G r A n t h A m

A town going places

G r A n t h A mA town going places

With its A1 links and high speed rail service to London – just over anhour – the town picked up two accolades within as many weeks when itwas named as one of the top commuter towns in the country with goodvalue property and one of the best towns to live in Britain.

The district of South Kesteven was also named one of the best 50 places to live in the UK in the 2013 Halifax Quality of Life survey.

It was one of only six districts outside the south to be selected and wasjudged 46th across a range of factors from residents' health, lifeexpectancy, earnings, employment, crime rate, weather, traffic flow andbroadband internet access.

Originally known for its engineering heritage, the Grantham of todayoffers a vibrant local economy, outstanding education opportunities, awonderful quality of life and a supportive and enterprising culture for adiverse range of businesses.

Grantham regularly hits the headlines and for all the right reasons!

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FAC t

Planned housing developmentswill see the population of thishistoric town reach 60,000 by2026 – an increase of 30% –with additional schools, moreshops and community facilitiesbuilt to accompany the socialand economic growth.

Located in the centre ofEngland, Grantham is superblysituated for both businessesand residents to prosper:

n An hour to commute toLondon

n Direct and frequent trains toLondon King’s Cross

n A1 gateway to industrial andcommercial centres

n Easy reach of internationalairports

n Nottingham and Leicester tothe west, Peterborough to thesouth and Lincoln to thenorth

Grantham is the largest town in South LincolnshireIt is a town of firsts – first discovery of gravity, first female PrimeMinister, first female police officer, first diesel engine

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Town set to grow by 30%

What will you discover?

Mentioned as a Royal Manor in theDomesday Book, Grantham has come a longway since the days when it was known as astopping place for kings and noblemen.

The Angel and Royal Hotel, originally a courtof King John, still takes pride of place in theHigh Street but over the years the town hasexpanded and developed and is now hometo many shops, indoor shopping centresand a bustling Saturday street market.

With a population of over 41,000, the townhas managed to retain its character but alsomove with the times. At the heart ofGrantham is the parish church of StWulfram’s with its soaring 282ft spire – oneof the most important town churches in

England – and the Guildhall houses a livelyarts centre and tourist information centre.Showing great innovation, South KestevenDistrict Council launched the Gravity FieldsFestival in 2012 to celebrate the life anddiscoveries of Sir Isaac Newton – who wasborn locally at Woolsthorpe Manor – now abiennial arts and science extravaganzaputting Grantham on both national andinternational maps.

“With excellent communications andfantastic growth potential, Grantham isdefinitely a town on the way up.”Cllr Frances Cartwright, SKDC cabinetmember for Grow the Economy – Economic Development.

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FAC t Grantham is home to the first gingerbread and the first UK tractor

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Well ConnectedGrantham is at the centre of the UK

With its A1 links, high speed rail service toLondon and close proximity to four largecities (Nottingham, Leicester, Peterboroughand Lincoln), Grantham makes for a brilliantcentral hub for business.

The East Coast Main Line passes through thetown making the journey to King’s Cross justover an hour – handy also for catching theEurostar from next door St Pancras.

If your business or leisure interests arefurther afield, then international airports atEast Midlands, Stansted, Birmingham andRobin Hood Airport (Doncaster/Sheffield)are easily reached and are home to low-costairlines as well as mainstream carriers.

GRANTHAM

LONDON

A1/M

A1/M

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•Manchester

•Birmingham•BirminghamAirport

•StanstedAirport

•EastMidlandsAirport

FAC t

A town to enjoyGrantham has a real mix ofretail opportunities fromspecialist independent shopswhich attract many customersfrom across the country to wellknown national chain storesand a large edge-of-townsuperstore offering everythingunder one roof.

The River Witham flows throughthe centre of the town which issurrounded by local attractionsincluding National Trustproperty Belton House,

Belvoir Castle, the seat of theDuke and Duchess of Rutland,Grimsthorpe Castle andBurghley House near Stamford, home of the famous horse trials.

The town is also home to one ofthe best sports facilities in theEast Midlands – the MeresLeisure Centre – which regularlyhosts top competitions andattracts close to a millionvisitors every year.

