A host of events planned for Spalding look set not to go ahead after councillors had their knuckles rapped.
Spalding Town Forum members have, in recent months, put on a series of events for the town including Ayscoughfest music event and a Christmas event for The Crescent.
But at it’s meeting last week members were told that they should no longer put on events in that capacity.
Rhonda Booth, South Holland District Council’s democratic services manager, was sent to the meeting to ‘remind’ councillors the role of the forum, including ‘to encourage and broaden participation in the council’s work on behalf of the council’.
“Spalding Town Forum can promote community activities and the terms of reference don’t allow the forum to set up events on their own right,” she said. “Ideas and proposals would need to be signed off by the portfolio holder and subject to financial aspect.
“There would need to be consultation to ensure there’s capacity.”
When asked about events held she said: “It’s fair to say there’s been some misunderstandings and miscommunications over the next last 18 months so we had discussion with the chair (Coun Andrew Woolf) and it was suggested to be put on the agenda and this is how we’ll be working going forward.
“The terms of reference are as they are.”
Coun Ingrid Sheard asked why previous forum chair Coun Roger Gambba-Jones held a Coronation event in May 2023 and claimed that council leader Coun Nick Worth had asked the forum to run Spalding’s remembrance parades, something currently carried out by town forum vice chair Jan Whitbourn.
Ms Booth said she couldn’t comment on these as she didn’t have the information.
The forum’s budget was passed at the meeting which included £2,000 towards another Ayscoughfest.
Any Christmas events previously organised under the Spalding Town Forum won’t take place while a planned ‘Teen Movie’ showing has been postponed.
A waterway festival will likely go ahead as it will be principally ran by Welland Yacht Club.
The Spalding Town Forum is made up of members of local groups and both South Holland Independent and Conservative councillors.
Most of the events have been put on by the Independents and they believe the decision follows a planned Christmas event at Ayscoughfee being cancelled at the last minute at the request of the council.
Coun Sheard said she’d paid for music events at Ayscoughfee last year out of her own pocket but wouldn’t be able to organise them this year.
“It’s despicable and disgusting,” she said. “I think it’s really disappointing that one event which had to be cancelled due to weather, seems to have brought about the fact we’ll no longer be able to afford events.
“I think it’s really sad. It’s detrimental to the public who have enjoyed events in the past.
“We brought nearly 3,000 people to Ayscoughfee during Ayscoughfest.
“I think it’s a really unsound decision and there’s certainly something more behind it than Spalding Town Forum having documentation in place.
“It’s such a big shame.”
Speaking after the meeting chair and South Holland Independent councillor Rob Gibson said: “Unfortunately the portfolio holder for the town forum has decided he doesn’t want the town forum to run any events going forward.
“We are allowed to come up with ideas, ask the relevant portfolio holder to consider the idea, give them funding if needed and volunteer on the day (if it is to go ahead) but that is it.
“Ayscoughfest, the weekly brass bands through the summer, the Christmas events, Halloween events etc that we had intended to run this year will all need to be scrapped.
“The teen movie idea will have to scrapped in it’s original format, but I have another idea.
“It’s a shame to be honest, from the outset last year I just wanted to provide events for Spalding as I feel the town misses out by not having a town council.
“I tried not to make it political by asking Jan to be the vice chair, all business was conducted at the town forum with all members from both sides able to be involved if they wanted to be.
“All events were run under the town forum and not under any political banner.
“It now feels like a political decision to intervene.”
