Plans to transform an iconic Lincoln building into a visitor attraction are set to be approved next week.
The City of Lincoln Council wants to turn the Greyfriars building on Broadgate into a café and a heritage space after 20 years of standing empty.
The authority’s planning committee on Wednesday will be asked to examine the plans and approve them.
Greyfriars could reopen as a cafe and education space | Credit: City of Lincoln
Drawings submitted with the plans show the majority of the ground-floor being occupied by the café/restaurant, with the main entrance to the west from Free School Lane.
The plans also include a two-storey extension for a platform life and stairs, which would enable people to access a multi-use education space on the first floor.
The original western entrance would be re-instated, and the Victoria extension would be demolished.
The building, which dates back to the 1200s, has been at risk for several years now and is considered ‘at risk’ and needs immediate attention.
| Photo: City of Lincoln Council
Funding has been provided by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help secure its future.
It has been nearly 20 years since the public were last able to admire the building’s historic vaults.
It has been uses as a friary, a wool factory, a mechanics’ institute and a museum over the years. It most recently closed in 2004 due to the lack of visitors.
A report by officers said the proposal was timely due to the building exhibiting an acceleration of decay for a variety of reasons.
“The contemporary architectural additions to facilitate the new uses also resolve existing poor-quality elements and are a thoughtful and positive addition to the ongoing evolution of the building,” said the report.
“The new uses will reinvigorate this important building with minimal harm. These less than substantial levels of harm are outweighed by the myriad public benefits identified in this report.
“The aesthetic improvements to the appearance of the building will not only enhance the significance of Greyfriars, but also the significance of the adjacent listed buildings by improving their setting, and the character and appearance of the conservation area.”
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
We are investigating a road traffic collision which happened just after 5pm today.
The crash happened on the A15 just south of Waddington and involved a black Peugeot 208 that collided with a tree. The driver of the car, a 56-year-old male, was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The A15 was closed just before 6pm and is likely to remain closed for some time.
We are particularly keen to hear from those who were driving along the A15 this afternoon between 4pm and 5:10pm and may have captured dashcam footage of the road during the collision.
If you have dashcam footage or any other information that will assist in our enquiries, there are a number of ways you can get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 285 of 4 July.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 285 of 4 July in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
We are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage following a serious collision in Ingoldmells.
Just after 12.30pm on Saturday (2 July), we received reports of a collision involving a silver Vauxhall Vivaro and a 76-year-old male pedestrian on Hurdman Way.
The male pedestrian was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The A52 at Ingoldmells was closed to allow emergency services to deal with the incident.
If you witnessed the collision or have dashcam footage available, please get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 209 of 2 July.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 209 of 2 July in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
Whatsapp
