Bus Service Cancelled for New Lincoln Accommodation

Last year, permission was granted by the City of Lincoln Council for Bishop Grosseteste University's plans to build an additional 293-bed student accommodation on their proposed site, at the front of the Yarborough Leisure Centre.

The accommodation will consist of four 2 or 3 storey buildings on Riseholme Road, as well as five 3 or 4 storey buildings behind them.

Approval was granted by the planning committee on the condition that an additional bus service would be provisioned. Additional conditions for approval included hedge and tree protection being in place continuously over the course of the construction.

At the time of the application, it was stated that Stagecoach were running services on Friday and Saturday evenings. A request was made by Lincolnshire County Council for this service to be extended and instead run Monday-Saturday. They requested the service be in operation prior to the accommodation becoming occupied, and last for a minimum of 3-years following completion of the development.

However, in a meeting this week, the council was told that the Stagecoach service was not actually in operation, and that the cost of providing such a service could be as high as £250,000.

In response, Lincolnshire County Council withdrew the request, and the City of Lincoln Council planning committee agreed to drop the condition for the bus service on the planning application.

Councillor Gary Hewson, a supporter of the original condition, stated: "I recognise it hasn't been successful and the reasons for it. I have no problems accepting the rest of the application with the other conditions with it".

Councillor Biff Bean commented that there had been no guarantees the service would have run anyway, particularly as it was trying to impose controls on a private bus company.

The construction on the accommodation will have to begin within three years.