Bathing waters in Cleethorpes and Humberston are 'good', but there is still much room for improvement

 

Just don't swallow the water - bather takes his chance off Humberston Fitties  beach

GOOD - but not excellent.

That's the verdict on the 2023 state of bathing water off the beaches of Cleethorpes and Humberston Fitties.

A Government report maintains that 96 per cent of bathing waters in England have met minimum standards, with 90 per cent rated as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.

Down the coast at Chapel St Leonards, Ingoldmells and Skegness, the bathing waters are all rated ‘excellent’.

This latest data compares with just 28 per cent of beaches being rated as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ in the 1990s and 76 per cent in 2010. 

The results, published this week, follow testing at over 400 sites regularly used by swimmers throughout the summer. 

These tests, carried out by the Environment Agency, monitor for sources of pollution known to be a risk to bathers’ health, specifically E coli and intestinal enterococci. 

The substantial improvements seen over the last 30 years come as the Government continues to take action to boost water quality through the Plan For Water. 

It says this will "help drive investment, bring in stronger regulation and toughen enforcement to tackle pollution and further clean up our waterways and bathing waters". 

Following recent controversies, not least last  night's Panorama programme on BBC TV, it reiterate that there will be a "£1.7 billion accelerated investment to reduce sewage spills from storm overflows".

Says Environment Agency chairman Alan Lovell: "Many people enjoy time in or on lakes, rivers and coastal waters, and we know the value they bring in terms of social, health and wellbeing benefits. 

"While overall bathing water quality has improved over the last decade, there is significant work still to do to ensure improvement to the quality of our bathing waters is increasing every year.  

"We are strengthening our regulation and working with the water sector, farmers, industry, and others to help them put the environment at the heart of their activities and improve our bathing waters for all."

