Rewind: Top Lincoln developments of 2019

Hundreds of planning proposals have gone through the City of Lincoln Council over the course of 2019, from medical schools to the expanding Cornhill Quarter.

It reinforces the view that Lincoln is a growing city that is changing.

With that in mind, here are the key developments that have been given the go-ahead this year.

A new medical school for Lincoln

It was a long time coming, and this year it was finally rubber stamped: Lincoln will get a new medical school.

Designs: UoL

The £21 million University of Lincoln project, which is delivered in partnership with the University of Nottingham, will help to tackle NHS staff shortages across the county.

As part of its promotion of the scheme, the university released a fly-through of the building showcasing the five-storey facility.

The school received its final sign off from the city council in March and work began on the project in August.

While the county’s health service may not reap the benefits of the school for a while yet, it is hoped that it is the start of an improvement in local healthcare.

Ever-growing Cornhill Quarter

The new signage proposed for the Cornhill Quarter.

As the Cornhill Quarter continues to grow with shops, cinema and bars (many of which are well underway like the Everyman boutique cinema and The Botanist bar), so too do improvements to the public realm.

This year saw a number of plans submitted in an effort to bring the area to life.

A water feature, much like the one that graces Hull’s Victoria Square, has been tabled and £300,000 set aside to make the fountain a reality.

Meanwhile, in an effort to give the area some character, retro ghost signs have been proposed.

Under plans lodged to the City of Lincoln Council, the sign would adorn the space above 9-12 Cornhill at roof level.

Further plans will see improvements to Cornhill pavements, with a new public square.

Lincoln crematorium to get a new lease of life

Visuals of the new refurbishment at Lincoln Crematorium on Washingborough Road. Photo: Evans McDowall Architects

The green light for a refurbishment of the 50-year-old Lincoln crematorium was granted earlier this year.

A book of remembrance, 81 car parking spaces and a new rose garden are included in the proposals which aim to make the Washingborough Road facility “more welcoming”.

Further plans will see a new chapel built on the site to the east of the existing crematorium which will cater for 50 people.

Officials at the authority described the proposal as “high quality for an important civic building in the city”.

Lincoln Science and Innovation Park continues to grow

Artist impressions of phase two of the Lincoln Science and Innovation Park. UoL

The first purpose-built building of the multi-million pound Lincoln Science and Innovation Park was approved this year.

Designed for start-ups, the new accommodation will provide “grow on space” for up and coming firms.

The project aims to transform six acres of brownfield land to the west of Tritton Road.

More than £22 million has been spent on the scheme since 2013, principally on the Joseph Banks Laboratories and the Boole Technology Centre, supporting small and medium enterprises and the University of Lincoln’s College of Science.

Now, the first building of the project has been backed and can get underway.

Lincoln’s first Costa drive-thru

Proposed image of the Costa Coffee drive-thru. Photo: Lincolnshire Co-op

Coffee lovers rejoiced earlier this year after the go-ahead was given for the first Costa Coffee drive-thru in the city.

Those wishing to get their hands on a quick coffee will need to look to the corner of Wragby Road and Outer Circle Road where the development will be built.

Developers are set to bring the site, which was formerly the Bowling Green pub, back into use.

They also hope the drive-thru will prove to be “popular”. In the meantime, there’s the Starbucks drive-through nearby.

A new roundabout for the A46

Plans for the new A46 roundabout, Lincolnshire County Council

After objections were dropped earlier this year, a new roundabout will be built on the A46 near Welton.

An inquiry was set to be held into the proposal to build the junction at the site which became known as a crash hotspot.

But the Department for Transport cancelled the hearing and gave the green light for the roundabout to go ahead.

Lincolnshire County Council hopes the project will make the stretch of road safer.

The A46 Dunholme / Welton Roundabout project will be part-funded using the £2m allocated to the authority by the Department of Transport (DfT) from part 2 of its National Productivity Investment Fund.

Remaining funding for the construction of the scheme will come from a combination of third party contributions and the county council.

Work will start on the plan in summer 2020 and take nine months to complete.

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