A date with the wrecking hammer beckons for grand old Victorian chapel in Grimsby town centre

                       

It looks like the end of the road for a prominent building in Grimsby town centre. NELC has confirmed that an application has been submitted for demolition of the Old Victorian Chapel at 170 Victoria Site so that the site can be cleared and used for some unknown other purpose. A survey has indicated that there is no bat roost in the property which has long since ceased to be used for worship.

Planning green light for six-storey building in Grimsby's Top Town to be converted to 24 apartments

                                          

The planning thumbs-up has this week been granted for conversion of the six-storey Imperial  House in Grimsby's Top Town to 24 apartments. The man spearheading the project is real estate entrepreneur Jagdeep Bhullar of Buckinghamshire-based  Gurmehar Properties Ltd. Before work starts, North East Lincolnshire Council is stipulating necessary precautions in case the fabric of the building contains asbestos which can pose risk to human health. Arrangements will also be need to be in place in the event of fire.

Will new Prime Minister back reinstatement of direct rail link from Cleethorpes to London Kings Cross?

                                        

London ahoy? If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Cleethorpes Railway Station 

NEW Prime Minister - new hope for direct rail service from Cleethorpes and Grimsby to London?

The former  leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Cllr Philip Jackson (Con, Waltham),  has wasted no time in launching a fresh initiative to get the link restored.

He has submitted a notice of motion for consideration at the next full meeting of  the council which is due to held in Grimsby Town Hall at 7pm on Thursday July 30.

It reads as follows:

"In March, the Transport Secretary confirmed that North East Lincolnshire would not be getting its long-promised through train from London Kings Cross.

"Her decision came despite many years of lobbying by local MPs, business leaders and trade organisations. 

"Restoration of this through service would be a major boost for local business, industry and tourism. 

"We have a new Prime Minister wanting to see northern towns and coastal communities thrive and committed to 'good growth in every postcode'. 

"This council resolves to write to the Prime Minister, copying in the Transport Secretary  and setting out the clear business case for restoring a direct London rail service to North East Lincolnshire and requesting Government intervention to support its delivery."

This fresh move is certain to have the backing of MPs Melanie Onn (Lab, Cleethorpes and Grimsby)  and Martin Vickers (Con, Brigg and Immingham).

The trouble is that despite this week's Cabinet shakeout, Heidi Alexander has retained her position as Transport Secretary and, unless the Prime Minister intervenes, she is unlikely to change her mind.

The council motion is seconded by Cllr Stan Shreeve (Con, Humberston & New Waltham).

Future of Turkish restaurant put in jeopardy by triple whammy - hefty fine, roadworks and threat to licence

                                           

Restaurant's future could hinge on outcome of crunch meeting 

AN uncertain future beckons for the 06 Ankara Turkish restaurant in Market Place, Cleethorpes.

It has emerged that, late last year, it was slapped with a £40,000 fine by the Home Office after a spot check revealed that it had been employing, as a waitress, an "illegal worker".

The Government has also called for North East Lincolnshire Council to revoke the restaurant's drinks licence.

This review will be conducted on Friday of this week  by just three councillors:

* James Sawkins (Reform UK, Waltham)

* Robson Augusta (Lab, Park)

* Trevor Crofts (Con, Immingham)

Restaurant boss  Serkan Ucan insists that he "never knowingly employed" an illegal worker.

"We genuinely believed that all required checks had been completed correctly. 

"Had we known that there was any restriction preventing her from working in that role, we would never have allowed her to work. "

With limited understanding of the legal documentation, Mr Ucan says he had relied on advice from an accountant whose services he has since dispensed with. 

He says recent trading has also been been hit by ongoing works to remodel the market place and the loss of parking - concerns also expressed by two other nearby catering businesses, Steel's and Beckett's.

"If the premises licence is revoked, the business may not survive," he continues. "This would have devastating consequences for our family, employees and our ability to support our children."

The restaurant has found an ally in Grimsby & Cleethorpes MP  Melanie Onn, one of whose caseworkers, Emma Wilkinson,has been providing support.

It is understood that none of the £40,000 fine has been paid, and the period during which Mr Ucan could have appealed has expired. 

