Work began in the summer of 2012 on building a new public house and restaurant on a site in South Road, Bourne, with plans for a petrol filling station nearby in the future.

The land in question covers 4.2 acres close to the A15 at the Elsea Park roundabout, originally part of the proposed Southfields Business Park development which fell through in May 2011 and since then there have been reports and rumours of various uses while much of the original land in the vicinity was chipped away for housing.

The remaining 4.2 acre site was subsequently offered for sale but there were no firm offers until February 2011 when it was finally bought for £500,000 by the Lindum Group and Castle Square Developments of Lincoln who told The Local newspaper later that year (December 23rd) that they hoped to submit a planning application for a new petrol station in the coming year.

The newspaper also reported that a public house and restaurant was likely to be built next door by Marston's plc which had previously expressed an interest in the site. Peter Harvey, development surveyor for the Lindum Group, said: "We want to show our commitment to delivering that facility. We have already had a meeting with the town council and a second petrol station is something that everyone in Bourne is keen to see."

This was a reference to the fact that a second filling station is badly needed because petrol outlets in the town have been reduced to just one following the opening of the Tesco Esso garage in North Street in August 2002, resulting in the closure of the two other filling stations that could not compete in the subsequent price war.

Lindum Goup based in North Hykeham, Lincolnshire, quite rightly wished to maximise its potential for the new filling station on the site which has been going begging without a buyer for over a decade but when the planning application was submitted to South Kesteven District Council in May 2012 with a request for 24-hour trading, councillors voted to restrict opening hours from 6 am until 11.30 pm because of concerns about the impact on local residents, despite the garage being built well away from the town on a greenfield site within the neighbouring parish of Thurlby.

Stuart Mitchell, development director of the Lindum Group, later cast doubts over whether the new garage would be built at all because he told the newspaper: “We are pleased to have got approval which shows there is a need for the petrol station and that this is the right location. But we were disappointed with the operating restrictions. We have had no interest in the site with the restrictions in place so we are concerned that it may impact on our ability to deliver it. You do not see many petrol filling stations being built these days and you need everything in your favour for it to go ahead commercially. It is an obstacle we do not really need.”

In the event, contractors began work on site in June 2012, preparing the road and the land for the public house and restaurant. But the Lindum Group have made it clear that the council's restrictions on opening hours for the filling station had made the search for an operator more difficult. Stuart Mitchell told The Local (June 15th): "We are stalled on the service station until we can secure an operator. We have not given up hope of finding one but work will not begin on the structure until one in confirmed."

By August, work was well advanced on the public house and the company announced that it would be ready for opening as The Sugar Mill in December with the creation of 40 new jobs. Councillor Linda Neal, leader of South Kesteven District Council, told The Local newspaper (July 27th): "This is good news for the town. The pub will be an important asset to Bourne and unlike any other facilities we currently have."

The public house opened at lunchtime on Monday 3rd December and was soon doing brisk business, the initial reaction from customers being that it had an intimate and welcoming atmosphere with good food and drink and, most importantly, good service.

South Kesteven District Council lifted its restrictions on opening hours for the new filling station in January and work began on the project in the summer of 2013 with an estimated completion time of 16 weeks. It will be run by Texaco, Britain’s fourth largest petrol retailer, with an integrated food store run by Budgens, the supermarket company, and a self-service Costa Coffee facility, all operating round the clock. The development was expected to create seven new jobs.

The new petrol station eventually opened for business on Friday 13th September 2013. "It has been a long time coming but will be a real asset to Bourne", said Councillor Neal. "One petrol station has not been adequate for the town and so this will be a welcome benefit for motorists."

PHOTO ALBUM

The Sugar Mill opened on Monday 3rd December 2012 and by 1 pm was almost full of drinkers and diners.

The new filling station taking shape in July 2013 in readiness for an opening the following month.

REVISED SEPTEMBER 2013

See also The petrol tanks arrive

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