Calls for free parking in town with group to be set up to look at issues

There are calls for two hours’ free parking to be introduced amid the setting up of a group to look at ‘public space use’ in Spalding town centre.

Councillor Christine Lawton argued that would help stop people breaching the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) which is meant to ban vehicles from Market Place and Hall Place from 10am to 4pm Monday to Saturday.

Whether that continues with Lincolnshire Police having previously said it doesn’t have the resources to police it properly is just one of the measures to be looked at by the Spalding Town Forum sub-group Public Space Use of Spalding Town Centre.

Forum chairman Coun Roger Gambba-Jones said: “This initially started as a discussion of the TRO but we soon realised it was a much broader issue and there were many more considerations to come into this.

“We’ve got a TRO but is that right for the modern day?

“I’m ambivalent one way or the other; I like that people can walk around without worrying about vehicles, but people with push bikes going the wrong way in any direction they like are nearly as bad.

“What we do know is there’s no single agency to effectively police the town centre in the way people want and expect us to as it used to be 20 years ago.

“We need to do better in understanding what’s needed and this is the first step.”

Speaking to the town forum, South Holland District Council’s assistant director for strategic growth and development, said other things the group would look at include improving access to the high street and linking it with the River Welland.

“We want to put together something we can bring to Lincolnshire County Council’s transport board, which is the decision maker on these issues, and help move forward a common plan for town centre access.

Coun Angela Newton reiterated a long held ambition for buses to be able to drive into the town centre.

“I think it would be a life-saver to some businesses,” she said. “Even if we get some barriers that go down for the buses like they do in Boston, it would be a start.”

The Spalding Town Forum meeting also heard that market traders had experienced issues and even abuse from drivers flouting the TRO.

Coun Lawton said: “There should be no cars 10am to 4pm but buses be allowed, and those three car parks within the town have two hours’ free parking.”That gets away with the people who say they ignore the TRO as they just want to pop into town.

“If you could park in Sheep Market, Vine Street or Herring Lane for two hours’ free you’d still have easy access to the town centre.

I’d like to see the town pedestrianised and greened up.

“It works in Boston.”

The setting up of the group is due to go before SHDC’s Cabinet in July.