Lincoln’s “forgotten” Waterside East to be regenerated under council plans

A “forgotten” area of Lincoln is set for a revamp as part of the City of Lincoln Council’s vision for the next five years.

The Vision 2025 strategy, due before executive members on Monday, outlines the authority’s plans for the future of the city.

It includes five headline aspirations including reducing inequality, enhancing the city further, creating economic growth, providing quality housing and tackling climate change.

The document says: “Currently a forgotten area of the city, Waterside East has brilliant potential to become another type of ‘city living’.

“We will develop a master-plan that will regenerate the area, by maximising the waterside location and the easy cycle and walking routes.”

No further details are included in the report, however, similar areas of city living developments include the planned regeneration of Tentercroft Street.

City of Lincoln Council leader Councillor Ric Metcalfe said: “We can be certain that the future holds rapid growth and social, economic and technological change across the world which will offer Lincoln many opportunities and challenges.”

Economic growth and enhancing Lincoln

Other projects hoped for completion in the next five years include the Western Growth Corridor, the Cornhill Square redevelopment and the restorations of the grade II listed Lincoln Central Market.

The Vision also feeds into similar lines to the Lincoln Transport Strategy announced on Monday, with plans to increase rail passenger numbers, bus services and cycle and walking paths.

Improving health and reducing inequality

The City of Lincoln Council is hoping that continued improvements to health and well-being facilities in its parks and leisure centres will help tackle a recent reduction in life expectancy and continued high mortality rates for cardiovascular and cancer sufferers.

The Vision outlines plans to reduce social isolation in the city by building on partnerships and shared facilities, as well as providing support to vulnerable and homeless residents.

The delivery of the Sincil Bank Revitalisation project it says will make the area a “better place for people to live and work” and initiatives across the city will aim to increase education and employment opportunities for residents.

Housing, home and heritage

This year, the City of Lincoln Council will celebrate 100 years since the first council homes were built in Lincoln.

The authority’s updated vision renews its aspirations to meet the housing needs of the city, both with new builds and by bringing long-term empty homes back into use.

The council said work on sites such as the former Markham House and developments on Rookery Lane and Queen Elizabeth Road will help it achieve its aims and increase standards to meet climate change objectives.

Regeneration of estates and areas such as Sincil Bank are hoped to tackle anti-social behaviour and create safer and greener streets in the city.

In order to make residents feel at home, plans are also laid out for the future of the town’s heritage and events.

Plans include bringing the Visitor Information Centre back into the council’s control, delivering a refurbishment of the crematorium, commencing work on a new master-plan for Hartsholme Country Park and increasing the number of tree planting.

Tackling climate change

Going plastic free by 2025 and encouraging its partners to do the same is just one of the first steps of the council’s plans to tackle climate change.

The authority, the second in Lincolnshire to declare a climate emergency, wants to be zero carbon by 2030 and Vision 2025 outlines how it will achieve that including making the issue a priority for the city’s infrastructure projects.

Plans include encouraging developers to think about climate change in their new builds as well as in existing homes and businesses.

Encouraging people to walk and promoting sustainable transport will also form a major part of the authority’s plans.

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