	Bathing water name	2023 classification
03600	Spittal	Excellent
03700	Bamburgh Castle	Excellent
03800	Seahouses North	Excellent
03900	Beadnell	Excellent
04000	Low Newton	Excellent
04200	Warkworth	Excellent
04250	Amble Links	Good
04280	Druridge Bay North	Excellent
04300	Druridge Bay South	Excellent
04400	Newbiggin North	Good
04500	Newbiggin South	Good
04600	Blyth South Beach	Excellent
04700	Seaton Sluice	Excellent
04800	Whitley Bay	Excellent
04900	Tynemouth Cullercoats	Poor
05000	Tynemouth Long Sands North	Excellent
05100	Tynemouth Long Sands South	Excellent
05200	Tynemouth King Edwards Bay	Excellent
05300	South Shields	Excellent
05400	Marsden	Good
05500	Seaburn - Sunderland	Excellent
05600	Roker - Sunderland	Excellent
05700	Seaham Hall Beach	Sufficient
05800	Seaham Beach	Good
05900	Crimdon	Good
06000	Seaton Carew North	Good
06100	Seaton Carew Centre	Good
06200	Seaton Carew North Gare	Excellent
06300	Redcar Coatham	Good
06400	Redcar Lifeboat Station	Excellent
06500	Redcar Granville	Excellent
06600	Redcar Stray	Excellent
06650	Marske Sands	Good
06700	Saltburn	Good
06900	Runswick Bay	Good
07000	Sandsend	Excellent
07100	Whitby	Excellent
07200	Robin Hoods Bay	Good
07300	Scarborough North Bay	Good
07400	Scarborough South Bay	Poor
07500	Cayton Bay	Excellent
07600	Filey	Good
07700	Reighton	Good
07900	Flamborough South Landing	Excellent
07950	Danes Dyke, Flamborough	Excellent
08000	Bridlington North Beach	Good
08100	Bridlington South Beach	Poor
08200	Wilsthorpe	Good
08300	Fraisthorpe	Good
08600	Skipsea	Good
08700	Hornsea	Excellent
08900	Withernsea	Excellent
08901	Wharfe at Cromwheel, Ilkley	Poor
09000	Cleethorpes	Good
09020	Humberston Fitties	Good
09100	Mablethorpe Town	Excellent
09200	Sutton-on-Sea	Excellent
09300	Moggs Eye	Excellent
09400	Anderby	Excellent
09500	Chapel St Leonards	Excellent
09600	Ingoldmells South	Excellent
09700	Skegness	Excellent
09701	Rutland Water Whitwell Creek	Good
09702	Rutland Water Sykes Lane	Excellent
09750	Colwick Country Park (West Lake)	Excellent
09800	Heacham	Poor
09850	Hunstanton Main Beach	Sufficient
09900	Hunstanton (Old Hunstanton)	Sufficient
10000	Wells	Good
10100	Sheringham	Excellent
10125	West Runton	Excellent
10150	East Runton	Excellent
10200	Cromer	Excellent
10300	Mundesley	Good
10310	Sea Palling	Good
10325	Hemsby	Good
10350	Caister Point	Good
10400	Great Yarmouth North	Excellent
10500	Great Yarmouth Pier	Excellent
10600	Great Yarmouth South	Excellent
10650	Gorleston Beach	Excellent
10750	Lowestoft (North of Claremont Pier)	Excellent
10800	Lowestoft (South of Claremont Pier)	Good
10830	Southwold The Pier	Excellent
10850	Southwold The Denes	Excellent
10860	River Deben Estuary, Waldringfield	Poor
10900	Felixstowe North	Excellent
11000	Felixstowe South	Excellent
11100	Dovercourt	Excellent
11250	Walton	Good
11300	Frinton	Excellent
11350	Holland	Excellent
11500	Clacton	Good
11600	Jaywick	Good
11650	Clacton Beach Martello Tower	Good
11700	Brightlingsea	Excellent
11750	West Mersea	Excellent
11760	Cotswold Country Park and Beach	Excellent
11770	Shoebury East	Excellent
11780	Shoeburyness	Excellent
11800	Southend Thorpe Bay	Good
11830	Southend Jubilee	Good
11850	Southend Three Shells	Excellent
