South Kesteven District Council is here to help as we return to normality, says leader

The last month has been a milestone for South Kesteven and the wider UK, as Freedom Day marked a cautious return to normality following what has been a truly difficult and testing year, writes SKDC leader Kelham Cooke (Con).

In the days and weeks since, I’ve been taking every opportunity to get out and see how residents and businesses are acclimatising, and it’s been wonderful to see the bustle of high streets again, and that familiar hum of chatter in cafes, bars, and venues.

I was particularly pleased to visit Bourne Corn Exchange, where our support of refurbishments means the public have not just been returning to live events but returning to new and improved facilities.

I also had the opportunity to visit the former St John’s Ambulance Station, in Stamford, which we have carefully restored, bringing a well-known building back to life as a home for a local business, and global communications agency, LionbridgePR.

Elsewhere, in the halls of our town, district and county councils I’ve been taking the chance to meet face-to-face once again, including attending the first Stamford Town Council meeting in the council’s chambers since covid discussing the District Council plans; and having a productive meeting with Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, Cllr Martin Hill, to cement the continued relationship between our councils and ensure we meet future challenges together.

As you can see, the return to normality has been busy, but I know for some there are still feelings of uncertainty and apprehension. To that I say, you are not alone; and we are here to help.

For businesses seeking support in navigating these early months of re-opening, we have two key avenues of help available: Our re-opening the high streets grant, with £126,000 ready to be allocated for changes and improvements to our high streets across the district, InvestSK also has £2 million in discretionary grant funding still available for those businesses in need of support or those that havean’t been eligible for other funds. So please reach out to our teams and we can help guide you through the process of applying – and give you that valuable peace of mind for the months ahead.