Yearly Archive 15 November 2023

In August 2022, the Council bought Freshney Place Shopping Centre. Since then, plans have been approved to redevelop the western end of the shopping centre and Top Town Market to create a new offering for local residents.

In order to facilitate this redevelopment, units within the Flottergate area have been vacated, and, where desired, relocated within the shopping centre.

Plans have also been confirmed to bring the NHS Community Diagnostic Centre into Freshney Place, securing significant additional footfall each year once it opens.

In the last 12 months, several units have committed to investing in new shop fits, and new retailers, such as New Look and One Beyond, as well as smaller independent retailers, have been brought into the centre, improving the overall occupancy rate to 90.4% from 77.3% when it was taken over.

Footfall in the same year has increased to more than 6.5million visits. Whilst this is still lower than pre-Covid, it is broadly in line with national trends, the footfall has continued to grow year on year above national and regional averages.

Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of the Council, said: “Diversification of uses away from pure retail will be the key driver of Freshney Place’s commercial performance and social value to the local community.

“Securing Parkway Cinema for the new Leisure Scheme is a huge milestone for the town centre and bringing forward the CDC will drive a different type of visitor, who will more than likely use the centre for not only appointments, but also ancillary shopping while they are on the site.

“We’re also working hard on other areas of the town centre, such as the Doughty Depot, which will bring additional staff to work in the town centre from other sites, and increase general footfall and spend.”

In the last year, there have been significant reductions in consumption of electricity, gas and water use, and along with a raft of environmental and sustainability initiatives, this has reduced the overall cost and environmental impact of the shopping centre.

Additionally, a range of social initiatives are now supported in the shopping centre, including training to be able to support those with disabilities, Alzheimers and autism, and externally supporting heritage, culture and those in need.

Cllr Jackson continued: “We wanted to take on the shopping centre to help stabilise the centre of Grimsby – to be able to use it for positive transformation, for the good of local people. In the next year, we’ll be continuing that work, driving moves towards increasing footfall and spend, alongside work to deliver the leisure and market scheme and attracting new tenants to the heart of the town.”

Article from NELC.

Work will begin next month on creating a Community Diagnostic Centre in the heart of Grimsby to serve patients of surrounding areas.

The NHS has confirmed that the conversion of units in Freshney Place will begin in December this year, with a view to opening the centre next summer.

Once open, the centre will provide a range of non-urgent test facilities for local people.

Alex Seale, North Lincolnshire Place Director, NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, said: “Our ambition to provide 150,000 additional community diagnostic appointments a year to communities across North East Lincolnshire is progressing well.

“Work is due to start on the conversion of a new Hub in the heart of Freshney Place Shopping Centre, Grimsby, early next month and is due to be fully open by next summer, offering services including non-obstetric ultrasounds and a mix of pathology and physiological tests, such as ECGs and X Rays.

“It’s important to us that we are able to offer our patients these additional services as soon as possible and so, in line with the national guidance, we are working with our North East Lincolnshire Place colleagues to identify alternative locations for these services to be provided to patients prior to the new centre being operational.”

Cllr Philip Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “This is really good news for Freshney Place. Several new shops have opened in the shopping centre recently, including New Look, One Beyond and independent shops. We’ve relocated other shops within the centre to help prepare the way for the new leisure and market development. The centre’s footfall is improving month on month, and the opening of the CDC will be really good to help diversify the town centre offer too.”

As previously reported, GPs will be able to refer patients to a centre so they can access life-saving checks closer to home and be diagnosed for a range of conditions, rather than travelling to hospital.

The centres are not only more convenient for patients but are also more efficient for staff and free up clinicians’ time to help further cut NHS waiting lists.

Article from NELC.

North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) has been awarded £18.4m of Levelling Up Funding (LUF) to transform Cleethorpes seafront. This includes three key areas – Market Place, Pier Gardens and Sea Road.

As part of this process, the council has launched a tender for a NEC4 Project Manager to play a key role in supporting the regeneration of Pier Gardens. 

Starting in January 2024, the council’s delivery partner Equans and NELC’s project management team will work in partnership with the successful NEC4 Project Manager to ensure the design team who will be appointed via the Pagabo framework are supported in developing comprehensive designs. 

