A group of councillors are being tasked with looking to set up a Spalding Town Council – while a new youth council for South Holland is also starting.
Local government reorganisation means larger councils are set to be created to take on the roles currently covered in this district by both Lincolnshire County Council and South Holland District Council.
Parish/town councils will remain as they are, but Spalding doesn’t have one.
Now councillors James Le Sage, Mark Le Sage, David Ashby, Gary Taylor, Jan Whitbourn, Manzur Hasan and Ingrid Sheard have been put on a task group to lay the foundations for creating one for the town.
It’s part of a ‘Community Governance Review’ and consultations which have to be carried out for the creation of the new authority.
Leader of South Holland District Council, Coun Nick Worth said: “It’s important we have a voice in Spalding to be able to relay and sort out local issues that might be a long way from a unitary authority.
“It’s a tedious and lengthy process. It doesn’t guarantee you will get a town council as it will be dependent on the two stages of consultation that you have to go through and the final decision will be made by this full council.”
He went to say that the working group would be look at the consultation responses, draft proposals and submit final recommendations.
The councillors were chosen ‘to make sure all the wards in Spalding are represented’, Coun Worth added.
The chair of a new youth council will have a place on Spalding Town Board, Coun Worth said of the new initiative.
He told the district council youth council members had been inducted ahead of a first official meeting early next year.
A chairman and vice chairman will be unveiled at that meeting scheduled to take place in January.
“There was a really good turn-out of students for an induction,” Coun Worth said. “They were really interactive and three members stayed on for a cabinet meeting afterward.
“The chairman and vice chairman will be asked if they want to attend cabinet meetings and be a representative of the town board.
“To get that young people’s voice is one of the key reasons it was set up in the first place.
“They’ve been quite instrumental already in putting into the vision for Spalding. It’s been really helpful as there is a clear gap in knowledge with that particular age group.”
He added: “This initiative gives young people a real voice in shaping their community, ensuring their ideas and perspectives help influence local decision-making.”
