Spalding residents have been urged to say what needs to be included in a regeneration plan for the town on which work is about to start.
The Spalding Town Board was set up to oversee the £20m grants from central government to towns deemed ‘left behind’.
Last year’s change of government has delayed things and it won’t get the first of £2m a year for ten years now until next year.
It is allowed to use some of the £450,000 provided so far to South Holland District Council by central government to set the board up.
The regeneration report needs to be completed by November 28, says a report to SHDC’s cabinet says which will officially release £140,000 to create the report.
The money has to be spent on the board.
Robin Hancox, chair of Spalding Town Board, said the regeneration project over the next 12 months will ‘set out a clear plan for Spalding’.
“Over the coming months, we’ll be continuing to closely involve local people, businesses, partners and stakeholders so that together we can shape the future of Spalding together,” he said.
“I would urge local people to please get involved, share your thoughts and ideas, and help us to make sure that this significant opportunity is realised for Spalding.”
The town board is made up of local politicians, business leaders and local organisations.
It released a report into its first year this week where it claims that among its highlights for the first 12 months are the money it has put forward for police overtime to provide more patrols to ‘hot spot’ policing, funding £70,000 new Christmas lights and providing match funding of £20,000 for the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society’s bid for a new museum which has helped it secure a nearly £600,000 National Lottery grant.
A spokesman for the board said: “All these actions have been taken in direct response to feedback from local people that safety and security is a priority, alongside a desire for a better town centre experience.
“In addition, community consultation – taking place in summer 2024 – revealed strong interest in fixing up and improving Spalding’s historic sites and buildings, and in particular, providing support and funding for the Gentlemen’s Society Museum.”
Mr Hancox continued: “From the very beginning, the board has been keen to get to work and use the early funding to make a tangible difference and we have made decisions that directly reflect what the public has told us in our consultation. The projects that have been supported so far have received funding because we know these are priorities for local people.”
The document is available at https://lovespalding.co.uk/flipbook/spalding-tb-annual.html or you can request a copy by emailing [email protected]
