South Kesteven District Council Deputy Leader Richard Cleaver (Independent) offered reassurance to residents regarding the St Martin's Park redevelopment in Stamford, stating that the project's "bad days" are behind them.

In recent weeks, SKDC has faced criticism following revelations that it acquired land for a project on the outskirts of Stamford at a price exceeding £1.8 million above the actual value of the land. However, Councillor Cleaver has now reassured residents that the council is focused on recouping costs.

SKDC's St Martin's Park land was acquired in March 2019 under the former Conservative administration, led by Matthew Lee with Kelham Cooke as his deputy.

The council first purchased the 14.7-hectare site on Branack Road following the closure of the former Cumming's Factory, which threatened 500 jobs. In its place, SKDC planned to develop a mixed-use project with offices, workshops, a food shop, a cafe, 190 homes, and a retirement village.

To date, the council has committed a total of £10.5 million to the development, breaking down the costs as follows: £8 million for the land purchase, £1.5 million for demolition, £500,000 for master planning, and £500,000 for premises maintenance. Nonetheless, it has since transpired that the land is only valued at £6.2 million.

Demolition works started in April 2022 and concluded in December 2022. Currently, the site houses three large stockpiles of crushed materials intended for use in future development.

Councillor Cleaver explained that although he was not a councillor at the time of the acquisition, he was still a concerned resident.

He recalled, "There was tremendous concern in the town when the factory closed," noting that it was one of the largest private sector employers in Stamford at the time.

As a result, the local authority entered into an agreement with Burghley Estates, the owners of the neighbouring land, who expressed interest in developing high-value housing on that parcel. Together, they shared the costs of proceeding with the masterplan.

"I came in as leader in May last year and we picked up a situation where the site had been largely cleared and was still in SKDC's ownership.

"It's well known that there is a collaboration agreement in place with Burghley Land," explained Councillor Cleaver. "We had to build from that point to try and make sure the council recoups its money."

He later stated that the council would recoup costs from the project once it sells the land, and that the valuation wasn't wholly representative of the total value, as it did not properly take into account that it would be used for both housing and employment opportunities.

Although there wasn't much he could say about the council's next steps due to commercial sensitivity, the representative for Stamford St Johns ward continued: "We don't want to withhold anything we need to withhold."

"We inherited this situation, and we are striving for the best outcome for the council financially and the people of Stamford locally. The council has agreed in a cross-party manner on a way forward based on officer negotiations.

"The bad days are behind us and all we can do now is make sure things get better. We have acquired the site and we haven't sold it yet."

Former SKDC Leader Kelham Cooke (Conservative), who was deputy leader at the time of the acquisition, was also approached but did not wish to comment.