Kevin Keegan had illustrious and glory-filled career in football - and an awkward moment at Blundell Park

                                 

Kevin Keegan - uncomfortable moment in Cleethorpes

As tributes pour in for former star footballer Kevin Keegan who died today, aged 75, it is perhaps worth recalling that, as a lad, he was a regular summer visitor to Cleethorpes and other seaside towns on the Lincolnshire Coast.

These were the easiest beach destination from his childhood homes - firstly in Spring Gardens, Doncaster, then, a short distance away  in Waverley Avenue, Balby.

One of the earliest photograph is of him astride a donkey called 'Trigger' in Mablethorpe.

At that time, there was never thought to be any prospect of his becoming a professional footballer. 

Because he suffered from croup and a wheezy chest, his parents were told to forget any idea about their son playing active sport.

But while playing local league football, he was scouted by Scunthorpe United who gave him him his debut, aged 17, against Peterborough in the old Division 4.

"While we played well, we were beaten, so there was no romantic start to my league career," he later recalled.

At his time with The Iron, he used to get up to a jape with Tom Taylor, the sports editor of the Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph.

To the amusement of team mates, he used to perch on the journalist's knee and mimic being a ventriloquist's dummy.

Although Kevin Keegan went on to achieve star status, playing with Liverpool, SV Hamburg, Southampton and England, he also impressed as a manager with Newcastle United - a period of his career which brought him, on at least one occasion, to Blundell Park.  

In his autobiography, he recounts one of his experiences thus: "My assistant, Terry McDermott, and I sat on either side of the charming lady mayor in the directors' box.

"We had enjoyed a curry on the way to the game, and, as we sat chatting, the inevitable happened.

"I looked sharply at Terry, but the mayor carried on talking and appeared not to have noticed.

"It was an impressive display of diplomacy on the part of the town's representative, if not by Terry."

He continues: "A week or so later, to our huge embarrassment, we received a letter from the mayor, thanking us for the charming conversation and company, but adding that one of us had a terrible wind problem that should be attended to immediately.

"I told Terry that he should have owned up and apologised in case she thought it was me.

"We thought we would never be able to go back to Grimsby and sit in the directors' box until we discovered that the letter was a hoax written by the wife of one of the players, Brian Kilcline.

"I had made the mistake of telling him about the incident on the coach on the way home from our next away match." 

Name that plant! Tiny yellow flower defies the spray truck to bloom on Cleethorpes North Promenade

                                                    

It is reassuring that some wildflowers are surviving on the streets and pavements of North East Lincolnshire despite extensive spraying with Glyphosate poison by North East Lincolnshire Council. A Grimsby News reader  has submitted these photographs of a delightful yellow-bloomed  plant currently flourishing on North Promenade in Cleethorpes. The identification has not been confirmed, but it iss thought to be a snapdragon.

                                                                  

                                                                  

Worshippers likely to be highly delighted by enchanting new look planned for Grimsby church

                                             

These imaginative images from Georgina Walker of Cleethorpes-based Hodson Architects indicate what lies in prospect for St Mark's Church on Laceby Road in Grimsby. Part of the existing property is to be demolished and replaced with two new extensions - one of a single storey and the other of two storeys. There is also an attractive landscaping scheme. The church, which is currently flourishing across the generations, dates back to 1959-60 when it was built at a cost of £31,600 by Messrs F.A. Would. The first priest in charge was the Revd Peter Clarke.

                                              

                                         

   

Does place in Andy Burnham's Government beckon for Grimsby and Cleethorpes MP Melanie Onn?

                                                       

Melanie Onn - energy expertise

IF she has not already been notified, Grimsby and Cleethorpes MP Melanie Onn should  know by the end of this weekend if a place beckons for her on the Government front bench.

Although she may not have been tipped for high office in the mainstream media, 'king of the north'  Andy Burnham could be lining up Ms Onn for a ministerial position in the Department of Energy.

Probably no one in Parliament has greater expertise when it comes to the merits of Renewable Energy, yet, at the same time,  our MP  has never known to have said anything to antagonise the likes of BP, Shell and the other multi-national giants of the fossil fuel world.

This is by contrast with current Energy Secretary Ed Miliband - seen by some as an anti-oil  'zealot'. 

