A record eight winners were selected to become cities

Eight places have been selected to get city status as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, but unfortunately Lincolnshire’s only entry – Boston – was “hugely disappointed” to miss out.

Boston’s application identified the town’s recent growth in the food industry, plus the investment from the Boston Town Deal fund. It emphasised history and heritage and its connections with our twinned partner places across the globe.

Her Majesty the Queen approved the competition to grant city status to select a number of towns in the UK, for the first time in a decade. All applicants were judged on civic pride, heritage and innovation.

Eight places in the UK won the royal honour this year, which is the highest number of awards in a single competition. They are:

The competition to receive civic honours was last run ten years ago to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and this year for the first time ever the competition for city status was open to applications from the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, with the Falklands’ Stanley and Douglas on the Isle of Man among the winners.

The Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours Competition required applicants to demonstrate how their unique communities and distinct local identity meant they deserved to be awarded city status. They were also required to highlight their royal associations and cultural heritage.

Michelle Sacks, deputy chief executive (growth) at Boston Borough Council, said: “There is some disappointment that we were not chosen as one of the new cities, but it has been a wonderful experience to prepare the submission and showcase the very best Boston has to offer.

“It has been a huge privileged to see the support so many people from so many walks of life have given to the amazing ambition we all collectively share for Boston.

“It has certainly raised our profile and we continue to work hard with our partners and community to celebrate why Boston is an amazing place to live, work, visit and invest in and our focus moves forward to the next opportunity, which will be submitting the Levelling Up submission very soon and we will be seeking views on the proposals prior to the deadline.”

GET DAILY HEADLINES IN YOUR INBOX

Ultimate Demolition & Construction Services

Framework Architecture & Urban Design Ltd

Raising money for disabled animals

The loveable dogs and their owners raised over £2,800 for charity.

Over 200 dogs and owners walked across the Humber Bridge on Sunday to raise over £3,000 for disabled animals.

The dogs included Pumpkin who uses a wheelchair and will sadly be paralysed for life, but that doesn’t stop her Lincoln-based owner Tammie Fox from trying to help her beloved canine and other animals.

After a fundraiser local charity Winston’s Wheels donated her fabulous walking wheels and the community pulled together to raise £5,000 for the treatment she needed.

Pumpkin was more recently part of a fundraising effort with over 200 of her furry friends on July 3. Over £3,800 was raised both online and offline, and through a raffle – donations can still be made here.

Sunday’s event was a big success with over 130 humans and more than 100 dogs of all shapes and sizes in attendance.

The donations will go to Pumpkin and friends charity, which was set up in 2021 to raise awareness and money for animals with disabilities, helping families financially and emotionally.

A post shared by Tammie Fox (@pumpkinandfriendscharity)

Tammy said: “Pumpkin herself is paralysed and uses a wheelchair. Unfortunately this was caused by extreme trauma and she was told many times that she didn’t deserve to live.

“Her family have never stopped fighting and give Pumpkin a full and happy life on wheels.

“We want to raise as much awareness as possible to show the world these animals deserve to live.

“Having a disability isn’t a death sentence, it’s the beginning of a brand new adventure.”

Tammie Fox and her pup Pumpkin both completed the Humber Bridge walk for charity. | Photo: Submitted

A post shared by Tammie Fox (@pumpkinandfriendscharity)

Pumpkin is also a working therapy dog and visits residential homes and schools to promote greater self-esteem and focused interaction. Therapy dogs are also healing companions for people with various health conditions, and are said to have been shown to reduce blood pressure.

Sally-anne Robinson, who works with Tammie and has a 15-year-old pug called Molly, also attended the event and wanted to thank everyone for their “amazing support” and said there were some “much needed laughs along the way”.

They would be in 90% of working families’ price range

How th Mareham Road, Horncastle | Photo: Gleeson Developments

Some 165 new homes have been given the go-ahead on the edge of Horncastle.

The plans were green-lit after only a handful of objections from local residents were received.

It would see 165 affordable homes built on agricultural land off Mareham Road, with two access points created.

The housing would be a mix of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom properties which aim to be within local families’ budget.

The application from Gleeson Developments says: “The company’s success is borne out of a thorough understanding of its customers’ needs by balancing aspiration with affordability… Gleeson homes are priced so that they can be afforded by 90% of local couples in full time employment.”

It says the mixture of housing will create “lively, vibrant and diverse street scenes.”

Only three objections have been received from local people.

How the homes could be laid out | Photo: Gleeson Developments

One resident who lives in a bungalow overlooking the field said the houses would destroy their cherished view.

“We paid £1000 more for that view which we have thoroughly enjoyed, but will lose that money if the building goes ahead,” they said.

“When our bungalows were built, they had to be exactly that – bungalows – as we have bungalows in front of us. Why is it now ok to build houses behind us?”

The developers say that public space around the area would create a buffer to reduce the visual impact on nearby residents.

Horncastle Town Council also raised a number of objections, including the lack of children’s facilities on the site.

East Lindsey District Council previously gave permission to build 52 homes on the site, although this didn’t go ahead.

Gleeson Developments now has four years to begin work on the latest project.