Lincolnshire County Council to give £1.2 million for Alford Windmill restoration
Lincolnshire County Council is set to provide some £1.2 million of funding to aid a restoration project at a 19th Century five-sailed windmill in the county.
East Lindsey District Council’s executive is set to accept the funding offer alongside successful Levelling Up funding to complete works on the Alford Windmill on East Street.
As well as bringing the Grade I listed windmill building back to full operations, the existing Miller’s Cottage will transform into a holiday let and office space, while a new visitor centre will be built within the grounds.
The project forms part of a successful £8 million bid for Levelling Up funding by East Lindsey District Council in January 2023, for a package bid called the Lincolnshire Wolds Culture & Heritage Programme.
This encapsulated three projects in the area for development and heritage protection, and they were the Alford Manor House, the Spilsby Sessions House and the Alford Windmill.
Some £1,112,680 of Levelling Up funding has been allocated for the refurbishment of Alford Windmill, including the construction of a new visitor centre within the grounds of the Grade I listed windmill.
This had been met with match funding of £840,000 from Lincolnshire County Council for repairs to bring the windmill back to working order, and now the county council has increased its contribution to £1.2 million.
Upon completion of the project, which is being delivered by East Lindsey District Council, Lincolnshire County Council will transfer freehold of the site to Alford Town Council.
The district council being chosen to complete these works, despite it being owned by the county council, allows for a “single and hence comprehensive” approach that “should mean better value for money.”
East Lindsey District Council are recommended and expected to accept the £1.2 million funding from the county council for this project, at an upcoming meeting of the executive on Tuesday, July 9.
Project dates are not made clear on council documents, but the Alford Windmill Trust said earlier this year that plans were in place for the work to be done “some time in 2026”.
