ECONOMIC BOOST FOR GRIMSBY BECKONS - BUT AT WHAT COST TO PRECIOUS MARINE WILDLIFE?

Ørsted windfarm - the Danish giant's  industrialisation of the North Sea is to continue

THE RSPB has responded with dismay to today's announcement that Danish company Ørsted  has been granted consent to install 230 more wind turbines off the Yorkshire Coast.

Says its director for global conservation, Martin Harper: "The decision is nothing short of a gamble with the future of our seabirds - especially kittiwakes."

Broadly, the RSPB supports wind energy as an alternative  to use of fossil fuels except where its own commercial interests are jeopardised.

Ørsted's Hornsea Project Three windfarm threatens to reduce breeding seabird colonies of kittiwakes, gannets, fulmars, puffins and other marine species at its money-spinning Bempton reserve near Bridlington.

Kittiwake - the species is vulnerable to turbine collision

The planning go-ahead is expected to generate more investment in Grimsby from where Ørsted services its existing windfarms off the Yorkshire Coast.

Enthuses its UK boss Duncan Clark: "We are delighted.

"This  is the culmination of a thorough and rigorous process which ensures that the project can deliver much needed clean energy." 

Mr Clark says Ørsted will compensate for the potential loss of kittiwakes - through collisions and other disturbance -  by installing four onshore nesting towers specifically designed for kittiwakes.

However, the RSPB says this 'compensation' concept is "unproven".

                                                                       

This pilot kittiwake tower - with external nesting ledges - is in Gateshead

The Grimsby News says:  This further industrialisation of the North Sea should provide a medium-term boost to the Grimsby economy. Trouble is that, like the fax machine, wind power is only an intermediate technology. Within 20 years, it will be obsolete as more efficient methods of generating electricity emerge. Sadly, in the meantime, hundreds of thousands of birds and other marine life, such as whales and dolphins, will be lost for ever to collisions with turbines and other disturbance. What is the point of installing nesting towers for kittiwakes in summer if many, if not most, are killed by turbines in winter? As for the RSPB, its opposition has been tepid at best with scant effort to alert the public to the threat. Belatedly, the charity is crying over spilled milk when, if had shown more campaigning vigour from the outset, the milk might never have been spilled.

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RODENTS ON THE RAMPAGE IN GRIMSBY'S FAVOURITE BEAUTY SPOT - PEOPLE'S PARK

People's Park, idyllic and welcoming -  evidently for rodents as well as for humans

There has been a population explosion of rats at a Grimsby beauty spot - People's Park.

The rodents are regularly to be seen scampering hither and thither or sometimes swimming in the lake.

Says one observer: "The park is infested with rats. 

"If you look towards the lake to your left, this where  the most conspicuous rats usually take  their family outing.  

"Quite alarming -  rats breed up to nine times a year and can have as many as nine in a litter. 

 "I counted seeing and capturing 40 rats in less than 10 minutes - including some displaying acrobatic skills on the island.  

"They were like monkeys enjoying the last of the year's sunshine and foraging on food thrown for birds." 

North East Lincolnshire Council is aware of their apparently expanding presence, and a pest-control firm - thought to be Rentokil - is on the case.

The trouble is one in four is now thought to have developed a genetic resistance to common poisons.

It is not just in Grimsby where the creatures are thriving - they also seem to be increasing in parts of Cleethorpes including the seafront and the beach beyond the saltmarsh.

However, there is no known evidence to validate rumours that saltmarsh rats have evolved to develop semi-webbed feet. 

Nationwide, rat number are said to have soared by 25 per cent this year, partly because lockdown has provided breeding habitats in vacated hotels, pubs, offices, shops, restaurants and other commercial premises. 

Rodent numbers might be even greater locally were it not for their vulnerability to predation by foxes which are also widespread in the borough. 

Herons also include rats in their diet - especially if frozen watery habitats make it difficult for them to hunt for fish.                                           

COULD PART OF KING JOHN'S LONG-LOST TREASURE BE BURIED SOMEWHERE IN GRIMSBY?