11900	Southend Westcliff Bay	Excellent
11902	Southend Chalkwell	Good
11904	Leigh Bell Wharf	Good
11910	Hampstead Heath (Ladies Pond)	Good
11920	Hampstead Heath (Mens Pond)	Excellent
11930	Hampstead Heath (Mixed Pond)	Excellent
11940	The Serpentine - Hyde Park	Sufficient
11945	Frensham Great Pond	Excellent
11946	Wolvercote Mill Stream	Poor
11950	Sheerness	Excellent
11975	Minster Leas	Excellent
12000	Leysdown	Good
12100	West Beach, Whitstable	Good
12120	Tankerton	Excellent
12150	Herne Bay Central	Good
12200	Herne Bay	Excellent
12300	Minnis Bay, Birchington	Excellent
12350	West Bay, Westgate	Sufficient
12400	St Mildred’s Bay, Westgate	Excellent
12450	Westbrook Bay, Margate	Excellent
12500	Margate The Bay	Good
12600	Margate Fulsam Rock	Excellent
12630	Walpole Bay, Margate	Good
12660	Botany Bay, Broadstairs	Excellent
12700	Joss Bay, Broadstairs	Excellent
12750	Broadstairs, Stone Bay	Good
12800	Broadstairs, Viking Bay	Sufficient
12850	Ramsgate Sands	Good
12900	Ramsgate Western Undercliffe	Good
13000	Sandwich Bay	Good
13100	Deal Castle	Sufficient
13200	St Margaret`s Bay	Excellent
13300	Folkestone	Sufficient
13400	Sandgate	Excellent
13500	Hythe	Excellent
13600	Dymchurch	Sufficient
13700	St Mary’s Bay (Kent)	Poor
13800	Littlestone	Poor
13900	Camber	Good
14000	Winchelsea	Good
14100	Hastings Pelham Beach	Good
14150	St Leonards	Excellent
14200	Bexhill	Sufficient
14300	Norman`s Bay	Excellent
14400	Pevensey Bay	Good
14500	Eastbourne	Good
14550	Birling Gap	Excellent
14600	Seaford	Excellent
14800	Saltdean	Excellent
14900	Brighton Kemptown	Excellent
14950	Brighton Central	Good
15000	Hove	Excellent
15100	Southwick	Excellent
15200	Shoreham Beach	Excellent
15300	Lancing, Beach Green	Excellent
15400	Worthing	Good
15500	Littlehampton	Good
15600	Middleton-on-sea	Excellent
15650	Felpham	Good
15680	Bognor Regis East	Good
15700	Bognor Regis (Aldwick)	Poor
15800	Pagham	Good
15900	Selsey	Excellent
16000	Bracklesham Bay	Excellent
16100	West Wittering	Excellent
16300	Eastoke	Excellent
16350	Beachlands Central	Excellent
16400	Beachlands West	Excellent
16500	Eastney	Good
16600	Southsea East	Poor
16700	Stokes Bay	Excellent
16800	Lee-on-Solent	Excellent
16850	Hillhead	Good
16900	Calshot	Excellent
17000	Lepe	Excellent
17100	Milford-on-sea	Excellent
17200	Christchurch Bay	Excellent
17300	Highcliffe	Excellent
17400	Compton Bay	Excellent
17500	Totland Bay	Excellent
17600	Colwell Bay	Excellent
17700	Gurnard	Good
17800	Cowes	Excellent
17850	East Cowes	Excellent
17900	Ryde	Good
18000	Seagrove	Excellent
18100	St Helens	Excellent
18200	Bembridge	Good
18300	Whitecliff Bay	Excellent
18350	Yaverland	Excellent
18400	Sandown	Good
18500	Shanklin	Excellent
18600	Ventnor	Excellent
18700	Christchurch Highcliffe Castle	Excellent
18750	Christchurch Friar`s Cliff	Excellent
18800	Christchurch Avon Beach	Excellent
18900	Christchurch Mudeford Sandbank East	Excellent
19000	Bournemouth Hengistbury West	Excellent
19020	Bournemouth Southbourne	Excellent
19030	Bournemouth Fisherman`s Walk	Excellent
19050	Bournemouth Manor Steps	Excellent
19060	Bournemouth Boscombe Pier	Good
19100	Bournemouth Pier	Excellent
19150	Bournemouth Durley Chine	Excellent
19160	Bournemouth Alum Chine	Excellent
19170	Poole Branksome Chine	Excellent
