THE public consultation only ended on Friday afternoon ... but we have already had artists' impressions of what a new Grimsby leisure facility will look like ... and now there is a full timeline.

But despite plans for the new £8.4-million complex forging ahead, campaigners say they will not give up their fight to save Scartho Baths from demolition.

Councillors have backed plans to build a new pool and leisure facility at Grimsby Leisure Centre, in Cromwell Road – meaning Scartho Baths and the existing pool at Cromwell Road could be demolished.

If the recommendations – made at North East Lincolnshire Council's tourism and culture scrutiny panel yesterday – are rubber-stamped on December 10, it will signal the end of the battle to save Scartho Baths.

The timeline for a new build is as follows ...

January 2013: Planning application to be submitted.

April 2013: Planning consent expected to be granted.

November 2013: Contractors expected to be appointed.

February 2014: Ground work expected to begin.

March 2014: Building work expected to start.

November 2015: New pool expected to be open for business. Scartho Baths and the original pool at Grimsby Leisure Centre would then close.

At yesterday's meeting, it was revealed that, despite 7,000 people signing a petition opposing the closure of the baths, only 874 people responded to the consultation.

Members of the Save Scartho Baths group claim the consultation process was unfair because it only asked them to comment on plans to replace the historic pool – not to refurbish it.

Spokesman Alan Barratt said: "The outcome of this scrutiny panel was predetermined because of loaded questioning in the consultation document.

"It was a forgone conclusion that the panel would recommend the new pool is pushed though.

"The council seems determined to ignore our pleas to refurbish Scartho Baths and instead forge ahead with building an inadequate pool in the wrong location.

"Members of Save Scartho Baths will continue to push the Local Government Ombudsman to scrutinise the council's decision process."

During the meeting, Councillor David Hornby expressed his concerns that the consultation process was a "sham".

He said: "The questions were framed to get the responses the council wanted."

Councillor Andrew DeFeitas added: "The reason the Scartho Baths site is so popular is its location. We are going to end up with new leisure facilities on the Cromwell Road site which people don't want and which will never reach their full potential."

However, the majority of councillors supported the plans – with Councillor Matthew Brown dubbing Scartho Baths "a dump".

He added: "As councillors we have to make unpopular decisions now and again and I do believe this will be in the best interests of the people of North East Lincolnshire."

Councillor Alex Wallace added that it would not be feasible to refurbish Scartho Baths."

The plans for a new pool have also been backed by Councillor Mick Burnett, portfolio holder for tourism and leisure, who said: "This new pool will be a tremendous addition to leisure in the area and shows our determination to deliver the best facilities we can."

"The consultation results have shown local people are passionate about leisure and we're very excited about the design images."

The state-of-the-art new pool, which has been designed by sport and leisure specialists FaulknerBrowns Architects, includes a large main pool, a separate trainer pool, seating for 500 people and a gym with sauna.

A full set of artists' impressions were printed in yesterday's paper and are still available to view on www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk, where you can also comment on the story.

MORE than 2,000 homes across Cleethorpes have been plunged into darkness.
The first reports of the power cut were received by Northern Powergrid at 6.29pm, who said the outage was effecting properties across the DN35 and DN32 postcodes.
At just before 7pm, a spokesman for the firm tweeted: "We're aware of customers off supply in #Cleethorpes, staff are en route to site, updates to follow."
Among the streets affected were:
Barnett Place
Bramhall Street
Brereton Avenue
Carr Lane
Harrington Street
Johnson Street
The spokesman told the Grimsby Telegraph it was not yet confirmed what had caused the power cut, but it was thought to be a "wider area issue" relating to a cable fault.
He added that the first priority was to restore power, but it was not known how long this would take.
He said: "We would like to apologise to our customers for any inconvenience this has caused.
"We are doing all we can to resolve the situation as quickly as possible."
See thisisgrimsby.co.uk for updates.

FOR too long in Britain there have been two sets of rules on tax – one for the rich and another for average workers and families.

A tax system that lets the super-rich dodge paying their fair share is wrong. A tax system which means that people who go to work can end up worse off than those who stay on benefits, is broken.

We need fairer taxes in these tough times. That is why presumably from April next year, 2 million people will have been lifted out of income tax altogether and a tax cut of almost £550 has been provided to over 20 million low and middle earners.

But the point is there is still much more to do on fairer tax for Britain's workers.

Unfortunately it is too easy for the super-rich to dodge paying what they should. By employing expensive accountants they can use loopholes not available to ordinary working people. It appears possible for a billionaire to live in the UK and pay almost no tax at all.

