Development company's bid to lift road restriction to Maltings scheme

The prospective developers of the Grade II* Listed Bass Maltings complex in Sleaford have applied for a relaxation in the planning conditions preventing them from starting work.
Bass Maltings EMN-140423-105944001Bass Maltings EMN-140423-105944001
Bass Maltings EMN-140423-105944001

The prospective developers of the Grade II* Listed Bass Maltings complex in Sleaford have applied for a relaxation in the planning conditions preventing them from starting work.

Avant Homes already has permission to convert the industrial blocks into a mixture of flats, offices, retail and leisure, with areas for car parking and partial demolition of fire damaged blocks to open up public open spaces in a multi-million pound project.

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Currently the extent of work is limited to make sure the previously proposed link road from Mareham Lane to Boston Road is built first.

However, since the withdrawal of the plans for a superstore by Tesco, which would have paid for the road, the scheme has stalled. Also, they have pointed out other large housing developments, such as the 1,450-home Handley Chase off London Road, have been permitted with junction improvements at Grantham Road. On that basis they have requested the lifting of the restriction which insists on the road coming first, instead offering the existing access onto Mareham Lane as sufficient.

North Kesteven District Council sees the Maltings as a key part of its Sleaford Masterplan and redevelopment project for the south east section of the town.

An NKDC spokesman said: “In terms of the Maltings building and seeing that refurbishment actually happen, from an economic development perspective and in terms of the wider regeneration of Sleaford town centre, the principle of bringing forward the redevelopment of the Maltings is to be welcomed.

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“However, the council is currently working with the county (council) to look at a number of alternative highway options for the town following the Tesco decision to pull out of their store development, to ascertain which is the best solution to enable the town to accommodate future development, such as the Maltings, and this work is still ongoing.

“The overall aim is to put in place the highway solution that best enables the town to deliver on its future growth ambitions.”