Town council call over ‘talking shop’

Calls for a town council for Spalding have been renewed amid criticisms of the ‘talking shop’ town forum and lack of Jubilee celebrations in the town.

Forum chair Coun Roger Gambba-Jones has long advocated for the town to have its own level of authority.

Instead the Spalding Town Forum acts for discussions and is meant to be made up of councillors and group representatives, but it doesn’t have any decision-making powers like a town or parish council does.

At its latest meeting held last week it was noted that several group members had stopped attending meetings.

Roger Perkins, a member of Spalding Bowls Club, said: “The feeling is there of inadequacy. You’ve got the councillors and democratic officers and as outsiders there’s a bit of a feeling our views don’t matter.”

Quoting people watching the online meeting, Coun Rob Gibson said: “It’s more of a talking shop and we don’t have much in the way of decision-making powers or budget to do anything.

“I’ve had quite a few messages recently about a town council. People have been asking why didn’t we organise much in the town for the Jubilee like all the other parishes and towns that did a fantastic job. Spalding was left a little bit wanting, I feel.

“Maybe the time is to ask the question of do we want a town council.

“It’s not an easy thing to do but there seems to be a willingness out there.”

Coun Gambba-Jones said: “There hasn’t been the groundswell of opinion that members would be willing to move this forward in the same way they did in Grantham recently.

“At the last time of asking the interest wasn’t just cool, it was arctic. Based on that, the temperature is going to have to change significantly.

“I keep saying to people either you do it now or its going to be done to you.

“At this moment the impression is many people want it done to them and then they can complain about it, which I find sad.

“The Spalding Town Forum is the best thing you’ve got as an alternative.

“I’ll hold my hands up, we are a talking shop. If you don’t talk about it first you don’t get on to an action plan, so I make no apologies for that.

“I’ll keep talking and I keep pressing we keep the Spalding Town Forum until we get something better.”