Stricken mute swan thought to be on mend from injuries after crash landing on Corporation Bridge

                                                                          

Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue has today posted on its Facebook page this photo of a patched-up mute swan on Grimsby's Corporation Bridge. The animal welfare charity went to the aid of the bird, which had sustained what are thought to be minor crash-landing injuries, after passers-by frightened off two foxes that had been showing more than a passing interest. Today, the bird will be recuperating in CWR premises pending veterinary checks.

As Grimsby's former Labour MP mulls her future, could she be tempted to stand at the local elections?

Earlier this week, the Labour Party in Grimsby posted this photograph of Ms Onn (far left) on social media 

COULD former Great Grimsby MP Melanie Onn soon become a councillor?

It is not the first political priority for Ms Onn because it is believed she is keen to win back the parliamentary seat she held for Labour until she was defeated by the Conservative, Lia Nici, at the last General Election.

But in the meantime, colleagues in the Grimsby Labour Party - and many constituents - would love to see her run in the North East Lincolnshire Council elections in May.

The 43-year-old mother-of-one  will soon have time on her hands. 

At the end of next month, she steps down from her lucrative but unfulfilling job as deputy chief executive of Renewable UK in order to focus on resuming her political career.

Just being a  candidate in the forthcoming council poll would garner headlines and thereby raise her profile to something approaching its former heights.

Meanwhile, it will be remembered that it was Ms Nici's role as a North East Lincolnshire councillor - she was a representative for the Scartho ward - which provided a springboard for Ms Nici to become an MP.

Since the start of the New Year, the current  Grimsby MP - always Boris Johnson’s most dedicated (some would say slavish) supporter - has mostly been out of the spotlight both locally and nationally.

However, it is thought likely that she will stand again whenever the next General Election comes round. 

A sad night for Ms Onn, a gleeful one for Ms Nici - but will the tables be turned next time round?

Consortium's plan for Grimsby's first salmon-breeding 'farm' is ambitious but residents are fearful

                                                                

Residents are worried a proposed salmon-breeding farm may have adverse impact both on their amenities and on local environment 

PRELIMINARY proposals to build an indoor salmon-breeding 'farm' in Grimsby have upset nearby residents.

A London-based consortium, Aquacultured Seafoods Ltd, has earmarked the former railway sidings, off Salvesen Road,  on the docks estate, for its £75-million project. 

But there have been objections from householders in Harrington Street, Daubney Street and Manchester Street who have voiced concerns about potential noise, smell, pollution, increased traffic and the loss of wildlife, including butterflies and songbirds.  

The controversy has come to the attention of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust whose planning chief, Tammy Smalley, has not expressed a view but has asked to be kept updated.

No formal planning application has yet been submitted to North East Lincolnshire Council but this could be forthcoming shortly.

Below is the report from the December 26 (2022) edition of the Grimsby News: 

AN ambitious plan has been unveiled for a £75-million indoor salmon 'farm' in Grimsby.

A London-based consortium, Aquacultured Seafoods Ltd, has earmarked the former railway sidings, off Salvesen Road,  on the docks estate, for its ambitious project. 

The 11-hectare triangle-shaped site is currently vacant and has become an ‘unofficial’ nature reserve. It is designated as a Local Wildlife Site. 

ASL has offices in Jermyn Street - one of the most fashionable parts of Westminster.

Currently, it has no trading history and assets totalling less than £20,000.

However, it is sufficiently confident about its brainchild to have engaged agents Montagu Evans to produce a comprehensive report on what is proposed.

Says the document: "Once fully operational, the proposed building would provide 40,000 sq m of  floorspace and associated plant/infrastructure.

"This would provide for an enclosed aquaculture facility producing approximately 5,000 tonnes gross of whole fish per annum.

A dedicated area would be set aside for bio security and disinfection, and there would be 77 car parking spaces and three loading bays.

Access to the salmon farm would be off Salvesen Road via a new shared access point.

On the technical side, the 'facility' will contain a marine recirculating aquaculture system, known in the industry as an RAS, within both freshwater and saltwater tanks. 

