August 25, 2022 12.14 pm This story is over 19 months old

Former railway station to be converted into events venue with food hall, bars and shops

Retail shopping also included
The former St Mark's train station - previously home to Argos and Lakeland - is set for a big transformation | Photo: The Lincolnite

Plans to turn the former St Marks Railway Station building in Lincoln into a leisure and social community hub with roof-top eatery have been approved.

Anson House 8’s plans for Units 4 & 5 at St Marks Shopping Centre, which used to house the Lakelands and Argos stores, have been given the go-ahead in a delegated decision by the City of Lincoln Council’s planning officers.

The plans for the Grade II Listed St Marks Railway Station and Adjoining Office and Platform would see it converted into a mixed use development providing “leisure and social community hubs”.

They include two retail units for “conventional” uses such as health and beauty, a coffee shop and a food and drink hall.

The ground floor will include a stage for live events such as music and comedy though the applicants say the “flexible” space could also be used to host community, leisure, health and fitness events.

More food hall operators and bars will be built into the first floor and a newly-created roof-top area.

The planned layout for the ground floor of the new venue.

“The applications propose to bring prominent floorspace within Lincoln City Centre back into beneficial use by introducing a new leisure and social community hub concept into the City Centre that will substantially contribute to its overall vitality and viability and support and enhance both its day and night time offers and economy,” said documents submitted to the council.

They said the business would be “highly-flexible to ensure the operation can adapt to future requirements”.

The applicants Stack Seaburn business which has the same ethos as the one planned for the former Railway Station. | Image: Stack Seaburn Facebook Page

They add that external changes to the building have been “designed in a sympathetic manner to respect the setting of the building and to ensure that there is no harm to the heritage asset”.

It describes how the business will be similar to the applicants other businesses such as the Stack in Seaburn which is a shipping container village including streetfood, live entertainment, bars and retail.