Almost half a million pounds will be invested in projects that conserve Horncastle’s heritage, thanks to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This will include almost a quarter of a million to revitalise and regenerate the town centre, supported by Heritage Lincolnshire, and funding for plans to secure the long-term future of the Sir Joseph Banks Centre. Aimed at projects with a focus on improving the lives of residents, the development of facilities and cultural or historic assets across the district, the funding has also been awarded to other projects in the area. A total of £263,693 has been met with match funding to reach a total of £450,000. The funding has been awarded across the district to: Heritage Lincolnshire – A heritage-led regeneration scheme to improve Horncastle’s historic town centre. This project will include offering grants for repairs and reinstatement of buildings, feasibility funding and public realm improvements. Sir Joseph Banks Society – The acquisition of the Sir Joseph Banks Society in Horncastle to secure long-term sustainability of the asset, with a view to developing the site further as a Natural History Hub in the future. Louth Riverhead Theatre – Installation of a high-spec digital media video wall at the theatre which will enhance stage capabilities, enable digital training, improve accessibility and help sustain the theatre for years to come. YMCA Lincolnshire – To establish 10 local networks of grassroots community organisers across East Lindsey to share practice, improve coordination, reduce duplication and crucially, to support communities in accessing the resources they need to grow. Alford Manor House – Investment in the Grade II* listed building to support the renovation of the historic Wash House. This is to support the substantial investment being made in the Alford Manor House via the UK Government. Councillor Steve Kirk, portfolio holder for the coastal economy, and councillor Adam Grist, portfolio holder for market towns and the rural economy, said: “The UK Shared Prosperity Fund continues to make a real and visible difference across East Lindsey. “This latest round of funding is no exception — supporting a wide range of impactful projects that also reach deep into our rural communities and demonstrate how impactful a combination of private and public investment can be. “We are really pleased to see the emerging, exciting plans to transform Horncastle Town Centre and are looking forward to seeing the results in the coming weeks and months.”   Image: Sir Joseph Banks Centre. Credit: Google maps

Two community sites in Messingham are receiving a combined £26,750 to improve facilities and expand access for local residents.

At Holme Meadow Recreation Field, £11,000 has been allocated for the installation of outdoor gym equipment. The new eight-station set will cater to both teenagers and adults, encouraging more opportunities for exercise and addressing concerns over rising levels of teenage obesity.

The Messingham Show Field will see £15,750 invested in a new hard-standing access path and gate. The improvements are designed to make the historic showground more accessible to wheelchair users and those with mobility scooters. The field, which has hosted events since 1825, also provides space for football matches and pony club activities.

Funding for the projects comes through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, managed by North Lincolnshire Council, to support healthier and more inclusive communities across the region.

Image credit: North Lincolnshire Council

Waltham Windmill, the last to be built in Lincolnshire, is undergoing a major restoration to preserve its place on the county’s skyline.  Built between 1878 and 1880 from 250,000 local bricks, the six-storey mill has long been a symbol of Waltham. It served as a Home Guard lookout during the Second World War and remains one of the few mills in the country still able to grind flour.  Michael Date of the Waltham Windmill Preservation Society described it as “an iconic building on the landscape of Northern Lincolnshire” and “a relic of a bygone age which should be saved for generations to come.”  The £160,000 restoration is being completed in two phases with support from Historic England, which placed the mill on its buildings at risk register. Grants have funded repairs to the cap, sails and fly frame, with further work now under way to secure its long-term future.  For Date, the details of the cap remain a personal fascination. “The workings of the fantail to move the cap and sails around the curb rail to keep the sails into the wind, and the linkages that connect the sails to drive the millstones,” he said, are features most visitors overlook.  Local legend also surrounds the site. During the war, the Air Ministry is said to have considered demolishing it, fearing it might guide enemy bombers. The miller resisted, reportedly declaring it would happen “over my dead body.” Instead, the mill survived and was turned into a lookout post.  Looking ahead, plans include new visitor facilities, expanded museum displays and even an on-site bakery. “The mill continues to be a place to visit within the county: a centre for a variety of events to cater for a variety of interests,” Date said.    Image credit: Waltham Windmill Society

A £1m grant from Historic England has been awarded to Spilsby Sessions House, paving the way for vital conservation work on the Grade II listed building.

The theatre has been closed since appearing on the Theatres Trust at-risk register in 2015. With this new funding, repairs will focus on the roof, brickwork, and windows.

It follows £5m already allocated from the government’s Levelling Up Fund, which will support the site’s transformation into a cultural hub. Plans lodged with the council earlier this year set out proposals for a café, meeting space, offices, a heritage display, and outdoor seating.

Further applications, including one to Arts Council England, are in progress to complete the internal fit-out. Early-stage work to prepare the building for reopening is already under way.

The redevelopment forms part of the £8m Lincolnshire Wolds Culture & Heritage programme, which also includes improvements to Alford Manor House and Alford Windmill. The projects aim to expand cultural attractions across the region, with Alford Windmill set to gain a new visitor centre and Alford Manor House a function room.

The combined investment is intended to secure the long-term future of the county’s historic venues while broadening their role in community life.

Image credit: East Lindsey District Council

Weekly food waste recycling has now been introduced across North East Lincolnshire following a successful pilot.

The trial involved more than 5,000 households, with participants backing the move after reporting the collections were useful.

The scheme is part of the council’s wider recycling plans and has also created new local jobs. Residents are being supplied with indoor caddies and outdoor containers, while food waste is being collected weekly using a new fleet of vehicles.

The rollout aims to reduce landfill, increase recycling rates and give households a simple way to separate their food waste from general rubbish.

Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/tommoh29

A community arts centre based in Grimsby’s docklands has received more than half a million pounds to restore and expand its facilities.

Unseen Arts will use £437,741 from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Capital Fund and £150,000 from North East Lincolnshire Council’s Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas repair grant scheme to regenerate two historic buildings on Auckland Road.

The project includes external repairs, reinstating traditional features, and making the buildings watertight. Inside, a new visual arts studio with ceramics facilities, an arts café and event space, and an extended performance studio are planned. Dedicated makers’ spaces will also be created for hire by artists.

Essential upgrades, such as roof work, reinstated windows, and an accessible toilet, form part of the programme.

Unseen Arts, a Community Interest Company founded in 2024, offers classes and workshops across aerial arts, performance, and visual arts. The redevelopment will allow the organisation to expand its programmes for adults, children, and young people.

The investment forms part of a wider heritage-led regeneration scheme launched in 2017, which has already supported the restoration of several buildings in the Port of Grimsby. A second phase of funding was approved earlier this year to continue the scheme for another three years.

Image credit: North East Lincolnshire Council