Praise for company that supplies drinking water to Grimsby-area households and businesses - but . . .

Anglian Water's reservoir at Covenham between Cleethorpes and Louth

A PAT on the back has come for the quality of the drinking water provided by Anglian Water whose 6.7 million customers include those living in North East Lincolnshire.

In a report published today, the Environment Agency says: "Anglian Water’s drinking water quality remains exceptional, and consumers can be confident that their water is safe to drink."

And there is more praise.

The report continues: "Performance is one of the best in the industry for internal sewer flooding, minimising disruption to customers. 

"Customers also continue to report relatively high levels of satisfaction compared with others in the industry. 

"The company should continue to maintain positive customer interactions and a good overall customer experience."

However, it is not all good news.

The report's authors state: "Several areas of environmental performance require improvement. 

"The number of pollution incidents - 433 - continues to be high, including serious incidents that cause significant environmental harm. 

"Although the company has a high level of self-reporting, supporting prompt intervention, greater focus is needed on preventing incidents from occurring in the first place. 

"Compared to the industry average, the company performs better in terms of leakage per property - an average of 92.1 litres per day (the industry average  is 104.5 litres). But the figure is up 15.1 per cent on the previous year.

The household consumption of water is 123.3 litres per person per day which is better than the industry average of 137.3 litres, suggesting that its campaign to encourage consumers to value every drop seems to be paying off. 

EA says Anglian  needs to take action to reduce leakage to ensure there is enough water to meet future demand. 

It also needs to improve performance on water supply interruptions, to ensure that customers have a reliable water supply.

In customer satisfaction rankings, Anglian sits fourth out of 17 companies - behind, for example, Severn Trent but above another adjoining region, Yorkshire Water.   

Anglian Water's Newton Marsh sewage treatment works on the outskirts of Tetney

                                        

                                               

Uncertain future beckons for Freshney Place store as parent company prepares to enter administration

 

                                           

The retail scene in  Grimsby's Freshney Place faces a setback with news that the Poundland store could close unless a buyer is found for it and its sister shops in the UK. It is today being widely reported that the struggling US-owned business is poised, sadly, to go into administration just as happened to Wilko three years ago. For the time being, it continues to trade.

Annual salary of £36,000 beckons for manager of new Cleethorpes branch of Yorkshire Trading Company

Yorkshire Trading will take over the shop occupied by The Original Factory Shop prior to its demise in spring this year 

 

A SALARY of £36,000 per annum is on offer for the store manager when the Yorkshire Trading Company moves into the Cleethorpes premises previously occupied by The Original Factory Shop.

Says the job description: "Yorkshire Trading Company is a growing family owned and run business with 42 variety stores throughout Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the North East and a busy e-commerce operation.

"Due to continued expansion, we have an exciting opportunity for a store manager at our brand new store in Cleethorpes.

"As a natural leader, you will take on the role in coaching and developing your team to help them reach their full potential

"You will take pride in continually delivering the highest and most consistent standards of customer service, visual standards, profitability and productivity of the  store."

The duties are listed as follows:

* Motivate, train and lead your team to deliver your high standards of customer service, merchandising and performance.

* Implement effective displays in feature windows and on the sales floor.

* Promote sales by demonstrating merchandise and products to customers.

* Help customers by providing information, answering questions, completing payment transactions.

* Maintain a safe and clean store environment by following Health and Safety procedures

* Maintain inventory by checking merchandise to determine stock levels; anticipating customer demand.

The required skills include:

* Experience in leadership and people management

* Computer literate

* Cashing up experience

* Retail Experience

Concludes YTC: " We are looking for a flexible person with a strong work ethic. 

"It is important that you are a team player. 

"This is an excellent opportunity for a determined, capable and loyal person to develop within our successful, growing, family firm and become a well-respected member of our team. 

"If you are  passionate about people and sales then we would love to hear from you."

As a perk, there is a 12.5 per cent discount on goods following a six-week induction period.

There will also be posts for assistants with hourly rates of pay according to age, ranging from £8 to 16-17-year-olds to £12.71 for those aged 21 or over.

Work underway in readiness for the new occupants on an opening  date which is yet to be named

What future farmland behind Pennells garden centre as Manchester conglomerate enters the fray?

                                                         

Ripe for housing? The farmland behind Pennells with Weelsby Woods in the distance

A MANCHESTER- based industrial conglomerate has taken a stake  in the proposal to  build 1,500 homes on farm land between Weelsby Woods and Pennells Garden Centre in Cleethorpes.

Peel Holdings has bought out  one of  the partners in the project - Rotherham-based Harworth Group which hatched up the project with the owner of the land, Brocklesby Estates.

The venture, which would sacrifice a huge expanse of Cleethorpes and Grimsby green space, has horrified many local people.

At present, it is still in the discussion-and drawing board stage, with no submission yet of any formal planning application to North East Lincolnshire Council.

But this could come early next year if Peel and Brocklesby choose to press ahead with the ambitious (and controversial) scheme.

Peel has extensive interests in UK infrastructure and land development projects, including housebuilding.

It used to be at the helm of the former Robin Hood Airport, near Doncaster, and helped build Media City at Salford Quays.