We should always celebrate success in Britain. But success shouldn't mean that the super-rich can avoid paying their fair share.

If big names like Starbucks, Google and Amazon want to make money in the UK, then they must be made to pay their fair share of tax here too. It is outrageous that Starbucks had sales of nearly £400m in the UK last year and paid nothing in corporation tax.

It is unfair that while small and medium sized companies in the UK are paying their share in tax, larger companies are depriving Britain of millions by dodging it. If you agree and want to see fairer taxes in Britain, add your name to the online petition today – www.fairertax.org/

The more people who stand with us, the louder we can shout.

A REVISED plan to store millions of cubic metres of gas in an underground cavern near Louth is to be submitted to planners.

Wingas Storage Ltd applied to store up to 700 million cubic metres of gas below Louth Marsh at its site in Saltfleetby two years ago, as reported.

The firm is now submitting a revised scheme to Lincolnshire County Council with the aim of reducing traffic issues raised by residents living nearby.

Wingas spokeswoman Gill Lawrence said: "We held a couple of public exhibitions including with local communities affected.

"The revised plan is to drill into one store only, instead of two.

"By taking one out, this will also take out some of the traffic that had been of concern, particularly for people in Grimoldby."

The site is also being used to produce gas. The firm estimates that vehicle movements for the construction phase could be reduced by a third for the scaling down of the proposals.

Grimoldby Parish Council, while having no objection to the proposed storage scheme itself, objected to Tinkle Street being used by lorries for the construction phase.

The traffic management plan proposed would have seen 100 vehicle movements through Tinkle Street in the first three months – 50 loaded lorries arriving and 50 unloaded lorries returning.

Chairman of the parish council Councillor Terry Knowles, together with Councillor Fred Collins, attended a meeting at Westminster with Sir Peter Tapsell MP about the Wingas proposals.

Councillor Knowles said: "We have been on this case for a long time. Now they have decided to reduce the scheme to one well, they say it will reduce traffic on Tinkle Street by about 30 per cent which is good news, but we think this is still too much for our street.

"Tinkle Street gets worse every day – these are lorries considered too heavy for bridges.

"I still object if it is 70 lorries down from 100 a day. It only takes one lorry to knock a child off their bike.

"I know Tinkle Street better than most people, it has a great mix of people using it all day."

THOUSANDS of motorcycling fans gathered together for a big national show – and Kirmington road racer Guy Martin was one of the main attractions.

The NEC in Birmingham hosted the nine-day Motorcycle Live show.

And on the final day, Martin was present to tell stories and chat to the crowd.

He also spoke about his latest Channel 4 television series, How Britain Worked, which proved popular during the six-week run which ended last Sunday.

Martin, one of the biggest names on the road-racing scene, thrilled his vast army of dedicated fans with his captivating tales of the industrial revolution, and how the TV series was made.

The Grimsby lorry mechanic also wrote a book to accompany the series.

He joined forces with Keith Martin to produce a signed limited edition of just 500 copies of the books, which are not available anywhere else in the UK apart from www.keithmartinphotography.co.uk.

These exclusive signed copies are selling at a rapid rate in the run-up to Christmas.

To order your copy, call Keith on (01469) 573063.

GRIMSBY schoolboy Finley Thompson won the area's final road race of the year.

The 16-year-old Oasis Academy Wintringham student was first across the line in this week's Cleethorpes 5K road race.

Thompson, pictured, clocked 17 minutes and five seconds on a cold night on the resort's promenade.

Louth AC's Paul Jackson – who has enjoyed a consistent year – was not far behind in 17.17.

Kevin Green, running for host club Cleethorpes AC, was third in 17.31.

Scott Indian (Clee AC, 17.32), Adam Dalton (Louth AC, 17.35) and Paul Allcock (Clee AC, 17.39) packed closely and rounded off the top six.

First Wolds Vet home was Paul Freeman in 18.32.

Ellie Kitchen, of Bingley Harriers, was first female in 19.18.

Next was Wolds Vet Mary Craig in 20.26, ahead of third-placed lady Debbie Simpson, of Louth AC, in 21.39.

The 3k race for juniors was won by Ben Plumpton in 12.12, ahead of Jake O'Sullivan in 12.23. James Hodgson was next in 13.18.

5K Results

Key: Position, Name, Age, Club, Time

Wheelchair Race: 1. Jamie Carter 18 Clee AC 15:27.

