NELC cabinet determined to crack on with 'modern and fresh' revamp of 'tired and dated' Pier Gardens

 Pier Gardens - why have shrubs and lawns when you can have a  'performance zone'? Perhaps the zone might incorporate a beer-drinking area where fans can watch football and other sporting events.

"I CAN'T wait for it to be developed . . . "

These were the words of North East Lincolnshire Council member Cllr Ron Shepherd as he enthused over the proposed part-paving  of Pier Gardens in  Cleethorpes to incorporate a 'performance' zone and other recreational activities.

At this  month’s cabinet meeting, he insisted: "This is a tired and dated area that needs rejuvenating.

"The proposals are modern and fresh - they will be welcomed by young and elderly alike."

A similarly upbeat note was sounded by Cllr Stewart Swinburn who declared: "These are exciting times for Cleethorpes."

Equally encouraged was by Cllr Hayden Dawkins: "This will be fantastic compared with what we have at the moment."

Summing up, leader of the council Cllr Philip Jackson said the proposed rejig of Pier Gardens - to be funded by a Levelling-Up Grant - had proved less controversial than the forthcoming re-shaping of Cleethorpes Market Place.

"The huge public consultation revealed a public appetite for activity areas," he maintained.

"This will be an exciting opportunity for Cleethorpes - it will completely transform that part of the resort and be attractive for visitors and residents alike.”

The leader claimed the plans had enjoyed "unanimous approval" when they were discussed at tourism scrutiny panel meeting earlier in the month.

It is understood some sycamore trees may be felled and replaced with pines. Low-maintenance grasses are also likely to be incorporated into the replacement planting scheme.

Many of the songbirds that populate Pier Gardens will inevitably be lost, but cabinet members believe this is a small price to pay for the new recreational and commercial opportunities that beckon.

However, the redesign proposals will be subject to formal planning procedures - as with the recently approved Fan Zone at Blundell Park.

                                               

There is precedent for commercial activity in Pier Gardens - revealed in this snap of the trading area that was created earlier this month after the hedge maze was removed 

The Grimsby News says: Is London's Hyde Park 'tired and dated'? What about Central Park in New York? Or even People's Park in Grimsby? There would be a public outcry if contractors moved into these green spaces with chainsaws and cement mixers. Yet that is exactly what is proposed for  Pier Gardens. It is true that some of the artist's impressions are attractive. If translated into reality, they would look great on North Promenade or in other areas of Cleethorpes which have long been crying out for investment. But if NELC despoils Pier Gardens on the grounds that it is 'tired and dated' - ie that it has heritage - it will be a clumsy and insensitive blunder for which it might never be forgiven.