July 3, 2019 2.23 pm This story is over 56 months old

County tourism bosses to turn former boat shed into £500k visitor centre

It forms of the county’s Coastal Country Park plans
An artist's impression of how the new cafe would look. Picture: Lincolnshire County Council

County tourism bosses want to redevelop a boat shed they own into a £490,000 attraction along Lincolnshire’s coastline.

Following the success of the Gibraltar Point Visitor Centre in Skegness, and the North Sea Observatory at Chapel St Leonards, Lincolnshire County Council has turned its attention to a redundant boat shed it owns in Huttoft.

The council wants to replace the shed with a completely new building containing a cafe, a rooftop viewing deck and an external ground level deck.

Nearby public toilets are also set to be refurbished as part of the project.

A document before councillors at the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, say: “Recently completed coastal projects […] have shown that if the facilities are good enough you can attract visitors to the Lincolnshire coast at any time of the year.”

Portfolio holder for economy councillor Colin Davie told Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Jaines other projects had seen “astounding” success, and that the latest plans formed part of the county’s wider Coastal Country Park plans. 

An artist’s impression of how the new cafe would look. Picture: Lincolnshire County Council

“It’s vital that visitors are able to explore our amazing coastline and have stopping off points along the coastal path,” he said.

“Huttoft, with its wide expanse of beach, lends itself to outdoor pursuits such as kite surfing and we believe a facility at Huttoft will further enhance our Lincolnshire coastal offer.”

The new build, which will feature floor-to-ceiling windows facing inland and north, is planned to be let to a commercial enterprise who will take over responsibility for the maintenance of the building and the toilets.

It is hoped to be funded by the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Lincolnshire County Council.

A breakdown of costs outlines the project needing £10,000 of revenue and £480,000 of capital funding.

Full plans are due to be submitted in August, with construction hoped to begin in January 2020.

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