Long Sutton councillor calls for more events to ‘give people a reason’ to come to Spalding

Cultural and heritage events will give visitors a reason to come to Spalding, a councillor has said.

South Holland district councillor David Wilkinson called for more activities to be put on in the town in order to increase footfall.

The Long Sutton councillor made his comments during a discussion on the Spalding Town Board vision of how to spend £20million Government’s Plan for Neighbourhood’s money, which includes giving parts of the area a makeover.

During the joined Performance Monitoring and Policy Development Panels meeting Coun Wilkinson said: “I can’t see anywhere in there (the document) that gives you a reason to come to Spalding. There are reasons for Springfields as there are shops there.

“You expect to pay to park if you have reasons to go to places like Stamford and King’s Lynn. King’s Lynn puts on heritage and cultural activities There are things going on in King’s Lynn which give people a reason to go.”

Council leader Coun Nick Worth said that he expected there to be massive opportunities over the next two years for events coming into the town which with bring people in.

Coun Andrew Wool said: “There has got to be more enticement in the modern world than you had in the 70s and 80s.

“There has to be a new approach to it. Look at the success of Festival Too in King’s Lynn.”

Festival Too is a free music festival which is held in Tuesday Market Place and has brought well known stars such as KT Tunstall, Ash, Feeder, Busted and The Human League.

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