Work starts on new council depot

An aerial shot of the development site – Copyright Lindum Group Ltd

Work is under way on a major project that will help ensure South Kesteven District Council can provide residents with essential services for decades to come.

A new £8.8m depot at Turnpike Close, Grantham, will offer modern, fit-for-purpose facilities that will be home to more than 250 staff.

Bin collection, street cleaning, and parks maintenance teams will operate from there, alongside housing repairs and maintenance teams, and there will be an extensive workshop for maintaining the council’s vehicle fleet.

The construction work will be carried out by Lindum Group Ltd.

The council’s Cabinet Member for Property  and Public Engagement Cllr Richard Cleaver said the new site would allow service provision to expand to meet the needs of a growing population.

“I am delighted to see work under way on the site,” he said. This is a significant capital investment that demonstrates SKDC’s commitment to future-proofing services for our residents.

“The current depot at Alexandra Road, Grantham, was built in the 1970s and is now at the end of its operational life. It is no longer fit-for-purpose, does not allow for service expansion and does not support the Council’s current and future operational needs.

“There are also issues with site access as it is in the heart of a residential area, health and safety concerns with respect to movement of vehicles and poor welfare standards for staff.”

The Council Leader, Cllr Ashley Baxter, said the new depot would have a positive impact on the Council’s carbon reduction ambitions and sustainability had been a core part of the design process.

“The new depot building has been designed with energy-efficiency in mind, will be cheaper to run and bring much-improved improved welfare standards for a valued, frontline workforce,” he said.

“There will be drying areas for staff, plus a canteen and training facilities, alongside an emergency planning facility and the infrastructure to enable increased use of electric vehicles, which will save money on traditional fuel costs.”

Lindum Group Co-chairman Edward Chambers said: “Lindum is pleased to be collaborating once again with South Kesteven District Council. We share SKDC’s vision of creating facilities that foster operational efficiency and sustainability while being future proof.

“Our in-house team of architects and engineers have helped to make the scheme viable. They worked with the council for four months to help align the project specification to the council’s budget and performance requirements.

“I look forward to seeing this building progress over the coming months and once complete, it will ensure SKDC can continue to meet the needs of a growing population by providing vital services from a modern, purpose-built facility.”

The Alexandra Road depot will remain operational until the new site is ready in 2025/26.

Pictured with plans for the depot site are, left to right, SKDC Cabinet Member for Property  and Public Engagement Cllr Richard Cleaver, Leader of the council Cllr Ashley Baxter and Lindum Group Co-chairman Edward Chambers.