Issue - meetings

To adopt the Holbeach and Spalding Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans (report of the Service Director for Planning enclosed).

To consult with PDP and provide feedback on the progress of public consultation (report of the Director – Economic Development enclosed)

Consideration was given to the report of the Director – Economic Development which asked the Panel to provide feedback on the progress of the public consultation.

The Heritage Manager and the Director – Economic Development attended for this item.

The Heritage Manager presented the report and provided the Panel with a detailed update on the progress of the public consultation relating to a suite of heritage documents as set out in the report including:

• Spalding Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan (including the Spalding Shopfront Design Guide)
• Spalding Heritage Strategy
• Holbeach Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan
• S&ELCP Traditional Building Design Guide

It was noted that:

The documents sat across two portfolio areas — Heritage & Conservation and Planning.

• The consultation had commenced in November 2025 and had included social media campaigns, press and site notices, letters to properties proposed for inclusion or removal, and public events held in both Spalding and Holbeach. Hard copies had been made available on request, which included Members and the Civic Society. Documents were also accessible on the Council’s consultation webpage and via the planning portal:
• Although the formal six?week consultation period had elapsed, the documents remained online to allow further comment. The Heritage Manager noted a lack of responses from Spalding town centre businesses, prompting further engagement coordinated with the Spalding BID. Additional engagement was planned with the Spalding Town Board on 9 February 2026. All comments were requested by 13 February 2026 to allow a consolidated submission to consultants; and
• The Heritage Strategy and the Traditional Building Design Guide served as guidance only documents and had no formal adoption.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

·         Members queried the lack of responses from Spalding town centre businesses during the consultation.

o   The Heritage Manager explained that while initial engagement was low, an additional event had been held with Spalding BID and further outreach undertaken. It was suggested that businesses may have felt unaffected due to no proposed changes to conservation area boundaries, or because many were not owner?occupiers. The consultation remained open until 13 February 2026 and further responses might still be received.

• Members asked had the follow?up engagement yielded improved responses from businesses, and what proportion as a percentage had responded overall.
  • The Heritage Manager reported that a handful of attendees had attended the BID event along with two email comments, but the total number of businesses as a percentage figure was not available to report at the meeting.

• Members commended the clarity of the documents and asked about formal sign?off.
  • The Heritage Manager confirmed the documents were in a draft format and that formal sign?off arrangements would be addressed once amendments had been made to where possible incorporate consultation responses at the final stage.

·         Members referred to the Spalding Conservation Area Appraisal and noted that public comments suggested that resources should focus on improvements to the existing conservation area rather than an extension of it. Could specific detail of the feedback be provided.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72