By Peter Coupland, South Holland District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Regulatory Services
Council-related matters are a way of life for me as I am a parish, district and county councillor.
My parish issues relate to matters in Fleet mostly concerning planning, waste collection, street cleaning and dog fouling etc.
As a district councillor, I not only have responsibilities for representing Fleet parish on South Holland District Council, I also have the authority’s Portfolio for Finance which takes up a lot of my time.
As county councillor for the Holbeach rural division representing some 8,500 residents in the parishes of Fleet, Gedney, Lutton, Sutton St James, Holbeach St Johns, Tydd Gote and St Mary and Whaplode and St Catherines, I regularly deal with issues relating to highways, grass cutting, street lighting and all the care and wellbeing services provided by Lincolnshire County Council.
These services include adult and child care, schools, fire and rescue, flooding and drainage.
I spend around three days of my week on council matters of one kind or another and thoroughly enjoy the work of trying to help and represent local residents as best as I can.
On a related subject, you may be aware that Local Democracy Week is taking place this week, which aims to engage young people in local politics and provide an opportunity for them to voice their opinions and ideas.
The council has been actively involved with this campaign and I hope that it will encourage young people to consider becoming councillors or embarking on a career in politics in the future.