Falling  leaves - Bradley Woods in autumn sunshine

What more enchanting a place than Bradley Woods - in spring, summer, autumn or winter! 

It also has important history because it is part of a site where King John used to relax by hunting wild boar - an activity reflected in a magnificent painting by artist Ralph Baucham in Grimsby Town Hall. 

History has been unkind to the 17-year reign of John, but he loved Grimsby, and the people of the town loved him. 

Immingham, too, was close to his heart. A keen falconer, it was here that he took receipt of gyr falcons - gifts from the King of Norway.

Just days before he is said to have lost his treasures in  the muddy expanses of The Wash, he was actually in Grimsby on some sort of a mission - one that has remained a mystery. 

It was a time of turmoil, with intense civil unrest, prompted by the grievances of barons, and incursions from French militia.

With his precious treasure vulnerable to plunder, it needed to be hidden, and there is a theory that some could  be buried anywhere in the Grimsby area, perhaps monastic land - long since developed - in or around the Abbeygate area. 

This fanciful idea is explored in the publication, Sucked Down by The Whirlpool, available now via ebay or amazon https://amzn.to/3ryQTIt. 

A section of the painting in Grimsby Town Hall

Are some of the royal jewels buried in or around Grimsby?

£17-MILLION ON OFFER FOR GRIMSBY TOWN CENTRE REVAMP - BUT CAN COUNCIL DELIVER?

 

Preliminary impression of how the redeveloped town centre might look 

IT looks like a proposed revamp of Grimsby's Top Town might have to be scaled down.

In its bid for monies from Whitehall's £830-million Future High Streets Fund, North East Lincolnshire Council had hoped for as much as £25-million.

But the offer - and it is only provisional - is £17.3-million.

What is more the cash will only be forthcoming  if NELC demonstrates it can deliver the goods - a new market hall, a revised road lay-out, a cinema and a modicum of landscaping.

A total of 72 towns are set to receive grants, with Sunderland (£25-million) and Birkenhead (£24-5-million) set to be the biggest beneficiaries.

The Government hopes its fund will "support areas to recover from the pandemic and help transform underused town centres into vibrant places to live, work and shop".

It says: "Investment  will help these areas transform their high streets into vibrant hubs for future generations, at the same time protecting and creating thousands of jobs."

Although NELC has not been offered as much as it sought, it is still a huge amount of money, especially compared with what some other town have been offered.

Understandably, council leader Cllr Philip Jackson could scarcely be more upbeat.

“We’re absolutely over the moon,"he enthuses. "We can take this work forward and help rebuild the economy of the town centre. 

"After a particularly difficult year for everyone, this is fantastic news."

He continues: “We want to take everyone with us as we progress this plan.

"Change is not just desirable to recreate our town centre - it is vital, and this is Grimsby’s biggest and best chance to look at what is really required to create a new future and support wider local economic recovery."

The 15 places who are receiving their funding requests in full are:

1. Tamworth Town Centre – Tamworth, £21,652,555
2. Sunderland City Centre – Sunderland, £25,000,000
3. Sutton – Sutton, £11,346,704
4. Bishop Auckland – Durham, £19,856,853
5. Blyth Town Centre – Northumberland, £11,121,059
6. Kidderminster – Wyre Forest, £20,510,598
7. Old Kent Road – Southwark, £9,605,854
8. Swindon – Swindon, £25,000,000
9. Stockport – Stockport, £14,500,000
10. Winsford – Cheshire West and Chester, £9,980,000
11. Sheffield High Street – Sheffield, £15,817,001
12. Blackfriars, Northern City Centre – Worcester, £17,939,000
13. Birkenhead – Wirral, £24,581,011
14. Brierley Hill High Town Centre – Dudley, £9,985,689
15. Stretford – Trafford, £17,605,674

The 57 places receiving provisional funding offers are:

