It’s taken a year to get this far, but residents of Spalding will have to wait longer for a town centre manager.
More talks are to take place after failure to agree on top contenders for a slice of £207,935 left from the Section 106 Springfields development pot.
The decision to form a sub-committee was made at South Holland District Council’s Cabinet meeting.
Both the Town Forum and an online poll supported the need for a town centre manager but failed to agree on other projects.
The Town Forum listed a bandstand for Ayscoughfee Gardens and water taxi mooring at Chain Bridge Forge as their next priorities, with the poll calling for a community studio at Tulip Radio and the bandstand for Ayscoughfee Gardens,
Another project up for consideration was a joint marketing campaign for the town with Springfields Outlet Shopping Centre.
Coun Roger Gambba-Jones said: “I can see the headlines now. ‘Yet another committee to decide on Section 106 cash’.
“The town centre manager proposal is the only one that can have a proper impact on Spalding’s future.
“The money is supposed to benefit the town centre and I think Springfields has a cheek to ask for their money back for marketing that would probably say ‘come to Springfields and have a look at Spalding if you want to’.”
Phil Scarlett, chairman of Spalding Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said it was 18 months since it was first asked to come up with a proposal.
He said: “How many projects to benefit Spalding have been lost because a town centre manager was not in place?”
John Charlesworth, of Spalding Civic Society, said: “We think it’s extraordinary the decision is being referred back to a panel responsible for shortlisting projects with nothing to do with the regeneration of the town centre.
“The town centre manager is the only one that focuses on the regeneration of the town centre.”