As Prime Minister, Andy Burnham knows, one of his chief tasks is to dispel  the gloom that has long prevailed over much of the country and to make people feel cheerful again.

He is old enough to remember how, on the other side of the Atlantic, this was the challenge met by the ever-upbeat Ronald Reagan when he was President of the United States at the end of the last century

And to achieve this, he knows he needs to surround himself with happy, optimistic people - not glumsters.

Ms Onn fits the bill. She has a  personable, ready-to-smile  nature. People, of whatever political persuasion,  are never uncomfortable when she is in the same  room.

Also likely to  in her favour as Mr Burnham  reflects on who to appoint to his team  is that, relatively speaking, she is northerner.

He will also have known that she had a gritty upbringing in a part of the country which has seldom been given its fair share of the nation's spoils. 

Another possibility is that Ms Onn could be appointed Leader of the Commons.

In her first term in office (2015-19), she was, for a short while, Shadow Deputy Leader of the House when Jeremy Corbyn was Leader of the Opposition.   

It's our own little bit of Lincolnshire - and Whitehall agrees that's how it should remain

                                    

Staying separate - North East Lincolnshire Council

NORTH East Lincolnshire Council - and neighbouring North Lincolnshire Council - are to remain independent unitary authorities.

This has been confirmed by the Government which, in a review of local government,  had considered merging them and/ or amalgamating them with other local government authorities in Lincolnshire.

The decision has been welcomed by NELC's Leader, Cllr Oliver Freeston (Reform UK) and his counterparts in the other political groupings - Cllr Emma Clough (Lab), Cllr Philip Jackson (Con), Nicola Aisthorpe (Lib-Dem) and Cllr Paul Bright (Ind).

Claim that holiday visitors' lives could be put at risk from flooding if Pleasure Island scheme goes ahead

 

                                                    

A guard dog patrols the former theme park site

AN alert has been sounded  that hundreds of visitors could be in peril from drowning if  the proposed Pleasure Island redevelopment scheme goes ahead with a Lidl supermarket, two hotels and 272 holiday cabins.

Richard Buxton, head of a specialist Cambridge-based law firm, says: "The application is contrary to both national and local flood risk policy.

 "Given the risk to lives, it  should not be permitted on the submission presently before the Council."  

The whole site lies in Flood Zone 3 and would, in the case of mega-high tides, be vulnerable to overtopping both from the North Sea  and the Buck Beck.

Redevelopment of the former theme park was due to have been recommended by senior case officer Cheryl Jarvis at last week's meeting of North East Lincolnshire Council's planning meeting, but  this letter, and another from Tesco's legal representatives resulted in debate and a decision being deferred.

Pending reflection of the solicitor's letter and discussions with the council's own lawyers, it is not known if Ms Jarvis might choose to  reconsider her recommendation.

It seems improbable that either she or councillors would be prepared to back a proposal that could lead to loss of life.

And, if the committee does grant planning consent, that might not be the end of the matter.

The law firm - which is acting on behalf of an individual, Katherine Collett - says it could request a judicial review of the decision in the High Court.

Cool for cats! Go-ahead for new 'hotel' for moggies despite objections from neighbours

                                                             

Cat - somewhere to stay in Immingham

A NEW commercial cattery is in prospect for North East Lincolnshire.

NELC planners have granted consent for change of use of a detached garage at 13 Orkney Place which is a cul-de-sac in Immingham.

Applicant Lisa Thompson was given the green light despite objections from the town council and some neighbours fearful of noise, smell and general disturbance.

Her intention is to divide the building into seven pens, each of 3ft x 6.5ft, with a walkway in front.

At two felines per pen, the maximum 'guests' at any one time will be 14.

Says Ms Thompson, who already runs one other well-regarded cattery, says: "The cats will be regularly monitored throughout the day.

"I feel this new facility will be an asset to the area."

The consent is for a two-year trial period, to assess the impact, if any, on the neighbourhood, and Ms Thomson will have to reapply if she seeks to make the planning consent permanent.

Pawnote: A little-known fact is that an average  domestic cat spends about 10,950 hours purring during the course of its life.   

Planning green light for four homes to be built on green and leafy site off Humberston Avenue

                                                    

These greenhouses on the site have evidently seen better days

THE planning go-ahead has been given for four homes to be built on land to the rear of  33-35 Humberston Avenue in Humberston.