19190	Poole Canford Cliffs Chine	Excellent
19200	Poole Shore Road Beach	Excellent
19350	Poole Sandbanks Peninsular	Excellent
19400	Poole Harbour Lake	Excellent
19450	Poole Harbour Rockley Sands	Good
19600	Shell Bay North	Excellent
19700	Studland Knoll House	Excellent
19800	Swanage Central	Excellent
19900	Kimmeridge Bay	Excellent
20000	Lulworth Cove	Excellent
20100	Durdle Door East	Excellent
20200	Durdle Door West	Excellent
20300	Ringstead Bay	Excellent
20400	Bowleaze Cove	Sufficient
20500	Church Ope Cove	Excellent
20600	Weymouth Lodmoor	Excellent
20700	Weymouth Central	Excellent
20800	Portland Harbour Castle Cove	Excellent
20900	Portland Harbour Sandsfoot Castle	Excellent
20970	Hive	Excellent
21000	West Bay (West)	Excellent
21100	Eypemouth	Excellent
21200	Seatown	Excellent
21300	Charmouth West	Excellent
21500	Lyme Regis Front Beach	Good
21600	Seaton (Devon)	Excellent
21700	Beer	Excellent
21800	Sidmouth Town	Excellent
21900	Sidmouth Jacobs Ladder	Excellent
22000	Ladram Bay	Excellent
22100	Budleigh Salterton	Excellent
22200	Sandy Bay	Sufficient
22300	Exmouth	Excellent
22400	Dawlish Warren	Excellent
22500	Dawlish Town	Good
22600	Dawlish Coryton Cove	Excellent
22700	Teignmouth Holcombe	Excellent
22800	Teignmouth Town	Good
22900	Shaldon	Excellent
23000	Ness Cove	Excellent
23100	Maidencombe	Excellent
23200	Watcombe	un-assessed
23300	Oddicombe	Excellent
23400	Babbacombe	Excellent
23501	Anstey’s Cove (Torquay)	Excellent
23600	Meadfoot	Excellent
23700	Beacon Cove	Excellent
23800	Torre Abbey	Excellent
23900	Hollicombe	Good
24000	Paignton Preston Sands	Excellent
24100	Paignton Paignton Sands	Good
24200	Goodrington	Sufficient
24300	Broadsands	Excellent
24500	Breakwater Beach (Shoalstone)	Excellent
24600	St Mary’s Bay (Devon)	Excellent
24700	Dartmouth Castle and Sugary Cove	Excellent
24800	Blackpool Sands	Excellent
24900	Slapton Sands Monument	Excellent
25000	Slapton Sands Torcross	Excellent
25100	Mill Bay	Excellent
25200	Salcombe North Sands	Excellent
25300	Salcombe South Sands	Excellent
25400	Hope Cove	Excellent
25500	Thurlestone South	Excellent
25600	Thurlestone North	Excellent
25700	Bantham	Excellent
25800	Bigbury-on-Sea South	Excellent
25900	Bigbury-on-Sea North	Excellent
26000	Challaborough	Excellent
26100	Mothecombe	Good
26200	Wembury	Excellent
26300	Bovisand	Excellent
26400	Plymouth Hoe East	Excellent
26500	Plymouth Hoe West	Excellent
26510	Plymouth Firestone Bay	Excellent
26520	Kingsand	Excellent
26530	Cawsand	Excellent
26560	Tregonhawke	Excellent
26570	Sharrow	Excellent
26600	Portwrinkle	Excellent
26700	Downderry	Excellent
26800	Seaton (Cornwall)	Excellent
26900	Millendreath	Good
27000	East Looe	Good
27100	Readymoney Cove	Good
27200	Polkerris	Good
27300	Par Sands	Sufficient
27400	Shorthorn Beach	Excellent
27500	Crinnis Beach	Excellent
27600	Charlestown	Excellent
27700	Duporth	Excellent
27800	Porthpean	Excellent
27900	Pentewan	Excellent
28000	Polstreath	Excellent
28100	Portmellon	Excellent
28200	Gorran Haven Little Perhaver	Excellent
28300	Vault Beach	Excellent
28400	Porthluney	Poor
28500	Pendower	Excellent
28550	Porthcurnick	Excellent
28600	Gyllyngvase	Excellent
28700	Swanpool	Good
28800	Maenporth	Good
28900	Porthallow	Excellent
