LETTER: Never mind Springfields, what about town centre’s future?

I read with interest your front page (March 9) regarding the expansion plans for Springfields Shopping Outlet.

Yes, I agree, with the ongoing housing development plan for South Holland, it will bring thousands of homes which will be built over the next three decades, bringing more people, more cars and the greater need for added infrastructure and amenities.

With more retail provision allocated in the emerging South East Lincolnshire Local Plan, it will be good for our local economy and jobs for local people and surrounding areas.
But what about Spalding, I ask? What has happened to the development plan for Holland Market, what happened to the proposal regarding a new sports facility for all? What happened to the big idea for the town centre and the plan for developing the Market Place? Also the plan for a new bus station to be nearer the town centre. Why take so long? Or has it all been binned?

I ask South Holland District Council to not just sit back and let Spalding town centre rot. There is potential within our town, it just requires some forward thinking with the right initiative and actions.
We see many run-down areas in our town that only add to the demise of what was once a lovely market town in the heart of Lincolnshire. That was my quote and I don’t see it in that context anymore.

It saddens me to see it – the old sorting office down The Crescent, The Bull and Monkie on Churchgate, the old Johnson Hospital opposite the SHDC offices. All been run down for years. Surely it does not have to be like this?

If the South East Lincolnshire joint planning committee are looking forward to being active participants in the future prosperity of Springfields Outlet, just what are they looking forward to for Spalding town centre?
I do appreciate there is a lot of uncertainty at present with Brexit and with the lack of government funding for local councils, but what happened to all that EU funding which was allocated for infrastructure development for greater Lincolnshire? Surely it does not just disappear because of the referendum result?

Rodney Sadd
Carrington Road
Spalding

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