Monthly Archive 15 February 2022

Work finished last week on a key project to improve the water quality of the River Freshney in Grimsby Town Centre with more than 2230 tonnes of silt removed from the riverbed over four weeks.

Specialist contractor, Ebsford Environmental, were appointed to undertake dredging of the river between West Haven Maltings opposite Frederick Ward Way and the ABP pumping station.

During the project, 122 lorry loads of silt and sediment were taken from the riverbed and removed off site for recovery to meet the Environmental Agency waste directive regulations.

Additionally, 1.5tonnes of scrap metal, including bikes, shopping trollies and scaffold pipes, was taken from the riverbed and recycled at our local plant in Immingham.

Dredging this section of the riverbed has allowed the water to flow much more freely in the town centre section of the river, with the channel depth now around 1.8m. Established vegetation has been maintained for the benefit of wildlife in the area.

Cllr Stewart Swinburn, Cabinet member for the environment, said: “This work has been done as one of the final stages of the Garth Lane project, one that’s already seen a major site in the centre of Grimsby transformed into a lovely natural area.

“We’ve already seen an improvement in the water quality and flow. We’ve also seen the family of otters around in the last few days, which is encouraging. The dredging will boost biodiversity and make the river more useable for years to come.”

Cllr Callum Procter, Cabinet member for economic growth, added: “This is a huge investment in our river – for years, we’ve turned our back on the waterfront, and it’s now time to embrace it and all that it might offer. Investing in clearing up the river is the first stage, and along with the Youth Zone project and the Towns Fund projects nearby, I’m looking forward to seeing the waterfront develop into a vibrant place in the future.”

The depth of the river will be reviewed in 12 months’ time to see how quickly the silt is building back up and help form a future management and maintenance plan.

These works are part of the £3.7m Garth Lane site scheme funded by Central Government, through the Town Deal and the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership.

Article and image from NELC.

Residents are being asked to take part in a survey to help shape plans for an extension to Grant Street Car Park in Cleethorpes.

A single-storey extension to the existing car park will increase the number of spaces from 65 to 339, with bigger parking bays and electric vehicle charging points. It will also provide several other benefits to the resort:

• Ease congestion in the main resort of Cleethorpes, particularly around the seafront area during the summer months
• Provide a safer environment in and around Cleethorpes seafront, with fewer cars and buses driving through the centre
• Cleaner air with fewer vehicles travelling and waiting around as visitors try to find a parking bay
• Remove pressure from surrounding residential streets

Better lighting and CCTV will be introduced as part of the Park Mark Safer Parking Scheme. Improved, clear signage to the car park will ensure it is well-used by visitors.

The council is asking residents, business owners and others to give their views on factors such as how the car park itself will look, alternative sites for coaches and HGVs to park. The council would also like to hear from those likely to be directly impacted by the project and any improvements and additions they would like to see.

Councillor Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment and transport, said: “Cleethorpes has become a destination for many in the UK. However, with this comes increased numbers of traffic and more people searching for parking spaces, particularly in the summer months. Motorists often drive around hoping to secure a parking space, which creates congestion.

“The Grant Street extension will remedy this by giving visitors a large place to park that is handy for the resort’s thriving attractions and amenities. Cleaner air and a safer way to enjoy Cleethorpes should be just some of the benefits and aid in helping our environment too.”

How to take part

To take part in the consultation, people can visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/have-your-say

If anyone would prefer to speak to someone to give their views or ask any questions, or if you need a copy of the survey posting to you, you can ring the engagement team on (01472) 324380 or by emailing consultation@nelincs.gov.uk. Copies are available in large print.

Article from NELC.

North East Lincolnshire Council’s Cabinet invite people to three listening events.

The Government is on a mission to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband to everyone in the UK and is investing £5 billion in Project Gigabit to ensure that hard-to-reach communities are not left out.

Budding environmentalists at six North East Lincolnshire schools now have new compost bins to help recycle food waste and keep their classroom gardens looking great.

The Secretary of State visited Grimsby on January 31.

New finger post signs highlighting key areas of Cleethorpes are due to be installed this week as part of the plans to update signage around the resort over the coming years.

Engineers will repair footpaths by laying tarmac and replacing old kerbing in Hainton Avenue, between Sixhills Street and Catherine Street.

North East Lincolnshire Council is issuing fresh CCTV images as part of a campaign to help tackle fly-tipping in the area.

A series of new tactile pedestrian crossings will be installed in Grimsby and Immingham to improve pedestrian safety.