South Holland needs better transport before it can attract more tourists, councillors have warned.
Members of South Holland District Council’s joint performance monitoring panel and policy development panel discussed plans to transform the district and boost tourism in the area, writes Local Democracy Reporter Oliver Castle.
At a meeting on Tuesday, May 19, Coun Jan Whitbourn called for Spalding to get a Sunday train service as part of this.
She said: “I’m really passionate about the Sunday service. We are desperately in need of having a Sunday service in Spalding.
“It’s a day out. They could go to Lincoln, they could go to Sleaford, they could go to Peterborough. There’s nothing for us.
“Also, if you go to London for example, if you go there for an evening out on Saturday, you can’t get back home on a train on a Sunday.
“If you stop overnight, you can’t get home. There’s lots of other reasons – people going with their families, taking them somewhere. It’s not right. We need to push for it.”
Coun Andrew Woolf who was chairing the meeting, agreed.
He added: “It’s not for this authority to be saying whether trains are coming in, but it is for us to lobby to get those trains coming in.”
He said making easier for people to come to the district would open up opportunities for traders.
Coun Mark Le Sage suggested a road trip route around the south and east of the county- which tourists could use to visit different parts of the area.
He likened it to The North Coast 500 (NC500) – which is a 516-mile scenic road trip looping around the Scottish Highlands, starting and ending in Inverness – and said it could work in a similar way, but around South and East Lincolnshire, looping around Skegness,
Coun Le Sage said: “Why don’t we start outside Ayscoughfee? (in Spalding) Let’s see a route around all these places.”
He name checked places such as Whaplode, whose rich history could be promoted.
Coun Bryan Alcock (Independent – Crowland and Deeping St Nicholas) also called for more money to be spent on areas outside of Spalding.
He said: “It needs money and, as an authority, we need to be committed to actually putting some money into it.”
He added: “I hope it doesn’t become Spalding centric, again. Spalding has got £20 million it can spend on its improvements.
“I think the district desperately needs this type of development to improve its tourism and trade.”
A new destination management plan sets out the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership’s (SELCP) proposals to boost tourism, improve the local economy and promote a strong local identity.
The plan covers the three areas within the partnership – Boston, South Holland and East Lindey – and sets out plans to increase visitor numbers across the sub region.
In South Holland, the plan proposes improving Spalding, Holbeach, Long Sutton and Crowland town centres along with rowing and water based activities on the River Welland and working with growers to put on visitor events and trails.
The plan will use existing council money, but the SELCP hopes to attract external funding from other organisations to deliver some of the projects.
Plans to improve East Lindsey and Boston will be discussed at a later date.
