Refreshed heritage strategy for North Kesteven needs your input

Residents are being asked what places and aspects they feel are important to the district’s character and history, whether it be your own town, village or parish or across the district.

If you want to see local heritage enhanced over the next 10 years, now is your time to help shape the new North Kesteven Heritage Strategy.

The strategy will act as a guide for how to support heritage opportunities and projects, as well as helping to prioritise investment for protecting local heritage.

The council is also working closely with commercial property and business owners to repair and reinstate historic features using funding through the council’s Sleaford Shopfront Grant Scheme. A shopfront design guide for the district is also being consulted on as part of this process.

The consultation period for the Heritage Strategy and the North Kesteven Shopfront Design Guide take place up to August 31, 2025.

There will be a drop-in session to discuss the proposed strategy at Riverside Church, Southgate, Sleaford, on August 11, 9.30am - 4pm.

The drop-in session is a chance to put forward the specific places and aspects of heritage you feel are important and should be considered in the strategy.

If you’re unable to attend, there is an online survey where you can add your input. The survey can be found at: https://www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/have-your-say/surveys-consultations/surveys-consultations/north-kesteven-heritage-strategy-shopfront-design-guide-consultation.

North Kesteven District Council is working together with Heritage Lincolnshire, drawing on their expertise and experience to deliver the workshops and shape the strategy together with the council’s Conservation and Planning teams.

These link closely with the North Kesteven Heritage Action Plan which outlines projects and initiatives to deliver the aims of the heritage strategy with community groups and heritage stakeholders.

NKDC Leader Coun Richard Wright said: “We have such a rich built heritage right across the district, in every village, town and parish, and it deserves to be further enhanced and protected. I’d encourage everyone to take a

moment to fill in the survey, or to drop in to the session on August 11 and tell us what heritage means to them and what they feel this strategy for the next ten years could and should include.

“Following workshops and interviews earlier in the year, the Heritage Strategy has taken shape utilising specific ideas. Projects include reviving old heritage trails across the district; the development and expansion of heritage visitor attractions; work to preserve and enhance the character of villages; climate change training for community groups; and creating opportunity for people to get involved themselves in preserving local heritage; as well as projects which could be aimed at enhancing specific features and places.

“I’m pleased that the strategy will also map out all those organisations already supporting and working within our heritage sector locally, from formal organisations and heritage attractions to RAF bases and local schools, and may pave the way for a new NK heritage forum for networking and collaboration.

“In recent years we’ve seen several Sleaford shopfronts restored and improved by targeted mixed funding sources and through this new guide we will see even more heritage features recovered and shopfronts designed to a standard that will help keep the district and its towns and villages distinct and attractive.”

Tracy Stringfellow, CEO of Heritage Lincolnshire, said: “North Kesteven’s heritage is extremely rich; whether historic buildings, archaeological sites or areas of natural heritage. It is so important that local heritage is preserved to improve people’s lives and local area for future generations, and we are pleased to help set out a plan for this in North Kesteven to be delivered over the next 10 years.”