Car park in planning row remains up for sale

The space on Southgate, in Sleaford, was forced to shut in July 2024 – but a prominent sign criticising the council has remained on display since then.

Owners Nick Allen and Rob Wilcox had originally been given temporary permission for use as a pay-and-display car park during the 2009 recession.

This expired in 2020, with North Kesteven District Council hoping it could become a prime housing or business site in the town centre, and issued an enforcement notice.

After a four-year battle which involved failed appeals to the Planning Inspectorate and a renewed application, the owners exhausted their legal options and the car park finally closed last summer.

However they posted a large sign on the fencing, which says: “The owners of this car park would like to apologise to the public for its closure.

“This has been FORCED upon us by NKDC [North Kesteven District Council]. This car park had an average of 1,300 visits per week.

“According to NKDC, this is not a benefit to Sleaford.”

The sign has been there for around six months, with no progress yet on development.

The land is currently marketed on Rightmove for £600,000, described as “An exciting town centre development opportunity for a mixed use development comprising 6 shops, 3 offices and 8 flats.”

The authority had fired back against the unwanted publicity, writing at the time: “The Southgate car park was only ever supposed to be a temporary use given the difficult economic circumstances during the downturn in 2009/10.

“Generously we extended the temporary period but as far back as 2017 advised the applicant that there would be no further extensions of time and that the landowners should either bring forward the mixed use development they had permission for, or engage with the Council on an alternative regeneration scheme.”

The council says there remains 500 council-owned parking spaces in the town centre, as well as other private ones.