Monthly Archive 27 December 2024

Changes to the way major decisions are made around transport, housing, skills and investment to benefit local people in Greater Lincolnshire are a step closer today.

In a historic moment, the “Statutory Instrument” which is required to form the new devolved Greater Lincolnshire Couty Combined Authority (GLCCA) has been laid in Parliament. 

This piece of Parliamentary process follows written consent being sent from Lincolnshire County Council and North and North East Lincolnshire unitary authorities to Government.

This will mean the forming of the new devolved authority can go ahead with a first meeting of a the new GLCCA expected to take place early in the new year. That will come before the first ever Mayoral elections across Greater Lincolnshire in May 2025. The process for candidates to stand to be the new Mayor are currently being worked through with more news on deadlines to stand and timetables due soon.

In a joint statement welcoming this latest news, authority leaders, Cllr Martin Hill OBE (Lincolnshire), Cllr Philip Jackson (North East Lincolnshire), and Cllr Rob Waltham MBE (North Lincolnshire), said:

“As we move into this final Parliamentary process, we look forward to the new year and a 2025 that brings with it a new dawn for us all here in Greater Lincolnshire.

“The Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority will give local decision makers the chance to shape our area’s future – building a stronger and more prosperous region for generations to come. With this will come better lifestyles of residents and wider opportunities for businesses.”

As reported, with the introduction of devolution and the GLCCA comes a total investment pot coming directly into Greater Lincolnshire of £720-million over the next 30 years.  This includes an annual £24m Mayoral Investment Fund to invest in priority areas including jobs and skills; housing & highways, transport, business & infrastructure, and innovation and trade.

There is also an initial capital funding pot of £28m including brownfield funding for individual schemes across Greater Lincolnshire.

In North East Lincolnshire this will support the phase one development of a Grimsby Town Centre Transport Hub while in Lincolnshire a number of projects are already underway including road improvements to Old Roman Bank near Sandilands and drainage improvements at Kirkby on Bain. Upcoming projects include roundabout works at Nettleham and streetworks in Grantham, a business grant programme within the UK Food Valley in South Lincolnshire and a grant to Sleaford Moor Business Park for the next phase of this low carbon business park.

In North Lincolnshire this will be used to unlock land in Scunthorpe, Brigg, and Barton-upon-Humber, enabling more homes to be built for older residents.

Article and image from NELC.

Work to try to avert a potential blow to Grimsby’s high street has been high on the priority list this week.

Following the news that Grimsby’s Post Office was in the list of 115 directly owned branches being considered for potential closure, the Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Councillor Philip Jackson, has written directly to the Government’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade to ask for his support to keep it open.

“This is something that we feel really strongly about, and wanted to get to the highest authorities as soon as possible,” said Cllr Jackson.

“Along with significant funding from the Government and other agencies, along with work being done by our partners, we are in the midst of delivering a once in a generation town centre regeneration programme.

“The Post Office is at heart of Grimsby town centre, and our plans, and those of our partners, particularly for Freshney Place and the Community Diagnostics Centre within it and the housing development at Garth Lane, will bring significant additional footfall to the town centre in the coming years.

“To consider closure of the Post Office at this point would be a damaging and backwards step, particularly when our residents are starting to see visible signs of positive and impactful change on the high street.

“We will continue to petition Government to keep the Post Office open in the town centre, to try to make sure that we keep the best facilities here for our residents and businesses.”

Article and image from NELC.

As 2024 draws to a close, the Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council Cllr Philip Jackson reflects on 12 months of decisions made that are set to have a lasting and positive impact on our borough.

“With determination, partnership working and perseverance this authority has been at the forefront of a change agenda locally and regionally that has set the scene for what is to come in the years ahead.

Underpinned by a new three-year Council Plan that will be adopted from the financial year in April 2025, we have a clear vision within the borough that puts a better place and new opportunity for our people front and centre.

We will achieve success if we drive our skills, public health and children’s and family agendas alongside the improvement of our economy, our business and our towns – they are intertwined.

Early next year will see the start of major change across both Grimsby Town Centre and in Cleethorpes.

Our Freshney Place regeneration scheme is, in my firm belief, the most important regeneration project we have seen in North East Lincolnshire. It is key to the future of our town centre –  underpinning the other regeneration taking place. This includes the new Horizon Youth Zone, the Alexandra Dock housing scheme and the E-Factor Business Hub – as well as securing the future of Freshney Place and the 1,700 local jobs it supports.

