The aim of the project is to revitalise Market Place to reinstate it as the heart of the town centre.
The road works being undertaken will raise the road to the same level as the existing paving. This will create a space which can be more flexibly used for events, activities, and recreation, support the regeneration of Grantham’s market, and thereby drive an increase in foot fall to Westgate and the Marketplace.
Throughout the works Market Place remains open to pedestrians and businesses are open as normal.
The project is funded by the Department of Leveling Up, Housing and Communities as part of the Future High Street Fund programme.
What is happening in Market Place?
The level of the carriage way is being raised to the same level as the existing York stone paved areas. It will be paved in matching York Stone to create a visually cohesive, single level space.
The edges of the carriageway will be lined with granite sets to clearly outline the road for drivers and pedestrians.
Is Market Place being pedestrianised?
No. There are currently no plans to pedestrianise Market Place, Westgate or any areas of the High Street which are currently open to vehicle traffic.
The new paving areas have been specifically designed to the required standards to accommodate vehicle traffic.
Will the project be removing any parking from Market Place or Westgate?
No. There will be no reduction in parking following the completion of the works.
The parking spaces outside 1-3 Market Place (Prime Comfort, The Red Cross Shop, Martin and Co. Estate Agents and Reflect Recruitment) will remain accessible from Westgate throughout the works and will be open as normal following their completion.
The existing layby loading/ unloading areas on Market Place will be raised to the level of the market paving, however these will remain as clearly marked loading areas and will reopen following the completion of the works.
All parking on Westgate will remain unchanged throughout.
What benefits will this bring?
Following the completion of the works, Market Place will be a more flexible space, which will become a destination for community events and activities as well as specialist markets.
The work will reinstate Market Place as a centre of community activity in Grantham.
The refurbishment and reopening of the nearby Conduit Lane toilets will support this work but providing a vital facility for those using the town centre.
Alongside the works a series of activities and events will encourage visitors and support footfall in the town centre.
How much are the works costing?
The project budget is £1.8 Million, which includes contingency funds. The project is part of a larger £4.1 Million Programme of public realm works and highways improvements which also includes improvements to the Station Road/Wharf Road/ Harlaxton Road/ Sankt Augustin Way junction.
The public toilets in Conduit Lane carpark will also be renovated and reopened.
Additional Future High Streets Funding will deliver a grant programme to support the conversion of vacant upper floor retail space to high quality town centre accommodation.
How long will road closures be in place?
Road Closures are necessary for the safety and welfare of both the public and contractors while works are undertaken.
It is expected Market Place will reopen for vehicles as normal on 19th August, providing that no unforeseen circumstances arise with the works.
SKDC originally advised works would be going on for 22 weeks, ending in October, why has this changed?
The October date originally reported is the ‘long stop’ date for the project, and this includes contingency time should any unforeseen circumstances arise. For example, this could include the discovery of utility or services cables/ pipework which was not indicated in the survey works.
The contractors and project team will be doing all in their power to see the works complete by the 19th of August date and the road reopened to schedule, and are confident that this will be the case; however, October is the latest that the project could continue.
Where can I park during the works?
All town centre carparks remain open as normal, and there is no alteration to parking on Wide Westgate or Narrow Westgate (up to the point of the road closure).
Vehicles can still access the layby area outside numbers 1 – 3 Market Place (Prime Comfort, Red Cross, Reflect Recruitment) from Westgate.
The nearest carparks and walking times to the Market Place are:
- Conduit Lane Carpark (2 minutes) NG31 6PB
- Watergate Carpark (3 minutes) NG31 6NS
- Guildhall Street Carpark (5 minutes) NG31 6NJ
Other parking is available at the multi-storey car parks at Wharf Road (NG31 6BJ) and Welham Street (NG31 6QU) which are both less than 10 minutes from the market place.
Supermarket parking is unaffected.
Is compensation available for businesses?
There is no automatic compensation available to businesses, however businesses which can demonstrate that they have been severely affected by the works may be able to make a claim to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates relief.
More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/introduction-to-business-rates/if-your-business-or-premises-change-or-cant-be-used
How will deliveries be managed?
All businesses in and around Market Place have been visited by the contractor’s Public Liaison Officer, Joanne Plews and the arrangements for deliveries have been explained. Where necessary special arrangements – including the removal of bollards to Butchers Row will be put in place to facilitate access.
Gate Staff will be present throughout the duration of the works to facilitate deliveries to businesses.
Where possible we ask that businesses notify the site team of deliveries in advance by contacting Joanne Plews on 07768 940 187
This will reduce any delays in access.
Where it is not possible to give advanced notice of a delivery, drivers should report to the gate staff on arrival, and they will arrange for access.
Who can I contact if I have any problems?
Businesses or residents with any questions or concerns about the project works, or wishing to arrange access for a delivery should contact Joanne Plews, Public Liaison Officer (Taylor Woodrow) on 07768 940 187.
When will contractors be operating on site?
Contractors have permission to operate on the site from 7am – 7pm Monday - Friday. This is to make the most of the daylight hours and minimise the length of time that works are on site.
Why weren’t the works phased to prevent a full road closure of Market Place?
A phased approach for the works was considered, however as Market Place is a small working area, this would have required repeated movement of equipment, materials, and contractors on and off site to allow for the phasing of works.
This would have resulted in a longer period of disruption and would have been more expensive.
As any partial closure of the road through Market Place would result in vehicles passing close to contractors, a partial closure also raised significant health and safety concerns for both contractors and pedestrians in the area.
Why didn’t the works wait until after the Southern Relief Road opened to reduce the impact of these road closures on traffic in Grantham?
The Future High Street Fund grant is time limited, and all the projects being delivered with the funding must be completed by 31st March 2025.