29000	Porthoustock	Excellent
29100	Coverack	Excellent
29200	Kennack Sands	Excellent
29400	Polurrian Cove	Excellent
29500	Poldhu Cove	Excellent
29501	Church Cove	Excellent
29800	Porthleven Sands	Excellent
29900	Praa Sands East	Excellent
30000	Praa Sands West	Excellent
30100	Perranuthnoe	Excellent
30200	Marazion	Good
30300	Long Rock	Good
30400	Penzance	Good
30500	Wherry Town	Good
30600	Porthcurno	Excellent
30700	Sennen	Excellent
30750	Gwynver	Excellent
30800	Porthmeor	Excellent
30900	Porthgwidden	Excellent
31000	Porthminster	Good
31100	Carbis Bay	Excellent
31200	Porthkidney Sands	Good
31250	Mexico Towans	Excellent
31300	Hayle Towans	Excellent
31350	Upton Towans	Excellent
31400	Gwithian Towans	Excellent
31450	Godrevy Towans	Excellent
31500	Portreath	Excellent
31600	Porthtowan	Excellent
31650	Chapel Porth	Excellent
31700	Trevaunance Cove	Excellent
31800	Perranporth	Excellent
31900	Perranporth Penhale Sands	Excellent
32000	Holywell Bay	Excellent
32100	Crantock	Good
32150	Fistral South	Excellent
32200	Fistral North	Excellent
32300	Towan	Excellent
32310	Great Western	Excellent
32320	Tolcarne	Excellent
32330	Lusty Glaze	Excellent
32340	Porth	Good
32400	Watergate Bay	Excellent
32500	Mawgan Porth	Excellent
32550	Porthcothan	Excellent
32600	Treyarnon Bay	Excellent
32700	Constantine Bay	Excellent
32750	Booby’s Bay	Excellent
32800	Mother Ivey`s Bay	Excellent
32900	Harlyn Bay	Excellent
33000	Trevone Bay	Excellent
33200	Daymer Bay	Excellent
33300	Polzeath	Excellent
33350	Trebarwith Strand	Good
33360	Crackington Haven	Excellent
33400	Widemouth Sand	Excellent
33500	Summerleaze	Excellent
33600	Crooklets	Excellent
33650	Northcott Mouth	Excellent
33700	Sandymouth	Excellent
33800	Hartland Quay	Excellent
33900	Westward Ho!	Excellent
34100	Saunton Sands	Excellent
34200	Croyde Bay	Excellent
34300	Putsborough	Excellent
34400	Woolacombe Village	Excellent
34410	Combesgate Beach, Woolacombe	Excellent
34450	Ilfracombe Tunnels Beach	Excellent
34600	Ilfracombe Hele	Sufficient
34700	Combe Martin	Good
34800	Lynmouth	Excellent
34900	Porlock Weir	Excellent
35000	Minehead Terminus	Sufficient
35100	Dunster Beach	Poor
35200	Blue Anchor West	Sufficient
35500	Berrow North of Unity Farm	Good
35600	Brean	Good
35700	Weston-super-Mare Uphill Slipway	Poor
35800	Weston Main	Poor
35900	Weston-super-Mare Sand Bay	Poor
36000	Clevedon Beach	Good
36050	Henleaze Lake	Good
40750	West Kirby	Good
40800	Meols	Excellent
40900	Moreton	Excellent
41000	Wallasey	Excellent
41200	Formby	Excellent
41300	Ainsdale	Sufficient
41500	Southport	Sufficient
41800	St Annes	Sufficient
41900	St Annes North	Poor
42100	Blackpool South	Sufficient
42300	Blackpool Central	Sufficient
42500	Blackpool North	Poor
42600	Bispham	Good
42800	Cleveleys	Good
43000	Fleetwood	Good
43260	Morecambe South	Sufficient
43550	Morecambe North	Sufficient
44200	Walney Biggar Bank	Good
44300	Walney Sandy Gap	Excellent
44400	Walney West Shore	Excellent
44800	Haverigg	Sufficient
45200	Silecroft	Excellent
45600	Seascale	Good
45625	Windermere, Lakeside YMCA	Excellent
45650	Windermere, Millerground Landing	Excellent
45675	Windermere, Rayrigg Meadow	Excellent
45700	Windermere, Fellfoot	Excellent
45920	St Bees	Excellent
46100	Allonby	Good

