May 19, 2022 2.00 pm This story is over 22 months old

Council explores new company to oversee Lincoln South East Quadrant open spaces

Hopes to help with “thorny issue”
An illustrative image of how the planned South East Quadrant will look.

North Kesteven District Council is looking at setting up a Community Interest Company to oversee how open space in the up to 6,000-home Lincoln South East Quadrant is developed.

The authority’s executive on Thursday voted in favour of establishing the company in principal and start further investigations into the costs round doing so.

If set up, the council-controlled not-for-profit organisation would oversee how open spaces across the quadrant would be developed over the next 20-30 years, including oversight of developer contributions from major planning applications.

Chief Executive for Economy and Place Director Andrew McDonough told councillors that establishing the CIC “offers an exciting opportunity for managing large open areas of open space and will help deliver on quality place as part of the Canwick Heath Urban Extension”.

Officers said the model would fulfil a number of key outcomes including being relatively streamlined with a low administrative burden.

Councillor Richard Wright said open spaces had for a number of years been a “thorny issue” in the plans for the development.

He said that the layout, appearance and usage of open space were just as important as the housing.

“The fact is we have the opportunity to manage that in a way that would take on board residents views and policy views on how we would like to see open space developed in the right way.”

The phasing plan for the South East Quadrant of Lincoln.

Councillor Mervyn Head: “This is something that helps to promote the adherence to our design concept that was initially approved by this council.

“I welcome the opportunity for this to be set up and to hopefully deliver what we’ve aspired to deliver when the whole project is completed.”

The council recently approved two applications for the area totalling nearly 1,500 homes applied for by Jesus College Oxford and Church Commissioners for England.

Both applications are subject to section 106 agreements which, if approved, the CIC would oversee.