February 13, 2017 3.57 pm
This story is over 81 months old
Lincoln Cathedral gets £11m funding boost to improve visitor experience
Lincoln Cathedral has received £11.4 million of lottery funding to create a new visitor centre. The existing deanery will be converted into a visitors’ centre, cafe, shop and exhibition centre under the £16 million Lincoln Cathedral Connected project. The Dean’s Garden will also be opened up to the public for the first time. The project…
Subdean John Patrick, project manager Anne Irving, Dean Christine Wilson and Jonathan Platt, head of HLF in the East Midlands. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Lincoln Cathedral has received £11.4 million of lottery funding to create a new visitor centre.
The existing deanery will be converted into a visitors’ centre, cafe, shop and exhibition centre under the £16 million Lincoln Cathedral Connected project.
The Dean’s Garden will also be opened up to the public for the first time.
The funding boost was announced via a flashmob in front of the Cathedral. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The project team believe that the investment from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will help attract an extra quarter of a million visitors and £50 million of business to the city over the next five years.
Lord Cormack, the chairman of the Historic Lincoln Trust, said: “This is the greatest Cathedral in England, and deserves the facilities that go along with that.”
John Patrick, the Subdean, said: “This is a great time for the Cathedral and the city. We have been working on this proposal for four and a half years so it’s good to see it finally approved.”
The changes should be complete by Spring 2020, with work beginning almost immediately.
The funding will also help support the conservation of the Cathedral, which costs £1.6 million per year.
The new exhibition space will mean that the Cathedral can display artefacts that aren’t currently available to the public, such as embroideries, archaeological finds and medieval manuscripts.
Project manager Anne Irving said: “The prime aim is to make the Cathedral more accessible to the public.”
Jonathan Platt, head of the HLF in the East Midlands, said: “This is one of the biggest projects we’re working on. It’s great value for money, as the £11 million investment will hopefully lead to £50 million of growth.”
Money will also go towards the restoration and protection of the Exchequergate Arch.
The floodlighting will be improved to ensure the Cathedral is properly illuminated at night.
Digital facilities will be added to make it easier for disabled or deaf visitors to appreciate the Cathedral.
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A Lincoln resident is frustrated with vehicles parking on single yellow lines on Lincoln High Street, while the county council says the current regulation order means it’s unable to enforce the area properly, despite signage saying cars cannot park there.
Richard Bridgen has been living off Riverside Drive in Lincoln for around five years now, and over recent months he has noticed a particular trend around parking on a section of the High Street, which can impede his view as he tries to turn from Gaunt Street.
Lincoln residents in the Boultham area have become increasingly hesitant to report crime, citing concerns that the shortage in police staffing will lead to a lack of response.
Lincolnshire County Councillor Kevin Clarke (Labour) reports being contacted by multiple residents in the last few months who have suffered break-ins at their homes or gardens. Despite these incidents, they claim to have received minimal support from Lincolnshire Police.
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