Owners of Spalding’s former Johnson Hospital should have paid business rates says South Holland District Council leader

Owners of an historical building which has been allowed to rot should have been paying business rates, a district council leader feels.

The old Johnson Hospital has gone from being the pride of Spalding to the shame of the town after it was sold to a private company by the NHS over a decade ago.

Business rates are not paid due to the nature of the building’s previous use as a hospital –and it has been allowed to deteriorate to such an appalling state.

The government business rates website lists the old hospital under Schilthorn Limited – but it’s not clear if this marks a change of ownership from offshore owner Dyden.

South Holland District Council leader Nick Worth told the authority’s last meeting that this firm should have been contributing.

In responding to a question from Coun Mark Le Sage, Coun Worth said: “With regards to them not paying business rates, I personally don’t agree with that. I think they should have been paying rates it might have encouraged them to move it onto someone who wanted to buy it.”

The old Johnson Hospital is also hoped to be one of the projects to get a share of the £20million which will be allocated to Spalding over the next ten years.

Spalding Town Board was established earlier this year to distribute £20million over the next ten years after being listed as one of 55 areas in need of help in the previous government’s Long Term Plan for Towns.

Minutes from the July 8 meeting of Spalding Town Board - the group charged with creating a vision and three year investment plan for the town - show members were considering allocating money to dealing with the run-down hospital site.

But leaders of the board has previously stated that no firm commitments have been made.

However, Coun Worth, who is also a member of the board, told the last full council meeting: “When we finally get the money in 2026, I would like to think that might be one of their priorities but until they agree that we haven’t got any further.

“The town board have a list and will do what we can when we get the money.”

But he also said people’s ideas of what could be done with the building would be welcome but warned of the costs.