It is a portion of a total fund of £60 million that is being allocated to the ‘overlooked’ towns of Boston, Spalding, and Skegness. It has been made aware to councils in the South East Lincolnshire Partnership under the Government’s ‘Long-Term Plan for Towns..
There will be funds made available to help continue the work that is being done to develop and transform Skegness, which includes working to grow the economy and combating anti-social behaviour.
The total investment in Skegness by totel has already surpassed one hundred million pounds, and Town Deal initiatives are beginning to bear fruit, such as the replacement of store fronts and trash cans in the town centre as well as the refurbishment of the railway station.
“It is wonderful news and very unexpected,” said Chris Baron, Chair of the Connected Coast Town Deal Board. ”
“It means that Skegness is expected to profit from over £100 million pounds and the coastal strip is set to benefit from £150 million, which is an amount that we would not have imagined possible a few years ago.
“This is a further and significant opportunity for Skegness, building on and aligning with the work that is being delivered through Towns Fund, Levelling Up funding, UKSPF, and the Cultural Development Fund.”The prospectus that was put out by the government outlines the possibility to repurpose the function of Town Deal boards so that they can take the lead in defining a common vision for towns and monitoring the financing.
“While we await further specifics and direction, the experience, knowledge, and track record of the Connected Coast Town Deal Board would make it ideally positioned to engage with the community and partners to fulfil this crucial function. This would be the case despite the fact that we are currently waiting for additional information.
“The board is committed to delivering for Skegness, and the Long Term Plan for Towns, coupled with the existing financing, will further enable the town to maximise its potential.
“This is very exciting news for those who live in the area.”
Coun Nick Worth, Leader of South Holland District Council; Coun Anne Dorrian, Leader of Boston Borough Council; and Coun Craig Leyland, Leader of East Lindsey District Council, made the following statement in a joint statement: “We welcome that the Government has once again recognised Spalding, Boston, and Skegness when making this national funding announcement. At this point, there is work to be done to understand more about how this money can be used. The subsequent stage for us will be to have a comprehensive grasp of how these money will serve to support our local high streets, companies, and communities.In the upcoming weeks and months, we are looking forward to figuring out the more minute elements, and as soon as we can, we hope to get serious about engaging with local communities and businesses.
Lincolnshire World polled its audience to find out how they would want to see the money spent, and here are some of the responses:
According to what Stuart Myers suggested, “Perhaps have buses running a lot more during the winter as a starting point.” You should also think about constructing additional homes for those who already live and work in the region.
Elisa Harper added, “Street lighting back on, repair paths and roads, and sort out a proper ‘coastal’ path from Winthorpe past the North Shore golf club.”
Pauline Hudson advised, “Employ someone to clean Lumley Road every morning during the summer and during the winter when it is wet.”
Anne Ambler recommended purchasing plants for placement all the way around the town core.
