City of Lincoln Council

City of Lincoln Council’s Executive are set to discuss how a successful bid for a new railway bridge connecting Skellingthorpe Road to Tritton Road could be a ‘game changer’ Lincoln’s Western Growth Corridor development.

At Executive on 17 October, members will discuss the city council’s bid for Levelling Up Funding Round 2 and its importance in bringing forward crucial plans for a new railway bridge in the city.

Earlier this year, the city council, with support from Lincoln’s Member of Parliament Karl McCartney submitted a bid for £20million to government to bring forward the Western Growth Corridor bridge plans to help alleviate congestion in the area.

City of Lincoln Council, sitting as Planning Committee, approved the Western Growth Corridor plans on 12 January 2022.

Western Growth Corridor, which will be jointly delivered by City of Lincoln Council and Lindum Western Growth Community Ltd, will be the largest project undertaken in the city for decades, bringing more than £500 million worth of investment into Lincoln over its lifetime and providing hundreds of jobs locally.

3,200 homes will be built as part of the Western Growth Corridor plans.

The development will supply the city with 3,200 much needed new homes, a leisure village, an industrial park and transport infrastructure that will help alleviate some of Lincoln’s worst traffic problems.

Significant time has been taken to plan transport infrastructure which will improve the overall road network in the area, including a new spine road, which will run through the centre of the development, providing a main road to connect the development into the city centre and surrounding area.

This will connect Skellingthorpe Road to Tritton Road via a new bridge over the railway, which will play a major part in helping ease current congestion at the railway crossing.

Subject to Levelling Up funding from Government of £20 million, the bridge project is set to be brought forward, and has been highlighted as a ‘game changer’ for traffic concerns in the western part of the city.

Subject to detailed technical highway approval, official works, including a new signalised junction into the development on Skellingthorpe Road/Birchwood Avenue, are set to begin in late Spring/Summer 2023.

Plans are currently being developed to minimise disruption for local residents, businesses and commuters during these works.

New junction and bridge plans included in the Western Growth Corridor application.

Leader of the city council, Cllr Ric Metcalfe, said: “The Western Growth Corridor has significant local importance for the growth of the city, and this funding would be a game changer in accelerating the delivery of the project.

“If we could secure the £20 million funding it would enable us to deliver much needed homes for the city far earlier than initially planned, along with securing many construction jobs for local people.

“However, unfortunately, we are told that the second round of the levelling up fund is heavily over-subscribed, and Government has not yet said how much they are going to allocate for a project such as this.

“With continuous financial pressures on local authorities, we hope for a positive outcome when Levelling Up Round Two funding is announced later this year.”

Boultham Park is set to host a weekend of well-known family film favourites, with a special trailer created by children at Sir Francis Hill Community Primary School.

Taking place from 21-23 October at the Boultham Park grass tennis courts, there will be a total of five viewings, all of which will also show the school children’s work.

Tickets cost £4 and can be purchased by emailing [email protected]. Refreshments will be available at the time of screenings.

The children have been working with Lumo Workshop to make the trailer. | Photo: City of Lincoln Council

Showings include:

• Friday 21 October, 7.30pm: Grease
• Saturday 22 October, 2.30pm: Wall-E
• Saturday 22 October, 7.30pm: The Greatest Showman
• Sunday 23 October, 2.30pm: Encanto
• Sunday 23 October, 7.30pm: Mary Poppins (1964 version)

Prior to each film, there will be a special trailer – a short film ‘Our park our future’ created by artists Nadya Monfrinoli and Lou jones of Lumo Workshop working with the children of Sir Francis Hill Community Primary School.

The short film, which has been created by children in Year 5 at the school, also includes a soundtrack created by Year 6 student Macy, which is called ‘Lonely Swan’.

It was created by year five pupils, with a soundtrack by a year six student. | Photo: City of Lincoln Council

The school children, their families and teachers will be invited to a private preview of the big screen ahead of the official launch of the cinema weekend on Friday evening.

Cllr Bob Bushell, Portfolio Holder for Remarkable Place at City of Lincoln Council said: “Social events such as this in our parks are a great way of bringing together the community and I am very much looking forward to seeing this special trailer created by the school children in the local area.”

The short film is called Our park our future. | Photo: City of Lincoln Council

Nadya Monfrinoli from Lumo Workshop said: “Lou and I are delighted to be working with Sir Francis Hill Community Primary again as part of the long running programme of events that have been happening at Boultham Park.

“This time we are making stop-frame animations to celebrate the legacy of the lake regeneration and the focus on nurturing biodiversity in the park.”

Katy Eacott, Class Teacher at Sir Francis Hill Community Primary School added: “The fact that the children have been involved in the creation and development of the Boultham Park film production has given them the opportunity to not only develop their links with the local community but also share and celebrate their creative ideas.”

| Photo: City of Lincoln Council