It’s hoped a National Lottery win for the town will lead to even more money being allocated for the future as more details were revealed about The Spalding Reconnected: Historic Town and Riverside scheme.
It’s been granted £233,163 by the Heritage Fund and its “aim is to support the town centre and the connection with the River Welland through investment in wayfinding and heritage schemes”, according to a report by Matthew Hogan to South Holland District Council, which is meeting next week to accept the funding.
It’s to be match funded with £12,500 of council, plus “contributions of in-kind support” from Transported Arts, Heritage Lincolnshire, East Mercia Rivers Trust and Lincolnshire County Council.
The report says the scheme is to include: “A co-ordinated scheme of street-based waymarking, that includes pedestrian signage and heritage information points based on the town’s unique historic past that creates new opportunities to reconnect the town’s past and present importance as an historic settlement and key economic centre for the area.
“The scheme will encourage people to explore and venture into and around the town’s significant points of interest and to understand the heritage through a mix of freestanding visual information points creating new types of experiences for shoppers and visitors.”
The creation of a riverside art and heritage trail will “encourage understanding of the importance and connection with the town’s past and future” by creating “interest and engagement with the town centre and riverside through exploring and promoting trails and heritage-based art installations,” the report continues.
It also says there will be more activity centred on the area around the river.
“We will develop interest in the river environment in the schools and wider community and from there establish enhanced green areas for flora and fauna to thrive that will also improve the look and future appeal of the riverside area,” it says.
A Heritage Strategy will also be written up to underpin future funding applications linked to heritage investment in the town.
The report says Spalding Reconnected has “the potential to build a longer-term relationship” with key partners and the National Lottery Heritage Fund “with whom there is the potential to develop and deliver future investment in the town and the wider district.”
