Public space to be created beneath water tower

A water company is building a public space for the community to enjoy beneath a Grade II listed water tower in Lincoln.

Anglian Water said permission had been granted to open the space beneath the Westgate Tower in the Bailgate area of the city and the first stage of the project would involve an archaeological dig.

The company will also be installing new underground equipment beneath the tower as part of a strategic pipeline from North Lincolnshire to Essex.

Landscaping work around the site is due to start on Monday and the archaeological works are scheduled to start in the summer.

The tower, which was built in 1911, was commissioned by the Lincoln Corporation, the town's water supplier, in direct response to a major typhoid epidemic in the city. The disease claimed 113 lives between November 1904 and April 1905.

Anglian said the main construction works are due to start in the summer of 2027.

The company said water supplies for local customers will continue as normal throughout the works. A small number of trees would be removed for safety reasons, but the company said would be replaced as part of a new planting plan across Lincoln.

The front wrought iron railings and stonework surrounding the tower will also be removed and restored off-site, before being returned alongside additional fencing on Chapel Lane.

Anglian said their Strategic Pipeline Alliance (SPA) was a large infrastructure project which aims to make the region more resilient to the risks of drought.

The project manager at SPA, said: "These works are an important part of strengthening the resilience of Lincoln's water network, while also creating a new space for the community to spend recreational time in. "

SPA said they would continue to provide regular updates, including on any finds they uncover during the archaeological dig.

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