Charterholme, previous known as Western Growth Corridor, which will be jointly delivered by City of Lincoln Council and Lindum Western Growth Community Ltd, will be the largest project undertaken in the city for decades, bringing more than £500 million worth of investment into Lincoln over its lifetime and providing hundreds of jobs locally.
Situated off Skellingthorpe road, the development, which was approved in January 2022, will supply the city with 3,200 much needed new homes, a neighbourhood centre, community facilities, a business park and transport infrastructure that will help alleviate some of Lincoln’s worst traffic problems.
16 January, 2025. Update on Charterholme development progress:
City of Lincoln Council shares updates on Charterholme, an ambitious project delivering high-quality housing, modern infrastructure, and sustainable public spaces for the Lincoln community.
Eastern Access
Work on the eastern access route from Tritton Road is progressing well, following the appointment of John Graham Construction Limited in September 2024. The company is responsible for delivering the access road and a new vehicle and multi-user bridge over the railway line.
The council is working with Network Rail to ensure the bridge is delivered safely over the railway.
Lincolnshire County Council will adopt and maintain the bridge and access road once the construction and maintenance period are completed.
The project remains on track for completion by March 2026, with recent achievements including:
- Completion of the haul road and utility diversions.
- Ongoing bulk earthworks to establish embankments.
- Fabrication of bridge beams to prepare for installation.
Additionally, City of Lincoln Council has signed agreements with Lincolnshire County Council to allow for highway works at Tritton Road, to form the bell mouth and create a new signalised junction to integrate the access road with the existing infrastructure.
First Homes Underway
The first phase of housing, now branded One at Charterholme, is making excellent progress. Lindum Developments Limited is delivering the first 52 homes, with construction already underway on the first phase of 19 properties.
The initial homes are expected to be completed from summer 2025 onwards.
City of Lincoln Council and adjoining landowner Lindum are also exploring options to ensure the long-term management and sustainability of public open spaces within this phase, creating lasting benefits for the community.
Site-Wide Infrastructure Design
City of Lincoln Council is working closely with Homes England and partners to finalise the design of critical infrastructure, including the spine road, earthworks, and drainage systems.
Key milestones include working with key partners such as Homes England to support the design and planning process of the key infrastructure and the submission of detailed designs to the local planning authority expected by March 2025.
The council is also preparing a full business case to secure additional funding for infrastructure works, which will include utilities, ecological and archaeological preparations, and potentially a new footbridge on the line of the Catchwater drain.
Funding decisions and land agreements are expected by mid-2025, with contracting anticipated by autumn 2025.
5 December, 2024: Charterholme Unveiling
The unveiling of the community’s official identity is a significant milestone for the scheme, which is being brought forward by City of Lincoln Council in partnership with city-based regional construction business Lindum Group.
The name combines ‘Charter’, meaning the granting of authority or rights, and ‘holme’, an old English word for land as utilised in the neighbouring Hartsholme Park and Swanholme Lakes.
It is also a nod to The Charter of the Forest, an incredibly important medieval document that gave ordinary people the right to forage for food and graze animals on areas of land designated as royal forest, therefore offering some protection against economic hardship.
Lincoln Cathedral owns one of only two surviving copies of the 1217 Charter, which is on display at Lincoln Castle along with the Lincoln copy of Magna Carta from 1215.
Tritton Road Eastern Access
Significant time has been taken to plan transport infrastructure which will improve the overall road network in the area, including a new spine road, which will run through the centre of the development, providing a main road to connect the development into the city centre and surrounding area.
In August 2022, the city council, in partnership with Member of Parliament for Lincoln, Karl McCartney, submitted its bid for £20 million to create a road bridge and adjacent foot bridge linking the city’s Western Growth Corridor development to Tritton Road. The Government’s Levelling Up Round Two programme will see the bridge completed by March 2025, with work anticipated to start at the beginning of 2024.
September 2024: Work is now underway on the next phase of infrastructure works to create the eastern access into the Western Growth Corridor development
Led by civil engineering contractor GRAHAM, this significant milestone moves the ambitious project closer to delivering new infrastructure, housing, and economic growth opportunities for the city.
