November 17, 2022 7.00 pm This story is over 26 months old

Future of St Mark’s regeneration questioned after financial challenges

Many units have sat empty for years

The owners of Lincoln’s St Mark’s Shopping Centre are reconsidering their options for a five-year-old £150 million redevelopment of the site due to financial concerns.

Outline approval for the project, which would have seen all the units to the west of Debenhams demolished and replaced with new retail units, a multi-story car park, hotel, flats and student accommodation, was given in 2017.

Since then, the first phase of the regeneration – a series of student accommodation blocks – has been built where the former Topps Tiles, Lidl and Homebase previously stood, with students and other residents for the past 12 months.

However, despite most units from Burger King down, alongside the former Toys’R’Us, have been empty for some time, and there hasn’t been much further progress of the regeneration. Pizza Hut is the only unit left standing.

The latest relevant application was submitted to City of Lincoln Council in December 2021 and regarded a conditional approval for the student accommodation.

The Lincolnite has been trying to find out at what stage the regeneration is at.

An image used when the regeneration plan was originally touted.

Kieron Manning, Assistant Director of Planning at City of Lincoln Council, said: “The current financial climate has meant that the owners of the site have taken time to consider their options for the future of St Marks.

“Planning officers have had initial pre-application conversations with them about some of those options, but the detail of these are confidential due to their commercial sensitivity.

“As and when the owners decide what they intend to do, there will be a full consultation as part of the planning process.”

Apart from a nearby burger van Pizza Hut is the last business standing in this area of St Mark’s.

When asked, the owners of the site said they would not be providing a comment.

Reporters also contacted the former applicants and local Labour ward councillors, but had not had further comments back at the time of publication.

Student accommodation plans have already been completed and opened by the developers.

The full plans approved at outline stage in 2017 included:

  • Up to 485,000 sq ft of new retail and leisure space
  • Up to 150 new residential units
  • Up to 1,100 new student flats
  • A hotel of up to 130 rooms
  • A car park of up to 1,100 spaces

Options discussed also include the possibility of a new cinema and waterfront restaurants.

Students from the nearby accommodation, alongside local residents have to walk past the area to get into the city or university.