Major plans for homes and jobs in Skegness step closer

Major plans for a 136-hectare sustainable urban extension to Skegness creating hundreds of homes, much-needed jobs are a crucial step closer.
Pictured at the launch of the project are (from left)  Sue Bowser, MP Matt Warman, Cllr Tom Ashton and Neil Sanderson.Pictured at the launch of the project are (from left)  Sue Bowser, MP Matt Warman, Cllr Tom Ashton and Neil Sanderson.
Pictured at the launch of the project are (from left) Sue Bowser, MP Matt Warman, Cllr Tom Ashton and Neil Sanderson.

The planned Skegness Gateway development to the west of the town will provide more than 20 hectares of combined retail, business and industrial space. It also will provide 1,000 new homes - including specialist housing, hundreds of jobs, much-needed open space and recreational amenities and a college and learning campus with space for business startups.

East Lindsey District Council will soon consult on a draft Local Development Order (LDO) allowing the opportunity for the public and other stakeholders to comment on the proposals.

The Skegness Gateway, on land principally owned by local family business Croftmarsh, with additional areas owned by the Scarbrough family, is set to breathe new life into an area of the Lincolnshire coast that drastically needs change in order to secure its future, boosting the local economy and providing the education and jobs for local people that will encourage them to stay in the area.

The Masterplan.The Masterplan.
The Masterplan.

Croftmarsh says that the project is vital for the future-proofing of Skegness, helping it to take its rightful place in the East Midlands as a place of opportunity and ambition. The scheme will also boost social value for local people – both existing and new residents.

Sue Bowser, of Croftmarsh, said: “We are pleased to support the council in its vision to bring these ambitious plans to reality. This LDO submission is a really significant step. Our family has lived and worked in Skegness for many generations, so it’s a great source of pride that we can support a development that will help secure the town’s future by creating thousands of jobs and homes for both existing local residents and attract a new generation of people to the area.

“We are working closely with East Lindsey District Council and other partners to bring forward a scheme that will work alongside the regeneration being enabled by the Towns Fund.”

Once complete, the sustainable urban extension will help establish the town as a hub for investment, opportunity and ambition, as well as creating a new sustainable community that blends high-quality new homes with plentiful green space.

Sue added: “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 government is seeking in places such as Skegness.

“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.”

To find out more about Skegness Gateway, please visit the website at www.skegnessgateway.co.uk.