A WARD councillor has accused the Government of "railroading the views of local people" by approving Keystone Developments' plan to build 400 homes in Humberston.

Councillor Alex Wallace (Lab, Sidney Sussex), who chaired the planning committee which rejected the proposal, said: "It concerns me what impact this centralisation could have on any future developments in the borough and how the views of the majority may be dismissed due to businesses having a large bank balance to appeal decisions. If this government truly believes in 'Localism' then the wishes of the majority of local people should be respected and accepted."

NORTH East Lincolnshire's green spaces are in danger of being swamped by housing, unless the council identifies enough land for future developments.

That was the warning from Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers after the Government overturned the planning committee's decision to reject Keystone Developments' application to build 400 homes in Humberston.

The developer's appeal was upheld by Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, after Planning Inspector Richard Watson concluded that the "limited harm" caused by the development "would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the scheme".

Mr Vickers said he strongly disagreed with the Inspector's conclusion that the impact on open green space and the highways network was acceptable, but claimed that the council's failure to identify sufficient land for housing had left him with no option but to approve the scheme.

The Inspector's report states that as the council does not have a five-year supply of housing, its Local Plan could no longer be considered up to date.

The council is currently working on a new local plan to replace the existing plan, which was adopted back in 2003.

And Mr Vickers said: "Ministers are able to overturn recommendations from planning inspectors if they have interpreted any of the planning law or guidance wrongly. Unfortunately this was not the case in this instance.

"What is clear from the report is that North East Lincolnshire Council has failed to identify sufficient housing land and therefore made it impossible for the inspector or minister to intervene.

"It is now urgent that the council get on with this otherwise they will be unable to prevent the area being swamped with housing in unsuitable parts of the borough."

But council leader Chris Shaw said: "We are positive about enabling sustainable development in North East Lincolnshire, and we will continue to work with developers to do that. Mr Vickers' comments show that problems with the planning system are at the national level – not the local. Obligations imposed by central government run contrary to the spirit of localism. We will be positively setting out the future for our borough in our new Local Plan, and I would welcome Mr Vickers' positive contribution through that process."

Jason Longhurst, the council's head of development, said: "Central government requires the council to objectively assess the need for housing in the borough. We also identify available, deliverable and suitable sites to meet that need.

"Our five-year Housing Supply Assessment (available on our website) identifies enough sites to meet our immediate housing needs, but it relies on developers building out schemes which have been permitted.

"The council works closely with developers and landowners to see sites brought forward for development in a managed way. The council is also working on an updated Local Plan which will include allocations of land to meet the identified housing need. The Government placed a strong presumption in favour of sustainable development in the National Planning Policy Framework, and we are bound to make our decisions in line with that."

ON THE WEB: Are you worried that the area's green spaces are going to be swamped by housing? Have your say at www.grimsby telegraph.co.uk

THERE is still time for people to get their seasonal flu jab, in order to give themselves the best chance of avoiding it over Christmas.

Health bosses at NHS England are urging people to get themselves and their young children vaccinated now in order to give themselves the best chance of having a flu-free festive season.

Dr Phil Kirby, Screening and Immunisation Lead, from NHS England, North Yorkshire and Humber, said: "We want to encourage people across the region to get their flu jab as soon as possible to reduce the risk of falling ill over Christmas.

"It takes roughly two weeks to build immunity to the flu virus after the vaccination, so to give yourself the best chance of avoiding flu at Christmas you need to be vaccinated by mid-December at the latest.

"The flu jab is offered free of charge to individuals who have a high risk of catching flu, such as those aged 65 years or over, pregnant women and those with long term health problems."

Flu is an extremely contagious disease with quick onset of symptoms including high temperature, sore throat, headache and muscle and joint pain. The vaccination is widely available, with a number of pharmacies now offering it as well as all GP surgeries.

GRIMSBY'S Rock Foundation has raised nearly £4,000 in a month.

The money is towards a specially-adapted minibus thanks to Localgiving.com's Grow Your Tenner campaign.

The charity provides activities and opportunities for young people and adults with learning disabilities in the Grimsby and Cleethorpes area, helping them to build a better life.

The money was raised in just one month through the Grow Your Tenner campaign and will go towards buying an adapted minibus allowing clients to visit new places and gain new experiences which would otherwise be inaccessible to them.