There had been opposition to the project from some nearby residents and the parish council, but the outline application from Louisa Pungi enjoyed the support of North East Lincolnshire Council's planning committee.

NELC's trees officer, Paul Chaplin, had expressed initial concern, but has withdrawn his objections after receiving assurances about the safeguarding of mature pine trees, which are covered by a protection order, to one edge of the site.

A planning condition has been imposed that two bat-roosting boxes and two bird-nesting boxes should be installed either on the buildings or on neighbouring trees.

A note on the bird boxes stipulates that these should target a variety of species such as Redstart, Nuthatch, Spotted Flycatcher, Wryneck, Blue Tit, Great Tit and House Sparrow.

It is many years since Spotted Flycatchers and Redstarts have nested in North East Lincolnshire, and probably more than a century (if ever) for the Wryneck which is now thought to be extinct as a breeding species in the whole of Britain.

Details of the types of houses have not yet been divulged, but it is understood that they are likely to be built by a firm based in Fotherby, near Louth.

There has been a growing trend in applications for so-called backland developments in the large gardens behind many of the houses on Humberston Avenue.    

Could new use be in prospect soon for former St Peter's Avenue home of Lloyds Bank?

                                             

High hopes that the former bank could soon have new occupants

THE premises that used to house the Cleethorpes branch of Lloyds Bank could re-open in time for Christmas - as a shop.

A planning application has been submitted to rejig the interior of the building on St Peter's Avenue.

The applicant is Mr M. Nunn, but no details have yet been about what sort of goods might be on sale.

Given that the agent is Grimsby-based Ross Davy Associates, it is thought that the business might be an independent rather than a national chain because the big retailers typically engage their own agents.

There had been speculation that would-be restaurateurs had been running their eyes over the property, but, if so, it seems nothing has materialised.

Assuming planning consent is granted by NELC, more information is likely to be forthcoming shortly.  

   

To support the application, agents Ross Davy Associates have submitted this plan of the proposed indoor layout 

After-dark tennis - including in winter - now an option at Cleethorpes courts after installation of floodlighting

 

After-dark  tennis has become an option at the Barretts Recreation Ground in Cleethorpes following the installation of six floodlights by locally-based  electrical specialists Townsend. The courts are operated by the company, We Do Tennis, and can be booked via the website https://wdtvenues.co.uk/nelincs-parks

NELC committee reckons outside space at Cleethorpes Library needs a little more love and care

 

Are there ways in which the outside space at Cleethorpes Library could be improved? A North East Lincolnshire Council libraries committee thinks an enhancement initiative could have a positive impact on the 'visitor experience'. This reflects a change of thinking from that of not many months ago when there was talk of transferring the books to the leisure centre and selling off the site for redevelopment.   

Major drainage works required ahead of construction of new amenity building on Cleethorpes seafront

    

Work on construction of the proposed new amenity building on Cleethorpes seafront  faces a hitch after it emerged that major drainage works are required to service the three-storey property off Sea Road. This is expected to result in lane closures on Central Promenade for as long as eight weeks. Rather than carrying out the installations this month and next, which is peak holiday time, contractors Lindum say this part of the project will be carried out  in autumn. Meanwhile NELC says: "There will be no delay to the construction  timetable nor extra cost." There has been no word yet on whether any commercial organisation has agreed to take space in the building which is due to be completed in spring.

NELC in new marketing drive to sell off former playing field off Davenport Drive in Cleethorpes

       

Offers are again being sought for the seven-acres former playing field off Davenport Drive, Cleethorpes, and to the rear of Bursar Primary Academy. The site's owners, North East Lincolnshire Council, secured planning consent for construction of  58 homes some years ago, but it has been unable to entice developers. The authority now says other uses might be considered for the land. Anyone interested in making an offer can do so through the agents, PPH Commercial (tel: 07710 344602).

                                                        

Late intervention by lawyers scuppers Pleasure Island redevelopment scheme - at least for time being

                                        

Wait and see! It is still not known whether Pleasure Island redevelopment will go ahead

THERE has been a late twist in the great Pleasure Island redevelopment saga.

Lawyers have entered the fray.

