Work to improve Grantham town centre could still go ahead after saga over £2 million pot

The saga over a £2 million funding pot set aside to improve Grantham town centre has taken another twist – with county leaders promising to go ahead with the work after all.

The money was part of a wider £20 million government package for Lincolnshire, and had been earmarked by South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) to regenerate Grantham town centre by making it more accessible for pedestrians.

This week, Lincolnshire County Council suggested the money had already been spent and the work shelved – but that no longer appears to be the case.

At the overview and scruntiny management board meeting on Thursday, January 29, Coun Cain Parkinson (Reform UK – Grantham East) confirmed that the county council remains ‘committed’ to carrying out the improvements to Grantham town centre.

Coun Parkinson said: “For the benefit of the committee, I had a meeting last night with the leader (Coun Sean Matthews) and deputy leader (Coun Rob Gibson) of the council with regards to this issue.

“I put across the point that I think it’s really important. Effectively, the agreement is that this project can’t go ahead until the Southern Relief Road is open just due to the impact of traffic flow going through the middle of Grantham.

“However, I have had a committment from the leader and deputy leader that the moment that the Southern Relief Road is open and operational, they are more than happy to meet with me and other to dicuss the implementation of the project and allocating the funding for it, whether it comes out of the capital or whether it comes out of next year’s actual budget.

“They’re happy to have that conversation with us. They want the scheme to go ahead.

“It can’t be delivered until the relief road is open – that is the opinion of highways.

“I think it makes sense, but it’s not a case of this isn’t going to go ahead. They have absolutely given me that commitment – I believe them. It just has to happen in the right timescale.”

It has been said that money spent on Dysart Road, Alma Park and the B1174 meant that the agreement with the government on spending the cash had been ‘reached’ and the money for Grantham all spent.

The decision to withdraw the work from the upcoming budget sparked a heated discussion at a growth scrutiny meeting meeting on Tuesday, January 27, with several people being stopped from speaking by chairman Sam French (Reform UK – Skirbeck).

Coun Phil Dilks (Independent – Deeping St James), one person who was not allowed to speak, criticised the way that the county council had treated SKDC’s chief executive, Karen Bradford during that meeting. She too had been prevented from adding to the dicussion.

Speaking at Thursday’s overview and scrutiny management board, he added: “I have got to say, she was treated in an appalling way and I think she is owed a big apology for the way in which a senior officer was treated.

“She should not have been treated in that way.”

Coun Dilks also highlighted the fact that ward member Coun Tim Harrison, who represents the area in question, was also stopped from having a say – something the chairman can allow at their discretion.

Coun Dilks continued the discussion at a full South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) meeting later on Thursday, January 29 – where he reflected on the ‘shambles’ of the Tuesday meeting, in which he had been ‘unceremoniously kicked out’.

Coun Dilks explained there was now a ‘verbal agreement’ in place – that the work will be done and be ‘properly financed, as previously agreed’.

He told SKDC members: “I said ‘hang on a minute, that’s a verbal agreement, you know, we really want it in writing in budget papers that are going to come to the executive next week’.

“I’m pleased to say that the board this morning recommended that we get that verbal agreement and we ask the executive to reverse the decision in the draft papers.”

The county council will continue to discuss its budget proposals for the next financial year over the coming weeks.