Town centre businesses are delighted with colourful planters offering pavement appeal.
South Kesteven District Council has supplied the half whisky barrel pavement planters to provide a sea of colour ahead of Grantham in Bloom, which will be judged in the week commencing 28th July.
One Cut Above in Guildhall Court is taking part. Owner Becky Luttik said: “It’s all about making the town that little bit more inviting.
“We have a vibrant little street here and take a lot of pride in our location. Anything that helps spruce it up a bit is always welcome.”
Another, Dan Powell, of Gambit 73 in The George Centre, said: “The more people who do it the better Grantham looks.
“It has brought added life to The George Centre. The planters are pretty and people like to see this sort of thing.
“Initiatives like this also bring a sense of responsibility and ownership of our town.”
Helen Hoggan, owner of the Glen-esk florist on Westgate, added: “They make the town look better. I obviously love plants and flowers and keeping the planters here looking beautiful, dead-heading and pruning, has been a joy.
“It’s nice to see so many businesses have made an effort.”
The initiative was funded through a £5,000 grant from the Future High Streets Fund.
It is part of a collaborative push to enhance the town centre to create community engagement this summer and into the future.
It builds on recent Market Place improvements, the re-opening of the Conduit public toilets, and a new direction for special interest Saturday markets that complement the offering from regular weekly traders.
Others taking part in the initiative include Westgate Bakery, HSBC Bank, The Olive Tree, Shires Larder, Alex Kent Interiors, The Reading Room, Cameron’s Crafts, Funky Soap, Correct Hearing, Notions Antiques Centre, Melton Mowbray Building Society, The Boutique, Holroyds Sweet Shop, Knightingales and Prime Comfort.
Grantham in Bloom is a free-to-enter competition for town centre retailers and businesses.
SKDC Leader Cllr Ashley Baxter said the event aimed to build on the success of similar events within the district and complimented the council’s efforts to make Grantham even more attractive and appealing to visitors and residents.
“We’ve been delighted with the take-up of this initiative and very impressed with how the planters brighten up Grantham town centre,” said Cllr Baxter.
“We continue to work with retailers and other businesses to improve the aesthetic appeal of Grantham town centre. We have invested in the market place. We have improved the Saturday market and re-opened the Conduit Lane toilets. The new planters are the most recent addition to our programme of beautifying the town centre.
“We thank everyone for their spectacular efforts towards Grantham in Bloom which will be enjoyed and appreciated by the whole community.”
