Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor A R Woolf was elected as Chairman for the duration of the meeting.

Where a Councillor has a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest the Councillor must declare the interest to the meeting and leave the room without participating in any discussion or making a statement on the item, except where a councillor is permitted to remain as a result of a grant of dispensation.

There were none.

To present to members the Destination Management Plan and associated Action Plan for 2026 - 2030

Consideration was given to the report of the Service Director – Culture & Regeneration which presented the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership (SELCP) Destination Management Plan (DMP) and associated Action Plan for 2026-2030.

The Service Director – Culture and Regeneration and the Place Officer introduced the report and highlighted the following main points:

·        That the DMP provided a strategic, partnership-wide framework to strengthen the visitor economy across Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland;

• The Plan focused on four key priorities: improving places, enhancing visitor experiences, strengthening marketing, and supporting the visitor economy sector;

• The DMP aimed to address an under-promotion of South Holland and build on key district strengths including market towns, waterways, food, and heritage;
• The key actions included improvements to infrastructure, place identity and promotion, tourism product development, and business support;
• Early delivery would focus on establishing a clear district proposition and delivering initial tourism initiatives within 12–24 months;

·        The DMP would be dependent on partnership working, availability of resources and securing external funding;

·        Progression of the DMP had followed recent service changes and that a dedicated officer post for South Holland had been created to support delivery; and

·        The Action Plan would remain a live document, subject to ongoing review, with an initial focus on early deliverable actions.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

·        Members expressed the view that the DMP was timely but long overdue.

• Members recognised the importance of maintaining distinct local identities across South Holland, Boston, and East Lindsey, whilst promoting a wider collective offer, and emphasised the need to maximise the districts heritage, landscape and community assets. The district should be promoted as a diverse destination rather than a single location.

• Members stressed the importance for action and visible progress, particularly in relation to markets, events and town centre activity. They queried how the DMP would align with existing partners, including the Business Improvement District (BID) and Springfields and raised concerns regarding the absence of a dedicated funding allocation, stating that successful delivery would require both financial investment and sufficient staffing resources.
  • The Service Director – Culture and Regeneration confirmed that partnership working with BID and key stakeholders would be integral to delivery and that further delivery would rely on external funding, partner contributions and existing budgets.

• Members raised concerns regarding the decline of the district town markets and barriers facing traders, and supported proposals to expand markets and encourage participation, particularly amongst younger people.
  • The Service Director – Culture and Regeneration confirmed that funding opportunities were being explored to support infrastructure and trader development, including the opportunity to link up with young people to encourage entrepreneurship and to develop communication and public skills.

• Members noted the importance of transport connectivity to the success of the DMP, highlighting the need for improved rail services, including a Sunday service to and from Spalding.
  • The Service Director – Culture and Regeneration acknowledged these challenges and confirmed that transport considerations would form part of the Plan.

• Members suggested a range of tourism opportunities  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

There were none.