’ and ‘as simple, easy and down to earth’ way as possible. A significant difference is his preference to be addressed as chair, rather than chairman, adopting the non-gender-specific language of this role.

With two children (Steve and Jenny) and four granddaughters, Chris enjoys an active family life and time with both his dog Jed and his (many) motorbikes.

Along with his son Steve he is a season ticket holder at Lincoln City Football Club.

Whilst his nominated charity has yet to be determined – seeking suggestions from council officers, elected members and colleagues to nominate options in a departure from tradition – Chris has decided that a theme for his civic year will focus on consideration of animals.

The focus is Animal Allies: Strengthening Community Ties – an initiative aligned with the council’s priority of Our Communities, which aims to enhance the health, wellbeing, safety, and resilience of all our communities, inspiring and supporting a sustainable and flourishing future.

Chris is keen to champion the significant role animals play in enhancing lives and support the incredible work being done by various organisations and charities in this field.

Alongside other duties and requests to participate in community activities, he is committed to visit at least one animal-related organisation or charity within the district each month during his term of office. He is also eager to learn more about the vital work being undertaken in this area and to understand how the council can further support these efforts; inspiring others to appreciate and support the invaluable role animals play in enriching our lives and hoping to build strong connections and foster a sense of community and compassion.

Currently a member of the Resources Scrutiny Committee and Member Development Panel, Coun Goldson is one of two Ward members for Skellingthorpe & Eagle and group leader of unaligned independent members on the council.

Outgoing council chairman Coun Andrew Hagues concluded his civic year with the presentation of £3,428.25 to his chosen charity, the Lincolnshire Rural Support Network.

In an emotional response, he said: “From civic receptions to charity fundraisers, I’ve seen the strength and spirit of our community first-hand,” adding that it had been a ‘rewarding experience’ to represent the district through the year and ‘especially meaningful’ to support the LRSN.

The money was raised for this worthy cause through the Brains of Kesteven quiz, bar and raffle sales at the NK Community Champion Awards, a coffee morning, charity walk and raffles galore!

“As I step down, I offer my very best wishes to all members, and the incoming chairman and vice-chairman. May the coming years bring continued success and progress for North Kesteven District Council.”