Sleaford community centre has been approved by North Kesteven District Council
Revised plans for a Sleaford community centre have been approved after costs spiralled on the original designs.
The public building on the 1450-home Handley Chase development was initially expected to cost £450,000.
However, inflation and other price rises nearly tripled the estimated costs to £1.2 million by 2022, and would be even higher today.
North Kesteven District Council has now passed downsized £900,000 plans which the applicant, Sleaford Property Developments Ltd, says will maintain the same amount of floor space.
The Handley Chase project, which lies east of London Road and Stump Cross Hill, is a joint venue between four developers.
It promises to meet the town’s growing need for housing over the next few years, with the first plans submitted back in 2015.
Planning documents show the community centre having a large sports hall, a community room and a kitchen.
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It will be located within a ‘gateway’ area to the Handley Chase development, alongside shops and a new care home.
The ownership and management of the future building is still under discussion between the parties.
Planning documents put the price rise down to “the significant increases in building costs experienced through the pandemic and subsequent period of increasing interest rates and general inflation”
They say this required “a more cost-effective proposal be considered”.
North Kesteven District Council stipulated that the new design keep the same floor space, and details haven’t been made public on how the costs have been reduced.
Documents say that additional funding or grants will likely be needed to bridge the financial gap.
The entire development on Sleaford’s southern edge will consist of 1450 homes, a primary school, five shops, a nursery, a pub, a health centre and a care home.
Outline permission was given nearly ten years ago, and it has been steadily constructed in stages since then.