It also owns shopping centre across Britain and operates the ports at Liverpool, Heysham, Dublin, London Medway, Clydeport and elsewhere  

Locally it runs the Humber Bank Terminal, a  key facility for handling and storing dry bulk cargoes such as  as minerals, grain, coal, iron ore and fertilisers.

What to do about rough-sleeping in Cleethorpes cemetery? NELC ponders highly sensitive issue

                                         

Tent among the gravestones - the weekend scene in the cemetery

 

ATTEMPTS were this morning (Monday) being made to persuade rough-sleeping tent-dwellers to depart Cleethorpes cemetery.

North East Lincolnshire Council is acting in response to disquiet being caused to those whose remains lie within the sacred site.

There is sympathy, of course, for the sleepers - especially on wet, cold and winter nights.

They have pitched their tents in a secluded corner at the Bentley Street end of the cemetery.

NELC's leader, Cllr Oliver Freeston (Reform UK) has a particular interest in the situation because the cemetery lies within his Croft Baker ward.

Over the weekend, he posted twice on social media.

An extract from his first message on Saturday reads:

"Quick update: five people were identified at the cemetery. Three have now been accommodated and left last night. We’ll continue trying to locate the other two.

"But I’ve asked the council enforcement team to look at our options if they refuse to leave - the council may need to go through the courts. 

"Families deserve to visit their lost loved ones in peace without seeing people in tents and reports of drugs paraphernalia. 

"We’re working to get this sorted through accommodation, support and, failing that, every lawful enforcement option available."

His second, posted yesterday, reads:

"NELC officers have worked  to support the chaps who have sleeping rough in Cleethorpes cemetery while also addressing residents’ concerns.

"A co-ordinated 48-hour plan is underway, with the intention of ensuring the cemetery is vacated and the area cleared and cleansed by Monday.

"I am grateful to the teams for handling the situation with compassion, while also acknowledging the urgency of restoring the cemetery as a peaceful space to be respected." 

Rough sleeping could be a topical local issue in the by-election for the Croft Baker, with polling on November 12.                                            

Secluded location of two of the tents 

    

Signage at the entrance to the cemetery

                  

Continuing delay on Tesco fuel station refurbishment means re-opening date has been postponed yet again

Still closed - the fuel station was due to have reopened, following refurbishment,  on July 27

THERE has been further a delay in reopening the fuel station at the Tesco Extra store in Cleethorpes.

Word on the shop floor is that the date has been put back from the end of this month to mid-November, causing further frustration for customers and staff who like to buy their petrol or diesel from this particular outlet.

News of the delay has come just after the company offered customers a deal  whereby it was offering 8p per litre off fuel purchases subject to a maximum discount of £8.

Alas, apart from motorists prepared to travel to Tesco in Brigg, the deal is next to worthless - it closes today, October 25.                 

Not worth the paper it's printed on? Closure of fuel station means few can redeem the discount before today's deadline

 

The Aussies are coming - Melbourne-based investment firm set to take control of ports giant ABP

ABP - lynchpin of the UK economy

NEW majority owners are in prospect for one of the Grimsby area's largest employers - ports giant ABP.

An Australian asset management  fund, IFM Investors, has swooped for a 63.9 per cent  stake with an offer of £10-billion which, once due diligence has been completed, is likely to proceed.

Also known as Associated British Ports, ABP was created by the nationalisation of ports in the wake of World War Two before being nationalised by the Government under Margaret Thatcher.

It is reckoned to have been one of the few clear successes of nationalisation and embraces Grimsby and Immingham on the Humber, Southampton and some 20 other ports.

With its slogan, 'Keeping Britain Trading', it handles at least a quarter of the UK's seaborne trade worth an estimated £150-billion a year.  

The Humber ports are also a crucial land hub for Britain's offshore windfarms, with Orsted being one of its main clients.

It is many years since ABP has been listed on London's Stock Exchange and it is currently understood owned by other investment funds of diverse nations including the Canadian Pension Fund with a 33.9 per cent stake.

The prospective new owners, IFM Investors, are based in Melbourne and controlled by 15 Australian pension funds.

The full list of ABP locations in the UK is as follows:

* ABP Cromarty Firth Energy Park

* ABP Helm

* Ayr

* Barrow

* Barry

* Cardiff

* Fleetwood

* Garston

* Goole

* Grimsby

* Hams Hall Rail Freight Terminal

* Hull

* Immingham

* Ipswich

* King's Lynn

* Lowestoft

* Newport

* Plymouth

* Port Talbot

* Silloth

* Solent Gateway

* Southampton

* Swansea

* Teignmouth

* Troon

Its services include the following:

* Agribulks

* Bulk Energy

* Containers

* Dry Bulk

* Liquid Bulks

* Project Cargo

* Ro-Ro and ferries

* Marinas

* Automotive

* Construction

* Cruise

* Forest Products

* Offshore Wind

* Rail Freight

* Steel and other metals

* Defence

* Critical Minerals

ABP's chief executive for the past eight years has been Henrik Pedersen who comments: "A bold new chapter now opens for the company.

"Attracting investment from a fund managed by IFM Investors is a powerful endorsement of our business, our people and our strategy.

" We are excited to unlock further growth opportunities, together with IFM Investors and our other shareholders, continuing ABP's long-term investment benefitting our customers, our local communities and the UK."

The deal is expected to complete in the first quarter of next year.

Immingham is one of the most important ports in ABP's portfolio