Just hours before councillors were due to determine the proposal at this morning's planning committee meeting in Grimsby Town Hall, North East Lincolnshire Council received at least one - possibly two - lawyers' letters, warning them not to proceed.

The contents of  the letter(s) were not read out at the meeting, so those members of the public in attendance were left in the dark. 

But the message was plain. If the committee were to approve the application - as recommended by senior planning officer Cheryl Jarvis - then a legal challenge might be pursued in the High Court.

Following a new recommendation, this time from NELC's legal team, the committee resolved to defer deliberation of the application pending further consideration of the application.

Deferment was backed by committee chairman Cllr Matthew Patrick (Lab, Heneage) with support from both from Cllr Henry Hudson (Con, Wolds) and Cllr  Hayden Dawkins (Con, Humberston & New Waltham).

It subsequently emerged that one of the letters has been written by the law firm representing Tesco which is unhappy about the prospect of a Lidl discount supermarket opening on a patch  from  which its Cleethorpes superstore draws many of its customers.

It is possible that the Pleasure Island  application might be determined at the August meeting of  the planning committee, but it seems just as  likely that the new wrangling could drag on into next year and possibly beyond.

The Grimsby News says: This matter has been handled unsatisfactorily by NELC. The legal correspondence had missed the deadline for submissions and so should have been  disregarded. Failing that, it should have been read out to the committee so that members could have formed their own judgement on whether it represented  a vexatious, delaying tactic  by opponents of the scheme or if it has genuine merits. The temptation now for the applicants will be to bypass NELC - on the grounds of non-determination - and submit their proposal direct to the independent national body, the Planning Inspectorate.

Who does Grimsby and Cleethorpes MP Melanie Onn think she is? Donald Trump?

 

                                           MP says how it is - or how she thinks it is

IS Grimsby and Cleethorpes MP Melanie Onn trying to emulate the American president?

Just like Donald Trump, she has sought suspension of a red card for  player  sent off in the World Cup - in this case, the one showed to England's Jarell Quansah in Sunday's match against Mexico.

In a letter on - 'Commons notepaper - to international football's governing body, FIFA, she calls for the suspension to be rescinded.

"I encourage FIFA to give this matter the careful consideration deserves," writes Ms Onn.

The Grimsby News says: Our MP does herself no favours with this ill-conceived and frivolous gesture. Her knowledge of  football governance is next to nil, so her attempted intervention comes across as nothing more than  showboating at its embarrassing worst. With so many constituency matters of pressing priority, Ms Onn must learn how to allocate her time in a less wasteful way.

Why Pleasure Island redevelopment project could put visitor squeeze on Cleethorpes Country Park

The country park - beautiful but fragile 

CLEETHORPES Country Park is set to face increased visitor pressure if the Pleasure Island redevelopment project goes ahead.

It has emerged that a proposed cycle-hire scheme will encourage holiday visitors to follow a route from the lodges to the country park via an existing grass path that runs between the Premier Inn and Cleethorpes Golf Club.

The proposal comes in the wake of a stipulation from Natural England that lodge residents should be discouraged from cycling or walking along the foreshore for fear of causing disturbance to Knot, Dunlin, Curlew and other at-risk shorebirds.

Whether this initiative is wise is open to question.

The country park is already a popular destination for both residents and visitors, but it is a fragile environment where the wildlife is just as vulnerable to human and canine disturbance as that on the sandflats.

It used to be a breeding site for species such as Grasshopper Warblers and Great Crested Grebes but not in recent years.

The redevelopment application is due to be considered at a meeting in Grimsby Town Hall tomorrow morning, July 8.

Prospective Pleasure Island lodge visitors will be encouraged to follow a cycle route that leads to Cleethorpes Country Park

A  Newcastle design firm, One Environments Ltd,  has come up with this concept of how an 'improved' path might look 

Might increased visitors alongside its course be of concern to Cleethorpes Golf Club - especially near the 12th hole which is adjacent to the path?

 

Long-legged, curve-beaked wading bird proposed as 'mascot' for Pleasure Island redevelopment project

                            

On the prowl for something to eat - a Curlew on Cleethorpes beach

A CURLEW could be adopted as the "mascot" if the proposed redevelopment of the former Pleasure Island theme park goes ahead.

