More town centre talk is no help

Spending more money on another town business survey is a waste of both cash and time, according to a long-standing trader.

A decision has been taken by South Holland District Council to spend another £30,000 with an external consultant.

The money has been earmarked for Mosaic Partnerships Ltd which has already conducted a survey among 75 businesses to see if there is backing for a group approach to improving the town centre.

But creating a Business Improvement District, part of the project, was first mooted nearly 15 years ago and as yet nothing has happened.

There is no longer a group representing the town centre traders and Spalding has no business-led partnership for the town centre.

But spending another £30,000 is not the answer, says Sue Stubley, who has owned Occasions jewellers for 15 years.

“Businesses are falling like flies, and if things don’t improve there will be a lot of us going in the New Year,” she said. “They have already spent money on one study and now they’re on about spending another £30,000 on another survey that won’t be ready for nine months.

“We could do so much with that money. It could be spent on getting the toilets open, or utilising the former Beales building,” she said. “We were talking abut this 15 years ago and we’re no further down the line than we were at the beginning.

“It’s wasting money after money on survey after survey and it feels like too little, too late,” she added.

The first survey was conducted in the spring to get an understanding of support for a more formal partnership for town centre businesses.

It lasted three weeks and included 19 per cent of the town centre businesses. According to a report to the council there was ‘strong and enthusiastic support’ to develop a partnership.

The next round will engage with 80 per cent of the business community and will take nine months.

Businesses are still trying to recover after the pandemic and the high street may never be the same, said Sue.

Working from home has added to the problems as large numbers of people no longer work regularly in the town centre, at the district council offices, for example.

“There would have been people coming into town on lunch breaks to do some shopping, but they’re mostly working from home now.

“We need to improve footfall and you need to provide the shops people want to see,” added Sue.

In 2016 The Voice carried a story about an ‘appetite for a Business Improvement District,’ after a survey was carried out in the town.

This time round the district council says the cost of the survey, £30,660, will lead to a ‘strategy to pursue a Business Improvement District.’

The Town Centre Improvement Plan steering group will be given the results.