Plans to turn former Barbican Hotel into shops and flats

Plans to demolish shops opposite Lincoln Central railway station have revealed a wider ambition to refurbish the former Barbican Hotel on St Mary’s Street.

Lincolnshire Co-op has submitted proposals to the City of Lincoln Council as part of a programme of works to modernise the Cornhill Quarter.

Numbers 7 – 10 on St Mary’s Street, terrace shops described as ‘in poor state of repair’, would be demolished to make way for a new access road to parking, if plans are approved.

The shops will be demolished to make way for a new access road and building housing shops, cafes and accommodation.

The shops are mostly unoccupied at present, apart from the Edwin barber shop and hair salon.

The report also reveals Lincolnshire Co-op’s eventual plan to refurbish the former gentleman’s club and Barbican Hotel, to create ground floor shops or cafes with flats above.

Plans for the redevelopment of shops along St Mary’s Street

The Barbican closed down in the 2000s, but has stood empty ever since.

Planning consultants wrote in the design and access statement: “The brief from our client was a simple one; to create a new vehicular entrance into the yard, together with a new building containing shops or cafes at ground floor and flats above.”

Designs for the hotels refurbishment will be submitted as a separate planning application at a later date.

Applicants added: “The Cornhill Quarter has already been dramatically improved by the refurbishment of the Corn Exchange, but much more remains to be done to achieve the area’s full potential.

“In order to successfully complete several key projects, and bring the new transport interchange square to fruition, a new access is needed into Queen’s Hotel Yard.

“We believe that our proposals offer the best location for this access and, although they do result in a loss of historic fabric, they will have many other benefits which outweigh this loss.”

In the Co-op’s masterplan is a vision of Sincil Street as ‘once again one of the business and liveliest streets in the city centre’.

The recently refurbished Corn Exchange and new multi-storey car park

It encompasses other recent regenerative projects in the areas such as:

• Refurbishment of the Corn Exchange
• A new 1,000 space car park
• A new bus station
• Refurbished shops and accommodation
• A new boutique cinema and rooftop restaurant