If we didn’t know it already, one of the many side effects of the lockdown was realising quite how important internet connectivity is. Getting high-speed internet access to even the hardest-to-reach communities in Lincolnshire is very important for our businesses and families. The Government has launched ‘Project Gigabit’ which provides £5 billion to help roll out high-speed broadband internet access in rural and remote areas.
Recently I met with a number of my constituents to discuss the problems and concerns with the rural broadband roll-out in villages like Walesby, Knaith Park, Riseholme, and Kexby. The Government is fully committed to giving everyone the ability to have good, quick, and high-quality internet access.
It can take time, but there has been immense progress in recent years. Seventy per cent of the UK now has gigabit-capable broadband coverage, and the plan is to get that figure up to 85 per cent by 2025. Over 106,000 vouchers have gone to homes and businesses through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme and its predecessors.
Health is always at the top of our minds and is something I keep pestering ministers about. We need to get waiting times down, even if it means thinking outside the box. I recently visited the Caskgate surgery in Gainsborough to meet with doctors, nurses, and staff. They all do an incredible job even though they face an ever-increasing burden. I am supporting their campaign to get a new purpose-built surgery constructed, and to get their practice fully digital. Both of these projects would bring immense improvements to local patients here in West Lindsey.
I was also in Gainsborough to join in the festivities surrounding the demolition of the old Co-op in the Market Place. This site will be reinvigorated with the construction of a four-screen cinema, a restaurant, and further retail opportunities. This is thanks to the very hard work that West Lindsey District Council did to put together a practical and achievable plan. I also lobbied the Communities ministers doggedly until they saw the value of West Lindsey’s bid and agreed to grant £10 million to make it a reality.
Local residents in Burton and Riseholme have alerted me to the proposal to build a lorry park and a filling station on green land near the junction of the A46 and the A15. I met with the chairs of both parish councils who have relayed to me the strong opposition of many in the area. There are more appropriate sites elsewhere for such developments and I have written to the District Council voicing these objections.
