‘Momentous’ urban extension to Skegness could create hundreds of jobs

Plans to create a 136-hectare urban extension to Skegness have been submitted to East Lindsey District Council.

The “momentous” Skegness Gateway scheme to the west of the town would include 1,000 new homes, 20 hectares of retail, business and industrial space and create hundreds of jobs.

New recreational amenities and a college and learning campus with space for start-up businesses have also been proposed.

The council is set to launch a consultation on a draft Local Development Order (LDO) to give the public and other stakeholders a chance to air their views.

The development would be situated on land owned by local family business Croftmarsh and additional areas owned by the Scarbrough family.

Sue Bowser, of Croftmarsh, said: “We are pleased to support the council in its vision to bring these ambitious plans to reality. This LDO submission is a really significant step. Our family has lived and worked in Skegness for many generations, so it’s a great source of pride that we can support a development that will help secure the town’s future by creating thousands of jobs and homes for both existing local residents and attract a new generation of people to the area.

We are working closely with East Lindsey District Council and other partners to bring forward a scheme that will work alongside the regeneration being enabled by the Towns Fund.”

She added: “We know that Skegness is a town that needs economic transformation. The mechanism for that is through urban regeneration and expansion of skills, training and education – all secured by investment and infrastructure and digital connectivity.

“Ours is a town in real need. There isn’t enough money in the town to pay for this all year round and the secret to this is to have more people living here. We need to create jobs. We need to build infrastructure and provide the significant benefits that government is seeking in places such as Skegness.

“We want to enable the delivery of hundreds of new homes not just for the people who live in the local area – but for those people we want to attract to come and live and work in Skegness. This scheme will transform the area, putting it on the map and making the town famous not just for its beaches, but for its enterprise.”

Croftmarsh is run by the Sanderson family, which has lived and worked in the Skegness area for seven generations.

Neil Sanderson, Bowser’s brother, said: “Skegness Gateway really is close to our hearts and homes, and making sure it becomes the reality that puts our town firmly on the map is our key aim. This is a town that we have grown up in and really understand what a difference the scheme and its benefits will make to local people.

“The LDO submission marks a key point in the journey to making these plans a reality for the whole of Skegness and the wider area to benefit from. We look forward to continuing our support to East Lindsey District Council throughout the process – and to making its vision a reality.”

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