Grantham is going for growth
News release
23rd March 2011
Photo available for download - see below
All eyes will be on Grantham at the beginning of April when the town will host the Belton International Horse Trials and the Grantham Festival.
These high-profile events will help to put Grantham even more firmly on the map while behind the scenes work is going ahead to help the town to grow and become a more prosperous place to live.
One of the communities already earmarked as a Growth Point, Grantham is forecast to grow by 30% between now and 2026. The town is to get 7,000 new homes and office, retail and leisure opportunities which should create more than 4,000 new jobs.
One major development proposal is moving ahead and South Kesteven District Council is consulting on two more which would transform the town centre; meanwhile work will start in May on a £2 million redevelopment of Grantham’s marketplace.
Grantham for Growth
Grantham for Growth is the partnership led by Lincolnshire County Council and South Kesteven District Council which is taking forward plans to see Grantham increase its population from 41,000 to 60,000 residents by 2026.
Development is targeted on four areas: the Canal Basin, the Town Centre, the North West Quadrant and the South West Quadrant. This strategy is supported by the Government and has attracted over £6m of funding to help bring forward development.
Mark Williets, Head of Development and Growth at South Kesteven District Council, said: “Our plans have been well received on a local and national level and we have been delighted with the progress made.
“These ambitious plans will rightly see Grantham more widely recognised as a choice destination to live, work and visit.”
Councillor Eddy Poll, Economic Development portfolio holder at Lincolnshire County Council, added: “Grantham is a historic town which thanks to its strategic location has the potential to become a sub-regional centre of some importance.
“Over the next few years Grantham will grow rapidly and Lincolnshire County Council is pleased to be able to help unlock the full potential of the town.”
Station Approach, Greyfriars and Wharf Place
Among the areas in the town centre earmarked for development are Station Approach, Greyfriars and Wharf Place.
The location of Station Approach close to Grantham’s mainline railway station provides access to London and the north and makes it an ideal site for the creation of new office spaces. Grantham is known to have limited quality office space and business start-up workspace so the site is seen as ripe for development.
A business innovation centre and on-site hotel are being considered as part of the project, as is ancillary retail to support the business trade, commuters and residents.
“As the project comes forward, Station Approach will be transformed from an under-used landscape of car parks and industrial units into a distinctive gateway to the town centre,” said Simon Wright, Growth Point Manager at Lincolnshire County Council.
“The aim is not only to encourage visitors to the town centre but, more importantly, to create a new business hub, encourage economic development and provide employment opportunities.
“The project will also create a clear link between the railway station and the town centre and in the new Station Square provide a recognisable gateway to Grantham.”
The vision for the 3.2ha (7.98-acre) Greyfriars site is to create a new mixed-use
retail and leisure quarter that meets the aspirations of both existing and future local residents.
Two development options have been tabled which aim to:
- encourage economic development
- create a new retail and leisure area for Grantham to meet the needs of the growing population
- protect and enhance the quality of the built environment
- improve accessibility for pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users and by car
- respond to the causes and effects of climate change
Plans are also in hand for the 2.53 ha (6.24-acre) Wharf Place site, currently home to a Morrisons supermarket, the Isaac Newton Shopping Centre, the town’s bus station and library, a Baptist church and a Royal mail sorting and delivery office.
Wharf Place has been identified as an ‘opportunity site’ which, if redeveloped, could become a reinvigorated, vital and viable quarter which complements the town centre.
Redevelopment would help to create a more competitive town centre and improve consumer choice to better meet the needs of current and future residents. Options proposed include:
- new pedestrian routes
- opening up the existing enclosed mall
- new high-quality public space around the church
- creation of an attractive gateway to the town centre
- a new landmark building on the Royal Mail sorting office site
A great Grantham weekend
The inaugural Grantham Festival will take place on the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd of April 2011 to coincide with the nearby Belton International Horse Trials (1st to 3rd April).
Grantham Festival will be a weekend of family fun with a range of activities for all the family, including the urban stunt craze parkour, the UK’s number one stunt mountain bike team MAD Bikes, street entertainment, street art and music .
A host of exciting activities is planned in the town centre around the theme of Grantham Firsts – the first woman Prime Minister and the first female police officer, to name but two.
A key part of the weekend will be Family Day at the Horse Trials with Jez Avery and his Honda stunt team, 100 trade stalls, Pony Club games, the Grantham 10km trail run and the world’s top horse riders competing over the cross-country course.
“The Belton Horse Trials attracted 15,000 people into the area last year and we want to encourage these visitors and others, as well as local residents, to enjoy a host of family activities,” said Mark Williets, Head of Development and Growth at South Kesteven District Council.
Jez Ashberry
Shooting Star PR
01522 528540
jez@shootingstar-pr.co.uk
www.shootingstar-pr.co.uk
t: @jezashberry
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