A shopping precinct in a Lincolnshire market town is in line for a makeover costing hundreds of thousands of pounds – provided planners give the green light.
Lincolnshire Co-operative, which owns the Riverside Shopping Centre in Sleaford, is keen to breathe extra vitality into the pedestrianised precinct, in Southgate, the main shopping street. Upgrading work would be carried out in two phases.
The Society’s agent, Chartered Surveyor Banks Long & Co is preparing to submit a planning application to North Kesteven District Council, following talks between the firm and the council’s economic development officers. It is hoped that councillors will agree to a range of cosmetic changes.
Banks Long & Co Director James Butcher said: “We want to begin the first phase of work – which will involve a substantial investment – in the Spring. The aim is to inject fresh impetus into this important development, which is made up of seventeen retail and office units, plus some first floor flats.
“The phase one proposals include opening up the central courtyard area, by removing the existing bandstand and a display unit. There are also plans to remove the colonnades fronting the shops along the southern side of the development.
“The idea is to improve these substantially, by removing the existing, dated cladding on the front of shops units and revamping the ground and upper floor elevations.
“If all goes well, Lincolnshire Co-operative is hoping to invest a further sum of money in upgrading the western block of properties in Riverside, through a second phase of work.”
Lincolnshire Co-operative Chief Executive Ursula Lidbetter said: “Over the past few years the Riverside Shopping Centre has attracted a wide range of businesses, from card shops to cafés, pet stores and hairdressers.
“This development also provides a useful link from Southgate to a supermarket and 100-space car park behind, so it attracts a regular footfall and the potential of extra passing trade for tenants.
“We expect the first phase of work to take about 13 weeks to complete. Existing Riverside businesses will be able to continue trading as normal throughout and we hope that our improvements will attract other new enterprises to this area.”