The works include the design and construction of a new bridge over the railway, which will provide access to the site for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.
Construction works for the new bridge is now underway, with the project set for completion by spring 2026, supported by a successful £20 million bid from government funding. This new infrastructure will establish a major access route into the site from Tritton Road, unlocking future phases of the development and enabling the delivery of new homes.
March 2024: New Skellingthorpe Road junction complete at Western Growth Corridor 12 weeks early
City of Lincoln Council has confirmed that the construction works to create a new signalised junction on Skellingthorpe Road/Birchwood Avenue, were completed in March 2024.
These works form part of the wider infrastructure for the Western Growth Corridor project.
This will mean that the current traffic management system was removed and the new signalised junction in operation for road users, 12 weeks ahead of schedule.
October 18, 2023: GRAHAM appointed as lead contractor for Western Growth Corridor:
GRAHAM, a leading construction and civil engineering company, has been appointed by the City of Lincoln Council to design and deliver crucial elements of the Western Growth Corridor development.
The Western Growth Corridor project in Lincoln is set to transform the city and bring new opportunities for housing and economic growth.
The work elements include the design and construction of a new vehicular/cycle/pedestrian bridge over the railway and a pedestrian bridge enhancing safety and connectivity between the site and the existing communities.
The Pagabo Civils & Infrastructure Framework has been used to procure and appoint GRAHAM for this Design and Construct project. The framework ensures that competent and experienced contractors are appointed for major infrastructure projects.
October Update, 2023:
Following outline planning consent approval for the overall Western Growth Corridor (WGC) project in January 2022 and further consultation earlier this year, plans for the first phase of housing development on the site have now been submitted.
The proposals include two and three storey homes, comprising a range of housing types and sizes and will be subject to further consultation as part of the planning process.
The theme of sustainability has been central to the design process, in terms of the homes themselves and in the wider landscape design and layout.
The aim is to deliver a high quality, gateway development with attractive, energy efficient homes.
Subject to approval, working with partners Lindum Homes, the homes will maximise insulation to allow for heating via air-source heat pumps, combined with solar panels and EV charging.
To view the planning application and make any comments, you can visit the website here and enter reference number: 2023/0736/RM.
August Update, 2023:
Plans to manage traffic during construction works to the new junction on Skellingthorpe Road/Birchwood Avenue in Lincoln, which will open up the Western Growth Corridor site, have been updated following earlier consultation in March 2023.
The main construction works commenced on 7 August 2023. The construction is expected for around 52 weeks, leading to the creation of a new signalised junction on Skellingthorpe Road, with access into the Western Growth Corridor site. Traffic management plans will be introduced to maintain and control the flow of traffic and to ensure the safety of the public and those working on the scheme.
During the works, the latest in technology temporary three-way traffic signals have been installed and remain active at all times, at the junction of a Skellingthorpe Road and Birchwood Avenue. These signals will be designed to allow traffic to be moving in all directions during the works.
These traffic controls will be closely monitored and managed on site, with changes or additional measures put in place as required to manage any incidents on the wider road network.
Pedestrian access will be maintained as well as access for residents and businesses at all times, with relevant signage in place.
Ahead of the main works starting, there will be some further enabling works taking place on the site in preparation. This is alongside the works to the land at the Church of the Latter Day Saints and will include setting up the main site compound and associated work.
Once these works are complete, the first phase of the Western Growth Corridor housing development will follow in early 2024 with the delivery of the first phase of homes subject to planning permissions. The first 300 homes will be accessed via this new southern access and will include a range of market houses. The overall vision for the development includes open green space, landscape features and accessible, attractive routes for pedestrians.
Western Growth Corridor newsletter
A newsletter updating residents of works on site was created in February 2023.
Future Western Growth Corridor development newsletters will be sent digitally to those who have signed up:
Western Growth Corridor plans
To read the planning application for Western Growth Corridor, please enter ‘2019/0294/RG3’ in the search section of the planning portal