Road Race: 1. Finley Thompson 16 Lincoln Wellington 17:05; 2. Paul Jackson 40 Louth AC 17:17; 3. Kevin Green 30 Clee AC 17:31; 4. Scott Indian 33 Clee AC 17:32; 5. Adam Dalton 25 Louth AC 17:35; 6. Paul Allcock 24 Clee AC 17:39; 7. James Woodhouse 45 M Clee AC 17:49; 8. Paul Evison 45 Clee AC 18:01; 9. Stuart Wells 41 U/A 18:10; 10. Ed Huxford 36 Clee AC 18:29; 11. Paul Freeman 49 Wolds Vet 18:32; 12. Mark Atkinson 25 Louth AC 18:42; 13. Andrew Thomas 47 M Louth AC 18:44; 14. Kevin Houghton 35 M Louth AC 18:46; 15. Darren Rowe 36 Clee AC 18:47; 16. Luke Nuttall 14 Clee AC 18:50; 17. Jon Dollery 16 Clee AC 19:06; 18. Jason Clarke 42 Clee AC 19:13; 19. Mark Thurman 39 Clee AC 19:14; 20. Nigel Chaplin 43 U/A 19:16; 21. Ellie Kitchen 23 Bingley Harriers 19:18 – first lady; 22. Jon Fowler 51 Clee AC 19:20; 23. Pete Hutchinson 54 Wold Vet 19:35; 24. Tom Nuttall 14 Clee AC 19:41; 25. Paul Barley 48 Clee AC 19:45; 26. Oliver Myers 14 Clee AC 19:48; 27. Dave Smith 39 Clee AC 19:55; 28. Nik Forman 53 Clee AC 20:13; 29. Shaun Robinson 36 U/A 20:15; 30. Joe Black 24 Clee AC 20:16; 31. Chris Atkin 37 Clee AC 20:24; 32. Mary Craig 44 Wold Vets 20:26 – second lady; 33. Peter Cullum 53 Clee AC 20:28; 34. Gary Day 46 U/A 20:35; 35. Dave Jobson 56 U/A 20:38; 36. Steve Hunt 51 Louth AC 20:47; 37. Michael Dean 50 Louth AC 20:55; 38. Kenny McMillan 55 M Wold Vet 21:07; 39. Phil Lynne 37 Clee AC 21:14; 40. Bill Ward 63 Wold Vets 21:31; 41. Debbie Simpson 40 Louth AC 21:39 – third lady; 42. Steve Sharp 48 Clee AC 21:47; 43. Callum Ely 14 Clee AC 21:52; 44. Andrew Ely 36 Clee AC 21:52; 45. Sian McCourt 34 Clee AC 21:53; 46. Mandy Aisthorpe 48 Clee AC 21:54; 47. Trudy Roberts 44 Louth AC 21:55; 48. Helen Robinson 36 Grimsby Harriers 22:02; 49. Steven Holgarth-McGee 14 Louth AC 22:32; 50. Alan Cook 45 U/A 22:35; 51. Thomas Morley 14 Clee AC 22:37; 52. Dave Edwards 65 Clee AC 22:41; 53. Jim Davis 56 U/A 22:46; 54. Clive Thornley 55 Wold Vets 22:57; 55. Charlie Ellis 13 U/A 23:10; 56. Lucy Gash 11 Grimsby Harriers 23:19; 57. Mark Carlton 52 Clee AC 23:31; 58. Joanne Brogdan 46 Wold Vets 24:14 ; 59. Sharon Margason 41 Mablethorpe RC 24:39; 60. John Kendall 41 Wold Vet 24:46; 61. Fiona Lawrie 52 Louth AC 24:47; 62. Ros Jackson 54 Louth AC 24:58 Twelvth Lady; 63. Anne Mortimer 49 Wold Vets 25:04 Thirteenth Lady; 64. Natalie Stainton 15 Louth AC 25:21; 65. Jason Neilson 40 M Clee AC 25:23; 66. Simon Harrison 45 Louth AC 25:43; 67. Pete Tarn 56 Wold Vets 25:54; 68. Elaine Wilson 44 Mablethorpe RC 26:10; 69. Anthony Freshney 46 U/A 26:33; 70. Sam Jensen 36 Clee AC 26:52; 71. Anne-Marie Marshall 39 Clee AC 27:20; 72. Kerry McNulty 46 Clee AC 31:03; 73. John O'Keeffe 48 Clee AC 31:03; 74. Alison Parker 36 U/A 31:22; 75. Alan Williams 63 M Clee AC 31:24.

THE cold weather may be tightening its grip on the region, but Icing Cabin are in hot form on the baize.