Commuters can reach London King’s Cross in just over a hour makingGrantham a top town for location and house prices

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Being in the right placeat the right time

Historical landmarks and links dating backto medieval times, the soaring spire of StWulfram’s, reputedly the sixth tallest in thecountry, and the Victorian clock tower of theGuildhall Arts Centre, provide the perfectsetting for modern and ambitious plans for Grantham.

What makes Grantham a prime location?

n The A1 road, linking London toEdinburgh, passes directly to the east ofthe town

n Direct access to the A52, one of theregion’s key roads

n Grantham is the largest of SouthKesteven’s towns with over 16,000homes

n Plans are in place for a further 7,000 newhomes

n The population is set to rise by 30% by 2026

n High quality new industrial/commercialunits next to major transport links

A great place to live, work and invest

n An expanding and developing towncentre

n Independent shops, high street chainstores, indoor shopping centres

n Regeneration projects including thetransformation of the Market Place

n Major events from the highly successfulGravity Fields Festival to the GranthamCarnival

n Bustling Saturday street market andprosperous farmers’ market

n Beautiful parks and open spaces

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Space to Grow…Support to thrive

Well planned expansion Grantham is growing and that’s a fact. Backin 2007 the town was awarded Growthstatus by the Government and nowambitious plans are becoming a reality.

Seen as the gateway to the East Midlands,the town has plans to become an even morevibrant and key economic centre – a placewhere people enjoy a good quality of life.

Some 200 acres have been earmarked asemployment land creating new business

parks and high value jobs for local residents.

Around 7,500 more homes are plannedoffering a variety of housing to satisfy theneeds of a growing community.

Poplar Farm, to the north/west of Grantham, is earmarked for 3,500 homes,and the Southern Quadrant, just off the A1and A52, will provide a further 3,500properties as well as a host of communityfacilities including schools, shops and amedical centre.

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FAC t Grantham is growing. By 2026 we expectour population to be 60,000

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Winning teams

TotemicFrom a cold start in a garage back in 1992,Totemic is now one of the town’s mostsuccessful businesses and largest employerswith 1,300 people working from sites acrossthe town and further afield.

Voted the 9th best company to work for inthe UK in The Sunday Times list, thecompany also picked up the accolade ofbeing the top company to work for in theEast Midlands in the mid-sized companycategory and the top debt managementfirm in the UK.

The company started out offering freespecialist debt advice to people inprofessions like nursing, the armed forcesand the police. Today a key part of theTotemic group is its debt managementcompany, Payplan, which helps over 100,000people to manage their debts each year.

As well as five generations of the samefamily, the company is turning the“commute” on its head with one of its legalexecutives leaving London each day to workin Grantham.

Companies big and small have cottoned on to the fact thatstrategically Grantham is a great place to do business.

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BGB InnovationOne of a significant number of leading edgetechnology companies, BGB has forged aglobally recognised business in electro-mechanical engineering, marine and telemetry.

Established in Grantham in 1976, BGB is aleading designer and manufacturer of electricalslip ring systems, underwater lighting andcamera solutions and fibre optic rotary joints -95% of whose substantial turnover is achievedthrough export of goods and services.

Predominant European markets includeScandinavia, Spain, Italy and Germany in whichBGB is a leader in the field, plus worldwidemarkets such as Australia, India, China, Canada,Chile, Korea, USA and Japan.

QFC wins platinum awardGrantham-based Quality Furniture Company isone of only three suppliers to have beenawarded platinum supplier status by HighStreet chain Argos for demonstratingexcellence across delivery performance, qualityand design capability.

The firm, which won the Grantham Journal’sbusiness innovation award (sponsored byGrantham Growth) also supplies sofas tohousehold names DFS and Laura Ashley.

Q U Ot E “Logistically Grantham is great for our Europe exports andour success proves that a market town location can deliver ina global market place.” BGB chairman David Holt senior.

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The Woodland TrustA futuristic head office illustrates how deep arethe Grantham roots of the UK’s leadingwoodland conservation charity – theWoodland Trust.

Established in 1972 to protect native broadleafwoodland, Trust influence spreads fromGrantham to Scotland, Wales and NorthernIreland to help partners create woods, helpcommunities and landowners plant trees, helpgovernment create the right future for woodsand trees and welcome and inspire children.

