Greater Lincolnshire developments in 2019 and beyond

Hundreds of developments and planning applications go before each of the Greater Lincolnshire authorities every year — some have already been built, others are yet to be approved and a few even have been completed.

It’s a tough job knowing which developments will interest people the most, but below is a list of developments which have caught Local Democracy Reporters’ eyes this year.

North Lincolnshire: A new stadium for Scunthorpe United

Visuals of the plans to redevelop Scunthorpe United’s Glanford Park stadium.

Scunthorpe United in August submitted plans to increase the capacity of its stadium to 11,000 seats, with the addition of office space and 160 apartments.

Permission is being sought to redevelop the existing stadium on Jack Brownsword Way and increase its capacity by an extra 2,000 seats with around 700 car parking spaces.

The plans also include proposals for office space which the club will make available to rent in order to make extra income. The NHS is being considered to be one of the first tenants.

The club has also proposed plans for three blocks of 160 apartments to the north-east of the stadium.

North East Lincolnshire: Bringing much-needed investment to Grimsby

An indicative layout of the £2.6 million Grimsby business park.

A £2.6 million business park near Grimsby which will bring “much needed investment and jobs” to the area was given the go ahead in October.

The development will include the building of a new roundabout on the A1173 off the Stallingborough Interchange and “oven ready” 18 units.

The buildings for business, industrial and storage, would be constructed over three phases starting from 2019 and ending in 2032.

It comes as part of the £42 million South Humber Industrial Investment Programme.

East Lindsey: Coastal changes afoot

Visual from the Skegness Foreshore Masterplan.

East Lindsey District Council has announced and examined a series of changes to its coastal areas – with mixed responses. One key highlight includes the authority’s plans to regenerate Skegness Foreshore, with the first £300k phase confirmed in the past couple of weeks.

However, plans by a private developer to create a destination in Sandilands earlier this year were rejected due to local residents’ concerns — despite support from people wanting to see the area regenerated. They have since been resubmitted with fewer houses and many will be waiting to see the outcome of that application.

ELDC itself has sparked concern with its plans for the colonnade in Skegness Foreshore. A technical report earlier this year highlighted issues with the structure and the authority announced it would be taking beach huts off the area and examining the future of the area.

Private beach hut owners and supporters though have called for the authority to Save the Colonnade.

Consultation begins on the plans in 2019.

Boston: Quadrant plans move ahead

An overarching map of the Quadrant development.

The first phase of Boston’s Quadrant development has been chugging along throughout the year with a huge focus this year on the retail side of things.

This year has seen approval for plans including a hotel, a pub, four fast food outlets – including Costa, Greggs and Burger King, and a bathroom showroom. The first show homes were also opened earlier this year.

The Quadrant scheme will eventually comprise 500 homes, commercial premises, a food store and a new stadium for Boston United Football Club.

It will also start the new Boston Distributor Road which will link the A16 to the north and south through the A1121 Boardsides and A52 to the west.

Many resident continue to question the speed of the stadium build though, so let’s hope there’s more news on this in the New Year.

South Holland: Development giving food for thought

South Holland District Council wants to create a Holbeach Food Enterprise Zone.

South Holland District Council have formally approved a local development order, giving planning freedoms for a 17-hectare Food Enterprise Zone at Holbeach.

The area will consist of a development order designed to specifically support agri-food businesses, with a particular focus on the food technology sector.

The site, organised by the authority along with Lincolnshire County Council and the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, is accessed by the new roundabout on the A151 and directly linked to the A17 by the new roundabout at Peppermint junction.

It will include space for business and industrial use, as well as educational, training and conference facilities and areas for a hotel/motel and restaurant/cafe.

South Kesteven: £1.6 million works to revamp town centre

An artist’s impression of the cinema building in Grantham in which the University of Lincoln will set up a University Technology and Innovation Centre.

£1.6 million worth of refurbishment works to St Peter’s Hill in Grantham have been given the go-ahead by councillors.

South Kesteven District Council want to create a new public route between its offices, the new cinema complex currently being built, and a nearby retail area.

Plans will see the main entrance to the authority’s buildings moved to the courtyard to create a new lobby.

Planters and benches will also be installed, along with street lighting, and concrete structures as well as street and feature lighting.

The works will line up with a new £4.6 million multiplex cinema complex being built just down the road from the authority’s offices.

North Kesteven: Welcoming visitors with Lancaster tribute

Current deigns for the Lancaster Bomber sculpture off the A46.

Work has begun on an iconic iconic Lancaster Bomber sculpture next to the A46 into Lincoln which will welcome visitors to Lincolnshire.

Passed by NKDC in April, the full-size art installation will be built on land at Brills Farm just off the A46 in Norton Disney.

Described as Lincolnshire’s answer to the Angel of the North it was revealed in November 2017, with The Bomber County Gateway Trust hoping to bring the project to fruition this year – the 100th anniversary of the RAF.

The 26 metre long sculpture will be mounted on a steel frame to give the impression that it is in flight.

Building work began in November.

City of Lincoln: Demolition Marks the start of redevelopment

The fresh designs for the previously “bland” 1,300 student flats on St Marks.

A major redevelopment in Lincoln City Centre has begun. The St Marks Centre, which held several vacant premises is set to be completely demolished and replaced as part of £150 million of works by Standard Life Investments. This year saw the start of that with work to demolish shopping units.

Plans for 1,300 student flats were also approved, though not without challenge. The first plans to go before the council were dismissed by City of Lincoln councillors as being “bland”, however the developer soon returned to the authority with new designs which were quickly approved.

The student accommodation will be the first part of the development and was given outline permission back in 2017. When completed, the development will also include a number of new shops, hotel and a car park with up to 1,100 spaces.

West Lindsey: Imps’ new training centre moves in

The new training facility on Heath Lane near RAF Scampton. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Lincoln City Football Club celebrated after being able to build its new £1.3 million Soper of Lincoln Elite Performance Centre, on land near RAF Scampton earlier this year.

The brand new facility, which will become the training home to Lincoln City’s senior and development teams, was directly funded by the Emirates FA Cup prize money.

The facility includes three elite grass football pitches, a fully equipped gymnasium, changing rooms and new staff offices before it was due to officially open at the end of November.

Lincolnshire County Council: Building roads for the future

An aerial view of the ongoing Grantham Southern Relief Road. Photo: Lincolnshire County Council

The county council has been busy digging away to improve road networks this year despite some major speed bumps.

Work has been ongoing to construct the A46 eastern bypass and will continue into the new year, though some surrounding routes facing year long road closures in 2019.

Elsewhere, the Grantham relief road faced what highways chief Richard Davies as a major “c**k-up” after a public inquiry into the £81 million project, which will look to link the A52 at Somerby Hill to the A1, was delayed. Work is still due to go on in 2019, however.

Plans for the North Hykeham Relief Road also moved forward after councillors approved the ‘no brainer’ plan for the new £148.5 million project to be a dual carriageway instead of a single.

The relief road will complete Lincoln city’s ring road.

Elsewhere in the county, there are plans for a new Lincolnshire Coastal Highway running from the A1 at Newark along the A46 to Lincoln, before carrying on east along the A158 to Skegness.

The idea would be to ease traffic, particularly during the tourist season. It would also include the A57 from Dunham Bridge to where it joins the A46 in Lincoln.

Though no final plans have yet to be announced, calls have already been made for a bypass around Horncastle.

Next year, councils across Greater Lincolnshire are set to get almost £17 million combined funding for road repairs from central government.