October 11, 2017 2.44 pm This story is over 92 months old

Ambitious £40m plans for South Kesteven include new leisure centres, housing and even a festival

A huge new investment package for the district.
Councillor Matthew Lee announcing the investment programme in South Kesteven

Ambitious plans for new leisure centres, the regeneration of town centre markets, the redevelopment of Grantham’s heritage quarter and a festival in Bourne have been revealed.

South Kesteven District Council will invest £40 million to boost the area’s towns and villages, with the projects to be completed or underway by 2020.

Key proposals include:

  • New office accommodation in Grantham, Bourne, Stamford and The Deepings
  • A new digital hub in Stamford
  • New offices for micro businesses in Bourne
  • A new festival in Bourne
  • New leisure centres for Stamford and The Deepings
  • A new heritage quarter in Grantham from St Wulfram’s Church to the railway arches on Westgate
  • New housing in Bourne
  • A new strategy to revive the district’s markets

Money for the proposed new facilities will come from the council’s reserves.

The investment package was announced by the council at an economic summit it hosted at Stoke Rochford Hall on Monday, October 9.

The council calculates that the programme could attract as much as £400 million of private money in the next three years and as much as £1.2 billion in 20 years’ time.

Councillor Matthew Lee, leader of South Kesteven District Council, said: “The summit marks a sea-change for South Kesteven District Council – the point at which we have stopped talking about change and started delivering it.

“I am delighted by the response we have had to the summit, which has underlined to me what an important role we politicians play in providing confidence and clarity in our ambitions. Everything flows from that.

“Fundamentally, we want businesses to start up in our district, grow in our district and recruit from our district. We will do everything in our power to accommodate the needs of new and growing companies.

“Despite years of talk about austerity, SKDC is in a relatively fortunate financial position, with strong reserves and little borrowing.

“We have the money and I believe it is our responsibility to put it to work for our district.”