New blow for Grimsby town centre as Barclays Bank announces March branch closure

  

End of an era - Barclays set to close Grimsby branch in March next year

PLANS to regenerate Grimsby town centre were today dealt a blow with the announcement by Barclays Bank that it will close its branch on March 13 next year.

It says the decision, which will be controversial, is justified because no more than 10 of its customers bank there regularly, most opting for the online alternative.

However, for advice and queries, it says it is considering retaining some sort of face-to-face presence if it can secure a suitable location.

With this in mind, approaches might be made to Lincs Inspire to rent space in the central library or to North East Lincolnshire Council for use of a room in the civic offices or the town hall.

Barclays’ branch on High Street, Cleethorpes, closed in June 2019, with planning permission subsequently granted for it to be converted to a restaurant/takeaway.

The fate of the Victoria Street  property, which is Grade II Listed is unknown as are the arrangements with existing staff.

Grimsby will not be the only town to lose its Barclays. A total of 17 others are also earmarked for the chop.

The full list, which includes the branch at Richmond in the Prime Minister’s constituency, is as follow:

• 100 High Street, Poole
• Crown Buildings, 11 Broad Street, Builth Wells
• 57 Frogmore Street, Abergavenny
• 85 High Street, Blackwood
• 81 High Street, Scunthorpe
• 23 Market Place, Mansfield
• 35 Victoria Street, Grimsby
• 4 North Bar Within, Beverley
• 197 High Street, Perth
• 24 High Street, Dundee
• Valley House, Kingsway, Team Valley, Gateshead
• Priestpopple, Hexham
• 55 Market Place, Richmond
• 193 High Street, Northallerton
• 49 High Street, Skipton
• 63/65 High Street
• 2/4 Aldermans Hill, Palmers Green, London
• 8 The Broadway, Crouch End

Rishi Sunak has already written to Barclays top brass, insisting that the elderly and anyone uncomfortable with online banking should not be disadvantaged by the closure of his constituency’s branch.

He is seeking assurances on the alternative arrangements.

Grimsby’s MP, Lia Nici, is yet to comment on today’s disappointing announcement.

Have 'noise' issues been resolved? Planners will decide soon on attractions at holiday village

 

Fitties residents have complained about 'intrusive' noise from the entertainment stage

A CRUNCH decision could be made in the New Year on the numerous fun attractions that have been installed prematurely within the Starfish adventure village at the Thorpe Park holiday village in Humberston.

At a North East Lincolnshire Council planning meeting on March 1 this year, councillors unexpectedly refused a retrospective planning submitted retrospectively by Haven Leisure Ltd after the equipment had already been installed

This followed objections from Humberston Fitties residents who complained their peace and quiet was being spoiled by noise spilling  to their chalets, notably from the Marina show bar, from  entertainment on an outdoor stage and from the sound accompaniment to screen showings - for instance, of sporting events or children's movies

But now Haven have submitted a revised retrospective application. 

It is accompanied by a noise impact assessment which disputes that the noise is intrusive to the extent that it might affect quality of life.

Says the report: "Noise can be heard, but it does not cause any change in behaviour, attitude or other physiological response."

Haven has agreed to confine outdoor stage activity to no later than 10pm.

In addition, the company is willing to install a three-metre  high acoustic fence  along the service yard boundary to the rear of the Marina showbar.

The revised application also describes how the company has sought to "engage with Fitties residents to understand their concerns".

To this end, a meting with their representatives was held on August 16.

Having invested substantially in upgrading entertainment at the holiday park, Haven is hoping on hope that their fresh bid will be approved, preferably by a NELC case officer under delegated powers or by the planning committee.

If it proves unsuccessful,  the equipment, which also includes a jump towers and bungee trampolines, may either have to be relocated to another of its holiday parks or sold.

The adventure village (photo: Haven Leisure) 

Some residents of neighbouring Humberston Fitties have not taken kindly to the development 

Rope attraction within the adventure area

Disappointment for birders as rare grebe performs Cleethorpes country park vanishing act

There was disappointment today for birders who had hoped to glimpse a rare Slavonian grebe that spent yesterday on the lake in of the country park in Cleethorpes. Unless it was hidden among the reeds, the bird had moved on, probably  overnight. A cold weather visitor from Greenland (or Russia), this member of the grebe family has vivid orange head feathers in its summer breeding season plumage, but in winter it is more sombre looking - a blend of black, grey and white. However, it retains a very bright pink eye, sometimes of jewel-like intensity. This bird was probably  one of only five or so that were known to be present yesterday in the whole of Britain. The species is threatened with extinction  with a 30 per cent decline in its global population over the past three decades.

Seven-figure price tag revealed for former bingo hall site on Cleethorpes seafront

How the seafront would look if the three apartment blocks are built

CAN any property developer out there rustle up a spare £2-million?

That is the amount being sought for a 0.62-acre plot of grassland that slopes down from behind Cleethorpes railway station to the seafront.

The site has a tale to tell.

It was once home to the Royal cinema where Mary Poppins was a particular audience-pleaser. Can anyone remember the meaning of  "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"?

Then it was converted to a tenpin bowling alley with licensed bar and stage where local pop groups liked to go through their paces.

Next it became an auditorium where star attractions included The Supremes, Ike and Tina Turner (before they divorced) and Tommy ("just like that") Cooper.

