It was disappointing to read the comments made by Coun Paul Barnes about the excellent Spalding Shop Front Design Guide and the associated South and East Lincolnshire Traditional Building Design Guide that the Three Councils Partnership have put together.
Is the councillor oblivious to what has been said by many people in the district about the blanking out of shop windows by vinyl film? Is he oblivious to the fact that people want our towns to be places that we can all be proud of? Is he oblivious to how a distinct local character whether good or bad makes a town stand out?
Attractive, well designed places are key to the physical, mental and social wellbeing of us all.
They are good for the soul, good for our health and good for the economy.
The design guides are long overdue and represent the culmination of a ten-year campaign by Spalding & District Civic Society to see well thought out guidance for property and business owners that in time, together with other initiatives, will help make Spalding the attractive town that everyone wants.
Moreover, I understand that elements of the Spalding Shop Front Design Guide will be included in the South & East Lincolnshire Traditional Building Design guide, which we are sure will be warmly received by all towns in our part of Lincolnshire.
As to whether national chains will follow the guidance, well Coun Barnes only needs to look to Stamford, the oldest conservation area in the country with well enforced guidance, to see they will.
Boots in Stamford has a shop frontage that is devoid of corporate colours apart from the very subtle use of the Boots logo.
The same can be said of the other big names found in Stamford – a town that thrives precisely because it has long enforced proper design standards resulting in an attractive, well designed town centre.
Whilst Spalding may not have as many limestone buildings, any frontage can look good if it is well designed, attractive and well maintained.
Further away, Louth also offers some insight and a good comparison to Spalding as the majority of buildings are brick built.
Does the Yorkshire Trading store there have vinyl? Of course not. It occupies the Old Market Hall, which has been hardly touched by corporate branding.
Their stores in Leek, Newark and Otley also show how national chains can make their branding fit the buildings they occupy.
Whilst of course it is acknowledged that sometimes shop windows can limit the space available to a retailer, it is how they make use of it.
A shop window provides an opportunity for retailers to show case what they have to offer.
It is one of the most important assets that a shop has.
Coun Barnes mentioned enforcement, but this would not be necessary if retailers and their designers sought advice from the council’s planning department at the design stage.
It also goes without saying that as a champion of good design Spalding & District Civic Society will be more than happy to work with any retailer to arrive at an acceptable solution. This we did with Hughes Electrical a number of years ago.
Hopefully in time, we will see a greater take-up of traditional window dressings resulting in regularly changing window displays so that when shoppers visit our High Streets they see something new for the first time, not the same old vinyl month in month out, remaining unchanged for years.
Such things are boring, and boredom is definitely not good for people’s wellbeing.
John Bland
Chair Spalding & District Civic Society
