I’ve lived here 21 years and I’m concerned about the steady decline of the town centre.
We all know that town centres across the country are struggling, but we’ve only seen neglect.
You look at a town like Stamford and how the councils support their local traders. The market there gets so many stalls.
You also have the unsavoury aspect of drug dealing in Spalding.
The local police don’t seem to be interested in trying to control it .
Most people I speak to have lost faith in the police.
They seem anonymous, especially when there’s gangs hanging around, drinking in the streets and smoking cannabis.
Police say they’ll do something, but nothing is ever done.
Many women are afraid to go into the town centre at night.
The local councils have been a complete failure in the last couple of years.
They’ve put in some nice benches but not anything to satisfy residents.
It’s not what we pay our council tax for.
Whenever I ask anyone how they feel about this they feel the same.
There’s nothing in Spalding but foreign and charity shops.
You don’t see the local MP unless it’s election time. The last time I saw him was the last election.
It’s disgusting. It sounds like an exaggeration but it’s like the wild west.
We won’t attract people into the town because it is wholly unsafe.
Bert Collins
Matmore Close, Spalding
