Paul Barnes District Councillor - Fleet

07/09/2026

We learnt today that Local Government Reorganisation in Lincolnshire and elsewhere in the country next May has been postponed by government.

So District Council elections will go ahead in May as originally planned rather than elections to unitary authorities.

I will keep you updated as more information comes along

Personally, I’m quite pleased as we should be able to keep local councillors in local councils working for local people

07/09/2026

Don’t forget to come along to the Community Centre, in Hargate Close on 22 September @ 7pm and find out all you need to know about the new wheelie bins and what goes in what …

06/09/2026

03/09/2026

The signs are up!

Community spirit and exceptional local produce take centre stage this month as the inaugural Fleet Farmers Market launches at Fleet Community Park on Sunday, 20th September.

Opening its gates from 09:00 hrs to 13:00 hrs, this brand-new event promises a vibrant morning filled with fresh food, handcrafted goods, and refreshments for the whole family.

Organised to showcase and support independent businesses from across the region, the debut market brings together a diverse lineup of specialized traders.

Visitors can look forward to a dedicated Refreshment Zone hosted by Wase Wagon, serving freshly brewed tea, coffee, and refreshments to keep shoppers fuelled throughout the morning.

The diverse lineup of stalls features so far:
Wilcox Bakery – Artisan breads and fresh baked treats.
Just Milled – Artisan bakes made with fresh milled flour.
Porters Nurseries – Beautiful plants, shrubs, and flowers.
The Cookie Well – Decadent, gourmet homemade cookies.
East Coast Mushrooms – Specialty, locally grown mushrooms.
Olives and Things – Premium olives, oils, and Mediterranean bites.
Moulton Windmill – Homemade jams, marmalades, and heritage goods.
The Vanilla Whisk – Exquisite custom cakes and sweet confections.
Bonnie Yau’s Food Products – Authentic, flavourful sauces and Asian cuisine.

"We are incredibly excited to launch this new venture and bring such a high-calibre group of independent vendors to Fleet Hargate," said event organiser Paul Barnes. " inaugural market is a fantastic opportunity for residents to connect directly with the passionate people who grow, bake, and make these incredible products. We hope it will become a staple celebration of local talent and taste."

The Fleet Farmers Market is entirely free to enter and fully family-friendly. In line with the market's eco-friendly ethos, visitors are kindly encouraged to bring their own reusable shopping bags.

Whether you are looking to stock up your pantry with heritage goods, refresh your garden with seasonal plants, or simply enjoy a fresh cup of coffee in the park with neighbours, Fleet Community Park is the place to be on 20th September.

03/09/2026

An open letter to the press:

Subject: Why must Lincolnshire residents wait for fatalities to get speed cameras?
Dear Editor,
How many people have to be seriously injured or killed on Lincolnshire's roads before our safety partnerships deploy permanent speed enforcement?
As residents on Fleet Road in Fleet can testify, lowering a speed limit means nothing without enforcement. Despite a recent drop from 40 mph to 30 mph, a recent traffic survey over 15 days, logged over 12,500 drivers exceeding the limit on this residential stretch, and that is only in one direction! This will lead to a predictable sequence of serious, multi-vehicle collisions. Yet, under the rigid, reactive policies of the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP), village corridors like ours are routinely denied fixed cameras because central budgets are reserved exclusively for high-casualty arterial blackspots.
We are stuck in a macabre bureaucratic loop: communities must wait for a body count to accumulate before they qualify for protection.
It does not have to be this way. Lincolnshire is falling behind progressive national best practices. Take Bedfordshire, which became the first county in the UK to introduce average speed cameras on local village roads purely to combat anti-social speeding and protect residents' quality of life.
Crucially, Bedfordshire altered local rules to allow alternative funding. If central police or council budgets are unavailable, local communities can bypass the red tape. By leveraging Section 106 developer contributions from new housing estates, Community Infrastructure Levies (CIL), or Parish allocations, they can fund the suggested £85,000 installation cost of a baseline average speed camera pair themselves. Once paid for locally, the police step in to process the fines.
This does seem a lot of money, but what price do we put on a persons life?
An average speed system completely eliminates the dangerous "braking spikes" of old yellow boxes, smoothing traffic flow and permanently calming residential zones.
It is time for Lincolnshire County Council and the LRSP to modernise. We should not have to trade lives for traffic enforcement. If our communities are willing to explore creative funding solutions alongside local developers to protect our villages, the county’s policy framework must evolve to let us.
Yours faithfully,

Paul S Barnes
District Councillor - Fleet
Leader of South Holland Independent Group

31/08/2026

Not long now to our 1st Farmers Market - hope to see you there…

16/08/2026

Great Yard Sale
Fleet Hargate Area
Thanks to all who took part today
16-08-26

13/08/2026

We asked what you would like to see happening in Fleet and you said a “Farmers Market”

So it’s going to happen!

Our 1st market will be on 20 September 2026 on the Community Field Car Park, Old Main Road, Fleet Hargate, and then the 3rd Sunday of each month

We have several stalls already booked and more to join us as we grow

Look forward to seeing you there

13/08/2026

NEW WHEELIE BINS ARE COMING TO FLEET!

Big changes are coming to your kerbside collection.

Come along to our community information session to learn about new bins in person, learn what goes where, and get your questions answered by the team.

DATE: Tuesday 22 September 2026

TIME: 19:00 hrs – 21:00 hrs

VENUE: Community Hall, Hargate Close, Fleet Hargate

🟠 ORANGE LIDDED CADDY (Food Waste): All cooked and raw food scrapings. Includes a small kitchen caddy and a larger outdoor caddy.
🟤 BROWN LIDDED BIN (Garden Waste): Grass clippings, hedge trimmings, leaves, and small branches. (Subscription service)
🔵 BLUE LIDDED BIN (Mixed Recycling): Plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays, tins, cans, and cartons.
🟣 PURPLE LIDDED BIN (Paper & Card): Clean, dry paper, cardboard, and newspapers.
⚫ BLACK LIDDED BIN (General Waste): Non-recyclable household waste only.

Check out the new styles, caddies, and lid designs.

Ask Questions: Live Q&A session with council staff.

Perks: Free tea, coffee, and biscuits provided!

Let’s work together for a cleaner community.

11/08/2026

Updated map for yard sale on 16 August
10am - 3pm