Cabin came through a tough test at Clee Cons C to win 4-2 and remain top of the Express Appliances Intermediate Snooker League.

The leaders got off to a great start with Jamie Barrett and Paul Smith winning on one table while Lewis Singleton and Scott Gibbons triumphed on the other.

But the Cons hit back as Rob Willerton, Alby Forster, Craig Thomas and Damon Gresham made it 2-2.

The next frame was very tight, but it was edged by Cabin duo Tony Aisthorpe and Steve Singleton who went on to clinch victory for their team.

Level with the Cabin team at the top of the table, on 48 points, are Hainton B.

Chris Taylor and Neil Russel won 2-0 for Hainton on one table while Mike Emerson and Nige Cordy did the same thing for opponents Peter Hogarth and Sons on the other.

A return to form for Bob Reeves and Ivan Harvey then saw Hainton to a 4-2 win.

Two points back in third are Gas Man after they bagged a 5-1 victory over 'old enemies' Ray Edmonds B.

With the scores locked at 1-1, Kev North and Paul Jackson – who made the week's highest break, a 56 – made it 3-1, before Scott Long and Dan Mumby added a further double to sew up a good victory.

Birds Eye continued their good form at the expense of Webbonet. A 2-0 from Tony Ward and Chris Madsen earned the Birds a 4-2 victory.

Locate Supplies kept themselves in the title hunt with a 4-2 win against Westlands D. Mark Graves hit a break of 52 and he and Darryl Pidd chalked up a 2-0.

Jimmy Yates and Jason Reynolds won 2-0 for Clee Cons A as they overcame struggling Clee Home Guard 4-2.

Cambridge F's storming run in Section B continued with a 5-1 triumph over West End C.

The victory leaves Cambridge top of the table and seven points ahead of the chasing pack.

John and Keith Phillipson won 2-0, while Tony Curtis and Nick Mason shared with Paul Stiff. Captain Garry White and Craig Allerson then steered Cambridge to victory.

Express Appliances, second in the standings, stumbled at the hands of Westlands Heating.

An early 2-0 from Chris Yull and Daz North could not be clawed back as Westlands went on to win 4-2.

Third-placed Ray Edmonds D kept up their promotion hopes with a 4-2 win at Westlands C.

Carr Lane Social B beat No Idea at Ray Edmonds by five frames to one. Roger Lockwood, John Smith, Paul Kirk and Pete McIntyre all won 2-0.

After five successive draws, Grimsby Police B got back on the victory trail when they beat Cambridge Graduates.

Kev Ferguson and Pete Wood put the Police 2-0 up before Jim Wood and Roger Hansford doubled their advantage.

George Walters and Terry Steel then made it 5-0, before Terry Robinson and David Richardson got a consolation frame for Cambridge.

MARKET Rasen & Louth RUFC are aiming to bounce back this weekend after losing a closely-fought match against Scunthorpe.

The Red and Greens travelled to Heslam Park and were narrowly beaten 19-17.

It is back to Midlands One East League action this Saturday when they take on Peterborough Lions at Willingham Road (2.15pm kick-off).

Scunthorpe – who play in the league above Rasen – began strongly with some vigorous driving play that pushed their rivals deep into their own twenty two.

With five minutes gone, burly scrum-half Will Harrison pounced on a loose ball to slip through the visiting defence to open the scoring.

Despite the inauspicious start, Rasen regrouped and slowly grew into the game.

Rasen pressure forced Scunthorpe to concede a penalty. Meehal Grint's kick was unsuccessful, but Rasen retained their field position and, after a frenetic passage of play, centre Adam Beasley eased his way over the line to bring his side level. Matt Sutton took over the kicking duties and landed a superb touchline conversion.

Rasen had the upper hand, with Scunthorpe's early dominance evaporating.

Beasley set up an attacking platform and industrious open-side flanker Ben Chamberlin powered his way over the line.

Sutton repeated the dose with another excellent conversion from wide to give Rasen a 14-5 lead at the interval.

The Red and Greens continued where they had left off in the first half as Sutton's sure boot extended the lead with a penalty.

Scunthorpe's Adam Middleton had moved from full-back to scrum-half in the second period and had not been shy in letting the official know his views – but he eventually crossed the mark and received a yellow card.

However, not content to take his ten-minute punishment without comment, he made further remarks to reduce his side to 14 men for the remainder of the match as the referee reached in his pocket to brandish a red card.

Rasen opted for the kick to touch from the resulting penalty, but once again were repelled by the tight home defence.

