South Holland District Council cabinet to decide on whether to draw down £140,000 for regeneration plan

Councillors will be deciding next week whether to approve the ‘draw down’ of £140,000 to go towards the costs of creating a plan to improve the town.

Spalding is one of 75 ‘left behind towns’ across the country which will be receiving £20million over a ten year period as part of the Government’s ‘plan for neighbourhoods’.

Spalding Town Board has been charged with the development of a regeneration plan for the area before November - and next week South Holland District Council’s cabinet have been recommended to approve the allocation of £140,000 to fund part of this work.

A report which is going before the cabinet on Tuesday (July 8) outlines the ‘intended allocation’ of funding which includes £80,000 for hotspot policing, £60,000 for the Christmas lights and £20,000 to help Spalding Gentlemen’s Society with its new museum bid.

A table within the report outlines the intention to spend £170,000 to ‘deliver all engagement, consultation, events, capacity building, project development and other related activities’.

While £70,000 is earmarked to go towards the costs of developing the regeneration plan and the four-year investment plan.

The report states: “The available capacity funding will be allocated to the ongoing development and delivery of the regeneration plan and investment plan priorities. This includes scope to undertake more detailed feasibility, design and business planning work as well as additional events and engagement activities on the agreed themes, projects and investment opportunities for Spalding.

“This is likely to include a combination of direct council delivery and further commissioning or passporting of funds to other providers and local organisations to undertake agreed activities that will support the development of the plan.

“In line with the published prospectus, a further allocation of £150,000 of capacity funding is then also anticipated in Year One of the delivery programme.”

It also states that the council received £250,000 to support the development and is likely to be getting a further £200,000 in the current financial year from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The report also states that the authority has received a total £450,000 so far.

The regeneration plan will need to be submitted by November 28 with the first tranche of funding coming through from April 1, 2026.

The cabinet report states: “The Plan for Neighbourhoods prospectus provides a long list of pre-approved interventions for delivery.

“Where the final Regeneration Plan for Spalding includes any projects linked to these ‘on-menu’ interventions they will not be subject to any further assessment or approval from Government. They may however still require the use of local capacity funding to progress the necessary design and feasibility to ensure effective delivery.”

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