Cleethorpes too, will have its own transformation with our grant-funded projects in Pier Gardens, Market Place and Sea Road taking shape. When complete they will add to our already successful resort – a true jewel in the crown of the East Coast.

The work we are spearheading and supporting will offer opportunities for our local people alongside the growth of our industries, including decarbonisation, renewables and the chemical and manufacturing sectors. It is vital that people understand what those opportunities are and have the skills to take them.

With the above in mind, devolution and the forming of the new Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority will support all that we are doing here – with investment in key areas such as skills, economic growth and infrastructure. Indeed, monies have already been released to support our vision of a creating a sustainable Town Centre housing market, to support our regeneration aspirations.

The Mayoral election for the new GLCCA will take place on May 1 next year, and my appeal to everyone is to support that election with your vote. The Mayor will be working with a new GLCCA board to give Greater Lincolnshire a stronger voice at Westminster – encouraging more investment and growth.

2024 has been a busy year and in 2025 we must keep going – making a difference, improving our support and work with families, reinventing our place and ensuring North East Lincolnshire is heard and seen on the regional and national stage.”

Article and images from NELC.

One hundred and fifty years ago, in 1874, the Mermaid Café building on Cleethorpes North Prom sea front was constructed as a waiting room for the recently opened Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway.  It now forms part of the listed buildings on Cleethorpes Railway Station.

Over the years, the building has been used for various food and beverage businesses, most recently as a Fish and Chip café and takeaway.

As part of the Discover Cleethorpes Heritage Townscape Heritage Programme, which has been funded thanks to National Lottery players through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Mermaid building has been identified as one of the eligible properties to be able to bid for grant funding to help with external restoration works.

The programme has already seen several balconies and shop fronts restored along Alexandra Road and in Sea View Street.

The project will see conservation work to the Victorian cast iron framework of the building, as well as full restoration and conservation of the timber elements of the building. The building will also be re-roofed, and cast iron gutters and downpipes will also be replaced.

The building will be repainted in the original livery colours of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway company.

Leaseholders, Charles Crawford and Craig Brown said: “This is something that we’ve been wanting to do for a long time, having gained planning and Listed Building consent back in 2021. Due to the complexities of the restoration, we knew that financial support would be required, and we’re really pleased to get the backing of The National Lottery Heritage Fund for some of the work. We can’t wait to see what the building will look like when it’s restored.”

The Railway Trust are providing match funding for this project. Tim Hedley–Jones of The Railway Trust said: “We’re really happy to be working collaboratively with both the leaseholders and the council, and provide this additional funding to help restore this former railway building.”

Cllr Philip Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “I’m really pleased to see this particular building come forward as part of the Townscape Heritage Project. It’s one of the key buildings that people see as they arrive in Cleethorpes on the train, and to have it restored to its former glory will be wonderful!”

The work will be carried out by CAG, who have completed heritage works in other areas of the resort as part of the National Lottery funded Townscape Heritage grant programme.

Planning permission is already in place for the work to the building, and initial internal work has begun, with hoardings already up around the building and the iron work set to be removed before Christmas. The main work will start in the new year, with a view to being completed before the main summer season.

Article and image from NELC.

“Grimsby town centre is changing. And the feel around the town centre is changing too.”

These are the words of Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of North East Lincolnshire Council as the decision has been made to continue with one of the largest investments in Grimsby town centre’s history, the Freshney Place leisure scheme and associated new food hall and complementary market, at Full Council.

After the decision was taken to go-ahead with the scheme, Cllr Jackson said:

“We’ve now, as a Council, made the final decision to bring forward and support the Freshney Place leisure scheme and new food hall and complementary market, a project that will transform the centre of our key town in our borough.

“We’re on a hugely ambitious journey, with significant investment of public funds across our towns and borough.

“We’re investing in one of the largest schemes this council has ever invested in. We believe this is right for the town. 

“In the last seven years, disused and unkempt areas, such as Garth Lane, Riverhead and St James’ Square have changed the entrance gateways to the town, providing a more attractive area to spend time, with better lighting and CCTV to provide reassurance and security too.

“Partners such as Onside, who are building a Youth Zone on the Haven, and Keepmoat, who will be building housing for local people, are investing in the future of our town centre.

“With developments such as the Freshney Place leisure scheme and the transport hub on the horizon, Grimsby is set to take another leap forward. This is about creating a place people will be proud of, and investors and businesses want to be in. This is about the future of the borough. 

“Put this alongside the work we’re doing to bring more culture, events and festivals into the town centre, and creating safer streets, and you can see there’s been a wholesale change.”

