Hundreds of new jobs are on the cards for Spalding thanks to plans for a state-of-the-art business park on the edge of town.
The Lincs Gateway Business Park would comprise 60 acres of business units complemented by a restaurant, hotel, conference centre and petrol station on land just off the A16 towards Cowbit.
Big names already signed up to the scheme include Brewer’s Fayre and Premier Inn.
The developers behind the project – Holbeach-based Ashley King Developments in partnership with Moran Asset Management – have worked closely with South Holland District Council to ensure the plan met national and local guidelines before it went before the planning committee last night when approval was expected to be given.
The site, which already has permission for a ten-acre truck stop and large industrial buildings, will provide a mix of units including offices, industrial and storage and distribution.
Michael Moran, of Moran Asset Management, said: “This is an ideal opportunity to create an attractive new entrance point to the town from the south with high quality buildings and landscaping.
“The site has been identified by Lincolnshire County Council as offering a unique opportunity to boost the local economy by attracting new companies to the area and we are confident that this project will fulfil that.
“The site’s location is key to its prospects to deliver a successful new, high quality business park. Its proximity to the strategic road network, and its visibility to passing traffic are key in this regard.
“The business park will generate hundreds of jobs, many of which would be drawn into the area from competing centres, while the quality and range of accommodation the business park would offer would set it out from other sites in and around the town.”
To enhance the business park element of the plans, permission is being sought for a 400-seat conference centre, a 52-bed Premier Inn hotel, a Brewer’s Fayre pub/restaurant, a restaurant/cafe and a petrol station.
Company director Ashley King said: “The hotel and conference facilities will help to retain business within Spalding, following evidence provided by research company SQW that local businesses tend to use this type of facility in competing centres such as Peterborough and Grantham.”
A precise construction schedule has not yet been set but it is envisaged that building works on some aspects of the project, including the conference centre, hotel, restaurant and petrol station, will begin almost immediately.
Mr King added: “The remainder of the business park would be delivered over the coming years.
“We anticipate that the site could be completely built within the next five to ten years with significant progress to be made in the short term.”
Eleven objections have been lodged by residents of Fen End Lane, including:
- additional traffic will add to the dangers of Cowbit Road
- poor design
- should be left as agricultural land.
The Trustees of the Springfield Horticultural Society have also objected on several grounds, including that the facilities already exist at Springfields Events and Conference Centre and there is no requirement for more.