Localgiving.com is the UK's primary website for small, local charities and community groups. Grow Your Tenner 2013 is turning £500,000 from the Cabinet Office into more than £1 million for grass roots charities across England.

Until the pot is gone, Localgiving.com will double monthly donations up to £10 a month for six months, adding an extra £60 to the total received by the charity.

The Rock Foundation's chief executive Pam Hodge said: "Grow Your Tenner is a brilliant scheme.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for people to double their money whilst giving to charity."

She said the campaign had long-term significance for the charity and has increased the number of donors.

"People who have never donated to our charity are now engaged in regular giving. Without the Grow Your Tenner campaign we would have been unlikely to convince these people to donate, but the commitment to double the initial donation has proved a tempting prospect."

Keep reading your Grimsby Telegraph for updates on the campaign.

THEY'RE all winners, but only ONE can win £500 of Tesco vouchers for their school.

Parents, friends, relatives and teachers … join in our online voting competition for the best school Nativity or Christmas play.

From today until Friday, December 20, the pictures that we take of the productions in the infants and junior schools across our area will feature in your Grimsby Telegraph every day and online at www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/nativity.

Then, once the last one has gone up on our website on Friday, December 20, we will be opening up our online voting – from noon on that Friday until noon on Monday, December 23.

Full instructions of how to vote online can be be found at www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/nativity, along with the pictures.

The school with the most votes will WIN, it's as simple as that!

JOHNATHAN Ogelsby scored twice to help Cleethorpes Town keep pace at the top of the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Division One.

Ogelsby's quick-fire brace was added to three minutes later by Brody Robertson as the Owls beat AFC Emley 3-1 at home.

The result means that Marcus Newell's side remain neck-and-neck with Shaw Lane Aquaforce, who beat Hall Road Rangers by the same score.

Elsewhere in the division, Grimsby Borough grabbed the odd goal in five to beat Hemsworth Miners Welfare 3-2.

The Wells took the lead through Ryan Pleasants before Josh Braide and Luke Fanthorpe put the visitors 2-1 up.

Kyle Bensley grabbed the Blues' third from the penalty spot meaning that Pleasants' second – also a penalty – proved in vain. The result leaves Borough sitting 15th in the table.

Louth Town made it 12 defeats on the bounce as the rock-bottom side slipped to a 3-1 loss at Knaresborough Town.

Paul Walden's men went behind to Colin Heath's tenth-minute opener before James Deeming got the White Wolves back on terms nine minutes later. However, two second-half goals saw the North Yorkshire side home.

AIDY Boothroyd says Northampton Town's defeat to the Mariners was "another punch on the nose" for his League Two strugglers.

The former Watford boss was understandably disappointed as the Cobblers crashed out of the FA Cup for another season with defeat at Blundell Park.

They will now turn their attentions back to a fight for Football League survival – and climbing from 23rd place in the table.

Boothroyd remarked: "I'm deeply disappointed because I want to be in the next round and I want to be going to the bigger teams. Unfortunately, this is not going to be our year.

"It was going to be a difficult game from the start, we knew that. Grimsby are going well in the league and there are not a lot of spaces between us.

"We set out with a game-plan to frustrate them, to stop them and to break on them.

"We did that and I really couldn't see any real danger apart from a set-play, which we work on all week. But one man loses his marker and it was just a really, really poor goal to concede.

"The game then changed because you've got to chase it, so we go flying forward and create chances, but we didn't get that final touch to get a draw.

"With the second goal, the game is finished. We're pushing to try and get back in it – then that happens."

On his decision to begin the second round tie with just Jacob Blyth as an out-and-out striker, and taking almost an hour to add fellow forward Clive Platt, he added: "We started with three up top really – with the two wide players and the centre-forward.

"The plan was always to use the wind in the second half, playing with two up front and getting the crosses in.

"It was all going to plan, but then something like that happens and you have to change it.

"I would have been quite happy to take a draw and take the replay, but unfortunately if there's one weak link, the chain breaks."

Boothroyd also defended his line-up's cautious and direct tactics at Blundell Park, saying: "In the last five or six weeks we've done an awful lot of good things – I've been really pleased with it and am a lot happier than I was earlier in the season.

"Now, we're in a situation where we've had another punch on the nose but, as always, you've got to get back up and get on with it.

