Council approves £1.3m pot to kick start major development in Stamford

South Kesteven District Councillors have approved a £1.3million spend to demolish the majority of the former Cummins site in Stamford in order to start building a major new development.

The council’s St Martin’s Park proposals for the site, along with a field next door owned by Burgley Estate, were approved in October and the authority’s full council on Thursday voted in favour of putting the money aside to move forward with the build.

When finished, the Barnack Road development will include 190 new homes, a retirement village of a further 150 homes and a series of business units.

It will also include a convenience store and café, as well as public open space and cycle and pedestrian access to the parkland to the south of the site.

Council leader Conservative Councillor Kelham Cooke said: “This is the next stage in the journey of St Martins Park and presents the district with an amazing opportunity not just in Stamford but across the whole of the south of the district.

“For many years, businesses in Stamford have been unable to realise their potential in the town due to the lack of available space… many key businesses have been forced to move to other towns nearby.

“St Martins gives us the opportunity to not only capture a number of businesses looking for a footprint in the town, but also to realise high-skilled high-wage employment opportunities to for existing and future residents of our town.”

“Naturally, of course, we should avoid spending such sums where possible, however, the cost benefit analysis in this instance, suggests that the potential it will bring to our district strongly outweigh this fee.”

How the site would be laid out.

The demolition will see the removal of all but one of the buildings on the site.

SKDC bought the site for £7.5million in 2019 and declared it in its corporate plan for 2020-23 as being strategically important for its growth ambitions.

Councillor Nick Robinson supported the report, adding: “It’s an exciting time both for the the mix of changes we’re bringing in the development and for the expansion of Stamford.”

Councillors were mostly in support, though some had questions around climate change, the finances and just a £250,000 contribution from Burghley Estate.

The councillors delegated authority to the chief executive, in consultation with the leader of the council, and enter into a contract with GF Tomlinson to undertake the works.