Growth Point Update
Lincoln, Grantham, Newark and now Gainsborough all have Growth Point status.
Despite the (hopefully) relatively short term down turn, our core area of central Lincolnshire and East Nottinghamshire still appears to be on a generally upward curve, with Central Government backing in the form of the Growth Point initiative looking to increase both population and employment development over the next decade.
The Lincoln proposal covers the Swanpool area of the City and will provide up to 4,250 new homes, various neighbourhood and community based facilities and an employment site of approximately 100 acres. The recent RSS report backed the scheme, with Lincoln City Council and Taylor Wimpey expecting to have a clearer picture on their proposals by the end of the year.
Grantham Growth Point is being driven by a number of locally based public and private sector organisations and will provide a further 6,000 houses, spread between sites in and around the town. The proposal includes major sites to the north (Poplar Farm, Barrowby Road) and south (released by a southern bypass), together with an employment allocation to take advantage of the close proximity of the town to the A1.
The masterplan for Newark Growth Point is being drawn up in preparation for the submission of a planning application towards the end of the year. It is likely to include up to 6,000 houses, associated community/neighbourhood facilities and an employment allocation of up to 200 acres. The development will be facilitated by the creation of a new southern bypass connecting the A46 to the A1/A17.
Gainsborough Growth Point is a more recent allocation and whilst over 3,000 additional homes are planned for the town over the next decade, we understand that the initiative is more focused on improving the town centre and providing improved IT and other infrastructure into the town.
The current economic climate is understandably making private sector developers ever more cautious, with many drawing back from areas previously tagged as emerging locations. Public sector initiatives such as the Growth Points are therefore welcome catalysts for the advancement of our region.
