Permissions have been granted to build the first 204 homes on the site which will link the Barrowby Gate and Gonerby Hill Foot estates.

Once completed the development will include 1,800 homes, community facilities, open spaces a new linking road and a bridge over the East Coast mainline railway.

SKDC’s portfolio holder for grow the economy – economic development, Cllr Frances Cartwright said: “Poplar Farm is an integral part of our plans for the growth of Grantham and now that planning has been granted developers can start to make some headway into the re-development of this area which we call the North West Quadrant.”

The North West Quadrant is part of the council’s Grantham Growth initiative and is included within the local development framework.

The new homes will be a mixture of privately owned and affordable two, three and four bedroom homes with some shared ownership. Once completed the link road will form the Pennine Way which will create a direct road link from Gonerby Hill Foot through the development to the Muddle Go Nowhere pub roundabout.

South Kesteven District Council has granted planning permission for the new centre to the west of Grantham railway station. The project aims to create four stories of much-needed, high-quality office space for small and medium enterprises, along with conferencing facilities. It will also act as a hub for business support and will host a programme of events promoting innovative development, business-to-business networking and much more.

The new business centre is part of the Grantham Growth project, led by Lincolnshire County Council and South Kesteven District Council, which aims to create a more prosperous future for the town. Earlier this year, the partners were awarded a conditional £1.5m grant from the European Regional Development Fund to contribute to the estimated £4.2m cost of the new building.

Cllr Eddy Poll, Executive Member for Economic Development at LCC, said: “The new business centre will mean new jobs and new investment – it’s an opportunity Grantham can’t afford to miss. Following the recent refurbishment of the market place, this is the next step in creating a more prosperous future for the town.

The centre is a key element of the Station Approach redevelopment, and our aspirations are for more high quality office based employment, ancillary retail units, a hotel, some new homes, and an attractive pedestrian boulevard connecting the train station to the town centre.

Cllr Frances Cartwright, SKDC portfolio holder for economic development, added: “We see the redevelopment of the Station Approach as vital for the future of Grantham. When this project is complete everyone will see how serious we are in our aspirations to improve employment prospects in Grantham.”

Residents in Grantham are being asked to choose their preferred layout for the Southern Quadrant – an area of land to the south of the town which includes the East/West Relief Road.

Two options have been developed following work with the land owner, The Buckminster Trust, and partners and will be available to view on the South Kesteven District Council website.

Local people will also be able to see the proposals at first hand at three public drop-in sessions during a six-week consultation.

Plans for the development, located between the A52 Somerby Hill and the B1174 Spittlegate Level, include:

• Up to 4,000 new homes, together with employment opportunities
• Provision of the East/West Relief Road – forward funded by Lincolnshire County Council
• Schools, open spaces, community and shopping facilities
• The road is a key part of the Southern Quadrant site and it is now very much a reality owing to Lincolnshire County Council’s willingness to provide early funding, to ease cash flow, enabling it to be built ahead of planned housing.

SKDC Leader Cllr Linda Neal said it was essential that residents were able to have their say to ensure that the development is well thought out and built in a controlled way.

Cllr Neal said:

“We want to make sure that any future development fits in with the existing area, protects the environment where possible, and is sensitive to the existing communities. That’s why we want to hear the views of local people during this important consultation stage.”

Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, Martin Hill, said he recognised how important the development is for the town of Grantham.

He said:

“The new road will help remove traffic from the town centre as well as service the new homes and businesses. We have made provision for it within our budget to help speed up its construction, as we have for the Lincoln Eastern Bypass. This money will be recovered in due course from the developers.”

As well as giving feedback on-line, there are three drop-in sessions planned near the site for local residents and in the town centre. They are:

• Witham Place sheltered housing complex on Bridge End Road, Grantham, on Thursday 19 April 2012 between 2pm-7pm
• Grantham Library (Isaac Newton Centre) on Friday 27 April 10am-3pm
• Grantham Library (Isaac Newton Centre) on Saturday 28 April 9.30am-12.30pm
• Cllr Frances Cartwright, Cabinet member and portfolio holder for economic development, also encouraged people to have their say.

She said:

“We would like people to spare us just a few moments to fill out a questionnaire, either on the website or at the drop-in events, which asks them to choose their preferred layout and tell us what they liked and disliked about both options.”

“Staff from both South Kesteven District Council and Lincolnshire County Council will be available to answer any questions you may have.”

Comments which must be received by SKDC by Friday 11 May 2012 and will be used to develop a preferred design for the site which will go out for further consultation in Autumn this year.

Anyone who would like further information should contact the planning policy team on 01476 406049.

The shop front scheme, which is piloting in Grantham Market Place and Westgate is just one of a number of important initiatives SKDC is introducing to encourage more people to visit our towns and help new and existing businesses to thrive.

We are also consulting on reducing car parking charges in our short stay car parks. The Shop Front Grant Scheme  aims to benefit the local economy and local people by making a big difference to the appearance of our towns and local businesses are being encouraged to seize this opportunity.

SKDC approved the scheme in its budget on 3 March 2011, an allocation of £80k a year for the next four years has been made to the scheme which will be open to grant applications in the region of 75% of eligible costs.

A pilot scheme will be rolled out throughout the district over the next four years.

Work may include:

• Restoration/repair of existing shop front
• Replacement of shop front which must be in keeping with the style of the building and character of the area
• Repair to windows and doors
• Pointing
• Stonework repairs
• Replacement of signs
• Repairs/replacement of canopies
• Repainting of externals

The scheme is especially aimed at small independent retailers who need a helping hand during tough economic trading.

Applications will be assessed on merit in order to gain the maximum benefit from the funding available. For more details or information about the Shop Front Grant Scheme contact Lia Ibbotson on 01476 406308.

The first phase of the Market Place / Westgate project involved improvements to the Market Place and Narrow Westgate. This was completed in 2011, and works included: introduction of reduced traffic speed, new paving, new pedestrian friendly crossing points, revised parking arrangements with specific provision for loading and taxis, and public art.

The second phase is for the area of Wide Westgate, and will continue the design principles and type of materials as used in Market Place. The works for Wide Westgate are scheduled for completion in the Summer of 2012.