“The Woodland Trust has a nationallyimportant message, and Grantham is a greatcentral location from which to deliver it.”Sue Holden – Woodlands Trust Chief Executive

Moy ParkMoy Park is one of Europe's leading foodcompanies, committed to continuing todeliver excellence in fresh, high quality locallyfarmed poultry and complementaryconvenience food products for the wholefamily.

Early in 2013 the company announced a major£20 million investment in its Grantham foodprocessing site which will see a new state-of-the-art convenience foods facility being builtcreating over 150 additional jobs in the localarea.

Moy Park's CEO Nigel Dunlop said: "Thisproposed new development will transform ourGrantham site into one of the most efficientstate of the art operations of its kind in the UKand Europe. It will allow us to continue tosuccessfully grow in line with marketopportunities and develop our conveniencefoods division.”

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Space to work

Attracting businesses to the area andcreating new jobs is a priority for SouthKesteven District Council. Planning approvalhas already been granted for majordistribution space to the south of the townwith excellent links to key roads.

A major relief road will be provided as partof the development, improving east/westlinkages across the town which will giveaccess to a new high quality business park.Committed to commercial development,

there are also plans to deliver a range ofindustrial units.

Bright people Employers have the advantage of a well-educated and skilled local population with abetter than average number of peoplescoring highly in qualification and skillsleague tables. In fact the district of SouthKesteven ranks in the top 20% of all districtsnationally indicating a high performingworkforce.

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We know what it takesto grow…

We recognise that engaging with businessesis an essential part of promoting economicprosperity and a good quality of life.The Local Economy Strategy 2012-2016 setsout our vision and priorities with the aim:

“To work with businesses to understand thechallenges facing them and togetherdevelop an environment to thrive and grow.”It includes building relationships with thedistrict’s largest employers and establishinga local employment partnership.

Other measures on the agenda are:

n Business networking; pro-active eventsand stakeholder forums

n Shop front improvement schemen Enhance land and property databasen Develop on line and face to face business

start-up servicen Establish grow your business package –

online and face to facen Programme of business engagement

opportunities; trade show, propertyevents

n Organise training events, employmentfairs and business conferences

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Forecast to grow 30% by 2026, there hasnever been a better opportunity forGrantham to expand and develop toits full potential as an economic centre forthe region.

We want it to be a better place to visit, liveand work in. A place where businesses canflourish and where there are profitableopportunities for landlords and developers.

As a famous son of Grantham, Sir IsaacNewton, once said: “Every body will persist

in its state of rest or of uniform motion...unless it is compelled to change that stateby forces impressed on it.” Grantham Growthis that force.

By creating a number of new sites that willdeliver around 7,500 new house and office,retail and leisure opportunities, the growthprogramme will contribute significantly tothe town, creating thousands of new jobs, avibrant town centre, and a brilliant centralhub for business.

Building for thefuture…our future

Q U Ot E “Grantham offers outstanding education opportunities, awonderful quality of life and a supportive and enterprising culturefor small business. It makes for a great work/life balance.”Lianne Tapson, Director of Engagement, Totemic

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Quality of Life

Community spirit is definitely alive andkicking in Grantham in all aspects of life.Whether it’s taking up a new sport or hobbyat one of the many clubs or organisations,enjoying a night out at the theatre, or simplyvisiting a local pub or restaurant, there issomething for everyone.

The town has a wonderful choice of places tovisit as well as a selection of splendid parksand open spaces for people to spend theirleisure time.

For anyone interested in dining out there is avast array of excellent restaurants andgastro-pubs offering everything fromtraditional English cuisine to Chinese, Indianand Italian, and for the family there are manyhigh street chains that children love.

On top of that, the area boasts one of thebest leisure facilities in the East Midlands, theMeres Centre, and has a wealth of otherattractions on offer from championshipstandard 18 hole golf courses to smaller ruralcourses, a new tennis centre with indoor andoutdoor courts, impressive castles andstately homes, and unrivalled countryside forwalking, riding and cycling.

There’s also the opportunity to enjoy a widerange of festivals and events coveringeverything from theatre through to musicand art.