1. Leamington Town Spa, Warwick (Warwickshire) – £10,015,121
2. Nuneaton Town Centre, Nuneaton and Bedworth (Warwickshire) – £13,362,736
3. Wolverhampton City Centre – £15,760,196
4. Walsall – £11,439,967
5. Newcastle-Under-Lyme – £11,048,260
6. Stafford – £14,377,723
7. Tottenham, Haringey – £10,019,648
8. Woolwich Town Centre, Greenwich – £17,150,964
9. Wealdstone, Harrow – £7,448,583
10. Putney Town Centre, Wandsworth – £1,058,706
11. Elland Town Centre, Calderdale (West Yorkshire) – £6,310,812
12. Northallerton, Hambleton (North Yorkshire) – £6,085,013
13. Rotherham – £12,660,708
14. Halifax – £11,762,823
15. Barnsley Towns Centre – £15,624,456
16. Scunthorpe – £10,675,323
17. New Ferry, Wirral – £3,213,523
18. Wigan – £16,633,691
19. Crewe – £14,148,128
20. Rochdale (Greater Manchester) – £17,080,458
21. Farnworth, Bolton (Greater Manchester) – £13,306,817
22. Oldham – £10,750,237
23. Kirkham Town Centre, Fylde – £6,290,831
24. Maryport Town Centre, Allerdale – £11,527,839
25. Carlisle City Centre – £9,129,874
26. Plymouth City Centre – £12,046,873
27. Barnstaple, North Devon – £6,548,876
28. Newton Abbot, Teignbridge – £9,199,364
29. Paignton, Torbay – £13,363,248
30. Kingswood, South Gloucestershire – £12,555,464
31. Salisbury City Centre – £9,355,731
32. Penzance, Cornwall – £10,403, 112
33. Trowbridge, Wiltshire – £16,347,056
34. Yeovil – £9,756,897
35. Taunton, Somerset – £13,962,981
36. Loftus, Redcar and Cleveland – £5,833,628
37. Middlesbrough Centre – £14,170,352
38. Stockton – £16,543,812
39. South Shields – £5,959,187
40. Derby City Centre, St Peters Cross – £15,034,398
41. Sutton-in-Ashfield (Nottinghamshire) – £6,279,872
42. Grantham, South Kesteven (Lincolnshire) – £5,558,818
43. Grimsby (North East Lincolnshire) – £17,280,917
44. Nottingham City Centre, West End Point – £12,523,981
45. Heanor, Amber Valley – £8,592,837
46. Northampton – £8,442,730
47. Buxton, High Peak – £6,608,223
48. Dover Town Centre and Waterfront – £3,202,226
49. Newhaven, Lewes – £5,004,939
50. Chatham Town Centre, Medway – £9,497,720
51. Ramsgate, Thanet – £2,704,213
52. Commercial Road, Portsmouth (Hampshire) – £3,122,375
53. Fratton, Portsmouth – £3,858,489
54. High Wycombe – £11,886,876
55. St Neots, Huntingdonshire – £3,748,815
56. March High Street, Fenland – £6,447,129
57. Great Yarmouth – £13,774,430

                                 

Vibrant - the council vision for a 'recreated' town centre   

The Grimsby News says:  On the face of it, this is fantastic news. So far, however, few commentators seem to  be expressing the same enthusiasm as the council leader. Why? The attempt to revitalise the Riverhead end of Top Town flopped monumentally, so why should a similar scheme at the other end of Freshney Place fare any better? Sadly, regeneration schemes of this sort are seldom successful except in towns blessed with superb architecture or scenic landscape features - for example mountain backdrops or waterfronts such as bays, harbours or rivers. The sort of places which lift the spirits and where people wish to congregate, socialise and, crucially, spend money. Grimsby, alas, offers none of these attractions.  And what really is the point of funding the nation's failing high streets when most are locked in an irreversible spiral of  decline? It  would have been far better if Whitehall had simply coughed up the cash for individual councils to spend as they saw most appropriate. Or better still, since it is public money, why not hand it straight to the public in the form of cash windfalls or shopping vouchers for distribution to all council tax payers? After all, they would appreciate best how they would like the money to be spent.

