When I attended the very successful Town Centre Stakeholder event in February, organised by South Holland District Council to bring various stakeholders to explore options for transforming the town centre to meet the changing needs of the C21st, I am sure that no one in that room thought that within weeks a global pandemic would bring about economic challenges that could potentially change the use of high streets around the world permanently.
The event was very well put together as it brought people together in groups from different groups and businesses in an open discussion covering several themes.
On our table, we highlighted the challenges that the increased use of internet shopping would mean to our town centre and how the agricultural and horticultural heritage of the town is something that we need to celebrate and make use of to provide a unique offering to attract visitors.
We talked about making the market the focus of the town and making much more use of the river that was, for so long, one of the key arteries running through the town.
We talked about improving connectivity so that buses could stop much nearer to the town centre and about how we needed to involve as many people in the town in the discussions that we all expected would be the main focus of 2020.
I felt there was a real sense of optimism on the day which was carried over to the following Town Centre Forum at the beginning of March.
For once there seemed to be so much promise in the shared desire to see our town centre thrive, with an openness to new ideas and thinking.
No one knew what was about to hit us.
Looking back, it seems like it was in a different world, yet has that promise disappeared? I believe not.
Indeed COVID-19 exposed the fragility of the supply chains to national supermarkets, whilst demonstrating the resourcefulness of independent traders in adapting to the change that was forced upon us all.
It also brought about a new kind of community spirit through the spontaneous actions of residents of the town who set up the Spalding COVID-19 Kindness Team to deliver key essentials to those who were advised to self-isolate.
A group that gained the support of independent traders and several councillors alike. This group has demonstrated that there are those who care about others in the town – and in doing so have provided an invaluable lifeline to individual and small business alike.
It is people that make up a town. When we have got through these difficult times our town centre will need much more tender loving care than any of us who came together in the South Holland Centre might have imagined.
Will those who have shown they care about the people of the town go on to show they care about the town itself? I hope so.
To those involved in the Spalding COVID-19 Kindness Team, I say this; your energy and skills would be welcome additions to the Spalding & District Civic Society so that we can all come together to work to push for similar levels of kindness to that you delivered to people of the town to be delivered to the fabric of the town itself.
Will you join us?
John Bland
Chair, Spalding & District Civic Society