The town’s history is documented atGrantham Museum while the grand Guildhalloff St Peter’s Hill houses a lively arts centrewhich is centre stage for a variety of topshows and acts.

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The quality of education in a town is a toppriority when looking for a place to live. InGrantham, families are spoilt for choice. Grammar school selection is still very muchalive in Lincolnshire. Kesteven and GranthamGirls’ School was the first in Lincolnshire to bedesignated a science specialist school and thenjust a few years later received its secondspecialism in languages.

Headteacher Graham Burks described the townas a “diamond” in terms of education,producing massively bright students.In recent years the school, where BaronessMargaret Thatcher was head girl, has gained areputation for consistently performing at thehighest level and was judged ‘outstanding’ byOfsted inspectors.

The King’s School, where Sir Isaac Newton waseducated, is rooted in a rich history and seekssuccess at the highest level – in the classroom,on the sports field, through entrepreneurialopportunity and through artistic and dramaticactivities.

At Walton Girls’ High School and Sixth Form,performing arts is definitely a specialism as wellas modern foreign languages and vocationaleducation. From sport to music; the arts toforensic science; from the Duke of EdinburghAward to trips to Zambia, there is somethingfor everyone.

The list goes on, but one thing is certain,Grantham is right to pride itself on the highstandard of its schools, both secondary andprimary.

A “diamond” for education

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A great place tobuy a home

Grantham is part of an emerging ‘goldentriangle’ for property, according to theSunday Times.

In the latest of a series of accolades heapedon the late Baroness Thatcher’s birthplace,the Grantham ‘triangle’ is one of five acrossthe UK picked for their top schools, buoyantlocal economies, beautiful houses and goodtransport.

The Sunday Times traces the trianglebetween Grantham, Lincoln and Newark asan emerging hotspot where propertytransactions are bucking the national trendof stalled house prices.

Sought after villages are the key attraction,says Rupert Fisher, residential director atSavills in Lincoln.

“Value for money is the biggest driver forpeople from outside buying here,” he says.They are also drawn by excellent schooling,particularly the grammar schools, and manypurchasers will continue to work in Londonusing the fast trains from Newark andGrantham.

Most of the property sales in Grantham over2012/13 were detached properties selling onaverage for £182,807, significantly less thanthe national average and proving how

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FAC t In 2012 the Local Lend A Hand scheme pledged over£500,000 towards home deposits, helping 18 first timebuyers onto the housing ladder

affordable local housing remains in both the town andsurrounding attractive villages.

Terraced properties fetched an average of £94,887 andsemi detached properties averaged £113,165 – bothprime property candidates for the local Lend a Handscheme run by SKDC in partnership with Lloyds TSB tohelp first time buyers struggling to find a deposit.

In 2013 the council committed a further £1 million tothe scheme in line with its vision to provide goodhousing for all, meaning that SKDC guarantees up to20% of the deposit required by mortgage lenders, withthe buyer providing just 5%.

Source: Rightmove house prices July 2013.

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More details from your local branch of Lloyds TSB

A HOME OF YOUROWN IN SOUTHKESTEVEN WITHA DEPOSIT OFJUST 5%Lloyds TSB and SouthKesteven District Councilhave joined forces to formLocal Lend a Hand whichmakes dreams come true

First time buyers only. Terms and conditions apply

Why locate in Grantham?

n Space to grow – be part ofGrantham as it grows into thegateway to the East Midlands.Position your business to servean expanding market

n Support to Thrive – businesssupport and networks; sectorand place based

n Get Connected – fantastictransport links to major citiesand just over a hour commuteto London

n Feel Alive – lose yourself increative pursuits or escape toour beautiful countryside

Companies big and small have cottoned on to the fact thatstrategically Grantham is a great place to do business.

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We’re well connected locally too

FAC t In March 2013 the Sunday Times named Grantham as one of the bestcommuter towns in the country and one of the best towns becauseof its fantastic accessibility, great homes and superb quality of life.

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© Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey 10018662

South Kesteven District CouncilCouncil OfficesSt. Peter’s Hill

GranthamLincolnshire

NG31 6PZ

t: 01476 40 60 80e: ecodev@southkesteven.gov.ukw: www.southkesteven.gov.uk