Improving our town collectively
We will keep you up to date with developments relating to the Spalding BID on this website.
Please click here for our latest newsletter, setting out the next steps for Spalding BID.
A Vibrant Market Town with Rich Heritage
Spalding is a market town with a population of around 34,000. It has an offer that includes a regular market, a range of national businesses alongside both high quality and value range independents. It also has civic, commercial and community services. Beyond that it has an attractive riverside, a theatre, a range of events and a heritage offer related to both the place and buildings.
Like many other similar towns, Spalding faces some typical challenges:
- Local, regional, and online competition
- Public realm that needs refreshing
- Access and infrastructure issues
- The need to modernise its offer and attract investment in a different and fast changing business/consumer environment.
- The perceptions of residents and business communities
- Organisational and funding stability.
These matters have of course not been helped by the unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic and the current ‘cost of living’ crisis.
It is against this backdrop and the desire to continue to evolve and succeed that the concept of a better performing and managed town centre is being examined.
Our Response...
After, an open meeting with businesses in early 2023, we asked for people to come forward to help form a business led group, ‘Spalding Business Board’ which would not only be representative of the town, but also would bring to the table all the different parties, working to improve the town. These individuals/ organisations have given freely of their time over the last months to look at ways in which the Town could be improved. That work culminated in the production of a Draft Spalding Town Centre Business Plan.
BID Development
Whilst the Business Plan sets out what projects and initiatives need to be undertaken, there is also the crucial question about funding and delivery. Realising our plans for Spalding is a commitment and ultimately, effective place partnerships require strong governance and structure. It is with that in mind that at the most recent open business meeting, in September 2023, it was agreed that we should revisit the idea of developing a BID.
