Shoppers in Market Rasen will benefit from a new seating area in the Market Place as well as new bins, street planters and hanging baskets to make it as inviting and welcoming as possible.
West Lindsey District Council was awarded a share of the Reopening High Street Safely (RHSS) / Welcome Back Fund (WBF) scheme via the UK Government and the European Regional Development Fund, to help boost the look and feel of high streets.
The town council would like to invest part of the funding in a new seating area to encourage shoppers to stay longer in market place and soak up the atmosphere. They will also be installing a new digital screen to keep local people and visitors up-to-date with the latest events and activities taking place in the town. The fund will also be supporting an additional Christmas installation in the town centre in the form of an electrical Christmas tree decoration.
West Lindsey District Councillor, Cllr Steven Bunney, who represents Market Rasen is delighted to see the town receive a share of the funding to make improvements to the street scene.
He said: “Market Rasen has taken the opportunity of this funding to purchase items of street furniture to enhance the appearance of the town for residents and visitors. It has allowed us to purchase extra seating, planters and litter bins for the Market Place and other public locations on the main shopping streets. One of the other projects funded by the scheme is to provide mobile hoarding frameworks to display murals depicting local historic events, to be displayed at various events in the Town.”
West Lindsey District Council is working with the three towns in the district to improve the street scene, to make it more inviting to residents and visitors to support their local high streets. Details of improvements to Caistor and Gainsborough will be revealed once the support has been finalised.
The main focus of the Welcome Back Fund in Market Rasen is on the development of the Market Place from a car park to a multi-use forum in the centre of town – along the lines of a continental piazza or a classical forum.
Cllr Cordelia McCartney who also represents the town explained some of the funding will be used for some murals to depict aspects of the area’s local history.
She said: “Several murals will be drawn on to canvas hoardings so that they are interchangeable. In between events the stands and canvasses will be stored/on display at The Festival Hall/Auction Shed and or Old Court Room. They will not be at a permanent locations so that we can display them at different events around the town like Gardener’s Market, Craft Fayres, and Jubilee Celebrations etc. It is envisaged that the canvases will be researched and produced by local residents and I am looking forward to see what they can produce.”
In addition to the street scene public realm improvements, new sensor taps and infrared flushes will be installed at the public conveniences in the town as part of a wider scheme to improve the facilities across West Lindsey. This is also funded from the Welcome Back Fund. The new adaptations are expected to cost more than £16,000 across three sites in West Lindsey.
Vice Chairman or the Prosperous Communities Committee, Cllr John McNeill and Market Rasen ward councillor, welcomed the news. He explaining the Covid-19 pandemic and had brought the issue of tackling hygiene to the fore
Cllr McNeill said: “The upgrades to the public conveniences are very much-needed, not only will it boost public confidence in the cleanliness of using public facilities but it will also help improve hygiene by minimising the amount of exposure to potentially infected surfaces. As a ward member for Market Rasen I am also delighted to see that the Welcome Back Fund will be used to improve seating, planters and information boards here in our historic market town.”
Further details of the improvements at John Street public conveniences and dates of when the improvement work will take place will be announced when they are due to start.
If you are a business in Market Rasen or across West Lindsey, did you know support is available?
- Free business support is available as West Lindsey District Council has secured the support of Clare Bailey, a Lincolnshire-based independent business advisor. You can contact Clare directly via clare.bailey@retailchampion.co.uk in the first instance, or call 07462 218000.
- Discounted one-year membership with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). As part of the Council’s partnership with FSB, we are offering business owners an £80 discount on a one-year membership. Register your interest in this FSB promotion.