The district has a local regeneration plan until 2036
South Kesteven is a region in South West Lincolnshire and is famous for being the birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton and also of Britain’s only female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.
South Kesteven District Council has a local plan until 2036 which includes: “new development requirements for the period to 2036, in particular providing for the objectively assessed housing needs of the district”. The also district has plans for an additional 13,600 homes.
Grantham currently has several sites of regeneration underway in and around the town. Greyfriars, which is a centrally located area of the town, will feature a mixed-use redevelopment of retail, leisure and housing. Wharf Place, occupies a prominent position in the town centre and provides the opportunity for a mix of retail and leisure uses alongside residential and offices.
Grantham Canal Basin lies to the west of the town, there is a long term project to rejuvenate it. The plans include residential, leisure and retail opportunities alongside the canal basin.
The Southern Quadrant of the Somberly Hill site has recently been approved. There is set to be 4,000 two, three and four-bed homes. To help improve the area there will be a new link road which is due to be complete in 2019.
Property prices in the borough vary due to the large size of the area. The wider Lincolnshire area is seeing signs of a recovery with average prices topping £130,000 for the first time in more than six years, according to figures from the Land Registry. Grantham, for example, has seen an increase of 2.98%, meaning the average price is now at £188,000, meanwhile Stamford has seen a 7.8% increase and house prices are nearly £100,000 more than Grantham, according to Zoopla.
The 2011 Census found the district has a population of 133,788, and 13.4% of that population privately rent properties. Due to the fast connectivity of Grantham to London Kings Cross, which only takes 90 minutes on the train, the district has a high amount of professionals.
For more information download your free South Kesteven Property Investment Guide.
Economy & Employment
Construction and manufacturing alongside education and health account for 50% of the borough’s employment.
The main employers in South Kesteven are Cummins Generator Technologies (Stamford), Genie UK Ltd (Grantham), Advantage Group (Stamford), Chandlers Farm Equipment (Grantham) and Thera Trust (Grantham). In addition, farming is the main rural industry.
The area also has a relatively low local unemployment rate and with its excellent connectivity around 20% of residents commute outside the district for their daily work.
The A15 corridor around Bourne has the highest working population within the district, around 65% of workers are employed in this area.
Stamford has a presence in the publishing sector, helped by the proximity of EMAP (East Midlands Allied Press) who specialise in business-to-business magazines in Orton, Peterborough.
The largest employer in Bourne is the Bourne Prepared Produce site who prepare salads and stir-frys.
For more information download your free South Kesteven Property Investment Guide.
Investment
Grantham has six regeneration projects currently underway, including more than 7000 new homes.
The district opened its first purpose-built business innovation centre (Eventus), in Market Deeping in July 2010, with the aim to attract more high-tech companies. It was funded by the district and county councils.
Outside of the main towns, commercial development has been allocated for Colsterworth and the Roseland Business Park at Long Bennington on part of the former RAF Bottesford.
Grantham has six regeneration projects underway. Wharf Place occupies a prominent position in the town centre adjacent to Station Approach and provides the opportunity for a mix of retail and leisure uses, supported by a range of further uses including residential and offices.
In the Queensway area, there will be 43 two storey homes. Built on a 1.3-hectare site, the new area will have two access roads to allow easy access.
Approval for a multiplex cinema in Grantham is also moving closer. It will be built as a new leisure quarter.
Transport
Air: The East Midlands Airport is the nearest to serve South Kesteven, being situated around 30 miles from Grantham.
Rail: The Birmingham to Peterborough line passes through Stamford, which is an important east-west route. Grantham to Peterborough is 21 min, Nottingham 37 min and London King’s Cross in 1h 14min.
Road: The A1 serves the area, as does the A52 (the busy more direct east-west route) with the A15 being a quieter route and goes through the centre of many villages.
Bus: There are ample bus services that serve the South Kesteven area, both throughout the borough and further afield to surrounding areas.
Education
The district of South Kesteven has 51 primary schools and 10 state secondary schools. There are 8 independent schools.
South Kesteven has the second best GCSE results for districts in Lincolnshire. It has a mixture of selective and comprehensive education, depending on which town you go to school in. Grantham and Bourne have selective schools and Market Deeping has a comprehensive school.
Further Education: New College Stamford is aimed at 14 to 16-year-olds, sixth formers and those taking higher education and vocational further education within full or part-time courses. It includes courses in entertaining, music, dance, drama, broadcasting, television, radio, journalism, land-based science, medicine, nursing, dentistry, forensics, fashion, textiles, crafts, traditional trowel trades, carpentry, joinery, childcare, computing, sport and arts, and motor vehicle courses.
Higher Education: There are no universities in South Kesteven, however several colleges throughout the region offer HE courses. The nearest university is a short ride on the train to Peterborough.
Shops & Leisure
Shopping: Stamford is a bustling market town. It has a wide range of shops and attractions. The main street market is on a Friday with a smaller Saturday market and once a fortnight there is a farmers’ market. Grantham has an expanding and developing town centre, with many thriving shops, indoor shopping centres and a bustling Saturday street market.
Culture: On the outskirts of Stamford is an impressive Elizabethan house in England, Burghley House has eighteen treasure-filled staterooms boasting a world-renowned collection of tapestries, porcelain and paintings. North of Grantham is Belton House, a restored country house with 25 rooms open to the public, 1,300 acres landscaped park, formal gardens and a woodland adventure playground.
Green Space: The Bowthorpe Oak at Manthorpe, Nr. Bourne is an ancient hollow oak tree with massive girth. It is featured in the Guinness Book of Records and also mentioned in the Domesday Book, it is open all year and located south of Witham on the Hill Cross Roads.
