The chair of Spalding and District Civic Society says the group is ‘extremely disappointed’ the groups is being excluded from the Spalding Town Board.
John Bland was among the members initially announced when the board was formed. But last month there were numerous changes to the make-up of the committee formed to spend £20m over 10 years on town improvements.
Using the civic society’s newsletter, Mr Bland (pictured) claimed ‘a third of its members neither live nor work in Spalding’,
He said: “I and all my fellow committee members were extremely disappointed with the way the exclusion of the society was communicated to us, and with the failure to provide any written explanation of its reasoning to us.
“We do remain supportive of the board and are currently exploring with it ways in which our views and proposals for the town can be heard and supported.”
He also reiterated calls for a Spalding town council to be formed ahead of local government reorganisation which is likely to lead to bigger councils being created.
“Whilst one of the current proposals does include specific proposals for a town council in Spalding, it’s not clear whether the others do.
“One outcome of the reforms is clear, however; decisions affecting us will be made far away by people who do not live in or work in Spalding.
“Spalding has seen the consequences of this since 1974, when the Spalding Urban District Council was abolished, and we are now facing the same prospect with the re-formatted board.”
A spokesman for the board said the review was necessary ‘to ensure that it is meeting the new criteria and reflecting the additional themes’.
“All of our members have a stake and interest in Spalding and are working for the town,” they continued. “As a whole, the board is fully committed to Spalding and its long-term success.
“We are extremely grateful to all our former board members and continue to work closely with partners, community groups, and local people on the development of our plans.
“We recognise the importance of the Civic Society as a critical stakeholder in the future of the town centre and in protecting and enhancing our built and natural environment.
“Officers have met with the society and we look forward to collaborating with them in future. You don’t need to sit on the board to have your views heard. There are, and there will be many more future opportunities to shape, critique, and influence the plans over the next 10 years.”
