Major new development in Skegness, Lincolnshire
Proposals for a major new development in a Lincolnshire coastal town that would bring a new college campus and hundreds of “much-needed” jobs to the area have officially been submitted. The Skegness Gateway development, planned for land west of the popular holiday town, would also see the construction of 1,000 new homes, including specialist housing, and would play a “vital” future-proofing the area, landowners say.
The planning team at East Lindsey District Council will soon consult on a draft local development order (LDO), giving members of the public and other stakeholders the opportunity to comment on the proposals. Sue Bowser, the manager of family business and principal landowner Croftmarsh Ltd, said Skegness was in need of “economic transformation”.
Skegness is a town that needs economic transformation
She said: “We know that Skegness is a town that needs economic transformation. The mechanism for that is through urban regeneration and expansion of skills, training and education – all secured by investment and infrastructure and digital connectivity.
“Ours is a town in real need. There isn’t enough money in the town to pay for this all year round and the secret to this is to have more people living here.
“We need to create jobs. We need to build infrastructure and provide the significant benefits that the Government is seeking in places such as Skegness.
Hundreds of new homes needed not just for the people who live in the local area
“We want to enable the delivery of hundreds of new homes not just for the people who live in the local area – but for those people we want to attract to come and live and work in Skegness. This scheme will transform the area, putting it on the map and making the town famous not just for its beaches, but for its enterprise.”
Combination of retail, business and industrial units.
If approved, the Gateway would comprise 136 hectares, with 20 dedicated to a combination of retail, business and industrial units.
Neil Sanderson, also of Croftmarsh and the brother of Ms Bowser, said putting the town “firmly on the map” was the key aim.
He said: “This is a town that we have grown up in and really understand what a difference the scheme and its benefits will make to local people.
The whole of Skegness and the wider area to benefit
“The LDO submission marks a key point in the journey to making these plans a reality for the whole of Skegness and the wider area to benefit from.”
The scheme has also been backed by Boston and Skegness MP, Matt Warman.
He described the learning campus as “state of the art,” saying it would provide new training opportunities for the Lincolnshire coast.
He added: “Importantly, training including digital skills, motor vehicle, construction and engineering, will allow people to gain the skills and knowledge they need to get the jobs they want.”