COUNCIL DELIGHTED THAT RECYCLING BANK SITES HAVE NOT BEEN ABUSED BY FLY-TIPPERS

                                                

Cllr Ron Shepherd - grateful

FEARS that mounds of  unauthorised waste would be left at bring-to recycling banks over  Christmas have proved to be unfounded.

North East Lincolnshire Council has issued a big thank you to households who have been disposing of their waste and recycling responsibly over the festive holiday.

Says a spokesperson: "Council workers found only small amounts of illegally dumped waste at the area's recycling banks after the Christmas break.

"This has been very different from last year when our people cleared heaps of fly-tipped rubbish from the sites in just a few hours on the day after Boxing Day."

This year when crews arrived at the sites early on Sunday and yesterday  to empty the recycling bins. most sites were clear with only a small amount of fly-tipped waste found at a handful of sites.

Councillor Ron Shepherd, NELC's portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities, comments: “I am grateful to all households who have been disposing of their waste and recycling responsibly this Christmas holiday.

“The tidy scenes at the area’s recycling banks are a far cry from the mountains of carboard and other fly-tipped waste our workers had to remove last Christmas holiday."

There are about 30 bring-to recycling banks across the borough at busy locations such as supermarkets and car parks.

They are convenient places for people to recycle reasonable amounts of cans, glass, paper, card and plastic bottles, but should not be used for depositing commercial or household waste or garden waste.

Sites are monitored by CCTV.

FREE AFTERNOON PARKING AT TWO SHOPPING CENTRE SITES EXTENDED TO END OF JANUARY

                                                 

Cllr Philip Jackson - duty to support economy

SHOPPERS in Grimsby and Cleethorpes can continue to benefit from free parking in Grimsby’s Abbey Walk car park and High Street car park in Cleethorpes throughout January.

North East Lincolnshire Council and its partner, Engie, are continuing the free parking offer to support the continued recovery of non-essential shops in the area.

Shoppers can continue to benefit from the free parking offer from 1pm onwards each day during January, with no ticket required to be displayed.

Explains NELC leader Cllr Philip Jackson: “As a local authority, it is our duty for us to play our part and support the local economy and businesses as they continue their Covid-19 recovery.

“In extending this offer to January, we are hoping to see businesses benefiting from local people returning to the high streets and supporting them and our local economy."

Normal pay and display will be required from car park opening times until 1pm. 

Penalty charge notices will be issued to vehicles not following the car park’s terms and conditions.

WOULD YOU HAVE THE COVID JAB? EVIDENTLY NOT EVERYONE WOULD SAY YES

                                                                            

Most people can't wait to get the anti-Covid vaccine coursing through their veins. Most - but not all. These stickers have started to appear at various locations - including bus stops - in and around Grimsby.

DILAPIDATED CLEETHORPES GARAGES BITE THE DUST TO MAKE WAY FOR FOUR NEW HOUSES

Garages gone - the cleared site

THE way has been cleared for four new houses to be built on a site close to Cleethorpes seafront.

Earlier this winter, contractors moved in to demolish and remove 24 garages which were in an advanced state of dilapidation.

This has cleared the  land, off Braford Avenue,  in readiness for the new development.

It is not yet known when work will start nor when the completed houses will be ready for occupation.

The project is being overseen by Mr and Mrs Roger Burnett.

Plenty of land for four new houses

Another view of the site which is off Bradford Avenue

COULD BOOK BY FORMER ARSENAL MANAGER INFORM GRIMSBY TOWN'S CHOICE OF NEXT BOSS?

Wenger's book - plenty of useful management insights

AS the Grimsby Town board members ponder whom to appoint as next manager, perhaps they could pick up tips from the autobiography of Arsene Wenger who won honours galore not just at Arsenal but also in France and Japan.

Wenger, now a TV pundit and chief of global development for FIFA, has plenty to say about what he reckons are the attributes of an effective  manager.