The sending-off ought to have signalled the end for Scunthorpe, but it had the opposite effect as they galvanized themselves and forced Rasen to concede penalties.

A combination of penalties and smart play pushed Rasen back towards their own line until finally fly-half Ben Wright crossed the whitewash.

A conversion from centre Matt Ellis put Scunthorpe within one score of the visitors with 13 minutes remaining.

A lapse in concentration was to prove costly as Rasen conceded another penalty just inside their opponents' half.

A quick tap from Scunthorpe moved the ball to Ellis, whose running brushed aside several defenders en-route to a decisive solo try under the posts, which he then converted to secure the victory.

Overall, the Rasen side stepped up to the mark and displayed spirit and tenacity. They were the dominant side for long periods – just letting themselves down with their game management in the closing stages as fatigue set in.

THE Bread Lady rose to the challenge and was awarded five stars in the council's Scores On The Doors food hygiene rating system.

Julie Thomas, 44, of Wirral Avenue, Grimsby, only opened her bread stall on Grimsby's top town market on November 20 – and she was awarded five stars following an inspection the very next day.

"This was exactly what I was aiming for but I never expected to get five out of five stars," Mrs Thomas said.

North East Lincolnshire Council's Scores On The Doors scheme inspects food outlets on a variety of criteria, including cleanliness, safe food practices and store layout – then awards a score out of five.

As reported, Mrs Thomas, who runs the stall with her husband Gary, 47, previously ran the Fairways Care Home kitchen and was awarded five stars in the same scheme back in September.

She said: "I was hired at the care home to get the kitchen up to a five-star rating and we achieved that in a very short time.

"I am very pleased, it's a great start to my business to be awarded this the day after opening."

Mrs Thomas is no stranger to the challenges of running a small business.

From 2007 to 2010 she ran her own café – Cockerels Kitchen – in the top town market.

Four weeks ago she was approached to open a stall and made the decision to start up a bakery.

Although the inspectors can turn up again at any time and will be back for the annual inspection next November, Mrs Thomas isn't worried.

"Once you have a good practice in place and get into a routine, it's easy to keep on top of everything and maintain high standards of cleanliness," she said.

With Christmas just around the corner, Mrs Thomas is gearing up with speciality items including both cranberry and walnut breads.

"After Christmas, we have a brief window of calm before getting ready for Valentine's Day," she added. Regular customers to the market are glad to see the couple return – and they already feel as though they're on a roll.

"Customers seem to be very happy with our return."

"Our products and store layout have received only praise and that means a lot to us."

"We bake all our products fresh on the site. Both customers and the council are very confident in my ability to run a bakery and keep it up to standards."

A COMMUNITY centre has praised the work of offenders paying their debt to society by improving their communities for 40 years.

Community Payback, run by Humberside Probation Trust, uses manpower from offenders – who have been ordered to do community service by magistrates – to improve the community.

One of the groups that has benefited from these hours is West Marsh Community Centre, which has worked with them for the past nine years.

For the past three years, five or six offenders have been working at the centre, which has a building and numerous gardens to tend, for five days a week.

They help clean up the centre and maintain the plants and grass.

Centre manager Neil Barber said: "For a centre like ours, the manpower that we get from Community Payback is essential.

"A lot of people think that there's not much they can do, but many of the people we've had are highly skilled.

"There are one or two that don't want to work, but they are vastly outnumbered by the ones who do – and take a lot of pride in it.

"Some of them even come back to the centre with their kids and even volunteer later on."

One of the offenders, who was helping paint a castle on a wall outside the centre, is 24-year-old Peter Ellis, of Buller Street, Grimsby.

Peter says he was referred to Community Payback after he and a friend tried to take money from a fruit machine in a Nottingham pub.

He said: "I admit that it wasn't a good idea, but I think the drink just took over.

"I've been coming to the centre every week since July and although there's things I would rather be doing on a Friday afternoon, that's my punishment so I'll keep coming back.

"I can see that they do a lot of good work in the community so I take some pride in it.

"My girlfriend has kids so I am thinking of taking them here near Christmas because they are doing visits from Father Christmas."

Paul Dennis, of Humberside Probation Service, said: "These are offenders and this is their penance for crimes committed, ordered by a magistrates court.

"It is also a chance to reintroduce them to society and get them out of the gangs or groups that they were hanging around with before.

"A lot of people think that Community Payback is just picking up litter or cleaning up graffiti but the role has really evolved over the past 40 years."

A MAGICAL adventure is just around the corner for children with life-threatening and serious illnesses.

