North KestevenThe place to investThe place to grow

Since Census 2001 the population of the district has increased by nearly 26%

Tourism and day trips within the District generate £162 million to the local economy.

Unemployment is currently 1% of the work age population - under 1,000

Why invest in NK

We are a rural district in the ‘Heart of Lincolnshire’ lying immediately south of the city of Lincoln, a vibrant cathedral city with major tourist attractions and a fast-improving universities. The University of Lincoln ranks 51st out of 134 universities in the country.

North Kesteven offers attractive rural lifestyles for working people and their families with lively towns and villages and excellent schools. NK is one of the safest places to live in England for the 7th year in a row and one of the best places to live for overall life satisfaction, scoring 8 out of 10 according to the Office for National Statistics.

A record £220 million capital investment programme has been mapped out by the Council for enhancements across a range of initiatives in NK through to 2030. More than half of this, £120 million, will be committed to increasing the availability of affordable housing and a further £50 million spent on building up opportunity for business and jobs growth.

The Council’s focused support of businesses, from large enterprises through to sole traders, has escalated across the pandemic to guide them through restrictions, grant schemes and fresh trading opportunities. Up to the start of March 2021, the Council had administered £28 million of government grants in almost 5,000 payments across 12 distinct grant schemes, supporting approximately 2,000 businesses.

Prior to the pandemic, the local economy had consistently grown faster than that of its neighbours and the national average. Key growth sectors include food and farming, manufacturing, wholesale and retail, human health and social work and education. In recent years there has been considerable growth in the services sector, particularly business services, retail and tourism.

The Council is leading an ambitious £56 million investment scheme to create more high quality and flexible business units in the Sleaford Moor Enterprise Park and £2.2 million investment in new workshop units at Discovery Park, North Hykeham.

A factory in North Kesteven

Latest News

Enjoy car free parking in Sleaford town centre every Saturday in December, in any NKDC owned car park.

People can enjoy free parking in Sleaford every Saturday in December, in any North Kesteven District Council-owned car park there this festive period.

Free parking will be available in these car parks in support of Small Business Saturday tomorrow, Saturday 2 December, and on the following Saturdays (December 9, 16, 23 and 30 December 2023) with no need to display a ticket.

This goodwill gesture from North Kesteven District Council aims to ensure more residents and visitors can enjoy shopping in Sleaford for Christmas and support businesses in the town centre while they do. It’s also an opportunity for more people to discover all that Sleaford offers – its walks, leisure centres, museums, cafes and the Hub. The free car parking will apply only to North Kesteven District Council owned car parks, which are:

  • Eastbanks (next to Sleaford Leisure Centre)
  • Money’s Yard, off Carre Street
  • Cogglesford Watermill (off Eastgate Road)
  • Station Road
  • Grantham Road
  • Westgate (Playhouse Yard)
  • Market Place
  • Church Lane

While these free Saturdays in 2023 don’t apply to Eastgate car park, shoppers can still get its usual low rates of £1.50 for three hours or £3.50 for over three hours. The first hour is also free, along with free evening and Sunday parking.

Other requirements still apply across all – i.e parking considerately and within the bays; and displaying a Blue Badge if using a marked disabled space.