For instance, he pinpoints: 

* Giving people responsibilities

* Personalising

* Openness

* Clear and constant communication

He says the manager/ coach "must not forget that, in order to take others with him towards the values he advocates, he must embody these values himself".

He continues: "It is also essential that the player remembers that talent can go to waste if it is not accompanied by effort."

Wenger believes there needs to be "a kind of dissatisfaction within oneself which is often a kind of tension and which enables individual to move up to the next level".

Of a club, he says there are three things required for it to grow - 

strategy, planning and application.

The son of a football-made bistro-owner in Alsace, Wenger, who learnt his trade in lower leagues in France, has a comment to make about the importance of humility.

Says he: "Humility in sport is knowing that past performance gives you credibility but does not confer any privileges.

"Humility is the only thing that enables you to maintain the degree of vigilance that is essential for remaining steadfast."

Wenger reveals that he has always adhered to a strict personal discipline of rising at 5.30am each today, then spending two hours in the gym.

A staunch advocate of statistics and science in sport, he says these need to be used "in combination with a deep knowledge of the game".

But he acknowledges that players can be "demoralised by too great a use of statistics, no doubt because they feel their individuality is lost in the process".

Wenger's book, My Life in Red and White (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) has a list price of £25, but it has recently been available for as little as £10 at some supermarkets in Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

Sadly, it seems unlikely that the Frenchman could be tempted to give up his current life - which is spent in London, Paris and Zurich - to take the hot seat at Blundell Park.

But you never know . . .

APPLICATION FOR ALCOHOL LICENCE SETS ALARM BELLS JANGLING IN HUMBERSTON

                                       

Unholy row - churchfolk unhappy about alcohol proposal for Gingerbread House

FEATHERS are flying in Humberston after it emerged that a popular meeting place in the village is seeking a licence to sell alcohol.

The Gingerbread House has established a good reputation for its morning coffees, light luncheons and afternoon teas.

It now wants to sell beers and wines both with meals and for takeaway.

But its application has spooked the parish council, the good folk of St Peter’s Church and nearby residents, especially some who live in The Cloisters.

They are particularly worried that off-sales might encourage young people to make purchases, then congregate in party-mode on land outside the Wendover  Hall.

Says Humberston parish clerk Kathy Peers: "Noise levels from people accessing the building to purchase alcohol would impact upon the church. 

"It would be inappropriate for alcohol consumption outside this building as it is a place where funerals, memorials, christenings and wedding services take place."

The application is due to be determined at a meeting of North East Lincolnshire Council’s licensing committee on January 7.

The wise councillors who will make the decision are licensing committee members Marie Green, James Cairns and David Hasthorpe.                                                        

St Peter's Church - serene and tranquil

FORMER GRIMSBY TOWN BOSS MICHAEL JOLLEY OFF TO WINNING START AT NEW CLUB

                                         

Ex-Mariner Michael Jolley - plenty of experience

 FORMER Grimsby Town boss Michael Jolley has been off to a flying start following his appointment as new manager of fellow Division 2 strugglers Barrow AFC.

Jolley (43), who was in charge at Blundell Park between March 2018 and November last year, must have  been thrilled to see his side pull off an unexpected 2-0 win at Port Vale.

The result leapfrogs them above The Mariners who lost 3-1 at promotion chasers Morecambe.

A Cambridge University graduate with a degree in Economics, Jolley once worked as a City traderon the global money markets.

Apart from his spell at Grimsby. his football experience extends to having worked at  the academies at Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest before taking a coaching role at Falkirk.

By 2011, he had been appointed First Team Coach at Lincoln City before being asked to join Crewe Alexandra where he coached the club’s young players and helped shape their academy structure.

Then followed spells first at Burnley, then at Swedish club AFC Eskilstuna. 

Evidently, he was appointed boss at Barrow after two "rigorous" interviews.

“I am absolutely delighted that Michael has agreed to be our next manager and we all welcome him to the club,” said chairman, Paul Hornby.