"Grimsby are where they are for a reason, and at this moment in time we're just building slowly.

"We're crawling away from where we are in the league and you don't come to go gung-ho and make it a good cup tie – you come to try and make sure you're the ones in charge of the game.

"It gives everyone confidence when you can fight from a solid base.

"We didn't give ourselves a chance to frustrate the crowd and frustrate Grimsby, though – we didn't do it for long enough."

STORMS and sickness didn't stop Reggae Reggae Sauce creator Levi Roots surpassing expectations for an inspirational evening with Grimsby entrepreneurs.

The Dragon's Den success story related his spicy tale to a North East Lincolnshire audience as part of a closing evening for the Mastering Business season of events.

Giving a chiefly biographical account of his life, from Jamaica to Brixton, and then from snaring an investor to launching around the world, he bounded on to a stage despite feeling under the weather and having been buffeted by it on Thursday as he made his way north to Oaklands Hall Hotel.

Manpower's Grimsby business manager Jose Stewart, who harbours dreams of launching her own company one day, was in the audience. She said: "He was just brilliant. He did a lengthy question and answer session which was excellent.

"The whole atmosphere of the night was very, very good."

Roots, who was brought up by his grandmother in Jamaica as his parents came to London to secure a better future, had the audience laughing as he described how streets of gold turned out to be streets of dog 'mess' when he made it across the Atlantic, having been sent a suit and a pair of shoes in a suitcase by his mum and dad when they were ready to welcome him.

Talking through troubles and unsuccessful X-Factor auditions, as well as nearly turning down Dragon's Den because his children didn't think it 'cool', after having been found by a researcher, he went on to describe how America is the next big market for Reggae Reggae.

Laid on by the local authority and the Bondholders marketing team, councillors and executive officers were diverted from the occasion to deal with the serious flooding that struck the borough.

Steve Croft, senior community investment officer at North East Lincolnshire, said the whole season had been a tremendous success.

He said: "The statistics at the celebratory closing event spoke for themselves with over 80 per cent of delegates describing the workshops as excellent. The series of intimate events was finished off with a fantastic, inspirational and thought provoking after dinner speech from the legend that is Levi Roots."

Mr Croft said one of the most pleasing aspects to come from the European-funded programme was getting the likes of florists and wind turbine engineers chatting together, discussing similar business issues.

"Business is a challenge we are looking at because of the economy, and we are starting to see green shoots. I really think 2014 is going to be a good year for the area. It has been great to hear the discussions between businesses going on during these events."

Mariners boss Paul Hurst reflects on his side's FA Cup Second Round success...

On the victory…

" We deserved that win. That's twice we've beaten League Two opposition in the FA Cup now, and I don't think we've been particularly lucky winners in either game. We played very well and more than held our own. I thought it would be a tight game and that proved to be the case. We started both halves pretty well. At half-time we said 'if you needed proof, we've showed that we can compete with them.' We spoke about a few things, like the throw-ins and getting set up a bit quicker, and I was happier with how we did that in the second half. We also wanted to try to play out from the back at times. We got the goal at a good time. It was a great header from Shaun and gave the keeper no chance. I was slightly disappointed, though, because we panicked slightly after going in front and had probably seven or eight minutes of slashing at things and kicking it aimlessly. We were trying to get the message on to just settle down and after that we did – and had some good bits of play. They were obviously going to throw men forward, especially with the late substitutions – taking a defender off and putting a winger on, and replacing a midfielder with a striker. So we had to defend but apart from the obvious nervousness that you get, I thought we saw it out pretty comfortably."

On Town's penalty appeals…

" It looked like a penalty to me. Ross (Hannah) had got himself in front and was just steadying himself. I don't think it was a particularly bad tackle or anything, but it wouldn't have surprised me if it had been given. We both had a couple of shouts but I didn't think anything after that was a penalty. That would have been an ideal start, but it wasn't given and overall we started the game pretty well."

On Paddy McLaughlin's goal…

" It would have been nice if Paddy could have got that second goal earlier, just for everyone's heart condition! Any time the opportunity is there for that second goal, then you should take it, and Paddy certainly took it well. It was a good bit of skill and then he toe-poked it in, in a controlled way, just to make sure that the last ten seconds or so was enjoyable."

