The launch of luxury student accommodation Gravity has now been put back to 2020. Photo: Joseph Verney for The Lincolnite
A new £20 million student apartment scheme has been hit by delays leaving students homeless.
As previously reported, building work began last summer on 138 luxury apartments located on the junction of Beaumont Fee, Mint Lane and Park Street.
The scheme – Gravity – is being developed by the Parklane Group under its IconInc brand.
IconInc confirmed that the launch of the new student accommodation, which will include facilities such as a steam room, sauna, home cinema and gym, has now been put back to 2020.
Students received an email from IconInc this week, breaking the news to them that they might find alternative accommodation.
But it’s late in the application process, and many of the city’s student digs have already been reserved.
The email promised the affected students will be given £100 compensation and refunded their £500 deposit, and have been offered a fixed term credit on an Odeon Cinema Card or Gym Membership at Puregym.
A CGI showing how the development will look once complete. The building, formally used as the Stokes coffee HQ, will have a private gym and cinema.
One of the affected students, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Lincolnite their accommodation was due to cost £184 a week.
They said: “They phoned and offered a little bit of compensation. I was so upset about it all.
“I was sent an email about an hour after my phone call, but they only offered the university student housing team as support which at this time of year has few options left.
“I was offered compensation of £100 or a gym membership or an Odeon card which are all rubbish for the amount of stress it caused. There was a £500 deposit which is also being refunded.”
In an email sent to students, IconInc said: “We are taking the difficult decision to postpone the launch of IconInc Lincoln Gravity until 2020 as your student experience comes first and any risk of a delay is too big a risk for us to accept.
“By fast tracking the build and opening prematurely, this would challenge the quality of finish and integrity of our brand. Above all, we don’t want to disappoint our tenants which is why we are taking this pre-emptive and operating with total transparency.”
It also states that recent high winds caused a problem. The company has been working closely with Lincoln student accommodation services who told them there are still apartments available and support can be offered if needed.
The work currently going on at the site. Photo: Joseph Verney for The Lincolnite
‘Thrown up some serious challenges’
A spokesperson from IconInc told reporters: “We can confirm we have had to make the difficult decision to delay the launch of IconInc Lincoln Gravity until the new academic year in 2020.
“We have contacted our valued customers who had signed up early for a IconInc Gravity apartment and we have returned their deposits and offered them compensation.
“The historic site in which Gravity sits has thrown up some serious challenges during the construction phase and despite the contractor’s best efforts to keep to the programme they and we foresee a potential delay in completing the schedule of works on time and to the high standard we expect for our residents.
“We are committed to this project and look forward to launching in 2020. We thank our customers and the community for their understanding during this time.”
Students devastated
Another source close to the situation, who wished to remain anonymous, added: “Students are devastated and are being told that it’s too windy to complete the building even though the site has been empty for weeks.
“They are just calling all students to tell them that this is happening and all contracts have been cancelled.
“I”ve seen the email that they have received and listened to one of the calls that they had and to be honest it was pretty appalling.”
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Phase two of the works at Speakers’ Corner in Lincoln is well underway and expected to finish on schedule this summer.
Phase two, which began on Monday, January 11, will see existing paving upgraded, as well as new street furniture being installed.
It will follow the first phase which was completed and open to the public on December 22, with a new bench put in place around the existing London Plane tree, instead of the demolished kiosk.
Speakers Corner bench is in place, but closed off until phase two paving works are finished. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Site setup for phase two is complete, with workers on site currently digging out the existing hard paving standings at the Cornhill.
A large portion of the area has been fenced off while work takes place, leaving just two pedestrian strips on either side to access both the High Street and the Cornhill Quarter.
There is limited access in the area while works take place. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Despite the cold and wet weather throughout January, progress of the paving removal has not been affected.
This means that phase two works are still on course to be finished in summer this year.
It is hoped that once the area is completed, the walkways will blend in with those at Exchange Square, as well as utilising the space for events.