“The calibre of the candidates for this role was extremely high but Michael hugely impressed us."

“He comes with a number of excellent references from people within football, and it was a unanimous decision by all the owners that he was the man for the job.

“Michael not only has all the relevant experience to help move us up the League Two table but his blueprint for the future will make it a fantastic time to be a Bluebird."

Rob Kelly is to continue in his role as Barrow's assistant manager.

VISITING KINGFISHER PROVIDES SPLASH OF COLOUR ON CLEETHORPES SALTMARSH

                                           

THE kingfisher is favourite bird of  a lot of people including, incidentally, the actress  Alison Steadman.

But despite their bright plumage, they are often difficult to detect - except, perhaps, as dazzling jewels whizzing along a water course.

The species is not thought to have a summer breeding presence in North East Lincolnshire, but individuals  spend winter here at suitably watery sites such as the River Freshney or the Buck Beck.

Sometimes they also turn up less familiar locations such as caravan park fishing lakes, creeks and gullies along the shoreline in Humberston and, as in this picture, perched on a post on Cleethorpes saltmarsh.

J

GOD REST ALL YE MERRY LADIES, GENTLEMEN AND CHILDREN - LET NOTHING YE DISMAY!

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE GRIMSBY NEWS TO ALL OUR READERS.       

                                       

A BRIGHTER 2021! COUNCIL LEADER'S SEASONAL MESSAGE TO ALL IN NORTH EAST LINCOLNSHIRE

                                                                        

Cllr Philip Jackson - upbeat for 2021

The leader of North East Lincolnshire Council has expressed his festive greetings to all residents. Below is his statement in full.

As we prepare for perhaps the most unusual Christmas celebrations many of us will have seen in our lifetimes, it’s a good time not just to reflect on the most challenging  year I can remember, but also to look forwards to what I hope will be a brighter 2021

With the promise of a wider COVID vaccine on the horizon, and the potential that might bring for 2021 and beyond, I am sure many of you will be glad to see the back of 2020 and, whilst it may still be a few months away, a return to a life that feels a little more like normal.

I must applaud not only all the staff in the NHS and care systems for looking after our loved ones through this most difficult of times, but also the people of our borough for taking the steps to protect others, for working through the pandemic as key workers, and for carrying on, getting the job done. 

At the same time, I should also like to say an enormous thank you to our own staff at the Council - from our waste crews, to our care workers and our back office teams who have collectively played a huge role in keeping the borough safe, well and on track during the last 12 months.

While life during the pandemic has felt very different, work in North East Lincolnshire has been continuing, albeit with a slight hiatus in the first national lockdown.

Renewable industries is clearly one of our future economic strengths. Looking to the Government’s plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, and retaining out place as a world market leader in offshore wind Operations and Maintenance activity, it is clear we have a major part to play, not just locally, but nationally.

More locally, since the beginning of the year, our regeneration schemes in Cleethorpes and Grimsby have been coming on apace, with the substantive works across Cleethorpes finishing in the summer.

More than £7million has been spent across the resort so far, with money secured through various grants. 

We now have our key tourist hotspots looking clean and open, ready to welcome visitors to the resort. 

While we know that 2021 will be a difficult year for tourism, both concentrating on our domestic market and promoting our staycation offer will be things we can capitalise on.

In Grimsby, the reinvention of the town has been continuing. 

Work has almost completed on two major projects: the remodelling of St James Square and the Garth Lane project. Re-modelling the landscape to create spaces for relaxation. 

Both projects are due to finish in the early part of 2021, and will make a significant difference to how the centre of town looks. 

Meanwhile, next to the Garth Lane scheme, a converted Grade II listed West Haven Maltings building will become home to the new Youth Zone. 

When complete by the end of 2022, a ‘new haven’ will be created for thousands of young people, providing them with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to, seven days a week.

Alongside the schemes already on the ground, proposals have been submitted to Government to be part of the Future High Streets Fund and the Towns Funds, plans totalling £50million so far. 

