Spalding Town Forum will save money thanks to lease agreement for Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field
Leasing out a football ground will result in savings for town ratepayers.
The Spalding Special Expenses account is likely to not only save nearly £40,000 from the last financial year but it will also be putting forward a reduced budget for 2025/26 as a result of the lease for the town’s Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field.
The account - which receives money from council tax bills to pay for Spalding services - will have reduced operating costs after Spalding United agreed a 25 year lease for the Winfrey Avenue playing field with South Holland District Council.
Members of Spalding Town Forum, who debate and scrutinise the funding for the town, were told that there will be a £49,400 reduction in costs due to new lease arrangement.
The group is expected to save £38,203, which will be transferred to their reserves, and its proposed budget for 2025/26 is projected to be £233,458 - which is £7,666 less than the previous year.
Forum chairman Coun Rob Gibson was pleased with the forum’s finances following a recent ‘doom and gloom’ meeting about the council’s next budget.
He said: “For next year’s budget we have got a slight increase going to our reserves which has got to keep us on the straight and narrow.
“I am glad that is the way it’s gone after Halley Stewart Field has been sorted.
“Hopefully the reserves can be used for something nice in Spalding.”
He also brought up Local Government Reform - which could result in the county’s 10 councils being cut to two - and questioned if the reserves would stay with a new Spalding Town Council ‘when’ it is formed.
Coun Gibson said: “We hope it stays with Spalding and spent in the local area.”
A report to the meeting also stated that Monkshouse Playing Field generated no hire fee income to the year to date and no customers are anticipated .
Coun Ingrid Sheard said: “Maybe because the facilities are not usable that is possibly why there has been a reduction in use unfortunately.”
She also highlighted that the Ayscoughfest music festival brought in £2,000 - which comes after the form was told that it is not allowed to organise events without sign-off.