The tender is now open through YORtender for potential applicants and will close on Thursday 30 November 2023. Please visit Public quote/tender – Cleethorpes – Levelling Up Fund – Pier Gardens – NEC4 Project Manager (eu-supply.com)- external site 

Councillor Philip Jackson, Leader of the council, said: “Cleethorpes has a wealth of assets that can enable it to be at the forefront of regeneration. Opened in 1885, Pier Gardens’ location is at the heart of the resort and the scope for re-development is vast. The area for regeneration presents a unique opportunity to create a space that will become an attraction for residents and visitors alike. The linear park raised above Central Promenade is a hidden and an underutilised gem of a public green space that could offer so much more.”

Article from NELC.

Close circuit television cameras in North East Lincolnshire have continued to help bring criminals to justice.

According to North East Lincolnshire Council’s latest data, 53 incidents were captured whilst in progress and reported to Humberside Police in September.

A further 27 incidents were caught on camera and have been supplied to the Police as evidence in ongoing investigations.

In 138 instances, CCTV cameras in the borough were used to support a major incident – defined as an event attended by the emergency services.

Councillor Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities in North East Lincolnshire, said:

“The recent investment in our CCTV network has continued to bear fruit as it supports ongoing Police operations, helping to keep people safe and support our wider emergency services.

“The cameras in our network are placed strategically around the borough to make public spaces safer and they are a deterrent to many would-be criminals.

“However, where crimes have taken place, I’m pleased to see that the network has come into it’s own and, along with our really positive partnership with Humberside Police, we’ve been able to use the CCTV cameras to help bring criminals to justice.

“In two recent cases, the camera operators helped identify anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and theft. The operators helped guide the Police to the suspects in real-time and those involved were apprehended.

“I’d like to thank our CCTV operators and our colleagues at Humberside Police for the continued partnership, which is making residents in our borough safer each day.”

The large-scale upgrades, which were approved by the Council’s Cabinet in 2021, introduced a single digital transmission network enabling public space CCTV cameras and rapid-deployment cameras.

Five new cameras were recently installed nearby the bus stops in Grimsby town centre, bringing the total number of cameras in public spaces to 128. Further cameras are due to be installed in the Riverhead area of Grimsby as part of regeneration plans.

Article and image from NELC.

North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) has been awarded £18.4m of Levelling Up Funding (LUF) to transform Cleethorpes seafront. This includes three key areas – Market Place, Pier Gardens and Sea Road.

As part of this process, the council has launched a tender for design consultants to play an integral role in the rejuvenation of Cleethorpes’ Market Place.

The rejuvenation will add space for social interaction – reconnecting our busy seafront and town centre – create jobs, and boost the economy. These improvements will re-balance the relationship between traffic and pedestrians, encouraging wider circulation of people through the town. This project will provide a safer, healthier, and more pleasant environment for pedestrians, encouraging a circular route from the seafront through to Market Place and to the town centre. 

Starting in January 2024, the council’s delivery partner Equans and NELC’s project management team will work in partnership with the successful design consultancy to develop designs. Community engagement events will be undertaken with local businesses, the wider community, and residents within the vicinity of Market Place. These events will be designed to generate interest and ideas which will assist with the development of concept designs for Market Place.  Once designs are finalised, a main contractor will be appointed during the summer, with works starting thereafter.

The tender is now open through YORtender for potential applicants and will close on Wednesday 27 November at midday. Please visit the following links for more:

• Design Architect Cleethorpes Levelling Up Fund – Market Place – Contracts Finder- external site 
• Public quote/tender – Design Architect Cleethorpes Levelling Up Fund – Market Place (eu-supply.com)- external site 

Councillor Philip Jackson, Leader of the council, said: “The area for regeneration presents a unique opportunity to create spaces that will become an attraction for residents and visitors alike. These are early stages of the development and the Cleethorpes LUF projects will take time, but we are working towards improving the offering of the resort even further to make it an all-year-round destination.”

Meanwhile, work is continuing on the appointment of a design consultant to lead on the regeneration of Pier Gardens.

