Government gives green light to multi-million Lincolnshire projects

Multi-million pound projects for Boston, Mablethopre and Skegness, including the redevelopment of The Colonnade at Sutton-on-Sea and the creation of one of the first culture houses in the country, have been given the go-ahead by government.

The Boston Town Deal Board and the Connected Coast Town Deal Board submitted business cases to the government.

The Towns Fund investment was announced for the three Lincolnshire towns in 2021, with Boston agreeing and Town Deal worth £21.9 million, with Mablethorpe £23.9 million and Skegness £24.5 million respectively.

The Mayflower project led by Boston College will become a bespoke learning centre for adults.

Boston

• A new bespoke learning centre for adults will be developed that will include higher education. Led by Boston College, the ‘Mayflower’ will enable businesses and learners to connect, create, and innovate, with almost £10 million confirmed for this project
• Next to the new Mayflower there will be a redeveloped leisure complex which will provide additional facilities which forms part of a transformational development of this area of the town
• Boston train station will be extensively refurbished by East Midlands Railway. Improvements will include a full refurbishment of the main station building and external areas, reconfiguring the layout to best utilities the space to include new community and start up business facilities

Mablethorpe

• The Colonnade at Sutton-on-Sea will be redeveloped. The new scheme will construct a landmark building that will introduce a new cafe, restaurant, gallery and exhibition spaces alongside new day let beach huts and seasonal overnight lodges. A £4.1 million Towns Fund grant award was approved for this project
• A new purpose-built leisure centre and digital learning complex is set to be developed on the site of the current Station Sports Centre in Mablethorpe
• Mablethorpe town centre will be transformed through a programme of shopfront and building repairs and improvements, and public realm enhancements
• With the National Trust, a sustainable visitor hub with a range of accessible facilities will be developed to enhance explorations of the Sandilands Nature Reserve and the local area
• In addition, Mablethorpe is progressing its ‘Campus for Future Living’ project which is focused on addressing significant health inequalities. It will bring improved healthcare facilities and associated training and employment opportunities to the area

Skegness

• A new high-quality learning campus will be developed, offering vocational skills training across a range of much-needed subjects. A £14 million Towns Fund grant award has been approved for this project
• Skegness Foreshore will see underutilised areas of the Skegness Foreshore brought to life and new audiences for activities such as concerts, festivals, and outdoor cinema
• The town centre will benefit from a major facelift with improvements to the shop fronts, signage, and public realm
• Skegness railway station will benefit from transformational improvements including restoration of the redundant Red Star building and reconfiguration of the station layout to best utilise the space
• The creation of one of the first culture houses in the country at the Embassy Theatre in Skegness and enhance its support for new arts and cultural activities

Underutilised areas of the Skegness Foreshore will be brought to life.

As well as the Towns Funding from government, all of the projects will also benefit from match funding meaning the investment for Boston, Mablethorpe, and Skegness will be even higher.

The confirmation of the projects comes after government approval was given earlier this year to Boston for the release of £2 million in Town Deal funding for the Centre for Food and Fresh Produce Logistics, and almost £4 million for investment in town centre buildings.

Investment of £802,000 was also confirmed for developing the Blenkin Memorial Hall, and £228,000 for St Botolph’s library and lighting.

In Skegness, two previously approved projects under the Towns Fund, have been completed:

• The former magistrates court repurposed into a police training facility, which will operate across the east of the county for the training and continuing professional development of police personnel
• A new multi-user trail connecting Chapel St Leonards and Ingoldmells to provide a series of cycling, walking and public transport connections

In addition, Mablethorpe and Skegness received early funding of £500k and £750k respectively in 2020 to bring projects forward.