Council to shift focus towards marketplace project in Grantham’s Future High Street Fund

A council will shift its focus towards a Market Place project with a March deadline to spend part £2.5 million of a £5.56 million government fund.

South Kesteven District Council’s finance and economic overview and scrutiny committee were updated on Grantham’s Future High Street Fund yesterday (Tuesday).

Councillors were told the market place public realm improvements were the main focus for the funds available as they had to think “what can we actually achieve with the available funding”, said Alex Ward, Future High Streets Fund programme manager.

Out of a £2.5 million budget, £1.8 million is projected to be used for the marketplace element.

Councillors were told that the Station Approach - aiming to improve pedestrian access around the town - had “generated a bit of life of its own” and costs had “escalated significantly” since the original designs were proposed in 2021.

Councillor Ashley Baxter (Ind, Market and West Deeping), deputy leader of SKDC, said costing around the station approach was a “difficult conundrum to solve” as SKDC has the money, but Lincolnshire County Council carries out the work.

Coun Baxter informed the committee that LCC’s Highway Authority did not want to “take the risk of overspending on the issue” and wanted SKDC to “agree not to overspend or make the difference”.

Coun Baxter added that the relevant officers needed to “get their heads together” and discuss the funds.

Councillor Mark Whittington (Con, Grantham Barrowby Gate) stated that SKDC was “up against a deadline” in terms of having the funding utilised as it needed to be used before March 31, 2024.

Coun Whittington added: “It would be such a waste to hand back £2.5 million to the government that could be spent to help generate Grantham town centre.”

Mr Ward addressed the conversation and said the “conversation needs to happen” between LCC and SKDC to confirm costs.

He added: “We are in a position where we need to have the spend out of the door by March 31 at this stage, but delivery can go on beyond March 31.”

Mr Ward stated he was “fairly confident” LCC could deliver the work and that there “should be no risk to the county council or to ourselves”, when costs were confirmed.

He added that talks would take place around December or January and “if we focus on one project and get it over the line, the risk goes away a little bit.”

Coun Whittington recommended that instead of an update in six months’ time, the committee would hear another update in its next meeting on November 28.

Coun Whittington added: “Given the level of potential risk and reputational damage to the council, we need to keep an eye on this.”

Councillors unanimously agreed to this, and that Mr Ward would be present an update at the next meeting.