About the three LUF projects:

The vision is to regenerate three key areas of the resort:

• Rejuvenate the historic Market Place for social interaction, reconnecting our busy seafront and town centre, creating jobs and boosting the economy. This scheme proposes major improvements to the square and the reintroduction of a functioning historic marketplace. 
• Redevelop the Sea Road site opposite the Pier to provide a tourism destination. It will include public amenities and a changing places facility, as well as commercially lettable space across all floors of the building, which may include different providers in retail and hospitality. 
• Regenerate Pier Gardens (an existing linear park stretching from Sea Road to the Memorial Gate), retaining the Victorian heritage and feel, but incorporating various new activities. In the Masterplan consultation, people wanted to see more made of the gardens, with additional seating, planting to increase biodiversity, and improved areas for children’s play, events and performances, and spaces for reflection and contemplation.

Article from NELC.

North East Lincolnshire Council is relaunching a scheme to help communities to safely clean an alleyway or open space in their neighbourhood.

Applications open on Wednesday 1 November for Clear It, the new voluntary community clearance scheme.

The scheme is aimed at people who live with alleyways or patches of neglected land that suffer with fly-tipping.

Anyone interested can complete an online application form at www.nelincs.gov.uk/clear-it by the end of December.

Thanks to last year’s Clear-It scheme, volunteers worked with the Council to clear six alleyways and other problem areas, including land beside some garages in Great Coates. The alleyways volunteers cleared included Weelsby Street, Durban Road, Algernon Street, Arthur Street, St Helier’s Road, and Wellington Street.

How does it work?

With Clear It, the Voluntary Community Clearance scheme, the Council aims to support communities to come together, safely clean up an alleyway or an open space in their area and improve community pride.

Volunteers will take responsibility for removing waste from an alleyway or patch of land and Council staff will help dispose of it.

The Council will also lend equipment such as litter pickers, bin bags and large bins.

Officers will arrange a site meeting with successful applicants to assess the site, the amount of waste and agree a date for the work.

Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for Environment and Transport, said:

“We’re bringing back Clear It to help those who are willing to come together and clear illegally dumped waste from an alleyway or patch of neglected land that’s not owned by the Council.

“When we first launched Clear It in 2022, we helped volunteers dispose of 48.73 tonnes of illegally dumped waste from problem areas.

“We’d like to see these types of spaces given a fresh start so they become vibrant places the community can enjoy and make better use of.

“If you are keen to transform a neglected alleyway or patch of land, please use the online application form at www.nelincs.gov.uk/clear-it.”

 Cllr Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, added:

“Clear It gives people the opportunity to work with their neighbours and take ownership of their shared space.

“We sympathise with people whose lives are affected by mess left in their alleyways, but they are private property and it’s not the Council’s job to keep them clean.

“Not all wards have alleyways, so to make the scheme fair and open to all parts of the borough, we are including patches of land that aren’t part of the Council’s usual street cleansing duties. These might be areas where the owner can’t be traced or where it’s not clear who’s responsible for it.

“We’re willing to help those who organise themselves and put plans in place to try and bring their alleyway or a neglected patch of land into use after we’ve helped them by disposing of the rubbish.”

Visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/clear-it for more details. If you have questions about the scheme, please email cleanandgreen@nelincs.gov.uk

Article and image from NELC.

Eleven bus stops at Grimsby Riverhead Exchange now have CCTV coverage to help combat anti-social behaviour in the area, creating a safer environment for bus passengers and bus drivers.

Four new CCTV cameras have been installed to cover bus stops A to L, and these cameras will not only prevent anti-social behaviour at bus stops, but will also reduce security costs, prevent crime and vandalism, and make bus drivers feel safer.

The initiative transpired after the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) surveys concluded that people didn’t feel safe at bus stops, particularly those across the town centre.

Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment and transport, said: “It’s great to see CCTV cameras being used to prevent anti-social behaviour at bus stops in the local town centre. We are sure that they will have a positive impact for local people and bus drivers by creating a greater sense of security and reassurance. I am looking forward to seeing the impact of the new CCTV cameras which will hopefully prevent vandalism and anti-social behaviour in the Riverhead area.”

Lani Lamming, Enhanced Bus Quality Partnership Coordinator at Equans, added: “From the results of both the 2021 and 2023 surveys, we knew that it was crucial to provide more security at our bus stops for individuals, students and families to help them feel safe and more comfortable when boarding and disembarking the bus in the town centre. We hope to see bus passenger numbers increase as a result of the new CCTV cameras as survey responses suggested safety around the bus stops is one of the things which deters people from using the bus.”

