Masterplan aims to breathe new life into Old Sidings

Strategy being drawn up to regenerate disused industrial sites

An exploration of regeneration opportunities for a range of sites at the southern end of Sleaford town centre looks to breathe new life into the area.

A shared masterplan will aim to breathe new life into Sleaford's Old Sidings, a number of sites which are under different ownerships but hold much potential. Pictured is Tec Foods (left) and the privately-owned Bass Maltings (right). | North Kesteven District Council

placeholder image — A shared masterplan will aim to breathe new life into Sleaford's Old Sidings, a number of sites which are under different ownerships but hold much potential. Pictured is Tec Foods (left) and the privately-owned Bass Maltings (right). | North Kesteven District Council

By undertaking a new masterplanning exercise to explore the potential for parcels of land it owns there, and in conjunction with neighbouring landowners, North Kesteven District Council is looking to map a strategic vision to maximise investment, economic and community benefit.

A key element of the plan is engagement, and local residents and businesses will have opportunities to directly feed in thoughts and ideas.

The masterplan would consider how regenerating the Old Sidings area should best benefit and sit alongside Sleaford town centre and its existing features, creating a more welcoming 'southern gateway' into the town. Photo shows the view on Mareham Lane. | North Kestevern District Council

The Old Sidings covers a large area including land behind the Carre Arms Hotel, alongside the historic and privately-owned Bass Maltings, plus other disused buildings within the council’s ownership such as the former Tec Foods site next to the maltings. Tying in with wider possibilities around the station, the council says the sensitive regeneration of these sites presents an exciting opportunity to create a more welcoming southern gateway into the town where Mareham Lane meets the railway crossing junction.

The district council’s Executive Board will consider on Thursday September 24 the development of a deliverable and community-informed masterplan, which would then be used to champion and attract investment into the Old Sidings area. The plan will also provide a framework to guide future decisions and support discussions with partners, investors, landowners and the local community. The creation of the masterplan will include two stages of public consultation, the first expected in November and the second next Spring, to capture ideas and to understand what everyone’s priorities are for the Old Sidings area.

North Kesteven District Council Leader Councillor Richard Wright said: “The scale of the Old Sidings area means that a masterplan is the best way to create a deliverable vision and secure the investment needed for its redevelopment.

“There is huge opportunity to regenerate it into a thriving place that adds to Sleaford’s local economy and benefits our communities, but it’s also a complex area with unique buildings, heritage features and land ownerships which have different challenges while still needing to be considered comprehensively and sensitively alongside each other. There’s also the question of how these sites should link in with the rest of the town centre and Sleaford’s existing public realm, uses and travel connections which the masterplan will also consider.

“We are talking long-term – the finalised masterplan will be a vision for the area over the next 20 years – however it will map out the practical next steps, and above all enable action.”

After a competitive procurement process, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios has been selected to lead the masterplan work together with the district council.

FCBStudios is an internationally recognised, award-winning architectural and urban design practice bringing together expertise in architecture, masterplanning, heritage and sustainability and its work has received extensive national and international recognition.

Drawing on this breadth of in-house expertise, FCBStudios will lead a wider team of specialists in fields including viability, community engagement, public realm design, transport and movement, bringing together the range of skills needed to address the opportunities and complexities of the Old Sidings and develop a considered, deliverable vision for its future.

As the project moves forward and details of the engagement stages are known, these will be communicated by the council. You can sign up now to its newsletter at www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/council-news to hear about chances to engage and take part.

No decisions have been made on what projects may be considered for the future of the Old Sidings, as engagement and consultation will form key pillars in the work yet to be done.

The Bass Maltings, which falls within the Old Sidings opportunity area in the proposed masterplan and is privately owned, has recently been the subject of new strategic conversations about its future including a roundtable summit with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government hosted by the District Council on September 7, and a previous site visit in August. The Bass Maltings is also included in an investment prospectus launched by Historic England back in May.