Five Lincolnshire towns and Lincoln city will get more than £131.1 million towards priority projects as part of the government’s budget this year.

Lincoln, Boston, Skegness and Mablethorpe will all take a share of £175 million allocated to the East Midlands as part of the Towns Fund project.

Meanwhile Grimsby and Scunthorpe will also share in £199 million of funding spread across Yorkshire and the Humber.

The Towns Fund deals are a series of projects aimed at “levelling up” areas.

Here’s a breakdown of how much will be received by each town:

• Lincoln – £19 million
• Skegness – £24.5 million
• Mablethorpe – £23.9 million
• Boston – £21.9 million
• Scunthorpe – £20.9 million
• Grimsby – £20.9

Region’s leaders react

East Lindsey District Council leader Craig Leyland said: “We are delighted to have secured a Town Deal for both [Mablethorpe and Skegness]. This helps us secure more investment in the future.”

Meanwhile, Lincoln MP Karl McCartney said: “As a Towns’ Fund Board, we ranked the projects in order of what we believed was in the best interests of our beautiful city. I am pleased to see a number of them that I particularly supported have been granted funding.”

Jo Walker, Assistant Director for Growth at City of Lincoln Council, said: “It’s fantastic news that Lincoln will receive £19m of Town Deal funding.

“This money, and the projects it will fund, will help make a significant difference in the city as we come out of lockdown and begin our recovery from the pandemic.

“We now await the full detail on which of our projects have been approved. We will then put the wheels in motion to ensure these projects are delivered for the benefit of the people of Lincoln and to help consolidate our position as a leading visitor destination.”

Councillor Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “These plans have always been about investing in a better future for the people of Scunthorpe and North Lincolnshire.

“These very serious plans for investment across the next five years will create jobs, they will create even better conditions for growth and make the area a more attractive environment for businesses to invest.

“The end result be more highly-skilled, well-paid, sustainable jobs in Scunthorpe for the people who live here.”

Councillor Philip Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, which has not had its funding confirmed yet, said: “I’m delighted to hear that our Town Deal plans have been recognised in today’s budget.

“There’s real optimism for Grimsby’s future, and having a vibrant and enriched town centre that can serve the whole community is significantly important.

“There are many opportunities ahead for us, not least the prominence of our role to the UK’s green agenda, and the additional announcement in the Budget about the Humber bid for Freeport status being approved will only benefit the local area further in terms of local jobs and further investment in the area.”

The projects getting funded

Lincoln

Workers are currently removing the old paving ahead of an upgrade of Speakers’ corner in Lincoln. | Photo: The Lincolnite

In Lincolnshire’s capital, a £31 million wishlist of 14 projects include revamps of the Drill Hall, as well as the Barbican Hotel.

Regeneration of the Central Market in the Cornhill Quarter also features highly on the priority list of projects.

Money is also planned to go towards a new Hospitality Events and Tourism Institute and work in the Sincil Bank Area.

Plans also included the regeneration of a site on Tentercroft Street as well as transformation of Wigford Way through the centre of the city.

Skegness

Visual from the Skegness Foreshore Masterplan.

Projects planned for Skegness include further improvements to the resort’s foreshore, as well as establishing a new further education facility.

Renovations of the railway station and further transformation projects in the town centre are also a priority, as well as a new multi-user trail, a police training centre, a YMCA and development of the Skegness Gateway to the south of the town.

Mablethorpe

Draft plans for the proposed Colonnade in Sutton on Sea. | Photo: ELDC

A new £12 million leisure centre is planned to receive some of the money from the Towns Fund.

This money could also go to a new transport hub and works on the colonnade at Sutton on Sea.

A new medical and innovation hub is hoped to focus on attracting healthcare professionals and research.

Money will also go towards the Seal Sanctuary and the National Trust at Sandilands.

Boston

An artist’s impression of Boston’s PE21 Town Centre Regeneration project.

In Boston, the projects include the development of a local radio station and media outlet “championing Boston” and broadcasting information about the town in a bid to “boost” its image.

It also has plans to transform the town centre and key gateway through funding public realm and green space improvements. Money could also go towards investing in “smart home” solutions as well as the conservation of St Botolph’s Church and Library.

Investment in the Trinity Centre will see the building refurbished for better use by church and community groups, while a new Centre for Food and Fresh Produce Logistics is planned.

All of this is on top of regeneration plans across the PE21 postcode and investments in Blenkin Memorial Hall, Shodfriars and Boston Train Station.

Scunthorpe

Designs for some of the plans North Lincolnshire has submitted to the government.

North Lincolnshire leaders are focusing their investments on creating an advanced manufacturing park with 4 million sq ft of space which is hoped to attract world-class engineering firms to the area.

Further development will include the town’s cultural quarter in and around Church Square and progressing work on a health and emergency services hub.

The development of around 500 new homes in the town and a skills development programme will be designed to ensure local people are best placed to take advantage of all the new opportunities.

Grimsby

Designs as outlined by North East Lincolnshire Council for Garth Lane and Frederick Ward Way in Grimsby.

The Greater Grimsby Board’s list of priority projects include the development of a new public square at Riverhead Square – the first phase of which has already started – along with better pedestrian and cycle loops connecting the town to Alexandra Dockside.

The Towns Fund could also go towards the next phase of a new major residential waterfront community off Garth Lane, as well as refurbishment of the Central Library and the development of Victoria Mill Quarter.

The board would also like to complete further regeneration of St James’ Quarter in the town.