Cllr Mark A Kirk

After attending the Local Government Association (LGA) conference in Harrogate this week I have decided to join social networking sites to try and engage with even more local people.  You can now follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/markantonkirk or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/markakirk

Local residents have the chance to ask me a question as the leader of the council at the full council meeting on Wednesday 8 July at 6pm.  More details and a meeting agenda is available on this website.  If you'd like to ask a question, please contact Mel Holmes on 01724 296230 or email: mel.holmes@northlincs.gov.uk by 9am on Tuesday 7 July. The meeting will take place in the council chamber at Pittwood House, Ashby Road in Scunthorpe. You are most welcome to attend.

I am delighted to hear the news of a multi-million pound investment set to create around 5000 jobs in the next 10 years. It represents a huge development and vote of confidence in the local economy.  A planning application by Able UK - a major landowner on the South Humber Gateway- has now been submitted to the council. If approved, it would signal direct investment by the company of around £100m.

But it would trigger much greater levels of investment. The project would see the creation of transport depots, warehousing and external storage areas, together with offices, a business park linked to the estuary, motel and truck stop restaurant. The area will be landscaped to both encourage and protect wildlife. Under the plans - which must go through the council's normal planning process - Able UK will invest around £100m over the next ten years.

The South Humber Gateway is of great national and international importance. It is the largest development site in the north of England and has the UK's fastest growing ports and logistics centre. It is also the location of a quarter of the UK's refinery capacity - and with the Humber Sea terminal, provides a gateway to Europe.  Able UK is major local company. It says a lot that at a time of economic uncertainty, the company is seeking to invest millions of pounds to further develop the South Humber Gateway. In North Lincolnshire, unlike other parts of the country, we are bucking the national trend in terms of investment. Just recently we saw the opening of CanPack - a £60m can manufacturing plant in Scunthorpe that created over 300 jobs. We also recently secured £140m to improve access to the South Humber Bank on the A160.  While I welcome the broad thrust of the plans, it is important to stress that they have yet to go through the planning process. The council, public and other interested parties, will have their say. This is very important. So there is still a long way to go before anything is decided.

The location for the proposed Able UK investment on the South Humber Gateway fronts the estuary between the Humber Sea Terminal and the East Halton Skitter. It is north of Chase Hill road behind the power stations.

On Tuesday 5 May, myself and Cllr Mick Grant, will travel to London to find out if North Lincolnshire is to be included in Great Britain's biggest cycling event.

We have both been invited to London to attend the national launch of The Tour of Britain 2009, taking place at London's Transport Museum. Here we will find out if North Lincolnshire is set to feature in the race.

Last year The Tour of Britain 2008 cycle race came through North Lincolnshire for the first time, as part of the Yorkshire and Humber (Hull to Dalby Forest) leg of the tour. The tour started in Queens Gardens, Hull before making its way across the Humber Bridge and travelling to Barton. It then headed back towards the Humber Bridge through the villages of Bonby, Saxby All Saints, Horkstow and South Ferriby. School children and fans lined Barton's streets to watch the tour race through the sprint stage and to cheer them on. Cyclists taking part in the race last year included British Olympic cycling champions Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas.

Plans are now underway for the 2009 race, which will run for eight days from Saturday 12 September until Saturday 19 September. The national launch in London will reveal the chosen routes for this year's event.

There is still time to join the campaign and oppose the proposals to increase the Humber Bridge tolls.  North Lincolnshire Council and the other three Humber councils - Hull City, North East Lincolnshire and East Riding of Yorkshire councils - have made clear over the last year or so their opposition to the high tolls on the Humber Bridge. At last month's public inquiry the four councils joined forces to oppose another increase, sought by the Humber Bridge Board.

If the increase is approved following the inquiry, a return trip by car will be £5.90 - the highest in the UK - and for the largest HGV, the return journey will reach a staggering £39.80. Nearly a thousand people and organisations opposed the planned increase and with the exception of the Humber Bridge Board, no one at the inquiry supported an increase. In fact most, if not all, called for the tolls to be either scrapped or reduced to £1 for a single crossing by car, with similar reductions for all other classes of vehicle.

In the next few weeks, the inspector's report and recommendations, following the inquiry, will be with the Geoff Hoon MP, the Secretary of State for Transport. He will take the final decision on the tolls. It will be his decision whether to approve an increase, assuming the inspector recommends one. So now is the time to contact the Transport Secretary and give your views.

North Lincolnshire Council's position and that of the other three Humber councils and the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, is that the Government needs to take decisive action on the tolls. The four councils commissioned independent research showing that if the tolls were scrapped the Humber area (on both banks) would benefit economically to the tune of £1.1bn over the next 26 years. Even if the tolls were reduced to £1 the economic benefit would be worth £580m over the same period.

The research confirms what most people know - that if the tolls were scrapped or were reduced to maybe £1 for a car, the Humber would be give a massive economic boost. Finally, the issue is much more than one just for the Humber area. That's why three regional organisations - Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency, and Local Government Yorkshire & Humber (which represent all 22 councils in the region) - have made clear their backing for the tolls to be either scrapped or reduced significantly.

There is still time for you to have your say on the Humber Bridge tolls.

If you feel strongly on the matter, write to:

Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP
Secretary of State for Transport
Department for Transport
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DR.

Or email: Geoff.Hoon@dft.gsi.gov.uk