Councillors launch campaign to save Gainsborough town centre

A group of West Lindsey District Councillors have started a campaign to save Gainsborough town centre.
A campaign has been launched to save Gainsborough town centreA campaign has been launched to save Gainsborough town centre
A campaign has been launched to save Gainsborough town centre

The West Lindsey Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign to Save Gainsborough Town Centre from threats of further decline and closure.

Currently there are one in five retail shops empty in the town centre and the once flourishing market held twice a week is in serious decline.

The Liberal Democrat team has launched a petition, which already has 700 signatures, and it is hoped more residents will sign it to demonstrate their support.

The campaign then intends to put forward a motion to both West Lindsey and the Gainsborough Town Council calling for urgent action to improve the current situation.

Coun Matt Boles, who is also the leader of Gainsborough Town Council, said: “Gainsborough town centre is dying and this is having serious economic impacts both on the area, the town and its residents.

“Over the last few years the town centre has seen an accelerating decline towards a ghost town.

“We know that it is increasingly deserted by shoppers and has an ever-growing list of empty shops and buildings”.

And Coun Trevor Young said: “The latest and critical blow to the town was the closure of the Oldrids and Downtown Departments store, which was the biggest store in the town centre and employed hundreds of people.”

The campaign team will be in Gainsborough Market Square every Saturday for the next six weeks to gather signatures.