SKDC set to put £8m funding in place for ‘fit-for-purpose’ new depot

The former Fenland Foods factory, Turnpike Close

A new waste depot could move a step closer next week as South Kesteven District Council moves to allocate £8m for the project.

SKDC’s Cabinet is being asked to vote on a proposal to set aside the money following a recommendation from the joint overview and scrutiny committee in July.

The new depot at Turnpike Close, Grantham, would enable a move from the out-of-date 1970s depot at Alexandra Road, Grantham, which is no longer fit for purpose, does not allow for service expansion and no longer supports the Council’s current and future operational needs.

Council Leader, Cllr Richard Cleaver, said: “The existing depot will be unable to cope with the increased service provision which our projected growth in population will require; this is a major factor in our decision to seek a new, larger site.

“It also requires increasing maintenance costs and significant levels of investment if it is to remain an operational facility that is able to respond to the District’s projected growth.

“The priority for a replacement depot was identified in the Corporate Plan 2020-2023 with a key action under the corporate priority of ‘Building a Fit-For-Purpose Depot’.”

A new depot would also contribute towards the Council’s agreed carbon reduction targets of at least 30% by 2030. The new site would maximise renewable energy generation, with buildings being heated using low-carbon energy and other sustainable features including PV panels, EV charging units for the Councils pool car vehicles.

A back-up generator at the new depot would provide the new location with back-up power in the event of a power outage, giving business continuity for the whole Council in the event of an emergency.

With more than 280 staff working from Alexandra Road, the current site – shared with the Council’s CCTV unit and Lincolnshire County Council’s Household Waste Recycling Centre – is constrained in terms of parking, with no space for additional operational vehicles. 

It is expected that a planning application for the Turnpike Close scheme will be submitted in October 2023 for consideration.