Agenda item

It was suggested deferring the Marketplace footfall report item to allow for more time to consider the report given as it was only published the afternoon before. This would also allow for the attendance of a Member who was unable to make the meeting. A vote was held on this with three votes in favour of deferring, three against, and two abstaining. The Chairman cast their deciding vote in favour of proceeding with the item on the agreement that the absent Member was given the opportunity to provide comment after the meeting. The Leader placed on record that they were happy to meet with the Member and discuss the report away from the meeting.

The report was presented by the Leader of the Council.

The development of the plan to promote footfall in the Market Place had been discussed by FEOSC on several occasions, most recently in September 2024. At that meeting Officers committed to bring an ‘Action Plan’ to the 5 November meeting, which would be developed in conjunction with the Grantham Town Team. The Action Plan included a fully costed feasibility study which had considered the following potential interventions recommended by FEOSC at the June meeting:

·       Parking - Free parking on market days/midweek to encourage shoppers.

·       Marketing - implement a grant scheme to enable better promotions.

·       New Traders – offer financial incentives to new market traders taking up stalls.

·       Rent – offer financial support for rent costs for new town centre businesses.

·       Transport – provision of free buses to Grantham on market days.

A draft Grantham Town Centre Action Plan (Appendix 2) was prepared to support an overall strategy for Grantham Town Centre, both through the delivery of the scheme and the initial period up to December 2025. The Action Plan was developed in collaboration with the Grantham Town Team and was fully funded from existing budgets.

During the continuation of the works, up to December 2024, the Action Plan concentrated on maintaining town centre footfall, supporting established businesses, and providing incentives to new market traders during the period of the disruptive highway works. The data showed footfall was not only maintained during this period but generally shows a year-on-year increase.

Since the start of the works in the Marketplace there was continuous support to businesses affected by the roadworks. This was continuing throughout the Station Approach works. This had included regular engagement with businesses and the hosting of two events on the newly completed Market Place. The most recent being the ‘Grantham Community Event’ on 19 October. This was well attended by a cross-section of the Grantham pubic and was the culmination of weeks of community engagement involving over 500 residents who participated in workshop activity. All initial feedback was positive.

During discussions, Members commented on the following:

-       It was confirmed that individuals passing through Grantham by train or car were not included within the footfall figures.

-       The Assistant Director of Planning confirmed the geofences for the marketplace footfall data to be from Westgate to Guildhall Street, including the marketplace. The Chairman requested a map of this for Committee Members. ACTION

-       It was suggested the 2023 footfall figures were comparatively low due to rail strikes effecting the transport into the area. Some Members were concerned the 2023 data was not a reliable source from which to make spending decisions given that the data had been distorted due to the rail strikes. Given the concerns the Assistant Director for Planning confirmed the overall footfall data from 2022-24 had showed an 11.4% increase per year.

-       It was noted by a Member that the peaks and troughs of the 2024 footfall data encapsulated in Appendix One had coincided with attendance levels of Grantham Market.

-       It was queried why some activities within Appendix Two of the report were recorded as having no costs to them. The Member was concerned this failed to recognise the cost of the Officer time involved. The Assistant Director of Planning confirmed the costs recorded in Appendix Two were additional costs and initial costs such as Officer time had already been accounted for.

-       The Chairman noted that a Member had previously provided a list of costing requests which had not been fully responded to by the report, such as purchasing the George Centre. The Chairman requested if Officers could revisit this. – ACTION

-       Further details regarding the Loyalty Scheme within the proposed Action Plan were requested. The Head of Economic Development confirmed they were waiting for the response to the consultation with Retail Club Grantham.  

-       A Member noted that the report had incorrectly suggested that Lincolnshire Day was held between January-July. The Assistant Director of Planning confirmed this day had merely been used as an example of a local event.

-       It was queried and confirmed that an option considered within the report was for SKDC to offer an initial rent-free four-week period for stall holders at Grantham market as an attempt to secure more stallholders at the market and subsequently increase footfall.

-       It was suggested the empty retail unit on St. Catherine’s Road could be used for a pop-up restaurant.

-       It was noted that the bus timetable provided in the Appendix was too infrequent in the rural areas. 

A Member expressed their concern that the level of scrutiny during this agenda item was insufficient and that it would benefit from additional time for consideration. The Member proposed holding an extraordinary meeting before the end of 2024, this motion was seconded, and a vote was held in which three Members voted in favour, two against, and two abstained. On the advice of the Democratic Services Officer, the Chairman noted that three Members of the Committee voting in favour of an extraordinary meeting was sufficient to trigger the extraordinary meeting in line with the Section 3.2, Part 4 of the Constitution. The Monitoring Officer advised that a vote on the initial Short Term-Christmas 2024 section of the Action Plan (Appendix Two) could be held at the current meeting. The extraordinary meeting could then scrutinize and vote on the aspects of the Action Plan from January 2025 onwards.

Following being proposed and seconded, it was AGREED to endorse Section One of the Action Plan for Grantham Town Centre – the Short Term to Christmas 2024.