The annual Lapland trip, hosted by Pat Wright and her daughter Joanne Heywood, of the When You Wish Upon A Star charity, will take flight on Tuesday.

For one North East Lincolnshire teenager who underwent an eight-hour operation to straighten his spine with two metal rods, the realisation of attending the trip is hard to take in.

Harvey Legg, of Holton-le-Clay, will join others from across the borough next week.

The 13-year-old, who has a rare genetic condition which affected his spine, as reported, said: "I cannot believe I have been asked to go.

"I have researched all about it and the place looks amazing.

"I have never done something like this before but I think I am more excited about being able to throw a snowball at my mum.

"I also like the idea of riding a mini snowmobile while out there.

"After having the operation to straighten my spine, I feel a lot better and I see Lapland as more of a celebration for me getting this far."

Last year more than 40 children from North and North East Lincolnshire who have serious illnesses and life-limiting conditions, could not contain their excitement as they joined the trip.

The day not only enables them to forget their woes but it allows their parents and carers to share the fun.

For Joanne and Pat, their aim is to provide all children with the best day of their lives.

Joanne said: "For some of these children whose lives are regularly surrounded by medical equipment and hospital visits, the trip is a chance to take them out of that environment and into a place of sheer delight.

"We have to remember that not every child has a life-threatening condition, for some they will go on to see plenty more Christmases.

"However we have had others that have sadly passed away shortly after visiting Lapland.

"This makes us realise just how important the work we are doing is – it's giving some children a memory to cherish during their end of life."

From reindeer and mini snowmobile rides to tandem skiing, there will be something for everyone to enjoy on the day.

But a visit to the Christmas capital would not be complete without an appearance from Santa Claus.

Joanne said: "Each year we have such a busy schedule but the children love every minute, their beaming faces tell a story on its own.

"The feeling we get when parents' faces light up once their child meets Santa, is priceless.

"That is why we are constantly raising money, to be able to give other families the same experience the following year."

See your Grimsby Telegraph next week for coverage of the trip.

A BIZARRE dispute over a small patch of grass in a leafy Grimsby street appears to be at an end.

As reported, neighbours reacted angrily when Mike and Pam Taylor, of Cherry Tree Crescent, off Yarborough Road, fenced off the land next to their garden in April last year.

More than 40 people signed a petition calling on the council to reclaim the land and return it to public use.

But it emerged that the council had never owned the land – and that Mr and Mrs Taylor had spent more than a decade desperately trying to find out who did, so that trees causing subsidence to their garden could be removed.

This was because the couple wanted to build an extension, now complete, to their property.

In August the council announced it would not be intervening in the dispute, saying it was a matter for the Taylors and the petitioners.

However, the couple were left in legal limbo, because their planning application to change the use of the land from public open space to private garden had been rejected in February last year.

Legally they had no right to tend to the land, but the council had no powers to order them to remove the fence, as that was erected under permitted development rights and did not require planning permission.

Now the stalemate has been resolved after the council's planning committee granted planning permission for the land to be turned into a private garden.

A relieved Mrs Taylor told the Grimsby Telegraph: "This saga has gone on for far too long and we are so pleased that it has come to an end.

"Common sense has prevailed because potentially we were in a ludicrous situation where the fence was legal but we didn't have permission to garden."

She added that the couple were thinking of planting a cherry tree on the plot.

The council received five letters from residents objecting to the application. However, no residents attended the planning meeting.

Planning officers recommended approval, saying that in the light of the council's decision in August, there was now no "fallback" option for the ongoing maintenance of the land.

In a report prepared for councillors, they said that granting planning permission with a series of conditions would "ensure that the site continues to make a positive visual contribution to the area."

They added that while access to the land would be lost, this was not previously available on a formal basis.

The application was approved by eight votes to two.

CLEETHORPES MP Martin Vickers has welcomed the scrapping of a planned 3p rise in fuel duty as part of the Chancellor's Autumn Statement.

Although his Grimsby counterpart Austin Mitchell called the mini-Budget "miserable, penny pinching and gloom-laden".

Chancellor George Osborne had been expected to delay the increase until April, but instead announced in his Statement that he intended to scrap it completely.

Mr Vickers said it would be "a saving for every household and a boost for the haulage industry that is a major part of the local economy".

The Chancellor's statement also confirmed funding for the dualling of the A160/180.

But amid a generally poor economic outlook, Mr Osborne was forced to admit he would miss his own target for reducing the national debt.

He vowed, however, to press on with efforts to cut the deficit, saying the UK was "on the right track – and turning back now would be a disaster".