Roads Minister Richard Holden said: “People up and down the country deserve a modern, reliable, and affordable public transport system. That is why we have provided North East Lincolnshire Council with over £5.2 million to boost its bus services. Supporting the council with introducing CCTV at 11 bus stops across the Grimsby Riverhead Exchange is great for local residents, who will now be able to use the bus more safely and with greater piece of mind.”

Matthew Cranwell, Managing Director at Stagecoach, added: “This is a big matter for our customers and staff, given the antisocial behaviour in the area. Security is always listed as one of the key drivers for customer satisfaction, and as a key interchange point this is critical to help with getting passenger numbers up.”

Article and image from NELC.

A public consultation event about a proposed traffic and road safety project along Armstrong Street and surrounding areas is being held by Equans on behalf of North East Lincolnshire Council.

The event is taking place on Thursday 19 October at West Marsh Community Centre, between 3pm and 6pm. 

People will be able to view the draft proposals and speak to the team behind the project.

The comments received at the event will help shape the final scheme design ahead of project delivery next year.

Article from NELC.

ON SUNDAY 8 October, the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) announced that 20 areas in the UK had secured priority investment for the next 10 years, with a dedicated pot of £200m to be distributed between the areas.  North East Lincolnshire is one of the chosen “Heritage Places”, selected for its ‘heritage needs, opportunities and potential’.

Heritage Fund support has been crucial to the borough’s journey of rediscovery, of reinvention and of planning for the future.  North East Lincolnshire has been the benefactor of some fantastic support to help enrich its own history, heritage and culture, as seen through the Greater Grimsby Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) project, which came to an end in late September.

For the last five years, HAZ became a solid partnership of organisations working together to regenerate historic and culturally important areas of Grimsby. 

These included North East Lincolnshire Council and regeneration partner Equans, Historic England, Associated British Ports (ABP), the Great Grimsby Ice Factory Trust (GGIFT), Humber LEP (now GLLEP), and Grimsby Minster PCC.  Other funders to have worked with HAZ include Arts Council England (ACE), the Heritage Fund, the Architectural Heritage Fund, and the Department for Levelling Up (DLUHC) Town’s Fund.

Projects benefiting from this strong network have included the ongoing Peterson’s Project and Ice Factory, their progress tracked by the Kasbah Steering Group and the Great Grimsby Ice Factory Trust, the town centre’s historic Corporation Road Bridge, Grimsby Minster, the former 19^th century Cooperage, and West Haven Maltings.  The Maltings includes an impressive plan to transform the site into a major youth facility, led by OnSide Youth Zones, a national collaboration of local charities.

Looking through a national lens, those who do not know Grimsby may perceive it as a cultural desert but such people should stop and think again.

Indeed, there is much to celebrate about Grimsby’s heritage – a town that was first written of in 866AD and was mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086.  The poem ‘Havelok the Dane’ is said to have been written in the late 1200s, telling the story of a prince of Denmark and his rescuer, Grim the fisherman.  It is said to be one of the oldest surviving romances in the English language and has been the inspiration for Falfest, the town’s new and extremely popular Viking Festival. 

The town later became the largest fishing port in the world, with hundreds of boats moored at the dockside, delivering their catch before heading out to the cold North Sea.  Since the Cod Wars of the 60s and 70s, the fishing industry has since all-but disappeared, but the remains of that era include an area of former workshops, fish processors, shops, and smokehouses, as well as the pontoons and the huge Ice Factory.  Many of these buildings are also of national significance, documenting the country’s rich fishing history.

Today, North East Lincolnshire remains a major centre for seafood processing and is also home to Orsted, the world’s largest offshore wind and operations maintenance centre.

Simon Bird, Regional Director (Humber) at Associated British Ports said: “ABP’s involvement with the partnership has seen some great benefits to the historic quarter of the Port of Grimsby in terms of building restoration. We will continue with the work as a result of this.

“The success of our recent Heritage Open Day at the port is part of the wider work we’re doing to help people understand this historic environment, while bringing new business and employment opportunities to the port, like the filming that has been taking place.”