And the Cultural development Fund work, Grimsby Creates, will be delivering some great activities in the town in 2020 and beyond.

Outside the key towns, work on the multi-strand £42million South Humber Industrial Investment Programme is ongoing: a new business park is being created just off the A180 near Immingham, and the first building nearly completed for new tenants, myEnergi; highway works will be completed in the new year on a brand new road to connect the major ports of Grimsby and Immingham; and an award-winning ecological site is maturing to offset development in the area.

             Road improvements

On the roads, we have made significant road safety improvements on the A18, with the final phase of this £2.8m project due to start next year at the Waltham Road junction. 

We are nearing the end of the six-month project to overhaul the busy Toll Bar roundabout junction and the B1444 Little Coates/Cambridge Road junction fully opened to traffic earlier this month after £2m of improvements.

And turning to the bins, between July and December, we delivered a pair of new recycling bins to about 70,000 households. 

With the new bins and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, we are are already seeing big increases in the amount of recycling collected.

In  November we collected 1,131 tonnes of recycling in the new wheelie bins, 337 tonnes more than last November.

Things are tough, but we sit on the brink of major opportunities here, whether it’s from investment or new ways of doing things. 

It is the responsibility of all of us, along with our stakeholders and partners to ensure they do not slip through our grasp.  

If 2020 has shown us anything, it is that by working together, we can do so much more than by working alone.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Cllr Philip Jackson

Leader, North East Lincolnshire Council

STOP FAFFING ABOUT! FENTY'S OPEN LETTER TO GRIMSBY TOWN TAKEOVER CONSORTIUM

 

John Fenty - offer to consortium closes at 4pm today

Grimsby Town FC's shareholder-in-chief, John Fenty, has spoken out in the ongoing controversy over the future ownership of the club. In a refreshingly frank open letter - both to the Tom Shutes takeover consortium and to the Blundell Park faithful - he explains in detail why the offer is unacceptable. Below is his statement in full. 

It is public record and a genuine fact that I am willing to sell my stake and shareholding in the club.

Accordingly, there has been very limited and disjointed discussions with a representative on behalf of the Tom Shutes consortium, which broke down on Wednesday afternoon after principal terms were already agreed.

The basis of the agreement reached, was that my shareholding would be acquired at par value i.e., £1 per share (agreed) and the loans would be repaid (agreed).

However, the terms related to the repayment of my loans were not acceptable as they were performance-related.

Essentially, my loans were proposed to be paid back 1/3 at the end of this season, 1/3 at the end of the second season, and 1/3 at the end of the third season. The deal-breaker was that if the club did not achieve League 2 status or above, in any of those seasons, further loan repayments would fall away.

With only 19 games played this season, and a transfer window left, I am being asked not only to continue funding the club for someone else, but also to take a risk that if the new regime takes the club down, then my loans would be written off.

Honestly speaking, I would have expected the Tom Shutes consortium to have more confidence in their potential running of the football club.

Aside of that, I explained the rationale of why my loans should be repaid at the end of this season. 

The Club is financially very sound (with no liabilities - other than the loan to directors).

In addition, I have always been assured by the consortium that they are gentleman with sufficient funds to acquire the club and they have always been aware that this would include the repayment of loans

Even further to that, I asked, if the club had debts of a bank overdraft of £650,000 and a £720,000 debt to HMRC would you expect to take that on? 

The answer was - well that would be part of the business, so yes!!!. 

What’s the difference I asked, as in-effect, I have been the bank for the club without charging any interest for over 15 years.

In all that knowledge, the Tom Shutes consortium rejected the deal that had been agreed in principle because their proposal demanded me to continue to fund their football club, beyond this season, of which I am not prepared to do.

It was 15 years ago that I inherited the following debts, a bank overdraft of £650,000, a £720,000 debt to HMRC and further have paid off £700,000 of previous directors’ loans. 

The debt I took on was approximately £5 million in today’s money. 

Every other Director has, on leaving the Board, seen their loans repaid - so why not me? 