Mr Vickers said: "There is much to welcome in the Autumn Statement including the increase in personal tax allowances, and as vice-chairman of the All Party Fair Fuel Group I am particularly pleased with the cancellation of the petrol duty increase.

"The statement also confirms the A160 upgrade, which is vital to the development of Immingham and the south Humber bank."

Meanwhile, Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said the Government's Autumn Statement was "unfair, incompetent and completely out of touch".

During the statement, Great Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell tweeted: "What a miserable, defensive, head down, penny pinching and gloom-laden Autumn Statement!"

Mr Osborne also announced an extra £350 million for the Regional Growth Fund, as well as plans to begin implementing Lord Heseltine's recommendation for a dedicated pot of cash from which Local Enterprise Partnerships can draw.

And asked by Mr Vickers if he would "look sympathetically" on applications for additional funding from the pan-Humber enterprise zone the Chancellor said that he would.

Earlier, Mr Osborne had told MPs: "Yes, the deficit is still far too high for comfort. We cannot relax our efforts to make our economy safe.

"But Britain is heading in the right direction. The road is hard but we're making progress."

STRICTLY Come Dancing star Karen Hauer will perform in Grimsby in what could be her first dance after leaving the show.

The star, who dances with Westlife heartthrob, Nicky Byrne, will perform at Clifton's Dance Academy's dinner dance at the Humber Royal Hotel, in Littlecoates Road, next week – and tickets are available now.

She will perform a Latin American cabaret dance with her boyfriend, Kevin Clifton, who is the son of Academy owners, Keith and Judy.

Last week, Karen and Nicky were in the bottom two for their Argentinian Tango – the second time they have been in danger of the boot – which means they are in danger of leaving the show this week.

Keith is thrilled Karen will dance after the dinner and hopes Strictly fans will come out and show their support for her.

He said: "This week might be the last week she is in the competition but we are really hoping it isn't. She is doing incredibly well for her first season and to still be in the top six acts out of 14 is fantastic.

"We think her Argentinian Tango last week was exceptional and they were totally under-marked. All dance teachers up and down the country would say the same.

"Now it will only take dropping one or half a mark and they will be in the bottom two again, but that is the competition."

The evening will be held on Sunday, December 16, from 7pm for the meal at 7.30pm, after which, Karen and Kevin will take to the floor and perform a Latin American dance which has been choreographed by Kevin, who also works for the BBC show.

The results – made up of the public votes and judges' marks – are aired to the public on Sunday after being pre-recorded after the live dances on the Saturday – meaning Karen could be dancing in Grimsby on the night she leaves the show.

Or if she goes this week, it could be among her first public performances.

Keith continued: "We are looking forward to having Kevin and Karen home. We don't get to see them very often so it will be nice to see them. We are sure the dinner dance will be a really wonderful evening filled with Christmas cheer.

"We hope everyone who loves the show will come and join us watch them dance together."

Tickets are on sale now and cost £32. Call 07500 545547.

THE final curtain has been drawn on traditional cinematic technology in Cleethorpes.

As of yesterday, all nine screens at the Kings Road venue are using digital technology rather than the 115-year-old technology of 35mm projector film – signalling the end of an era in the Parkway chain's history.

Owner Gerald Parkes said: "This is a day in history for Cleethorpes and a day in history for the whole industry."

The digital switch-over follows more than £800,000 investment into the cinema as Mr Parkes works to keep up with the industry and modernise his cinemas, which are also based in Louth and Barnsley.

But while the change signals exciting times ahead for the cinema by training staff to keep up with the changing technology, it is bittersweet for Mr Parke's whose love affair with film is a story worthy of the big screen itself.

He said: "It is a very emotional day for me. Since I started working as a film projectionist in the 1960s I have always been able to keep up with the technology, now for the first time, technology seems beyond me, it's quite moving really.

"These old films are going to become part of our heritage as the mechanical essence of film has gone, but the theatrical experience of cinema remains. In the 1970s and 80s when everyone said cinema was dying because of television, I knew they were wrong."

The first public film using 35mm film was created in 1896 and shown to the public two years later, and while technology in other areas has rapidly advanced, cinematic technology has largely stayed the same.

The only major developments are the speed from 16 to 24 frames per second – creating the first motion picture – and the addition of sound.

Gerald firmly believes in the unique power of cinema and although the technology has changed, the joy of watching a great picture with an audience, remains the same.

Gerald continued: "I have always loved films and to be honest, I don't think the audience have ever cared how the film gets onto the big screen as long as they enjoy the story and the characters. Without a strong story line and likeable characters it doesn't matter. All the best films are character-driven."

