Sleaford businesses say they need more support during Market Place works

Pedestrianisation is well underway at Sleaford Market Place. After months of frustration from local residents and businesses, who feel they were not fairly consulted over the million-pound government-funded plans, North Kesteven District Council pushed ahead anyway.

The project has over £1 million from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund to make the scheme a possibility. The vision is clear: Creating a more visually attractive area in the heart of Sleaford, and encouraging longer-term footfall by stopping the area becoming flooded with cars that park there to shop, work, or visit.

The Market Place closed at the end of July, and work started in August, with a vision to completing pedestrianisation works in December — meaning remembrance services will be moved elsewhere in November, and the market will be moved to Eastgate car park for the duration.

It’s been a controversial topic for many months, and a large portion of the business owners around the square are feeling frustrated at the plan itself, as well as the current impact of the works on their customer bases.

The Solo, a bistro bar and hotel on Market Street, has been one of the more passionate opposing voices to the council’s plans, and owner Roy Corder and manager Fran Rawden are still yet to be convinced.

“It looks good on design, but there’s no practicality to it,” they said. “Pedestrianisation just doesn’t make sense in England, especially with our weather. We’re not a city centre, this is a small town.”

“It has left a sour taste really, we had no choice in the matter and think there should have been a period where businesses were asked for their thoughts and ideas.”

The immediate worry for businesses like The Solo is visibility, with big metal fences blocking people’s view of the Market Place, but there are long term implications also.

They added: “We’ve had days where not one diner has come in because they don’t even know if we are open or if we’re here, or they’re going to choose somewhere else to go with more parking.

“We’re expanding and taking over the nearby hotel rooms, and now we’re worried that we’re going to have 16 hotel rooms with nowhere to offer guests to park.

“There’s definitely going to be a long term impact and it will take us years to get that investment back now.”

One of the worst affected by this visibility issue is CECE’S Bar & Grill in the corner of the Market Place, which manager Mitchell Griffiths says is making the business “really quiet” recently, as many people don’t realise there are pedestrian access points to the businesses around the sides of construction.

The business relies heavily on collections of meals ordered online, but since the closure of the Market Place, the convenience of parking outside the business has now gone.

“We’ve had people come in and say they struggled to get here, and most of our customers are walk-ins, so we’ve been quieter through the week as well.

“There’s also been no advice on financial help or funding, even compensation, which is frustrating because we’ve definitely noticed a difference. The next three months are going to be a big struggle.”

That is not to say that everyone is against the proposals, though.

Elaine and Ellie, two staff members at Market Square Cafe, say it is just a case of the town “moving with the times,” citing developments of Lincoln’s city centre in recent years.

“Parking could be an issue, but we do have car parks elsewhere,” they said. “I think it will look really nice and get people out and about.

“Ultimately, though, only time will tell.”