Council abandons housing plans for site next to derelict Bass maltings landmark
Plans which could have spurred the regeneration of a deteriorating Sleaford landmark have been withdrawn, planning documents show.
A total of 104 flats and 30 houses were proposed for land occupied by the former Tec Foods factory, close to the historic Bass Maltings buildings off Mareham Lane.
The eight malthouses are among the largest at-risk listed buildings in England, and it was hoped that new housing would have helped rescue them.
The planning application was submitted by North Kesteven District Council in 2022, but has now been withdrawn after the finances no longer stacked up, according to a council spokesperson.
It would have cleared outhouses and an “unsightly” modern industrial building from the land directly to the west for development.
The application proposed a four-storey block of 65 flats, a three-storey block of 39 flats, 22 terraced homes and eight converted properties.
The plan “is envisaged to become a catalyst in this area of opportunity in Sleaford that will unlock the potential around the highly significant site of the Maltings, revealing better its significance,” the original plans said.
An NKDC spokesperson said: “The scheme proposed by NKDC was in line with aspirations for this piece of land in the council’s ownership adjacent to the Maltings, incorporating the former Tec Foods site, now referred to as the Old Sidings.
“Withdrawal of the plans in advance of determination is a standard practice for applicants. It allows for further consideration of the nature and scale of the proposals themselves, considering how a more comprehensive development of the Old Sidings might bring a range of wider benefits the town.”
One local resident who lived in the cottages once used by Bass workers objected to the plans saying: “The quantity of 120+ housing units is of grave concern, and the word ‘overcrowding’ comes to mind.
“The three and four storey flats in particular are not at all in keeping with the historic nature of the Maltings complex.”
The distinctive red-brick malthouses were built by the Bass Brewery in 1905, and were a major employer in the town for more than 50 years.
The buildings were used for poultry and vegetable growing after the closure, although three were gutted by a fire in 1976.
All eight have stood derelict and out of use for around 30 years.
The application stated: “The site has been identified by Historic England as one of the largest at-risk buildings in England and is on the Heritage at Risk register as it had been suffering from vandalism and fires, with its structures constantly deteriorating.”