How Scunthorpe will look in 2024

2023 was the year Scunthorpe got its first ever Starbucks drive-thru, opening in Mannaberg Way by early December.

But what changes could happen to the town next year? How will it look in 2024?

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has picked out a few of the most notable developments in Scunthorpe and Barton that will be completed or progress significantly in the new year. From a new police station to plans to tackle empty shops, to a longed-for relief road, it looks like it will be quite a year of change in North Lincolnshire.

Enterprise and innovation hub / police station

Much of this year has seen construction at Scunthorpe’s old market site on the High Street. It is for an enterprise and innovation hub, and a new police station is planned right next to it.

The hub will consist of an accommodation bloc of 46 units. It will have flexible, high-quality office space, with an emphasis on encouraging collaborative working. There will be a high-end licensed café and a bar too. In late 2022, the cost of the scheme had risen to £13.9m. More than £10m government Future High Streets Fund cash is mostly funding it, but the council is paying the rest.

The Towns Funds Board heard in July that Project Anchor, as the build of the hub is called, would be completed by June 21, 2024. The accommodation bloc element is being finished first. Invest in North Lincolnshire states the hub is “arriving in Q1 2024”. Opposition Labour councillors have regularly questioned its value and labelled it a “vanity project”.

how scunthorpe will look in 2024

Artist’s impression of proposed Scunthorpe police station

As for the police station, a planning application was set to be submitted in mid-December, meaning people can still expect construction work near the High Street. The council is spending £4m Towns Fund cash on the new police station.

20-21 Visual Arts Centre

Within sight of the new hub, scaffolding is up on St John’s Church. UK Restoration Service (UKRS) has been awarded the £1.5m contract for the conservation work and began in early December. The work contract end date is May 31.

Extensive repairs and rebuilding of the roofs as well as the descaling, cleaning and repointing of stonework will feature. Internal restoration work is expected to be completed by April 2024.

The works will preserve the historic building and pave the way for Discover@20-21, a new children’s science and tech centre in the church. The council is putting £2.5m Towns Fund cash to realise the project.

how scunthorpe will look in 2024

Where a community diagnostics centre will be built in Scunthorpe, as it looked in late October 2023.

Community Diagnostics Centre

A short walk away from the church is Lindum Street and the multi-storey car park. On the outside car park section contractors have been working away since the autumn constructing the town’s £19.4m NHS community diagostics centre (CDC).

This will have the capacity to handle up to 146,000 health appointments a year, including x-rays. It is expected to open next summer.

High Street empty shops

Scunthorpe was recently awarded £15.9m Levelling Up Fund cash, with a particular focus on the town centre and High Street’s empty shops. The cash will be used to convert some shops into homes, and split others into smaller units to entice more independent businesses.

There are no definitely known empty shop locations that will be converted, so 2024 is likely to see news first of where and then work later in the year.

Elsewhere in Scunthorpe, work on a significant new retail park by the roundabout where Kingsway meets Queensway is already taking place. Construction began in September. This retail park will include Scunthorpe’s second-ever Starbucks drive thru. There will also be a convenience store and another retail unit, which Co-Op and Cooplands were originally linked to.

how scunthorpe will look in 2024

Work has already begun on the Kingsway development, pictured here in April just after planning permission was granted

Almscliffe Dhesi Developments (Scunthorpe) Ltd are the developers and the council actually refused permission for it. But it was overturned on appeal.

Barton bypass road

Funding came in January for this, new cycleways in the town and a transformation of the Barton Interchange where public transport users can swap between bus and rail.

The new, more than one mile long link road will connect Barrow Road (A1077) to Caistor Road (B1206). Planning documents submitted earlier this autumn indicate the intention is for construction to begin in September 2024. It will aim to be completed by May 2025.

What shops would you like to see on Scunthorpe’s high street? Take part in the poll via the link below, or click here

The Steelworks

Up to 2,000 jobs are at risk in future years at British Steel in Scunthorpe. This is because it is closing down its blast furnaces and replacing them with an electric arc furnace.

The arc furnace could be operational by late 2025 – the blast furnaces will be kept open at least until their replacement is operational. The developments of these plans will be closely followed next year.

The council and British Steel announced on the same day as the future steelworks changes announcement plans for an advanced manufacturing park on undeveloped steelworks land. Arup have begun work on a masterplan, and it is reported the park could create 3,000 jobs. However, there is no planning application yet.

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