Grantham Town Centre revitalisation plans face funding and traffic concerns

An ambitious £4.1m town centre rejuvenation plan has been met with concerns over funding, traffic, construction and public opposition.

At Monday’s meeting of the Lincolnshire County Council Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee, members debated the feasibility and implications of the proposal for the Grantham Future High Street Fund – which centre on Market Place and Station Approach.

Led by South Kesteven District Council, with support from Lincolnshire County Council, the initiative aims to revitalise Grantham.

The plans involve removing parking areas around the Market Place and installing large areas of natural stone paving to create an open event space in the town.

Councillors hope the move will “re-establish the Market Place as the heart of the town and a gathering point for residents and visitors”.

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Further improvements on Station Approach will involve enhancing, replacing, and widening footways along Station Road (west), removing pedestrian guard rails from the traffic signal junction, and replacing existing traffic islands with 'at grade' crossing routes.

However, concerns arose regarding potential disruption from construction activities and managing increased traffic flow.

Councillors were also worried about the impact on local businesses and residents, especially regarding road closures and diversions.

Coun Adam Stokes (Con) welcomed the investment but queries the costings, stating: “There are always unforeseen aspects in projects. Are we confident that the money will not run out?”

Coun Richard Davies (Con) highlighted “substantial” public opposition to the Market Place project, citing concerns over prolonged disruption and minimal perceived benefits.

“I’ve received a number of very serious objections to the scheme, fundamentally down to the length of time it's going to put the Market Place out of action for perceived minimum benefit,” he said.

He said he was pushing SKDC to justify the scheme and garner support from the public.

Coun Charlotte Vernon (Con) feared the project would impact on traffic flow and urged for comprehensive traffic management strategies to be put in place.

Addressing some of the concerns, Sam Edwards – the county council’s head of highways infrastructure – said there would be ongoing engagement with businesses and residents and emphasised the importance of clear communication.

He also acknowledged the uncertainties associated with capital works projects, saying there was a challenge when it came to providing complete certainty.

He said the council had looked at its cost estimates to try to minimise the risks.

However, he did not disclose the exact figures – preferring to wait until a thorough review is conducted.

He outlined strategies to manage this risk, including the flexibility to adjust plans based on cost fluctuations – such as scaling back elements of the Station Approach project if needed.

While unable to guarantee staying within budget, he expressed confidence in the council’s ability to manage the project effectively, based on experience.

Nevertheless, doubts linger regarding the district council's ability to get the public behind the ambitious revitalisation plans.

Mr Edwards outlined the construction timeline, with work due to begin in April 2024.

Seemingly reassured, the committee supported further scrutiny of the project's construction and traffic management aspects.

A further vote will take place by the council’s executive later this month.