Ideas of what to do with the old Johnson Hospital are being sought by Spalding Town Board.
The organisation which is receiving £20m of ‘Levelling Up’ money over ten years, plans to use some of the grant to buy it.
Speaking at South Holland District Council last week, Coun Nick Worth asked for ideas for what, potentially, could be done with the site.
“It’s on the Town Board’s hit list and we’ll do what we can when we have money,” he said. “What I would welcome is thoughts around what you could do with it.
“I’ve had numerous organisations coming to me with ideas, but they probably don’t realise the cost of doing it up.
“Any ideas would be welcome.”
The Old Johnson Hospital was brought up at the meeting by Coun Mark Le Sage who expressed his disappointment that the owners of the site don’t pay business rates due to it being derelict.
As reported in 2023, the derelict former hospital is classed as a ‘specialist older property’, similar to former schools, police and fire stations and so exempt from business rates.
“The owners should be paying rates,” Coun Worth said. “If they had have done it might have encouraged them to move it on to whoever wanted to buy it.
“It’s something really significant to the town.”
Meanwhile, the meeting also heard a call to create a local list of buildings considered locally that were not nationally listed.
The old Johnson Hospital would likely be considered one such site.
Coun Sophie Hutchinson asked the council if one could be created.
“They would then be classed as non designated heritage assets,” she told the meeting.
Coun Elizabeth Sneath, the council’s portfolio holder for heritage said: “I’m very keen on this.
“Some buildings will be on national lists for buildings that are not at risk, but there’s no reason why we couldn’t have our own list.
“It’s a good way forward and we need to make sure they are protected.”
