Why was popular seafront mazed ripped out? All could be revealed at crunch scrutiny panel meeting

                                                   

The privet maze - now lost to make way for paving

 

CONTROVERSY over destruction of the maze on Cleethorpes seafront will come to the boil at a meeting later this month.

Members of  North East Lincolnshire Council's culture and  tourism  scrutiny panel will demand to know why the hedge attraction was ripped out in the middle of the bird-nesting season with the minimum of consultation with ward councillors and other potentially interested parties.

Meanwhile, at least one request for clarification has been submitted under Freedom of Information legislation.

This asks:

1) Who made the decision to remove the Cleethorpes hedge maze prior peak tourist season? Did the tourism portfolio holder, Cllr Hayden Dawkins, have prior knowledge of its proposed removal?

2) Please provide all correspondence between officers from NELC and the above tourism portfolio holder regarding the hedge removal matter

3) Please provide the number of antisocial behaviour incidents for each year of the last five  years that have occurred within the maze.

4) Please provide copies of the  ecological reports in relation to the hedge removal and other trees within the Pier Gardens area

5) Why was the hedge maze removed while consultations were ongoing?

6) Please provide all correspondence between NELC and the Armed Forces team regarding this matter

7) The maze removal and the re-development of that area was not included in any prior plans or consultations, so why has it occurred?

8) Please provide evidence of the recommendations to remove the hedge maze based on its condition. Who undertook these assessments?

9) Is the Armed Forces team part of or associated with NELC, and will  the taxpayer be funding the surfacing works for the site of the removed maze?

The scrutiny panel meeting is due  to be held - probably at Grimsby Town Hall - on the morning of Monday July 15.   

                                         

Another stretch of greenery lost. Council workmen, with shredding machine, prepare to end the life of the maze

The site formerly occupied by the maze finds a new commercial use at  the Armed Forces weekend