Monthly Archive 26 July 2024

The transformation of Riverhead Square is nearing completion with the last plants and decorations being added.

The remodelled area is being funded as one of the projects included in the Town Deal by His Majesty’s Government, the money for which was secured in 2020 and is ringfenced for specific projects. Plans were approved by cabinet in November 2022 with work starting in early 2023.

Now, with around 7,000 plants, trees and shrubs, nearly all in place, the project is almost complete. The tree species selected for Riverhead Square have contrasting characteristics, including leaf shape, colour and canopy spread.

Evergreens are combined with deciduous specimens for year round seasonal interest providing blossom in Spring, colour in Autumn and fruit in Winter. The existing lime trees were removed and will be replaced with semi-mature Field maple trees which have a reputation for managing tough urban conditions well.

These will be installed in tree pits, and positioned to frame views through the square keeping open views of the shopping centre. They will also provide height and shading in some areas.

The plants include a wide range of perennials, shrubs and bulbs. The shape of the flower beds and seating and the curved flow of the area leading to Frederick Ward Way have been designed to represent our coastal sand dunes.

The planting also includes a rain garden as part of the sustainable urban drainage programme, and plants have been chosen to represent the dune edge and give a natural feel. The new exciting and modern square will also provide a welcomed space for friends to sit and catch up whilst enjoying a coffee.

Additionally, it’s hoped the area can be utilised for a number of events and festivals in the coming months and years with its open plan and large footprint providing the perfect location.

Whilst the main fencing around the site is to be removed this week, some of the area will remain closed off whilst the final works are carried out. This will be the area nearest to Frederick Ward Way running alongside the River Freshney.

The Council’s grounds maintenance team will be continuing to plant the various trees and shrubs in the coming weeks whilst the site is open to the public.

Councillor Philip Jackson, Leader of the Council, said: “It’s great to see this scheme nearing completion. Since its approval in 2022, it’s been exciting to see it come to life and the finished product is far better than I could have imagined.

“I’ve no doubt the Square will be a valuable asset to the community in the near future whether that be as a place to sit or as the location of an event.

“This is just the start of our plans as a Council to transform Grimsby town centre to attract families, visitors and businesses to our borough. We are determined to make this a place people enjoy coming to and feel safe doing so.

“I also welcome the work that is done by us, the police and our partners in creating a safer place in and around the town centre. The monthly days of action, the introduction of town centre ambassadors and improved CCTV will all help to work towards achieving this communal goal,” he added.

Article and images from NELC.

Borough wide CCTV cameras which are managed and operated by North East Lincolnshire Council’s delivery partner Equans, have supported emergency services over 600 times across a three month period.

From April to June this year, footage from the £2.2 million system, introduced in January last year, was used to help police catch people drug dealing as well as recording drivers committing Anti-Social Behaviour related crimes.

With over 130 cameras across North East Lincolnshire, the control room is able to capture events as they happen, but also store footage to be used retrospectively by emergency services as evidence.

In April, CCTV was used 200 times to support a major incident – which is defined as an event attended by Emergency Services. In May CCTV helped with 206 major incidents and 215 in June.

Across June, the cameras captured a number of crimes from vandalism to assault. On Saturday, 8 June, there were three separate crimes happening from 1am to 7.30pm where camera footage was used to direct police or used as evidence.

At 1am, CCTV operatives recorded a person vandalising parts of the town centre before assaulting a woman and driving away. However, thanks to the wide coverage of the system, cameras managed to track the suspect and direct police to their location.

At 3am, a motorist was spotted doing donuts in a Cleethorpes car park and was dealt with by Humberside Police thanks to images recorded by the cameras. The final event at 7.30pm involved locating a missing person. By following their movements on the CCTV, police were able to attend and ensured the person was found safe and well.

CCTV footage captured a number of other incidents throughout June. These included helping to stop drug dealing; gaining images of motorcyclists behaving anti-socially; alerting police to fights; stopping a possible drunk driver and aiding in the seizure of a firearm.

Speaking about this success, Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “It’s great to see how much of an impact our cameras have had.

“They are an invaluable resource not only to us, but to the emergency services who rely on them for their investigations and incidents.

“However, none of this would be possible without the hard work of our operatives monitoring the cameras. The team are the unsung heroes of our CCTV network and the work they do is essential in helping to keep the borough safe.”

Article and image from NELC.

North East Lincolnshire Council has announced the trial of a new Tannoy system aimed at reducing ASB and informing the public of the rules in place across the town centre.

Two columns, located at the Bull Ring and at the junction of George Street and Victoria Street South, house the equipment used to enable messages to be projected to those walking in the centre.

