Spalding Town Board members revealed as chairman promises to listen to the public on how to spend £20 million Levelling Up cash
The full line-up of the 18-strong board tasked with preparing a plan to revitalise Spalding’s fortunes has now been revealed.
Spalding Town Board met for the first time last night (Monday) and is the newly-created body tasked with finding ideas for spending the £20 million ‘left behind town’ money given by the Government.
The board aims to bring together representatives from the community, business, culture and heritage, as well as the public sector, local authorities, and MP Sir John Hayes.
The full list of members is as follows:
Chair: Robin Hancox, Lincolnshire Field Products
Alistair Main, Lighthouse Church
Petronella Keeling, Spalding Gentleman Society
David Ball, Bridge Farm
Craig Delaney, Spalding Business Board
Catherine Duce, Spalding Business Board
David Jones, Chairman, Pedals
Emma Tatlow, Active Lincolnshire
Charlotte Goy, Destination Lincolnshire
Stewart Elderkin, Pedals
Tracy Stringfellow, Heritage Lincolnshire
John Bland, Spalding and District Civic Society
Claire Foster, Boston College
Marc Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner
Inspector Matt Dickinson, Lincolnshire Police
Sir John Hayes, MP for South Holland and The Deepings
Coun Nick Worth, Leader South Holland District Council
Coun Gary Taylor, Lincolnshire County Council
Coun Rob Gibson, Spalding Town Forum
The new board will oversee the development of a long term plan for Spalding which will set out a ten-year vision for the town along with a three-year investment plan.
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The plan will need to identify targeted activities that can bring improvements around safety and security; high streets, heritage, and regeneration, and transport and connectivity.
At the first meeting, held in private, the new group vowed that it will listen to local people’s aspirations for the town.
Robin Hancox, Managing Director of Lincolnshire Field Products and Fresh Linc and chair of the Spalding Town Board, said: “The £20 million Long Term Plan for Towns funding represents an exciting opportunity for Spalding, and the chance for us to bring improvements that will make a significant and sustainable impact.
“Community engagement and consultation are absolutely integral to the development of this plan, and over the coming months we will be inviting people to share their views and ideas on what they would like to see for their town.
“It is fantastic that the town board is now established, with such a breadth of knowledge, experience, and skills, and we will begin working towards creating a plan that delivers what Spalding needs.
“I look forward to working with board members, local people, and South Holland District Council to develop a long-term plan for Spalding.”
South Holland District Council is the accountable body for the funding and will be delivering the long-term plan once it is produced.
Coun Nick Worth, district leader, said: “This funding will play a pivotal role in maximising Spalding’s potential, and will have far reaching benefits for our community.
“I am delighted to join the board and get involved in shaping a vision for the town, which will be informed by feedback from local people because community engagement is absolutely at the heart of identifying how this funding should be invested.
“The Long Term Plan for Towns funding builds on the Levelling Up investment which has already been announced for Spalding for the new South Holland Health and Wellbeing Hub and the A16 improvements.
“Together, the combined investment in our town will help to create new opportunities for our whole community.”
Sir John Hayes MP said: “Establishing the Town Board provides a great opportunity for local people to see how our area benefits from the extra money given to South Holland from the Government. This huge investment must be used to make our area as good as it can be. I look forward to working with other members of the Town Board on this exciting endeavour.”
The board said it will provide opportunities for engagement for the community and local stakeholders over the coming months, with the Long Term Plan for Spalding set to be submitted to government by August 1 2024.
Spalding was one of 55 ‘left behind towns’ to get a £20 million endowment-style fund to invest over the next decade, empowering them to develop a plan for the long-term.
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