The list of properties the county council is looking at selling
A council list of 76 sites which could be sold includes travellers’ sites, windmills, and a swimming pool which has been closed for years.
Lincolnshire County Council estimates these could bring in £16m if all sold, and save £1.6m a year in running costs.
It also includes 23 offices belonging to the authority, five farms, and a handful of former playing fields or school sites.
Some have already been earmarked for disposal, while the council is still considering options for others.
Council officers will draw up a strategy for travellers’ sites and windmills before any decisions are made on them.
Windmills
Four council-owned windmills could be sold, with the authority hinting they could be put in the hands of the groups that currently run them. They are:
⦁ Lincoln Ellis Mill
⦁ Heckington Windmill
⦁ Alford Windmill, along with the cottage and cafe
⦁ Dobson’s Mill in Burgh le Marsh.
Mark Eyre, Head of Strategic Asset Management and Estates, said: “Although the windmill strategy is currently being produced, the council’s four windmills have differing levels of community group involvement or development plans. So, options considered will reflect those rather than change them.”
Travellers’ sites
Four travellers’ sites around the county could be sold – Washingborough, Grantham, Gainsborough and Boston.
Mr Eyre said: “The travellers’ sites and windmills have been marked as Options Appraisal. Their sale is among the options being assessed moving forward, rather than necessarily being planned.
“All sites considered will be subject to their respective strategies, which will be brought forward at later committee meetings.”
Deepings Leisure Centre
The leisure centre in Deeping St James was closed in 2021 by South Kesteven District Council due to spiraling repair costs, and passed into the hands of the county council who own it.
Community efforts to reopen it have been unsuccessful, and the building has fallen into ruin.
Andrew Mclean, interim assistant director for corporate property, said: “Following extensive discussions with the interested parties, the council offered to lease the leisure centre site to the Anthem Trust earlier this year.
“This offer included up to £850,000 to demolish the existing leisure centre, which would allow the trust to explore options for building new sporting facilities. This offer remains on the table, and there are currently no plans to revisit this decision.”
The Anthem Trust has been contacted for comment.
Offices
The most notable office space is the large complex in Sleaford which is currently vacant and awaiting permission for demolition.
Lincoln Crown House on Grantham Street, Lincoln, would also yield the biggest potential savings in running cost.
The other 44
Other potential options include various council offices, closed schools and libraries, and spare plots of land. Notable examples include:
⦁ Horncastle Business Centre
⦁ Gainsborough Longwood House
⦁ Mablethorpe former campus (Monks’ Dyke Tennyson College)
⦁ Bracebridge Heath former library
⦁ Thurlby Youth Hostel
⦁ Bourne former Library
⦁ Former highways depot on Boston Road, Sleaford
⦁ Spalding Music Centre
⦁ Former Middlefield School site in Gainsborough
⦁ Former Aveland School in Billingborough
⦁ Grantham former Church VA Playing Field, Queensway
⦁ Former Lafford High School site, Billinghay
⦁ Plots of land around the Lincoln East-West link road
⦁ Bourne Butterfield Centre
⦁ Navenby mobile library site.