Rasen residents set out their hopes for £200k grant

Residents have come up with their own suggestions for how a £200,000 grant should be spent in Market Rasen.
Market Rasen EMN-200708-113526001Market Rasen EMN-200708-113526001
Market Rasen EMN-200708-113526001

Councillors have warned time is running out to spend the cash, aimed at improving the local economy.

The money was given to the town by West Lindsey District Council back in 2018, when Market Rasen Town Council began to develop a three-year strategy, setting out areas for improvement.

Resident Mike Wood suggested using the cash to pedestrianise the centre of the 
town.

He said: “Pedestrianise the main street.

“Best investment you could ever make in Rasen, traffic is making it a dirty stinking little town.”

Marguerite Wright-Buxton said: “Shops need a lick of paint, [they are] looking grubby.”

Resident Michael Tindall said he believes pedestrian crossings should be put on the bottom of Oxford Street and the John Street cross roads – and he also suggested a free green bin collection and free parking.

Les Worrall said: “Use it [the £200,000] towards a swimming pool. That will improve the economy.”

And Pauline Blaker agreed, saying: “Give the people what they have always wanted [a swimming pool].

Resident Fee Berry said: “An arts recycling and maker project would give people a reason to visit the town, and would therefore help to support the economy of the town.

“I used to be a member of one in Watford, which collected all sorts of unwanted stuff from businesses and individuals, and then distributed it to families and community groups who subscribed to a membership scheme.

“Businesses would donate offcuts of paper and card, bits of leather, fabrics and unwanted promotional items, and would be glad to do it because of the cost of disposing of such things nowadays.

“Individuals would contribute a wide variety of things… that they didn’t want to throw into the rubbish, but which they no longer had a use 
for.

“Such a place would be bound to draw people from a wider area, either to deposit donations or to make use of the facilities, and give people a reason to visit Market Rasen, and if the project was in a central area, would inevitably bring people into the high street.”

But Stephen Weatherall thinks Market Rasen needs a larger investment.

He said: “[It] will take more than £200k to sort our high street out.”

The town council says it wants to get the Market Place and visitor economy ‘moving forward’ in the next 12 
months.

Town Mayor John Matthews says there was now a ‘degree of urgency’ about making sure the money is spent, adding: “We need to get it together otherwise we will lose the money to Gainsborough.”