Improvements to Spalding’s bus services have already been ‘done’ it’s been claimed, after a councillor asked why the town had not been included in a new scheme.
As reported last week, Lincolnshire County Council is rolling out its Lincolnshire Bus Improvement Plan.
It includes a pledge to spend £2.4m to enhance its IntoTown network described as ‘relatively short urban bus services operating in and around market towns’.
However, it’s only pledged to do so in Gainsborough, Grantham, Sleaford, Skegness, Boston and Stamford.
The report came before the county council’s Highways and Transport Committee last week where Coun Rob Gibson expressed his disappointment Spalding was not on the list alongside those towns.
He asked officers why Spalding had been missed off.
“I think most of our towns at the moment are struggling with footfall,” he said.
Lincolnshire County Council’s project manager Helen Reek replied: “With Spalding we’ve already been and enhanced the service.
“It was run commercially by an operator previously who then handed that in.
“The county council picked up the subsidy for that whole service.
“I think it starts quite early and finishes late so we’ve already done Spalding.
“I think that’s how we’re seeing that.”
Speaking after the meeting, Coun Gibson said Ms Reek had told him she would look at Spalding’s IntoTown provision again.
“She told me she’s going to look again to see that everything they can do has been done,” he said. “She believes that things have been done, but maybe they haven’t been advertised as much as they should.
“It’s good that she’s able to go back and see what’s been done and if there’s more that can be done.”
The plan does include returning Spalding’s service with Peterborough to hourly.It’s currently two hourly.