Finally, it was converted to a bingo hall where - before anyone had heard of sexism, ageism and fat-shaming - the caller would happily cry out: "88 - two fat ladies". And nobody seemed to object.

But the property  has long since been demolished and the land is now rough grassland fringed by bramble, home to a small population of house sparrows.

However, it does have the benefit of planning permission for three tall residential  blocks - where many of the apartments would have the benefit of sea views - with parking and a small shopping mall.

The site is being marketed by the commercial department of estate agents Pygott and Crone which has published a set of photographs to depict the state of the site as it is now and to showcase the sort of views that could be on offer if the apartments are built.

Perhaps in 2024 a new chapter will open . . .

Unloved! An accumulation of litter does not create the best impression of the site

Consent granted for new sign as part of rebranding initiative for popular Humberston holiday village

 

New name, new sign

A NEW road sign will soon be installed on the Anthony's Bank approach road to Thorpe Park holiday village in Humberston. 

This will endorse the imminent change of name to Haven Cleethorpes Beach. 

Pictured above and below are the front and rear of the monolith-style sign. 

An application for consent had to be submitted to  North East Lincolnshire Council but this was duly approved by case officer Owen Troop.

In his report, he said: "The area has traditionally had advertisements at this location, given it is the entrance to the holiday park. 

"The display of this particular totem pole would not look out of place or cause unnecessary clutter and replaces an existing one in any event. 

"The proposal would not harm the visual character of the area and such adverts are expected within resort areas. 

"When considering public safety, the council's highways officer did not raise any concerns to this regard. 

"The sign would be set back from the highway and would not create an obstruction or be unduly distracting for drivers. 

"The application is considered acceptable in relation to public safety.

* The lowest picture shows the familiar sign, soon to be redundant, which is due to be replaced.

Haste ye back!

Out with the old

Despite planning setback, Abigail pledges to keep battling to scupper Cleethorpes salmon farm project

The woman spearheading the campaign to halt an indoor salmon farm from being built in Cleethorpes is animal welfare champion Abigail Penny (pictured). It is her belief that it is intrinsically both unnatural and cruel to confine large numbers of salmon - a migratory species which hunts and feeds alone - within holding tanks. Earlier this week, she drove from her home in Essex to urge North East Lincolnshire councillors to refuse planning consent for the scheme. Her bid failed but, following the meeting, she insisted there was still plenty of steam left in the campaign. "I will continue to battle," she pledged. Below is what she told Wednesday's meeting NELC planning committee which was held in Grimsby Town Hall. 
 

Good morning,  councillors - I am Abigail Penny, Director of Animal Equality UK.

I have taken a ten-hour round-trip to talk with you today about our shared future. 

 

Every one of you will set a precedent and make history during this meeting. You must choose to sit on the right side of history.

 

If you decide to give the green light, this will be one of the most enormous fish farms on the planet. 

And I say, without an ounce of doubt, it will give rise to untold death and destruction on your doorsteps. 

 

As at any artificial factory farming environment, an accidental flick of a switch can be catastrophic for the animals. 

Take, for example,  Applecross Hatchery in Scotland, where 1.5 million fish died in August last year because a system failure caused the water in the tanks to become acidic. This is one of many similar recorded incidents in on-land farms.

 

World-leading scientists have warned against these farms. 

In September, a collective of aquatic animal experts with 229 years of combined experience published a joint letter drawing attention to the serious and irreparable challenges these farms pose to our wild species and local communities.

 

Experts also estimate that a fish factory of this size places tremendous strain on our planet’s precious resources and local infrastructure. 

It would demand 7,000 litres of water every minute and produce as much sewage as 400,000 humans… that’s four and a half times the population of Grimsby.

 

If the council is serious in its commitment to be carbon net zero by 2030, then you simply cannot allow this proposal to go any further. 

 

I appreciate that the need for local jobs is very real -  coming personally from one of the most deprived areas of the UK myself, I can assure you that I sincerely understand the gravity of that. 

But you must ask yourselves: jobs at what cost? 

 

In the face of so much uncertainty and so many obvious risks, it would be reckless to approve this fish farm. 

Please, don’t let this be your legacy.