A look at how the finished development will look. | Illustration: City of Lincoln Council
Bin collections in Boston and in parts of East Lindsey will be suspended for the rest of the week due to COVID-related staff absences.
The collections will be suspended from Wednesday, January 27 as a number of East Lindsey District Council’s and Boston Borough Council’s waste crews either have coronavirus or are self-isolating.
Boston Borough Council and East Lindsey District Council said it is not a decision that has been taken lightly and it is necessary for the service to be suspended in some southern parts of the district until Monday, February 1.
From Monday, waste collections are expected to continue as normal.
Households impacted by the disruption can present any accumulated side waste in black refuse sacks alongside their black bins on their next scheduled bin collection.
The following areas are affected:
Boston
Friskney
Eastville
New Leake
Stickford
Coningsby (part)
Coningsby Moorside
Dalderby
Haltham
Mareham Le Fen
Moorby
N Bolingbroke
Revesby
Scrivelsby
Tumby
Tumby Moorside
Tumby Woodside
Wilksby
Wood Enderby
Carrington
Dogdyke
Frithville
Gypsey Bridge
New Bolingbroke
New York
Scrub Hill
Thornton Le Fen
Westville
Antons Gowt
Cowbridge
Fishtoft
Frithville
Langrick
Sibsey
East Keal
East Kirkby
Hagnaby
Keal Coates
Midville
Stickney
Toynton All Saints
West Keal
Victoria Burgess, Assistant Director for Operations at the council, said: “Over the past couple of days it has proved a real challenge to keep the service going with a number of rounds having not been completed due to staff absences.
“With more crews off again today we needed to take action now and suspending the service is the only realistic option available to us to keep everyone safe – something we’ve worked hard to avoid.
“Our workforce has done an amazing job over the past year and they’ve received much praise from the community and are grateful for your continued good wishes.”
Meanwhile, Lincolnshire County Council has agreed to extend their open days at the Household Recycling Centre on Bittern Way for the disposal of black-bagged general waste and recycling only.
The two extra days of opening are Wednesday and Thursday of this week and next, between the hours of 8am and 4pm.
Over 6,000 people living in and around the Scunthorpe have signed up to donate convalescent plasma after having coronavirus.
This comes as NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is appealing for more potential plasma donors ahead of an upcoming third trial.
Convalescent plasma is the antibody-rich plasma of people who’ve had coronavirus. This can be transfused into people who are struggling to develop their own immune response.
NHSBT wants more people in the area hitting the 28-day recovery mark to sign up.
Over 30 donations have so far been taken at the Scunthorpe donor centre at Berkeley House at Berkeley Business Centre on Doncaster Road, which opened in December last year.
People can register to donate online here and can donate 28 days after they’ve recovered from coronavirus.
The Lincolnshire centre is located at Berkeley House at Berkeley Business Centre on Doncaster Road in Scunthorpe. | Photo: NHSBT
NHSBT is collecting the plasma for new trials for older people or those with cancer to treat them early in the course of the infection.
Two earlier trials have now stopped for data analysis. The upcoming third trial’s focus will be on those with low immune systems and all donations are tested for COVID antibodies.
The NHS trials of convalescent plasma are the largest randomised controlled trials for this treatment of COVID-19.
Professor Dave Roberts, Associate Medical Director for Blood Donation at NHSBT, said: “More people than ever are now able to help – the time to donate is now.
“We especially need donations from people in Scunthorpe who’ve had hospital care. Men who had hospital care are around six times more likely to have the high antibody levels which might save lives.
“We have completed two trials and analysis is ongoing. We now need to collect plasma for further planned clinical studies. We’re particularly looking at high risk groups such as the elderly and people with cancer.
“Donations are vital to the ongoing lifesaving research, which gives us a better understanding of how we can best treat patients with COVID-19 and help prevent deaths in the future.”
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