On Wednesday, 24 July, the system will be trialled for the first time to inform people that biking along Victoria Street South is prohibited under the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO). Short announcements will be played every 15 minutes informing the public of the rules in place.

There are seven Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) in place across North East Lincolnshire. Public consultation in 2023 again identified anti-social behaviour as the public’s number one concern and as having the largest negative impact on a community or neighbourhood if left unaddressed and there was overwhelming support for the existing and amended PSPOs.

The PSPOs are intended to support a wider intelligence-led place-based problem-solving approach to address ASB in defined geographical locations. During 2023, after a public consultation exercise conditions to control alcohol-related ASB were incorporated into the PSPOs covering Grimsby Town Centre, Peoples Park and Cleethorpes Town Centre & Seafront.

There are also two dog control PSPO’s. If a Police Constable or authorised person witnesses somebody behaving or displaying any behaviour that is prohibited then they can ask them to leave that area and not return within 24 hours.

The details of the incident will be recorded and sent to the appropriate department within the council. They will then look into the evidence provided and, if appropriate, a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £100 will be issued. Failure to make payment could result in a fine of up to £1,000 at the Magistrates Court.

Announcing the plans, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, Councillor Ron Shepherd, said: “We as a Council have a zero tolerance policy on crime and ASB.

“Grimsby town centre is a key area for our borough and those causing ASB in the area need to be made aware of what they are doing and reprimanded accordingly.

“Additionally, this new Tannoy system will be a way of educating a wider audience as visitors and residents go about their daily business. Should the trail be successful, we look forward to expanding its use in the future.”

Article and image from NELC.

FROM simple grass verges to flood-mitigating ‘rain gardens’ – an innovative way to see water from heavy downpours drain back into the sewers beneath our streets has been introduced in Grimsby.

Residents and visitors to Broadway will have noticed work being carried out to take out sections of grass at the roadsides, replacing them with flower beds.

What they perhaps do not realise is how these floral displays are not just there to brighten up the neigbourhood – they are also doing a vital job in helping to rid the street of water.

Underneath the beds, channels have been installed so the water flows from those beds, into storage tanks and then into the sewers – slowing down the flow into those sewers and therefore the risk of flooding is not eliminated, but certainly reduced.

North East Lincolnshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment and Net Zero, Cllr Henry Hudson, praised the idea, saying: “It is these innovative and new schemes that in the long-term will make a big difference to the way in which we protect our communities from the changing environment, and how we cope with that.

He added: “This a great idea and two-fold in providing a floral backdrop along Broadway along with lessening the flood risk.”

This is the second such scheme carried out in North East Lincolnshire and manged by its partner Equans, and was funded by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs as part of its national £200m Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme. 

North East Lincolnshire was awarded just over £3m from that total pot – with money ringfenced for flood and coastal resilience and adaption to a changing climate.

The first scheme, last year, saw planter boxes installed at four schools. The boxes, known as Roof Irrigation Planters, allow rainwater from the roof to flow directly into planter beds, increasing flood resilience by absorbing water and slowing the flow.

The Broadway works are due to be completed in August with three days of re-surfacing planned ahead of that, needing a road closure and diversions. The details of each road closure and dates are as follows:

Phase 1 – From the junction of Little Coates Road, up to and including the eastern junction of St Ives Crescent. Phase 1 will start on Monday 22 July.

Phase 2 – From the eastern junction of St Ives Crescent, up to and including the western junction of St Ives Crescent. Phase 2 will start on Tuesday 23 July.

Phase 3 – From the western junction of St Ives Crescent, through to the junction of Pershore Avenue. Phase 3 will start on Tuesday 27 August, following the construction of the remaining rain gardens along Broadway.

It is anticipated that each phase can be completed within one day. However, overrun into a second day is a possibility.

Article and image from NELC.

The leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Coun Philip Jackson, said he is looking forward to working with MPs Martin Vickers and Melanie Ann ‘in the best interests’ of the area.

At a full meeting of the council held at Grimsby Town Hall, he told the chamber: “It won’t have escaped your attention that we have had no less than two elections since my last Leader’s Statement in March.  Indeed, between us all, I’m sure we have worn out a lot of shoe leather!

“Starting with the most recent first, congratulations to Melanie Onn and Martin Vickers on their respective victories in the Great Grimsby & Cleethorpes and Brigg & Immingham seats.  I look forward to working with them both in the best interests of North East Lincolnshire.

“I hope we can enjoy the same fruitful working arrangements with the new Government as we have over recent years with the previous Conservative administration.  It’s very important that we continue to build on well-established working relationships with key Departments of State, including the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.  