North East Lincolnshire Council Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economy, Net Zero, Skills and Housing, Philip Jackson, said: “The HAZ projects demonstrate that heritage-led regeneration is more than just the repair of historic buildings within a town centre, it’s also about bringing those buildings back into use, activating them to create social and economic opportunities for our community, and developing pride of place.

“We have achieved some fantastic outcomes over the past five years, but this isn’t the end, it’s just the start, and the Council remains committed to heritage-led regeneration in the future.”

The HAZ project has inspired a wider regeneration of the Borough, including the development of the North East Lincolnshire Heritage Network, and a very successful Heritage Starter Fund Grant Scheme.  The project has run alongside other programmes of work, including the Cleethorpes Townscape Heritage Project and the Grimsby Creates programme, the latter creating several fantastic murals around the town depicting stories at the heart of the community.

Louise Brennan, Regional Director (Midlands) at Historic England said: “Grimsby is a town rich in heritage. From the Medieval Minster to the Victorian Dock Tower, Grimsby’s historic significance is made clear by its collection of stunning buildings. Historic England wholeheartedly supports the restoration and regeneration of Grimsby’s unique industrial and civic heritage, and we are delighted that the investments made via the Heritage Action Zone has enabled the repair and reuse of buildings from the towns’ past, ready to help make its future.”

As the HAZ project comes to an end, the new “Historic Places” project signifies a new dawn for heritage across the borough.  Teams completing HAZ works across the area will now be able to turn their considerations to other buildings in need of regeneration, furthering the process of bringing historic Grimsby to life.

Residents now and in the future will enjoy places of the past, using them as work and community spaces, while the strong partnerships made with organisations like Historic England and ABP will continue to grow as Historic Places takes shape in the coming months.

For more information, visit https://historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/heritage-action-zones/greater-grimsby- external site  and https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/news/ps200million-funding-heritage-places-will-boost-local-economies-and-pride-place- external site 

Article and image from NELC.

During the works the Market Hall entrance (pictured above left) will be open as normal during market opening days – Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 9am until 4pm. At those times Freshney Place can also be entered via this entrance.

Further works are due to get underway at Freshney Place Shopping Centre, as the plans to transform the western area of Grimsby Town Centre gather pace.

The work will allow specialists from appointed contractor, Morgan Sindall Construction, to carry out detailed examination surveys ahead of the major scheme starting in 2024.

Trading at both Freshney Place Shopping Centre and the Top Town Market will continue throughout, with shops and stalls remaining open as normal.

From Tuesday 17 October to Friday 10 November the shopping centre’s Flottergate entrance will be closed along with one of the indoor Top Town Market entrances on the main Flottergate mall. The other three market entrances – including the two external ones next to Devonshire House and on Victoria Street – will be open as normal on market days – Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Freshney Place is otherwise unaffected, with just some slight diversions around Flottergate. Signs will direct shoppers.

A spokesperson from Morgan Sindall, the appointed contractor, said: “This is an extremely exciting scheme, which is set to transform this western end of Freshney Place in terms of the diversity of the offer and the look and feel of the whole area. As we prepare for the main works to begin, we do need to do all the necessary groundwork and we appreciate this may cause slight disruption for both shoppers and traders. We do apologise for that, and we will endeavour to keep this to a minimum.”

Supported by a £20m LUF (Levelling Up Fund) grant award, the Freshney Place Market Hall and Leisure Scheme will create a modern and vibrant new Market Hall in the old BHS building, a new 5-screen cinema operated by Parkway Cinema, more space for eateries and leisure, and a purpose built and well-designed community space.

About Freshney Place:

Freshney Place is Lincolnshire’s largest covered shopping centre, constituting approximately 60% of Grimsby town centre’s retail offering. It has 67 occupied units covering both hugely popular high street brands, independent boutiques, several cafés as well as a dedicated soft play.

• The shopping centre welcomes an average of 125,000 visitors each week and supports 1,700 full and part time jobs in the area. 
• Freshney Place’s western end will undergo significant transformation in the next three years, with support from a £20m LUF Round 2 bid from Central Government, submitted by centre owners North East Lincolnshire Council and awarded in Autumn 2023. A new cinema, market hall and leisure and food venues are being developed. 

Article and image from NELC.