Lincolnshire County Council to run consultation on re-written rules governing Spalding’s town centre

New rules which will enforce the much-ignored pedestrian zone in Spalding town centre are due to be going out to consultation in the coming weeks.

Highways officers at Lincolnshire County Council have re-written the traffic regulation order (TRO) which governs Spalding town centre in a bid to tighten up the rules to prevent vehicles from entering the town’s pedestrian zone.

Last year, Spalding Town Forum conducted a survey to find out what people thought of the TRO - and the majority of the 815 people who responded want to see no general vehicle access on weekdays and Saturdays between 10am and 4pm. They also wanted a clear rule to be enforced.

A barrier is also due to be erected in the town centre in a bid to prevent vehicle access and designs for this are due to be revealed at the next Spalding Town Forum meeting on Tuesday.

Forum chairman, Coun Rob Gibson, and fellow county councillor Liz Sneath have been working together in order to get action taken on the frequently flouted rules.

Coun Gibson said he was pleased to see the TRO issue progress.

He said: “We have done the survey and the people of South Holland and the wider area said they liked the road to be closed off and we are now at the stage where we are just about ready to enforce it and put a gate on.

“The TRO had to be re-written to make sure that it is water tight and that there are no loop holes.”

Under the current rules, vehicles are not supposed to enter Hall Place and Market Place between 10am and 4pm on Monday to Saturday and on market days.

But this order is regularly ignored. Cars are seen travelling through the town centre and there are generally vehicles parked up in front of the South Holland Centre.

The TRO has been a source of contention in the town for a number of years as pedestrians have called for the rules to be enforced.

The order is held by Lincolnshire County Council but is supposed to be enforced by the police as it is technically a matter of cars on a closed road rather than parking incorrectly.

The county council is now going to be sharing the re-written rules with local businesses to get feedback.

Coun Gibson said: “Stopping cars is the priority but we want to make sure that we don’t hinder anyone’s business. The county council is going to businesses and discuss the plan.

“We will probably find out time scales over the next two to three weeks.

“We appreciate that this has been a slow process but it has got to be done correctly.”

He has also approached blacksmiths at Spalding’s Chain Bridge Forge to create the barriers which are hoped to be erected before the end of the year.

Their designs are due to be unveiled at the next town forum meeting, which will be held in the South Holland District Council chamber, Priory Road, on Tuesday at 6.30pm.

Coun Gibson said: “This has all come from the town forum so it is something they need to be involved with and have a say on how we close the road.”

A county council spokesman said: “We are in the process of finalising the details of the consultation documents with the local county councillors. A scheme will be out to consultation in the next few weeks.”

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