“There is no doubt that Grimsby, in particular, will remain in the spotlight, and that means we must continue to maintain our balanced focus on working with our partners to create the conditions for our Place to grow, thrive and prosper – and engaging on a regional and national basis to support that ambition.

“The challenges faced by local government up and down the country are the same as they were before July 4.  I hope the new Government will give them early attention. The local government financial model is in need of review. There are major challenges for the sector across demand led services, including children’s, adult’s and SEND. Local government needs to be engaged with, and listened to, in terms of the scale and depth of the challenges across complexity of need, workforce, funding and market shaping. Our job would be easier if we enjoyed longer term certainty of funding to aid resource planning generally, for example multi-year settlements.”

Coun Jackson continued: “The new Government has placed housing at the forefront of its agenda both in terms of meeting unmet demand and stimulating economic growth. With an aspiration of 1.5 million new homes in its first term, we are told that local authorities will have delivery targets. We have yet to see what the implications of that will be for North East Lincolnshire. A relaxation of the planning regime has already been signalled with policy changes, for example onshore wind, and again the aim is to support and enable growth faster and more nimbly. There could be significant implications for North East Lincolnshire as we continue with the review of our current Local Development Plan. Watch this space!

“In the second day of his new job, Sir Kier Starmer met all metro mayors at Downing Street, expressing his enthusiasm for further devolution. Council leaders in areas not currently covered by a Devolution Deal have been written to by the Deputy Prime Minister offering a devolution conversation. We have our oven-ready Deal. We received formal confirmation before the election from DLUHC that the consultation has passed the necessary statutory tests, and the draft legislation is ready to be laid before Parliament. Let’s get on with it so that we can start to enjoy the benefits across Greater Lincolnshire, in tandem with a similar deal on the north bank of the Humber. This real opportunity to take the region forward can’t be lost now and North East Lincolnshire stands ready to play its part for the benefit of our residents, communities and businesses.

“Turning now to the local election outcome. Though we are now a minority administration, this Conservative administration intends to stick with its ambitious plans for growth and change across North East Lincolnshire. That’s the only way we can move our borough forward and address some of the serious inequalities we know we have. As well as overhauling skills provision to help local people take advantage of the new, better pad jobs that are being created across all our key employment sectors, we must ensure we have the right housing and infrastructure in place for our current residents as well as those who want to move into the area. 

“We want workers and their families to live in North East Lincolnshire, keeping the North East Lincolnshire pound in North East Lincolnshire, rather than commuting in and spending their income outside the borough. That’s why it’s also essential to make our place more attractive to live in and visit.  The regeneration schemes that are being delivered, based on the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Masterplans, the grant funding they have attracted in recent years, and the greater private sector confidence and investment that brings, are key to that ambition. We particularly want North East Lincolnshire to be a place where young people can thrive and prosper, with good jobs and careers and an environment that encourages them to stay. I hope all parties in this chamber can unite around those aims and objectives.”

Coun Jackson went on to tell the chamber that NELC’s Cabinet has approved the final concept designs for the regeneration of Market Place and the refurbishment of Pier Gardens. 

“These two exciting schemes are being funded from the £18.4 million of Levelling Up funding won for the resort and have been designed following extensive public engagement, including via the Cleethorpes Masterplan process, detailed consultation with local businesses and very helpful input from the relevant scrutiny panel,” he said. “Work has now commenced on site on the third Cleethorpes LUF project; the new, iconic building on Sea Road.

“Events are vital to the resort, and the biggest of those has to be Armed Forces Weekend, the last weekend in June. Particular thanks go to the Armed Forces Major Events Team for a superbly organised event, but thanks to everyone else involved, not least to our brilliant council teams who cleared the waste generated by those thousands of visitors and ensured the resort was spick and span again by the Monday morning.

“Grimsby town centre also enjoyed a very successful event in June, albeit not on quite the scale of Armed Forces Weekend; Festival of the Sea. This is now well established in Grimsby’s events programme and brought many families into the town centre for a great day out.

“Turning now to public transport. We have been successful in securing significant grant funding for our Bus Service Improvement Plan, and are, in partnership with Stagecoach East Midlands, introducing and maintaining significant improvements in local bus services. These include introducing a new route as well as extending others and increasing some frequencies. We have been able to re-introduce free travel before 9.30am for concessionary bus pass holders and maintain the travel anywhere £1 fare at weekends and in the evenings. This is great news for existing bus users but is also encouraging new passengers, saving them money, reducing congestion and helping the environment.”