ELECTIONS: Your Skegness area guide to voting in the 2021 Parish, County and East Lindsey District elections

The men and women wanting to make decisions on our roads and local services for the next four years have just a few hours to win your vote.
Polling stations open at 7am.Polling stations open at 7am.
Polling stations open at 7am.

Tomorrow (Thursday), local elections are taking place to appoint members to Lincolnshire County Council and the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire.

There will also be a District By Election in Chapel St Leonards District Ward and a Skegness Town Council By Election in the Woodlands Parish Ward.

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Local council elections are happening across England, but not in all areas. Approximately 28 million people will be able to vote for about 4,650 positions of power. Last year's vote was delayed because of Covid, so this year we will see a bigger-than-usual number of positions up for election.

England’s fourth largest county council, Lincolnshire County Council was created as part of the local government reorganisation of 1974.

With a population of 755,853 (Lincolnshire Research Observatory – ONS mid-year population estimates). the council’s area boasts the bustling centres of Lincoln, Boston and Grantham. It also serves towns such as Skegness, Spalding, Sleaford, Gainsborough and Louth.

Lincolnshire County Council is made up of 70 councillors and is currently Conservative-led. All 70 seats are being contested in this election, which means that a party would require 36 seats to be able to form a majority.

Current political makeup of Lincolnshire County Council

o Conservative – 54 seats (77.1%)

o Independent – 6 seats (8.6%)

o Labour - 5 seats (7.1%)

o Independent (none-aligned) - 2 seats (2.8%)

o Liberal Democrat – 1 seat (1.4%)

o Lincolnshire Independent – 1 seat (1.4%)

o 1 vacancy (Market Rasen Wolds)

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There is often confusion about the services provided by Lincolnshire County Council, for instance many people still complain to district and town councils regarding roads. To clarify, Lincolnshire County Council:

o Educates 106,239 children in 365 schools, and look after 680 children and young people in local-authority care.

o Provides 11 household-waste recycling centres to help reduce the amount of waste going to landfill (the council collected 349,410 tonnes of waste in 2019/20, when 153,204 tonnes of general waste was processed and total kerbside, food and composting recycling was 196,206 tonnes).

o Looks after about 5,500 miles of roads, and 2,600 miles of footways and cycle ways, and works with other organisations to keep all road users safe and help reduce accidents.

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o Provides school transport for approximately 18,500 children each day.

o Provides 2,180 people with a personal budget, giving them more choice and control over their care, gives 10,580 carers support in their caring role, and provides 5,590 people with home care to help them live independently in their own homes.

o Offers learning, culture and entertainment through 15 core libraries and five museum and heritage sites.

o Has 38 fire stations across the county

Polling stations will be open between the hours of 7am and 10pm.

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The counting process is managed by district councils across the county at various. venues. East Lindsey's count will take place at the Meridian Leisure Centre in Wood Lane.

CANDIDATES

Skegness Urban District Society (SUDS), who hold the majority on Skegness Town Council, are challenging Conservative candidates for all available seats in the parish, county and district elections.

Labour is also well in the running in all but the Ingoldmells Rural ward and Wainfleet sees a Green Party candidate.

The candidates are:

PARISH ELECTION

Skegness, Woodlands Parish Ward:

Gary Owen Ellis - Labour Party);

Declan Hawkins - Skegness Urban District Society (SUDS);

Julie Sadler - The Conservative Party Candidate).

DISTRICT COUNCIL ELECTION

Chapel St Leonards Ward:

George Isaac Bailey - Labour Party

Ady Findley - Skegness Urban District Society (SUDS)

Steve Walmsley

David Williams - The Conservative Party

LINCOLNSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION

Alford & Sutton Electoral Division:

Isaac George Bailey - Labour Party;

Jimmy Brookes - Skegness Urban District Society (SUDS);

Colin Matthews - The Conservative Party.

Ingoldmells Rural:

Danny Brookes - Skegness Urban District Society (SUDS),

Colin John Davie - The Conservative Party;

Janet Pamela Shaw - The Conservative Party;

Steve Walmsley - Skegness Urban District Society (SUDS).

Skegness North:

Mark Anderson - Labour Party;

Mark Dannatt - Skegness Urban District Society (SUDS);

Carl Stuart Macey - The Conservative Party.

Skegness South:

Susan Blackburn -The Conservative Party;

Billy Brookes - Skegness Urban District Society (SUDS);

Claire Poole - Labour Party.

Wainfleet:

Wendy Bowkett - The Conservative Party;

Ady Findley - Skegness Urban District Society (SUDS);

Jonathan Michael Finnis - Green Party;

Keziah Mercedes Wood - Labour Party