Letter: My verdict on why Spalding is dying

Letter writer Tony Dean got in touch following our stories on the plan to improve the appearance of Spalding town centre.

South Holland District Council’s cabinet chose to release £282,935 to ‘refresh, update and enhance’ four areas of Spalding.

Plans are in the pipeline to refurbish or replace broken street furniture and planters in Hall Place, Double Street/Bridge Street, Swan Street/New Road and Red Lion Street.

Here's what Tony had to say...

My verdict on Spalding

I keep seeing you writing about Spalding town centre and about it’s revival and demise.

Local people seem to think Springfields has killed off the town. So I thought I’d share this with you.

From Aldi to B&M, Sainsbury’s to the White Horse, all the small streets and the main town, these are my findings.

There are: 29 places to buy food shopping (mini marts and not including Aldi, Lidl Sainsbury’s or Iceland); 47 places for hair/nails/beauty; 23 takeaways (not restaurants or cafes); 11 estate agents; six clothing stores; five opticians; five gambling shops and two shoe shops.

There is a clear reason why Spalding is dying - there’s nothing here to bring in customers.

Why can’t the council or owners or the agents stop this madness?

Yes, people need food but you could buy a shopping trolley full if you wandered around buying one item from each.

There’s no childrens clothing stores, nothing for the teenagers, nothing for tourists.

We have a flower parade coming up but, as it passes, tourists will either leave town and go Springfields - or just go home.

This town needs to start thinking about rents, rates and stop selling out to another beauty/nail/barber business, minimart or takeaway.

Springfields didn’t kill the town, the allowance of these shops has.

There’s hardly any diversity left.

Tony Dean

Spalding

Do you agree with Tony? Have your say by writing to andrew.brookes@iliffepublishing.co.uk