On winning ways…

" It can be stressful on match days, there's no getting away from that, but the lads' performance levels are making the job enjoyable for me. With the exception of the previous Saturday at Coalville – I'm enjoying managing the team."

On injuries…

" Scott Neilson came off with a bit of a knock. I'm not sure it's that bad, but it is early days and I'll have to assess that."

"I WISH our supporters could see the joy for the children."

That was the praise for all the supporters who have helped raise £90,000 to take a group of 85 children to Lapland.

The annual trip has been organised by charity When You Wish Upon A Star.

It is one of the highlights of the charity's calendar, which includes fun trips for children with life-limiting illnesses and poorly children and their families.

The charity organises the visit to Santa's grotto each year thanks to generous groups in North East Lincolnshire.

Around 20 of the children going on the trip tomorrow are from North East Lincolnshire.

Others will go from North Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire and parts of Yorkshire.

The children suffer from a range of ailments, from cancer or leukaemia to heart conditions or rare illnesses.

They will fly from Humberside Airport tomorrow.

Charity area manager, Joanne Heywood, said: "I hope all the children and their families, who plan to go, get the chance to go. Many of them are undergoing chemotherapy or other treatments, but I hope all are well enough to go.

"There is a lot of excitement. A number of families post comments on Facebook saying how excited they are. You can't help but be touched by their excitement. It is minus 25 degrees Centigrade in Lapland at the moment, so I hope it is a better forecast."

Joanne added: "It never fails to amaze me how local people dig deep when people choose us as the charity to support. We have people doing the Great North Run and all sorts of events.

"It is all about what it means to the families of the children."

The charity manager said she had been to a funeral of one child who had visited Santa at Lapland and the mourners were told it was her favourite place.

Joanne said: "It shows how much it means. I wish people could see how much joy it brings to those families. It is not just the Lapland visit, it is the other trips we do throughout the year.

She praised The Wolds Veterans' running club members, who donated £2,000 to When You Wish Upon A Star at their annual awards evening at Cue World.

Joanne said: "They are so dedicated. They are a great crowd."

Wolds Veterans' chairman, Dave Edwards, said: "It is such a worthy cause. We have had various events in the year including a charity run on Bank Holiday Monday."

He told how club member Pete Hutchinson raised £700 by completing a 100-mile run.

Club treasurer, John Hudson hosted a regular Wednesday night Sausage Bun Run in the summer with all the participants treated to a roll at the end of the run.

Member Barbara Brown also entertained members with a tea evening.

There was also a donation from a member who had a late relative bequeath money as mourners supported the charity in lieu of flowers.

SCORES of Santas scampered down Weelsby Road in Grimsby on Sunday, creating a sea of red for a good cause.

People of all ages and abilities braved the cold and donned their festive outfits for the sixth annual Santas On The Run event in aid of St Andrew's Hospice.

With a more scenic two-mile route planned this year, confidence was high as the Santas lined up at the hospice in Peaks Lane in the minutes beforehand.

Among the hoards were grandad and grandson Stephen Jackson, 62, and Josh Gude, 9, both of Scartho.

Stephen said: "This must be my fourth time now and it is always a great event, it's good to have the opportunity to raise money for the hospice which is such a fantastic cause.

"It is good fun and brings families together just in time for Christmas."

Josh, a pupil from St Joseph's Academy, said: "I did it last year and really enjoyed it, though I did get a little bit tired towards the end.

"It is worth it though and I enjoy the fact that it helps poorly people."

Anne Fowler, 45, of New Waltham, was taking part with her family and her dogs.

She said: "We have been looking forward to it for a while, it is such a nice family event which everyone can enjoy.

"We are all recreational runners but we are staying together as a family for this, there is no competition at all."

Her husband John, a triathlete, was also taking part.

John said: "We do a lot of running but this is one for us all to stay together in, it is great to be able to raise some money for a good cause."

Many runners were still going strong well into the course, with many a red blur seen sprinting through Weelsby Woods.

St Andrew's Children's Hospice events co-ordinator Angela Greenfield, who officially started the run, said the event was one that could be enjoyed by all the family.

"We have good a very good turnout of Santas despite it being chilly, thankfully there has been no rain either," she said.

"We have altered the route this year and this is the first time it has actually started from the hospice.

"It is a great family event that gets people together and in the mood for Christmas."