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Pressure put on owners to maintain shabby buildings… but work suggests one Spalding pub will be re-opening




A councillor says the authorities will continue to put pressure on owners to spruce up their shabby buildings across the district – including some once-popular pubs.

Last week South Holland District Council leader Nick Worth said the owners of the empty 16th-century Ye Olde White Horse on Spalding’s Churchgate were being given ‘one last chance’ to tidy up the property, which he labelled a ‘fire hazard’.

But deputy leader Gary Taylor has told this paper the White Horse, which is owned by Samuel Smith Old Brewery, isn’t the only closed hostelry that’s in need of a spruce up – citing New Road’s Black Swan as another example.

The Black Swan, in New Road
The Black Swan, in New Road

“There’s ongoing work regarding contacting owners of buildings whose conditions are not up to the standards we’d like to see,” Coun Taylor said.

“The Black Swan, we need to take some action there.

“We do need to contact the owners. It’s high profile, it’s town centre, there’s heavy footfall there.

“And if a building’s a mess the owner needs to do something about it, that’s the point.”

Spalding's Ye Olde White Horse
Spalding's Ye Olde White Horse

Looking at the bigger picture, Coun Taylor added that poorly managed properties can have a greater impact on their surroundings.

“We cannot accept those types of buildings in our town centres, our villages or anywhere,” Coun Taylor continued.

“If it was my property I’d be embarrassed about it, so the owners need to give some answers and a timescale.

“We need a street scene that can make a place look the best it can.

“Full marks to those who make the effort. The ones that don’t are the ones we need to turn our focus on.”

Coun Taylor did praise the work going on to improve the town’s once-shabby Ship Albion.

The Ship Albion as it looked before undergoing a makeover. Photo: Googler Maps
The Ship Albion as it looked before undergoing a makeover. Photo: Googler Maps
The Ship Albion has had a spruce up.
The Ship Albion has had a spruce up.

“There’s a very impressive paint job there. They plan to open it soon, although there’s no date set, that’s their response.

“You see the new grey paint on the Ship Albion, that has been a quality job and the building could have fallen into a bad state of repair.”



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