The Club is in a far healthier financial state than when I acquired it - and yet I am being asked to continue to finance it with a potential of no repayment in the event of matters beyond my control.

So, I do not think I am being unreasonable at all. I know that at least two of the consortium members are very wealthy indeed, so I do struggle to understand why there is all the faffing around.

This negotiation was supposed to be on an open book confidential basis at the request of the consortium, so it is very disappointing that it has been played out in public.

The last two years, with all the distraction of potential takeover, makes running the club a doubly difficult job, to assist moving things forward here’s the deal.

To the Mr Shutes consortium, my offer to sell the club is on the basis that you acquire my shares at per value as already agreed, and that you agree to repay my loans in full at the end of this season, and no interest will be payable. A sum of exactly £1.5 million.

This offer is there for all to see and is on the table until 4pm on 24th December 2020. Please respond to the chairman of the football club with your decision.

If this is agreed, we can draft a short form sale and purchase agreement for all parties to agree and sign which will be subject to EFL requirements, which should be a formality.

The club cannot endure further procrastination of this matter, so I hope you understand the basis for applying the deadline publicly, beyond which if it passes without resolution, then the current board must get on with appointing the new manager without the extended offer for the Mr Shutes consortium to be involved in the process.

I am truly very sorry that this is being conducted in public, this was not my intention.

Kind regards

John Fenty

REWIND TO 1918 SPANISH FLU EPIDEMIC - WORRIED GRIMSBY FOLK QUEUED TO BUY QUININE REMEDY

     

EVENTS from Grimsby's colourful past are recalled in this fascinating retrospective now available (price £1) as a Kindle e-book.

When a Spanish flu pandemic hit Lincolnshire's famous fishing town, people queued to buy quinine - thought to be an effective remedy for the potentially lethal disease.

On a different tack, sharks were an unusual catch for one fishing vessel - and their meat was dispatched to London Zoo to feed the resident polar bears.

And how did the famous umbrella of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain - the one he took with him on his visit to Munich for talks with Hitler - end up being auctioned in Grimsby?

These and other stories from yesteryear are recalled just as they were reported at the time.

And they all make for fascinating reading.

https://amzn.to/34xmcd5

GRIMSBY SITE WHERE NEOLITHIC MAN ONCE ROAMED NOW EARMARKED FOR CAR PARK

Unsightly, maybe, but a precious urban habitat for bees and butterflies

GRIMSBY solicitors Wilkin Chapman have called for security cameras to installed if empty land at Cartergate is developed to form a car park, with adjacent green area.

The call comes Hugh Pidgeon, of the law firm, which has offices on nearby Chantry Lane.

Says he: "It is felt that it may be prudent to have some sort of remote security (CCTV) covering the area to ensure the safety and security of users."

He continues: "In general we support the application.

"However, we feel that consideration also needs to be given to the installation of a height restriction barrier on the entrance to the car park area to prevent/act as a deterrent to unauthorised overnight stay/ camping." 

The car park project is being processed by Engie on behalf of North East Lincolnshire Council.

Planning permission for change of use  is certain to be approved because these two organisations jointly control the decision-making process.

The site is of  entomological value because the shrubs and wildflowers provide a rare urban haven for countless butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects.

Cartergate is also of immense archaeological  interest, with past excavations having yielded many intriguing artefacts including late-neolithic early bronze age flints which have offered a window into  prehistoric Grimsby. 

Says archaeologist Louise Jennings: "The excavations also revealed Late Iron Age and Roman features as well as large quantities of features and find relating to medieval Grimsby. 

"All this evidence suggests that this part of Grimsby was occupied or utilised for thousands of years."

However, it is not though there is much more - if anything - to be discovered.

Miss Jennings adds: "Substantial evaluation and excavation has taken place on this site and no further work is required."    

The scheme also proposes a grassed area and benches where office workers can enjoy lunchtime sandwiches in the great outdoors.

Wilkin Chapman - CCTV plea