Gainsborough MP Sir Edward Leigh was on hand to mark the start of works to develop new affordable homes in the town at an official groundbreaking ceremony.
Social housing provider Acis have teamed up with West Lindsey District Council to build 138 new homes as part of their wider regeneration programme in Gainsborough.
The new development, to be built by Vistry Partnerships, has the financial backing of Homes England and the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (GLLEP), and will comprise 138 homes with a mix available for affordable rent, shared ownership and outright sale.
The official ceremony took place on Friday 13 August and saw the ceremonial cutting of the sod by Sir Edward Leigh MP.
Sir Edward Leigh said: “I am absolutely delighted to see this project now beginning to come to life. This housing development is a major boost to the town – £20 million is a huge investment and commitment and I am very grateful to everyone involved, including Acis, Homes England and the Greater Lincolnshire Enterprise Partnership, as well as everybody else, for making it possible.
“This project is a major part of the continued regeneration of Gainsborough – helping to turn the town from an industrial town into a modern, attractive and innovative place to live, work and visit. I for one, am looking forward to seeing the end result, and I look forward to seeing the new community that will move into these new homes as a result.”
Greg Bacon (L), Sir Edward Leigh MP (C) Cllr Owen Bierley (R)
Also on hand to say a few words were representatives from Acis Group, West Lindsey District Council, Vistry Partnerships and Gainsborough Town Council.
Greg Bacon, Acis Group Chief Executive, said:
“We’re delighted to officially begin work on the site. It has taken us a long time to get to this stage of the development.
“For Acis this is one of the largest new homes project we’ve undertaken and are very grateful for the support of all our partners involved in making this happen.
“We are proud to be building these homes in support of the Invest Gainsborough initiative, and to play our part in the regeneration of the town we call our home.”
Alongside the new housing development, work is continuing to create an uninterrupted riverside walk, creating an accessible walking and cycleway with access to the town centre and onto the Trent Bridge.
As well as the investment from Acis, a £2.27 million grant was awarded by the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (GLLEP) to enable this development.
Ruth Carver, Chief Executive of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We are delighted to be enabling the development of new homes for Gainsborough through our initial investment into the preparation and remediation of this site.
“We understand the crucial role that housing, and regeneration play in economic growth and we look forward to seeing this important riverside location and supporting public realm completed.”
Andy Coates, Construction Director at Vistry Partnerships Yorkshire, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Acis Group again, supporting the regeneration of Gainsborough and providing much needed affordable, multi-generational homes for the area.”
The site is one of the previously developed sites which forms part of the Greater Gainsborough Housing Zone designation and bringing it forward for development has been supported by Homes England.
A Homes England spokesperson said: “These new homes will provide crucial affordable accommodation for local families and we’re pleased to have played a part in kick-starting this fantastic project.
“We look forward to seeing the new residents making their houses a home.”
The development was given planning permission by West Lindsey District Council in January 2020.
Chairman of the Planning Committee, Cllr Ian Fleetwood, said: “This is an incredible milestone in our plans for the town of Gainsborough. We are committed to our vision of creating a District that is a great place to live, work and visit and this venture is further evidence of our commitment, following on from our other exciting projects, such as the Townscape Heritage Initiative, and our investments in a Crematorium and a new Leisure Centre in Market Rasen, to name just a few.
“Having strong housing within our District will lead to not just economic success for the town but will also provide the foundations for strong health and wellbeing within West Lindsey. These are the thoughts and considerations that made this exciting proposal an easy one to consider for our committee.”
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