Town Deals are set to benefit Lincoln, Boston, Skegness, Scunthorpe, Grimsby, and Mablethorpe,

One hundred towns received the opportunity to pioneer new multi-million pound Town Deals as part of the Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund which will see the levelling up of regions by improving connectivity, skills and culture, creating new jobs and boosting growth.

There are 30 places across the Midlands Engine invited to bid for a Town Deals, and six within Greater Lincolnshire alone.

The fund is set to benefit Lincoln, Boston, Skegness, Scunthorpe, Grimsby, and Mablethorpe, many traditionally popular with visitors, and presents an opportunity to enable collaboration to bring exciting additions to the Lincolnshire tourism offer and to drive growth across the visitor economy.   

Coastal highlights:

  • The Colonnade at Sutton on Sea featuring a new café, restaurant, gallery and exhibition spaces with impressive viewing decks overlooking the beach, paddling pool and Pleasure Gardens.
  • 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 with investment into green, cultural, heritage, arts, sports and leisure.
  • Cultural Skegness which links the Foreshore to the theatre and proposes new educational activities and an exciting cultural and sports programme of events with reinvented illuminations.
  • A new multi-user Cycle Trail providing much needed connectivity for visitors and residents to Chapel St Leonards and Ingoldmells.
  • Renovation of the main Skegness Railway Station with the aspiration of creating a worthy gateway to the town reflecting Skegness' status as one of the most popular resort towns in Britain thanks to advent of the railway in the 1800s.
  • A new public square at Riverhead Square, Grimsby and better pedestrian and cycle loops to connect the town centre and Alexandra Dockside.
  • The creation of a major new waterfront residential community and new Victoria Mill Quarter including enhancement to the waterfront, to attract new uses to this heritage part of Grimsby.

Boston highlights:

  • Boston Railway Station will be redeveloped, creating a welcoming hub connected to the town centre.
  • A cluster of heritage projects to transform the historic town centre including investment into buildings, public realm and green spaces. The development of the medieval library at St Botolph’s and a contemporary lighting scheme will enhance its architectural, education and cultural attraction.

Lincoln highlights:

  • Digital technologies to enable and connect access to arts, culture and heritage.
  • Development of the UK’s first Hospitality, Events and Tourism (HEAT) College.
  • Restoration of the Grade II listed Central Market Building to create a modern and diversified market, combining quality retail, food, leisure and technology.
  • Restoration of the 13th-century Greyfriars Building, opening it to the public as a heritage attraction.

Scunthorpe highlights:

  • Creation of an advanced manufacturing park to attract more world-class engineering firms to the area.
  • Development of the town’s Cultural Quarter and progressing work on a Health and Emergency Services Hub.
  • Investment in gigabit Broadband to help businesses gain a competitive edge, 500 new homes in the town, and a Skills Development Programme designed to ensure local people are best placed to take advantage of all the new opportunities.

These projects bring a significant boost to Greater Lincolnshire's visitor and residents' offer and have been brought together by some fantastic collaborations and a further announcement on the Town Deals is anticipated by Government in early March.