Client
North Kesteven District Council, Lincolnshire
Overview
Smith Construction was appointed to revitalise the heart of Sleaford through a carefully considered regeneration project. Backed by a £1 million Government grant for economic renewal, the transformation of Sleaford Market Place focused on preserving heritage while creating a vibrant and welcoming public space for the local community.
Project Scope
The project involved extensive works to elevate the space both visually and functionally:
- Paving Works – Full refresh of the Market Place and surrounding footpaths using high-quality Yorkstone and Sandstone Setts, selected to complement the area’s historical character.
- Heritage Resin Detailing – A maple gold resin surround was installed at the war memorial, enhancing its prominence while maintaining aesthetic sensitivity.
- Landscaping & Street Furniture – Smiths constructed two raised planting beds, introduced new wooden benches and bike stands, and carried out broader soft landscaping to increase the site’s appeal and usability.
- Lighting Enhancements – Subtle, atmospheric lighting installations were added along the frontage to create a safe and attractive evening environment.
Outcome
This regeneration project has restored the Market Place as a central hub for community gatherings and economic activity. Smith Construction’s attention to detail and respect for the area’s history have ensured a space that is not only functional and attractive but also full of local pride.
The enhancements support local footfall, improve accessibility, and offer a refreshed setting that encourages events, markets, and civic life to thrive once again in the centre of Sleaford.
Smith Construction is a valued partner and we particularly applaud it for the professional pride its teams demonstrated throughout the Market Place pedestrianisation works last year in Sleaford.
As a local company headquartered in Heckington, and with much of its workforce also hailing from the local area, it was clear that Smith Construction not only understood the scheme but also saw the importance of delivering it to the high standard the Council expected and that the town deserved.
Following a thorough tender process, which saw Smith Construction emerge as the successful contractor to deliver the works, its team was able to offer a full range of pre-works advice and assistance. This included helping to identify a completion date that was both feasible physically, given the detailed public realm improvements which formed the scheme including new planters, repaving, uplighting and infrastructure including benches and bike racks, but which also focused on completing the works and handing the space back as soon as possible.
The personal Smith Construction touch was extended from every level, from those teams working on the ground through to the consistent daily presence of onsite management and its Managing Director Ken who visited site often and was on-hand personally throughout.
The team recognised the wide range of stakeholders involved, including liaising directly with the surrounding businesses and venues to minimise impact of the works. This ranged from practical considerations for the surrounding businesses, including when paths and areas outside doorways needed to be repaved as part of the scheme, through to arranging final window cleaning and making good for those businesses facing the site.
When unexpected snow and below 0 temperatures impacted on work, the Smith Construction team added extra resource and worked additional hours to minimise the delay and hand back the majority of the Market Place in time for a community celebration we were organising for late December.
The quality of their work is evident in the finish that can be seen onsite, with additional guarantee in the form of post-work checks and a snagging period during which few faults were found.
Sleaford’s Market Place is now a multi-functional space suitable for events, markets and community activities, plus dedicated Blue Badge parking on set days and times which was not the case before. The design and materials work hand-in-hand with the build quality by Smith Construction to better reflect the historic buildings and features surrounding it including St Denys’ Church, the War Memorial and Bristol Fountain as well as quality shops and cafes in the immediate area. It has seen success as a rejuvenated public space across a number of events so far this year, with more planned including RiverLight Festival 2025 and potential for community-led activities on the space.
We’d like to thank Smith Construction and all of its teams for their hard work.
North Kesteven District Council Leader Councillor Richard Wright
