Six Town Deals Announced in Greater Lincolnshire

Lincoln, Boston, Skegness, Scunthorpe, Grimsby, and Mablethorpe are among 45 English towns and cities which will benefit from new multi-million pound Town Deals, it was announced during the Budget this week.

The Government announced over £1 billion from the Towns Fund for a further 45 Town Deals across England which will give towns the tools to design and implement a growth strategy for their area and aid recovery from the impact of COVID-19.

The Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund aims to level up the UK economy by improving connectivity, skills and culture, creating new jobs and boosting growth.

On Wednesday 3rd March the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced a total of £131 million of funding for six Greater Lincolnshire towns and cities:

– Skegness – £24.5m

– Mablethorpe – £23.9m

– Boston – £21.9m

– Lincoln – £19m

– Scunthorpe – £20.9m

– Grimsby – £20.9m

Each town now has to agree heads of terms with the Government, confirm match funding contributions and decide how to allocate the amount offered across their proposed projects.

Among the schemes which could get funding are:

Lincolnshire coast 

– The Colonnade at Sutton on Sea featuring a new café, restaurant, gallery and exhibition spaces

– A new National Trust visitor centre on the former Sandilands clubhouse and golf course

– The Skegness Foreshore transformation which will expand and diversify the visitor offer

– Cultural Skegness which links the Foreshore to the theatre and proposes new educational activities and an exciting cultural and sports programme of events

– A new multi-user cycle trail providing connectivity for visitors and residents to Chapel St Leonards and Ingoldmells

– Renovation of Skegness railway station

Pat Doody, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said: “We are delighted to hear such good news for the towns and city across Greater Lincolnshire and send our congratulations to all involved, from the leaders and the officers to the Town Deals Boards themselves.

“This is a fantastic outcome for Greater Lincolnshire as whole and rich reward for the strong partnership working that happens here.  I look forward to continuing to work with all of the Town Deals Boards and to seeing the impact this will have on our businesses and communities.”

Councillor Rob Waltham, Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “These plans have always been about investing in a better future for the people of Scunthorpe and North Lincolnshire. That ambition has been supported with the announcement of Government cash to get the many varied and transformational projects going. We’ve seen a lot of development across the town in the last few years, we’ve had a great deal of support and cash through Covid-19 to keep things going and now this will be an essential part of the recovery and renewal.

“These very serious plans for investment across the next five years will create jobs, they will create even better conditions for growth and make the area a more attractive environment for businesses to invest.  The end result be more highly skilled, well paid, sustainable jobs in Scunthorpe for the people who live here.”

Boston Borough Council Leader Councillor Paul Skinner said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have secured a Town Deal. This will help in launching Boston into the future, building on its unique heritage and investing in professional and technological support needed that will shape the development of an aspirational, skilled and healthy population.”

Jo Walker, City of Lincoln Council’s Assistant Director for Growth, said: “It’s fantastic news that Lincoln will receive £19m of Town Deal funding.

“This money, and the projects it will fund, will help make a significant difference in the city as we come out of lockdown and begin our recovery from the pandemic.

“We now await the full detail on which of our projects have been approved. We will then put the wheels in motion to ensure these projects are delivered for the benefit of the people of Lincoln and to help consolidate our position as a leading visitor destination.”

Councillor Philip Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “I’m delighted to hear that our Town Deal plans have been recognised in the budget.  These announcements come hot on the heels of the Future High Streets Fund bid for £17m, resubmitted to Government just last week, in which the council and Freshney Place joined forces to bid to transform the western end of the shopping centre, creating a new market hall and areas for leisure use.

“There’s real optimism for Grimsby’s future, and having a vibrant and enriched town centre that can serve the whole community is significantly important.

“We are making a step change to how we build our local economy. Change is not just desirable, but critical to the future of the town as it recovers from the impacts of the Covid pandemic. This extra investment will be a vital tool in making the vision for our town a reality, helping to make it somewhere we’re all proud of.”