The idea has been put forward by Lichfelds, the agents acting on behalf of the scheme's applicants, as part of an initiative to keep planners and  conservationists sweet.

Among the latter are Natural England and the RSPB who have expressed concerns that Curlews and other declining shorebirds could face increased disturbance if the Cleethorpes coastline becomes target destination for thousands of boisterous  holidaymakers.

Another proposal is for the redeveloped site to have its own dedicated Coastal Ranger  "for the lifetime of the lodge development".   

Subject to the organisation's  agreement, the appointee would be employed by the Humber Nature Partnership who would receive a financial contribution of approximately  £22,264 per annum - to be increased in line with inflation - to subsidise the role.

The intention is for the Ranger not just to monitor the shorebird bird population, plus incidents where they are disturbed, but also (good luck with this!) to "educate" holidaymakers about the importance of conservation.

The draft job description for the role outlines the main responsibilities thus:

1. To undertake programmes of ornithological and disturbance monitoring in accordance with agreed monitoring and reporting protocols.  

2. Monitoring and reporting any disturbance events or issues to stakeholders to enable continual review of the role and findings. 

3. To provide advice to holiday park and recreational users concerning the value of the coast to wildlife and how they can undertake their activities while avoiding disturbance.  

4. To support with effective public engagement programmes, including guided walks, educational programmes and help deliver compelling social media campaigns. 

5. To support holiday park engagement activities which may include the coordination of partners, local recreational groups, local industry and community groups to share the message about the importance of the Humber Estuary and connect people to the natural environment.   

6. Participate in the delivery of informative, engaging, inclusive and participative engagement programmes that connect people and place through storytelling, participation and learning, inspiring and helping to build capacity. 

7. Support the work of the partners, local community groups, the community and recreational user groups to share understanding of ecological issues and the place.  

8. Support with the delivery of important initiatives to conserve important wintering and breeding bird populations and their habitat.  

9. Undertake such other duties as may be reasonably expected at this level.

The site's redevelopment will be recommended for approval at a meeting on Thursday, but it is unclear whether any of the above will be included as a formal planning condition of consent.

Ornithological note: Probably fewer than a dozen pairs of Curlews nest in Lincolnshire, but none anywhere near Cleethorpes. A few non-breeders linger in the Humber Estuary over summer, but most depart our shores in spring to nest in Scandinavia, chiefly at sites in Finland, thereafter to return to our beaches in autumn and winter.

The Grimsby News says: Cynics might see the Curlew mascot idea as an attempt at "greenwashing". It reflects what has happened widely across increasingly built-up North East Lincolnshire where housing estates have been given names which include the words "fields", "forest" or "meadows" and where new streets have been named after  birds, trees or wildflowers. It is uncertain if the applicants have the slightest interest in the welfare of Curlews, but, to give them their due, the idea of one being one used as a logo is bright. In addition, the appointment of a Coastal Ranger would certainly (assuming the duties are fulfilled) do no harm.  

New council leader's rejig proposal for Cleethorpes Market Place scheme has put officers in a bit of a tizz

                                                         

What happens next? It's anyone's guess

     

SENIOR NELC officials  have warned of the risks that loom if the Cleethorpes Market Place pedestrianisation scheme is re-jigged.

New council leader Oliver Freeston (Reform UK, Croft Baker) has put the cat among the pigeons by seeking amendments even after the contractors have started the project.

For the benefit of traders and their customers, he  favours the retention of 12 short-term parking places in winter when there are likely to be fewer pedestrians.

But his proposal - described as 'recalibration' - has flummoxed  officers who warn of  the following risks:

* Loss or clawback of Levelling-up funding if delivery requirements are not met 

* Reputational risk arising from perceived inconsistency or change in direction 

* Project delay

* Public dissatisfaction where expectations differ 

The administrative cost of changing tack would be £10,00-plus 

The council leader also favours waiving short-term parking charges at the sites off St Peter's Avenue and behind the Old Vic pub - moves that could, says officers,  cost the authority £72,500 per annum in lost income.

It has also emerged that, whatever course is pursued, a barrier-bollards installation is being proposed. How ugly will that be!

The issues are due to be thrashed out on the morning of Friday, July 10, at Grimsby Town Hall.

The public are welcome to attend the meeting which starts at 9am.