The freshwater tanks would support the early stages of the salmon life cycle and the larger saltwater tanks provide the environment for the salmon to grow to 4-5kg in size. 

Associated infrastructure would include a water treatment plant, a fish processing line and a feed storage unit.

It is understood that ports company have agreed to provide the amount of fresh water required from their own boreholes located nearby.

Salt water, meanwhile, would be abstracted from a borehole constructed on site.

Assuming ASL  can secure both funding and planning consent from North East Lincolnshire Council, the salmon 'farm' could create dozens of jobs and consolidate Europe's reputation as one of the world’s foremost fish-processing towns.

The consortium’s seven members are well connected and bring a broad range of entreprepreneurial expertise and experience to the  project.

At least, two already have connections with the seafood sector - Colin Anderson at Loch Fyne Oysters Ltd and James Fox-Davies at Fowey Shellfoods Company Ltd.

In the event that planners looks favourably on the project, ASL will probably need to commission  an archaeological survey of the site because it is an 'historic landscape'. 

Some mitigation may also be necessary for potential loss of wildlife habitat.

The firm hopes to submit a formal planning application in the New Year.

Premier League club lift Harry Haddock ban after blast from former Cleethorpes newspaper boss

Absolutely ridiculous - Nigel Lowther's TV blast for ban decision

(photo: BBC Look North)

JUST minutes after strong words from a former Cleethorpes newspaper editor, Premier League side Southampton  have backed down on a plan to ban Grimsby Town fans from taking inflatable haddock

mascots to next month's FA Cup Fifth Round match.

At lunchtime today, Nigel Lowther former editor and co-proprietor of the old Cleethorpes Chronicle, condemned the ban as "absolutely ridiculous" when he appeared on BBC TV's Look North programme.

"You would think a club that is at the foot of the Premier League would have more to be worried about than an inflatable fish,"he fumed.

Mr Lowther's words did the trick.

Less than 20 minutes later, the chief executive of Grimsby Town, Debbie Cook, confirmed that the ban had been lifted.    

"We are delighted to confirm that Harry Haddocks will be allowed in at Southampton,"she declared.

"Our two clubs haave found a solution that will allow our iconic inflatable to make an appearance at  for our biggest game in the Emirates FA Cup for a generation.

"We are really happy that Southampton have decided to let us take our Harrys.

"Ever since the 1989 FA Cup, he has been present at every big game in the club’s history, so it would have been a real shame for him not to be there."

Ms Cook also paid tribute to behind-the-scenes initiatives that had been undertaken by the Mariners' Trust.

The match, which is due to be screened live on ITV4,  is being played on the evening of March 1.

Long live Harry Haddock - today's message from the players at the Mariners' training ground in Waltham (photo: Grimsby Town FC)

                                                          

'Inclement weather' blamed for new lifeboat house project delay - but was that really the main reason?

Not a lot going on  - work has ground to a halt on construction of new lifeboat house

 

THE RNLI is seeking permission for extended weekend working hours on construction of its new lifeboat house in Cleethorpes.

But the question now being asked is: Who will carry out these works?

At present, activity is only permitted between 8am and 1pm on Saturday, with no working on Sunday.

But the RNLI  is asking North East Lincolnshire Council to amend these hours to 8am - 6pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Why? 

Says the RNLI: "This is due to experiencing exceptional inclement weather during the winter months and unforeseen issues arising on site.

"We are keen to expedite the construction phase and to limit any unnecessary disruption during busier summer months and the tourist season."

Considering how mild it has been this winter, it seems curious that "exceptionally inclement weather" is being blamed.

What are the "unforeseen issues"? It emerged on Monday that the Gateshead-based main contractor, Tolent, had hit cashflow problems and fallen into administration.  

James Lumb, managing director of Interpath Advisory and joint administrator for Tolent, said: "Like many businesses across the UK’s building and construction sector, the group has been battling severe headwinds, including spiralling costs, labour shortages and also the loss of other companies within its supply chain.

"Following the tapering-off of the government’s COVID-19 support schemes, and in the wake of recent economic volatility, access to finance has tightened for many companies across the sector. 

"This means many building and construction firms are finding they have fewer options available to them to help deal with any liquidity crisis.

