The completion of a new £7million site for food research and development in Holbeach will be a "success story" for the area, it has been claimed.

Work has continued to build a Centre of Excellence in Agri-Food Technology, part of the new South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone (FEZ) at Peppermint Park, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first of the laboratories for microbiology and chemistry students are being fitted out inside the centre, while car parking space and solar panels have been installed outside.

After a ground-breaking ceremony in March, the centre is set to be ready by February 2021, although a spokesman for the University of Lincoln, which is managing the project, confirmed that it was "closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19".

Professor Val Braybrooks, dean of the National Centre for Food Manufacturing whose staff and students will use the new centre, said: "We've grown significantly over the last five years from being a regional resource, supporting food businesses locally in South Holland, to now having a national footprint in helping businesses with their scientific and innovation needs.

"We've had a long partnership over many years with the likes of Bakkavor, but the centre is now working with about 70 businesses in the UK, including Coca Cola and Nestle.

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"The food sector generally is growing and in order to response to the challenges of climate change and other things, businesses need to increase their productivity and become more competitive with their offer to the export market.

"This new facility is a success story for Holbeach and it will enable us to grow as a research and innovation hub where just under 1,000 students will benefit from a programme of training and education at the centre each year.

"We have 25 academic colleagues who are specialists in the food sector and they are looking forward to using the new centre and helping food businesses to access the highly skilled individuals they need."

Funding for the centre has come from a number of sources, including the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (GLEPP) and the European Regional Development Fund.

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Deputy leader Coun Nick Worth said: "Utilities and roads for the Centre of Excellence in Agri-Food Technology have already been installed and further infrastructure is now being put in place to provide access to the last eight plots in this phase of the development.

"The South Lincolnshire Food FEZ is progressing fast and will meet the demand from food technology businesses keen to locate or expand here."

Cllr Colin Davie, executive councillor for economy and place at Lincolnshire County Council, said: "As well as over £5 million that the council has invested, the project has recently been boosted with £6.4 million of government money from the 'Getting Building Fund'.

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"This will help accelerate further developments on and around the site, including a brand new 'hub' building, which will include space for smaller enterprises, a café and a space for meeting and networking space.

"This will help to foster a community for tenants specialising in the agri-food sector on the site."