As previously reported, the leisure scheme is due to be constructed using the western end of Freshney Place, the area that is currently the Top Town Market Hall and some units on the Bullring, which will provide a new offering for the people and businesses in Grimsby town centre.

So far, within the proposed scheme, a pre-let agreement is in place with local operator, Parkway Cinema, to bring a new five screen cinema to complement its offering at Cleethorpes.

There is more confidence in the cinema sector, particularly amongst smaller operators who are able to provide a quality experience and to tailor their operations to fit local demographics and demands.

Richard Parkes, owner of Parkway Cinema, said: “We’ve long discussed options for bringing a cinema to Grimsby, and reinventing Freshney Place is precisely the right approach. Town centres are not just about shopping – that doesn’t work anymore. We need to provide more reasons to visit and offer more things to do at more times during the day, and that’s just what we’ve signed up for – to bring that to Grimsby.

“We’ll be a living, breathing presence right in the heart of the town, with a new cinema open to and accessible to everyone alongside a new market hall and food outlets. It’s just part of something that will improve the whole town centre for a new generation, alongside the youth zone and other areas of the town like St James Square and the Riverhead. There’s a lot going on, and we can’t wait to be part of it.”

The development also includes plans for a new, vibrant food hall together with an attached complementary market. This is sited on the area of the former BHS building. According to a report from GlobalData, the leisure industry, like many is always evolving. Although there has been a growth in online shopping, around 75% of all sales are still in person on the high street.

Four additional new leisure, food and beverage, or retail opportunities, including a larger unit to-let are also in the scheme footprint, alongside four refurbished units within Freshney Place, with the return of Starbucks already agreed, and discussions underway with a leading food outlet.

Once the new market hall has been completed within the old BHS building, traders, new and old, will be invited to see the new development and find out about what opportunities will be on offer.

As part of the discussions last week at Full Council, it was agreed to set up a cross party group of Councillors set up to monitor key regeneration projects in the borough. This will complement the other formal arrangements in terms of the existing Council’s Scrutiny and oversight arrangements.

Work is expected to start on site early in the new year.

Article and image from NELC.

Phase Two of the public consultation for North East Lincolnshire’s Library and Archive Service review will take place in the New Year, following approval from Cabinet.

Phase One of public consultation and engagement, which took place earlier this year, focused on building a better understanding of what our communities see as important to them, how they use our Library and Archive Service and what they view as the opportunities for the services in the future.

The Phase One responses, coupled with a full needs assessment, have highlighted where future resources should be focussed to help deliver a “comprehensive and efficient” library service, supporting a continued compliance with statutory requirements.

Councillors have now voted to go ahead with a 12-week public consultation in 2025 seeking the views of local residents on the future operation of the service, which involves Grimsby Central Library, Cleethorpes Library, Waltham Library and Immingham Library.

Proposals will focus on modernising and rationalising the library network through the potential co-location of services to support the development of a more efficient service and expand on learning from the hub model seen at Immingham, where the current library service is located within the town’s Civic Centre.

The public will be asked to give their views on proposals for:

• A co-located service for a Grimsby town centre hub with public library service, public archives, and adult skills & learning all in one place;
• A co-located service for Cleethorpes Library with Cleethorpes Leisure Centre;
• Redesignation of Waltham Library as a community library;
•  Immingham to remain as a co-located service with a focus on developing further partnership working from this location.

Cllr Hayden Dawkins, NELC Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and the Visitor Economy, said: “We want to thank everyone who took part in Phase One of the library and archive consultations. We want you to know that we have considered your responses in detail and this second phase comes on the back of what you told us and our assessment of local need. No decisions will be made until after the Phase Two consultations.

“These proposals look at the public library service branches that fit with the wider Council strategy to develop further, recognising the importance of encouraging footfall in our town centres and the benefits of bringing services together under one roof.

“For reassurance, there are no plans to sell, dispose of, or destroy the Central Library building. It is important to highlight the Council’s commitment to the building and investment into the wider town centre.

“I urge our local residents to take part in this second phase of consultations so that we can properly progress a vision for our Libraries and Archive Service going forward. We are asking you to complete the Phase Two survey,  alongside which we will also be holding focus groups and community engagement events, to capture as full a picture as possible of your views.”

Phase Two of the public consultation will follow a similar methodology as Phase One with an online survey and face-to-face opportunities to ensure as many people as possible can share their views, and be a part of designing a library service that best meets their needs within the resources available. Further detail will be available at the start of the consultation period planned to be released in early 2025.

Article from NELC.