"Additionally, after the annual Christmas shutdowns and a cold December, the months of January and February often bring with them a painful cash crunch. 

"In a sector which typically operates on wafer-thin margins, this can often prove to be insurmountable and, unfortunately, so has been the case for Tolent."

The target date for completion of the project is October this year, but, with uncertainty about who will complete the contract, it seems likely that this may have to be put back.

The sorry current situation contrasts with the upbeat announcements made when the award of the contract was announced.

 

Said Stuart Crofts, project manager of Tolent: "This is a really interesting project to be involved in with a number of unique challenges.

"Not only is the site situated on a busy promenade; works also need to be scheduled within a 5-hour window where the beach is accessible between rapidly changing tides.

"The load-bearing capacity of the sand also has to be constantly maintained making the job even trickier."

Equally delighted was Andrew Shaw, regional manager of Tolent, who enthused: "We are extremely proud to be working with the RNLI to ramp up the safety of civilians at the beach. 

"This project is exciting and unique in many way, and we understand the responsibility that it comes with. 

"As a company, we are always striving for projects that make a difference in the community and the ongoing partnership with RNLI is a testimony to that."

And Steve Randall, estates engineer for the RNLI, said: "This new lifeboat station will be an asset to the resort of Cleethorpes, as well as enabling our volunteer crew to operate more effectively and safely, overall providing a better lifesaving service to the area. 

"We are delighted to be working with Tolent and look forward to seeing the results of the project."

Whitehall delays decision on 180-turbine windfarm project over worries of threat to precious seabirds

Puffin on cliff at Bempton

MOVES by energy giant Ørsted to extend its windfarm acreage off the East Coast have been stalled by concerns over the potential impact on puffins, guillemots, red-throated divers and other sea-dwelling birds.

The RSPB fears that installation by the Danish company of up to 180 more turbines proposed for its Hornsea Four project could hasten the decline of marine species to which turbines are like giant industrial 'scarecrows'.

The charity is particularly fearful of the likely impact on a breeding colony at Bempton, north of Bridlington, where it has one of its reserves.

By way of mitigation, Ørsted, which has an important base in Grimsby, has offered to establish a nesting platform off Whitby but these would probably only be of benefit to kittiwakes  - and there is no guarantee that they would take to them.

The conflict is causing a headache at Whitehall which has delayed granting consent for the development.

The Department of Energy has set the Danish company a deadline of midnight on March 9 to submit further seabird-safeguarding mitigation measures.

Secretary of State Grant Shapps is also seeking further input  from the Government's advisory body, Natural England.                                                              

Scarecrows in the sea - wind turbines strike terror into marine birds 

Who will open page of next chapter in story of landmark property near Cleethorpes seafront?

What next for landmark building?  

AN interesting future could beckon for an important building close to Cleethorpes seafront.

The property used to be The Victoria hotel, with letting rooms, but more recently it has been better known as first O'Neills, then the Foundrry Bar and Kitchen.

There was speculation, a few years ago, that North East Lincolnshire Council may have bought the building, which is off Grant Street, with a view to demolishing it in order to open up views over the Humber Estuary.

Whether or not this was so, it has now become available for sale or to let - in either case by negotiation.

Although within living memory it has traded as a licensed premises, it could be converted, subject to planning consent, to other uses.

It has the benefit of a large car park to the rear and side which could be converted to a very attractive garden.

The agents are PPH who say in the prospectus: "The property is of traditional solid brick construction beneath a series of pitched and flat roofs. 

"There is also a separate detached brick built double garage/store with a pitched tiled roof above.

"The ground floor of the property benefits from three separate entrances leading to a large bar area which incorporates three distinct sections which are interconnected and served from the main central bar. 

"The accommodation has been refurbished to a good standard and incorporates WC facilities.

"There is also a kitchen, preparation area, together with an office, staff room and basement cellar/storage area below. 

There are stairs leading to the first and second floors which have previously been used for residential purposes but have not been used for a number of years and now require refurbishment.

The document adds: "This is a rare opportunity to purchase or lease hospitality property in this sought after North East Lincolnshire coastal town."