Success for objectors as council refuses plan for 20-metre high phone mast on High Street in Cleethorpes

    

The car park on High Street, Cleethorpes, where a telecommunications mast was proposed

RESIDENTS who objected to a telecommunications mast and base station being installed at a prominent location in Cleethorpes appear to have won the day.

There were numerous objections when a Berkshire-based company, Cornerstone, earmarked a plot adjacent to the car park in High Street for the proposed development.

The  project - intended to replace near-obsolete equipment on the roof of the nearby Sainsburys Local store - would have consisted of a 20-metre high mast with six antennae attached, plus three ground-based cabinets.

But the application has this week been refused by North East Lincolnshire Council.

Says the planning case officer: "It is considered that the proposed tower, with its width and height, would intrude and detract from the area and adversely impact on the character of the area. 

"The proposal would be highly visible from a multitude of street scenes including High Street , St Peter's Avenue, Isaac's Hill and Cross Street.

"The mast would  dominate the area and appear out of scale with its surroundings. 

"This will be accentuated by the openness caused by the car park on High Street."

The applicants will now consider the reasons for the council's refusal before deciding whether to lodge an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate.

Will shortage of public WCs prove a little inconvenient this Easter for holiday visitors (and for local traders)?

Trees  shrubs and lawns have been removed to make way for hard surfacing

WORD is awaited from North East Lincolnshire Council on what provision, if any, is to be made for public to access free-to-use WCs ahead of the start of the 2026 holiday season.

In previous years, there have been temporary relocatable conveniences in either Dolphin Gardens or Pier Gardens, but it may not necessarily be so this spring and summer.

If there is a shortage, there will be pressure - almost certainly unwelcome - on local cafes, pubs and even other traders to make their facilities available to allcomers.

In the meantime, tourism chiefs will be monitoring what  impact higher fuel prices might have on visitor numbers over Easter.  

Of note, too, will be the visitor response to the fact that the whole of  Pier Gardens is currently out of bounds while contractors Maylim crack on with converting  it to what NELC - somewhat unappealingly - say  will be a "multifunctional" area. 

It seems some Alexandra Road traders are very unhappy about the project - not least because it will take as long as 15 months to complete, and prior  consultation has, they say, been modest to non-existent.

In the past, their businesses have been boosted by pedestrians crossing from Central Promenade to their premises via the Gardens, but this is not possible while the works continue.

Temporary loos were in place during summer last year 

 

Engineering firm signs three-year deal to be front-of-shirt sponsor to Grimsby Town

                                                         

Executives of Blackrow Group with Grimsby Town's chief operating officer, Polly Bancroft

 

A NEW name will appear on the front of Grimsby Town's first team matchday kits next season.

The club has announced that The Blackrow Group, will be front-of-shirt sponsor on a three-year deal from the 2026–27 season.

Says a Mariners' spokesperson: "The agreement marks a significant expansion of the partnership between the Mariners and the Grimsby-based engineering business, who first joined the club as sleeve sponsor ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

"Established for more than 45 years, Blackrow Group has grown from its local roots into a highly respected engineering and fabrication business operating across the UK and internationally. 

"The company provides specialist  solutions to a wide range of industries including Food and Beverage, Chemical, Petrochemical, Renewables and Oil & Gas."

The amount Blackrow will be paying the club has not been revealed. 

Blackrow succeeds Myenergi, though the latter will retain its links with the football club by sponsoring the training kits.