Stamford St Martin’s Park’s electricity bill costs £250,000 annually paid for by South Kesteven District Council
A half-demolished factory now costs a district council £250,000 a year in electricity bills it has been revealed.
South Kesteven District Council’s finance and economic overview and scrutiny committee heard an update recently on the St Martin’s Park development in Stamford.
The majority of the presentation to councillors was held behind closed doors due to the potential for commercially sensitive information being revealed.
However, a question from Councillor Max Sawyer (Ind) revealed the monthly cost of St Martin’s Park had risen from £14,000 to £21,000.
“A brief explanation would be appreciated,” he said.
Debbie Roberts, SKDC’s head of corporate projects, said the increase was due to rising electricity prices and the standing charge.
Coun Sawyer responded to the explanation simply saying: “Just to point out then, that amounts to over a quarter of a million pounds a year for electricity we are not using.”
Ms Roberts said the costs had increased this year before the meeting went into private session.
The St Martin’s Park development is a major redevelopment project on the former Cummins site in Barnack Road, Stamford.
Initiated by South Kesteven District Council, the project has faced delays, with the site still featuring a partially demolished factory and rubble piles.
The development plans, approved in 2021, include building around 190 homes—30% of which will be affordable—alongside offices, workshops, a food shop, a café, a retirement village, and public open spaces.
However, demolition and construction have stalled, with the council still covering electricity costs.
National Grid has told LincsOnline if the electricity to the site is cut off for any length of time, that supply would be diverted elsewhere. Any developer would then have to pay for a sub-station at cost.
Final development work will commence once the site is transferred to developers, who will then need to submit detailed planning applications.
The timeline for these applications is January 2025.