The Grimsby News says: Whatever  the  advantages and disadvantages of the proposal and counter-proposal, NELC has got itself into a muddle of its own making. The previous Conservative administration is to blame for this. In its deliberations, it should have been open and transparent from the outset. Instead meetings were held in private between interested parties, project board officers and cabinet portfolio-holders with next to no attempt to engage the public. Regrettably, it has been exactly the same secret approach around the corner from the market place at Pleasure Gardens where a similarly controversial project is underway. As has often been said, democracy dies behind closed doors. The new leader is to be commended in seeking to bring light and fresh air into how NELC conducts its affairs.

Senior NELC planner says Pleasure Island project will ('in the main') improve character of area - is she right?

                                         

The sprawling Pleasure Island site covers some 23.7 hectares

A SENIOR NELC planning case officer  has revealed why she is is recommending that the Pleasure Island redevelopment project should proceed.

Says Cheryl Jarvis: "The proposal represents a major mixed-use scheme on a site in the heart of the allocated resort area. 

"Utilising a mixture of brownfield and greenfield land it would result in an effective use of the land by providing a mix of uses that would contribute to the local economy and vitality of the resort while, in the main, improving the character and contribution of the site to the local area. 

"The project would support tourism in the local area but is diverse in its nature in such a way  as to create an attraction for local people to enjoy.

"This also includes the retention of a key pedestrian route through to the beach."

However, though her influence will be substantial, it is not Ms Jarvis who will make the decision.

This will fall - next Wednesday morning  July 8 - to members of NELC's planning  committee, all of whom are under an obligation to pause any pre-held prejudices and to address the application with an open mind in fairness to applicants and objectors alike.

Agents for the project says NELC stands to benefit from as much as £575,000 per annum in business rates if the project materialises as intended, but this is not thought to be a planning consideration. 

The make-up of the committee is expected to be:

Chairperson: Cllr Matthew Patrick (Lab, Heneage)

Deputy chairperson: Cllr J Goodwin (Lab, South)

Cllr Paul  Batson (Reform, South)

Cllr Bob Callison (Reform, Sidney Sussex))

Cllr Darren Mayne (Reform, Wolds)

Cllr Edward Kaczmarek (Lab, Sidney Sussex)

Cllr Ian Lindley (Con, Scartho)

Cllr Henry Hudson (Con, Wolds)

Cllr Bill  Parkinson (Con, Haverstoe) 

Cllr Paul Bright (Ind, Freshney)

Cllr Lloyd Emmerson (Lib-Dem, East Marsh)

Cllr Parkinson is the committee's only member of Cleethorpes' Haverstoe ward, location of Pleasure Island.

What he has to say will be eagerly awaited not just by the planning case officer Jarvis, but also by his committee colleagues and by any members of the public who choose to attend the meeting which will be held in Grimsby Town Hall on Wednesday July 8 starting at 9.30am.

Get grappling! Beach wrestling tournament coming to sands near leisure centre later this month

Organised beach wrestling is coming to Cleethorpes  on Saturday July 25. The action will take place adjacent to the leisure centre between 11am and 1.30pm. It is not known if there will be separate sections for men and women or if the tournament will be solely for the former.

Loadsajobs! Pleasure Island team predict huge employment boost if scheme proceeds

                                                              

Pleasure Island - jobs boost expected if project proceeds

WILL the consortium seeking to redevelop Pleasure Island  have funds to complete the scheme?

Back in 2024, the estimated construction costs were put at approximately £71.2-million.

But since then, factors such as inflation, have skyrocketed such that the figure could now be in excess of £100-million.

For this reason, the works would inevitably have to be phased over several years - possibly to the end of this decade and beyond.

According to a planning and economic statement issued on behalf of the applicants, there will be " approximately 885 full-time equivalent people employed through the construction period".

It continues: "There would also be the economic impact through sourcing of materials and equipment and knock on benefits to local supply chains."

Once operational, it is reckoned that  "approximately 325 jobs" will be created overall across the site. 

If the venture proves attractive to holidaymakers, the estimate is that  it will lead to 404,760 visitor nights per annum with  a projected £26.2-million of visitor expenditure per annum. 

NELC planners believe these economic benefits  "weigh in support of the principle of development".