And to ensure 35mm films don't fall into the equivalent of the directors cut archives, never to be seen again, Gerald has kept back two of the projectors and will occasionally show cinema classics to film enthusiasts on special showings.

He said: "We have kept back two 35mm films to put on showings in the future, so those who, like me, want to relive the experience of watching film on a film-strip are able to do so. I think it's going to be quite popular among enthusiasts."

And, even in a time of economic downturn, Gerald remains positive about the future of cinema, adding: "Cinema is not recession-proof, but it is resilient; an affordable indulgence. It's the experience which has made cinema successful, even in the age of improved portable technology when films can be watched anywhere."

It's not just Cleethorpes Parkway that is undergoing modernisation; Parkway Cinema, Louth, is nearing the completion of a large refurbishment programme, including new seating, entrance hall and online booking system – see your Grimsby Telegraph for the full story next week.

A FORMER patient has given the accident and emergency department at Grimsby's hospital the thumbs-up as the results of a national survey show that standards are on a par with other hospitals.

Tabatha Richardson, 27, of Eleanor Street, was hit by a car on Railway Street while riding her moped on Tuesday, September 4, and was taken to A&E with three serious wounds on her leg, as reported.

She said the treatment she received at Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in her hour of need was "spot on".

Her praise comes as the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which regulates patient care in the UK, said that accident and emergency departments run by Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – which includes Grimsby – were "about the same" as other trusts across the country.

The CQC asked patients 40 questions, in eight sections, about the care they have received in accident and emergency, dividing scores into "better than", "about the same" and "worse than" other trusts.

North Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals scored "about the same" in seven of the sections and "better than" in the leaving accident and emergency section. It was not ranked "worse than" in any of the eight sections.

Tabatha said: "When I was hit, I was seen quickly, I had plenty of privacy, I got the treatment I needed and I was discharged, so I can't knock it," she said.

However, Tabatha believed that one of her wounds had become infected and when she returned to accident and emergency, she didn't feel as though she was being taken seriously.

She added: "I wouldn't have gone back unless I thought it was serious but it felt like they didn't believe me.

"It's hard to know if you should go to a GP or go to A&E but I suppose that's not their fault.

"This whole satisfaction survey depends on what you expect from the department."

Mr Oltunde Ashaolu, accident and emergency consultant at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, said: "I'm very pleased with the survey outcomes.

"We've seen an improvement on our results from the previous survey in 2008, which is excellent news for our dedicated staff and our patients."

The full report is available to view at www.cqc.org.uk

LIAM Hearn will return next year fighting fit and stronger than ever – that's the view of Grimsby Town physio Dave Moore.

Moore has been closely working with last season's Player of the Year after he ruptured his Achilles tendon in August.

And he has been impressed with the frontman's attitude towards his recovery process, saying that it bodes well for the 27-year-old's eventual reintegration into the team – which could be next March.

Moore said: "Liam has done fantastically well and he's ahead of every target we set him.

"He had six weeks in plaster cast initially, and, since then, we've been able to make a lot of progress.

"He's been a pleasure to work with because he's so dedicated and keeps himself so fit.

"He really wants to do the work and it's not like you have to push him to do anything.

"There is another player at Kidderminster (Jack Byrne) who did his Achilles at the same time as Liam and they're keeping each other going.

"He's made some real progress and he's now at the stage where he's doing a lot of strengthening work on the calves and a lot of cycling and running on the spot on a trampoline in the gym. It's going really positively for him."

Understandably, fans have been eager to find out when Hearn, who scored 29 goals last campaign, will be fit to return to action.

But Moore stressed that the striker understands he needs to 'take his medicine', saying that everyone appreciates the importance of not rushing his recuperation process.

He continued: "Over this month, the next progression for him is to start jogging and then doing some combination exercises but, as I said, everything we've done with him in the past he has come through without any problems.

"The attitude that he has really bodes well for when he does come back. The great thing about Liam is the fact he has kept himself so fit on the bikes and the step machines, means that once he does get back to being able to run about, it won't take him long to get him back fully fit again.

"Obviously it is very sport specific – there's no amount of cycling can get you ready for football and vice-versa. The things he hasn't been able to do are running and football, so there will be a period where he has to do all that.

"But he has kept himself in great condition. He's so determined to come back stronger.

"But, it's important that we take our medicine. We knew when he had the injury that it would be six months and, unfortunately, there is no way of speeding up the healing process – the worst thing you can do is push it and we won't do that."