A ceremony for the onset of construction of the Peppermint Junction/food enterprise zone project at Holbeach took place on Wednesday.(March 15)
Lincolnshire county councillor for Holbeach, Nick Worth, was there with Coun Richard Davies, executive member for highways and transport.
Coun Worth – also South Holland District Council’s portfolio holder for growth and commercialisation – said: “I am delighted that after many years of personally championing the need for this major road improvement, first highlighted in the Holbeach Parish Plan as long ago as 2008, it is finally going to happen.
“It is very exciting and a huge boost for the future economy of Holbeach, linking, as it does, to highly skilled jobs in the upcoming Food Enterprise Zone.”
Kier began preliminary works last week. Tree removal was carried out ahead of bird nesting season.
From April 3 to 7, work will begin to alter fence lines south of the A17 and clear shrubs from the ditches to the north of the A17 and a small section of New River Drain.
The works will not require any road closures or traffic management measures. As part of the highway scheme, new vegetation and trees will be introduced to the site.
British construction firm Eurovia UK is expected to start work on the scheme in May and is projected to be complete by spring 2018.
The scheme will lead to the creation of Peppermint Park, Holbeach: A Food Enterprise Village, which will include the food enterprise zone and the delivery of about 900 new dwellings.
Coun Davies said: “When complete, these improvements will not only create a safer route for drivers and less traffic in the town centre, but they’ll also provide access to development land for housing and the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone.”
The FEZ is designed to support agri-food businesses, with a particular focus on the food technology sector. When complete, the multi-million pound development will create around 59,000sq m of new business space, capable of supporting more than 2,000 jobs. The University of Lincoln has outline planning consent to move part of its existing Holbeach campus to a new, purpose-built facility within the FEZ.
