2020: Success and Progress

2020 has seen the Conservatives celebrate successes and make progress at the helm of North East Lincolnshire Council.

On the final day of a challenging year for everyone, here NELC Leader Philip Jackson outlines the leaps and bounds made in the borough over the last twelve months.

BUSINESS & JOBS

• It is now council policy to work towards becoming carbon-neutral before 2050, building on previous environmentally beneficial investments in electric vehicles, solar panels on council buildings and LED streetlighting. All future council decisions must take account of carbon reduction targets.
• Good progress is being made with the South Humber Industrial Investment Programme (SHIIP), a council-sponsored major industrial development site at Stallingborough designed to attract thousands of new jobs to the area. The ecological mitigation land associated with unlocking this industrial development land has won national awards and recognition. 

GRIMSBY TOWN CENTRE & TOWN DEAL

• Major grant bids totalling £50-million under the Future High Streets Fund and Stronger Towns Fund have recently been submitted to Government and their response is awaited. If these schemes proceed, they will transform Grimsby town centre and lever in millions of pounds of private sector investment. 
• The West Haven Maltings in Grimsby town centre is at last to be brought back into use after standing derelict for a generation. Government Town Deal funding is being used to convert them into the Onside Youth Zone centre, providing much-needed and innovative facilities for young people.
• To complement this, also with a significant amount of Government grant, the Garth Lane public realm improvement works are progressing. This includes a new bridge across the River Freshney, linking Riverhead Square with Alexandra Dock and the Fishing Heritage Centre. There will also be paving, lighting and seating improvements, as well as fountains in the Haven itself.
• St. James’s Square improvement works are nearing completion. These will complement and enhance the existing use of the square and are sympathetic to existing features of special significance.

PROGRESS IN CLEETHORPES

• Major infrastructure projects in Cleethorpes are complete, including on the High Street, Seaview Street and Alexandra Road. These will contribute to increased footfall and boost the local economy, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.   
• Work has commenced on the new, exciting Sea Road development. This includes the demolition of Waves nightclub (formerly The Submarine), replacing it with a new build incorporating a Tourist Information Centre, kiosks, the Beach Safety Team, new toilets and commercial space on the upper levels.
• On the North Prom, the White Palm, funky fitness furniture, dancing lights and contemporary shutter art are progressing. It has caused controversy and debate but has undoubtedly raised the profile of the resort, even before the work is complete!
• A new Resort Manager has been appointed, underlining this administration’s commitment to tourism and improved resort and event promotion and management.

HIGHWAYS CONSTRUCTION & IMPROVEMENT

• As promised in our election manifesto and during the election campaign, we have found a way to retain Tollbar roundabout, scrapping Labour’s plans to replace it with a traffic light-controlled junction. Improvements to the existing roundabout to tackle congestion and capacity issues will be completed in early 2021. Pedestrian safety has already been improved with the provision of a Toucan crossing.
• In line with our election pledge, Scartho Road bus lane has been removed, improving traffic flows and easing congestion.
• Major improvement works to the A18 were completed, more than two months ahead of schedule. These will improve both traffic flow and road safety.
• The long-awaited South Humber Link Road is at last open. This provides vastly improved connectivity between the industrial areas of Immingham, Stallingborough and Grimsby, and opens up further land for development.
• The new roundabout at the junction of Little Coates Road and Cambridge Road, in Grimsby, is nearing completion. This will address longstanding congestion problems at this site.

WASTE MANAGEMENT & RECYCLING

• New, larger bins for the collection of domestic recycling have been introduced. These make it easier for residents and for the council to collect. They are proving popular with the public and recycling rates have increased.

PUBLIC OPEN SPACE & STREET SCENE

• A major review of street cleansing, including a return to a seven-day working week, is providing a much higher quality service for both routine scheduled street cleaning and tackling one-off issues.
• Increased frequency of cleansing the major entrance routes to North East Lincolnshire provides a much better image for the area.
• Completion of the litter bin replacement programme has seen all smaller bins replaced with modern 240-litre bins, increasing overall capacity and making emptying easier and more efficient.
• Grass cutting on verges and public open spaces has been improved.

ENFORCEMENT & LAW AND ORDER

• We have improved the way we work with the police and other partners and agencies to crack down on antisocial behaviour.
• A full review of CCTV provision across the borough has been undertaken and £1-million proposals for improvement are progressing.
• There has been an increase in enforcement against littering, fly-tipping, dog fouling and the use of Public Space Protection Orders, with more court cases, to help tackle the minority who spoil things for the law-abiding majority.
• There have been numerous high-profile fines for cycling in the Victoria Street pedestrian zone in Grimsby town centre.

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

• We promised to be a listening council. We have held very successful Cabinet Listening Events at both Grimsby and Cleethorpes Town Halls, where members of the public can talk to Cabinet members about issues and problems. We have received a wide range of views at these events and implemented changes as a result. More such events are planned for the future in different areas of the borough.
• The delivery of disabled facilities grants, enabling people with disabilities to continue to live in their own homes, has been made quicker, easier and fairer with the scrapping of means testing.
• A range of new measures to tackle the large number of empty homes in North East Lincolnshire are being evaluated and implemented.
• An OFSTED-focused inspection in March 2019 under the previous Labour administration highlighted serious concerns with aspects of children’s services. The new Conservative administration was quick to act, with radical organisational changes and extra resources to ensure that vulnerable children are kept safe.
• We have reshaped Labour’s playing pitch strategy away from Bradley Pitches to the improvement of other sports facilities across the borough like Clee Fields, Carr Lane and Barrett’s Recreation Ground, which will make these more accessible to more people and bring neglected assets back into use.