Call for Spalding to look to future

Spalding residents should think about how they’re represented politically, including the potential for creating a town council, ahead of local government reorganisation, the chair of its town forum says.

Unusually for a town of its size, there’s no elected parish or town council.

The Spalding Town Forum is overseen by South Holland District Council, largely using its councillors and members of local groups, but it has few decision marking abilities

A referendum had previously been mooted as to whether a town council could be created but was met with “apathy” Coun Roger Gambba-Jones said.

But at last week’s Spalding Town Forum he said residents should consider options going forward due to local reorganisation mentioning Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill’s ambition to create a unitary Greater Lincolnshire authority while South Holland DIstrict Council has also joined forces with Boston Borough and East Lindsey District councils to form the South and East Lincolnshire Local Partnership.

Coun Gambba-Jones told the forum Coun Hill’s push was “unlikely” to happen but added: “Spalding will need to be represented in some way and the people of Spalding need to start thinking about it or it will be dropped on them unexpectedly.

“The debate about reorganisation is happening.

“It may not be for several years but you’ll be surprised about how quickly things change.

“South Holland District Council joined up with Boston and East Lindsey to make us stronger and more resilient.

“Martin Hill has other aspirations, other councils have other aspirations and it’s very much in flux.

“One thing certain is change is afoot and at some point Spalding will need to think about its own democratic representation and the people of the town will need to start thinking about how they wish to be represented and what that will look.

“My view is it’s better to think about how you wish to shape it now than have it done to you at some point in the future.”

Coun Gambba-Jones said that any new authority could currently cheaply rent South Holland offices and get expertise from its current officers.

“Parish and town councils can keep the costs down as there’s less management involved and making it a positive function.

“People need to think of it as a positive thing to do, not just as more talking heads and bureaucracy but controlling your own future.”