Who needs the Serengeti when there's such a wealth of wildlife (admittedly no giraffes) on our doorstep?

 

What's in that net ? Josh Forrester (kneeling) investigates

MORE than 120 people turned up to enjoy sessions of bug-hunting, pond dipping and butterfly counting as part of Love Parks Week celebrations in North East Lincolnshire.

Free events were hosted by the council's coastal ranger, Josh Forrester, who is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Part of the purpose was to showcase w the environmental value of green spaces.

Children were able to capture insects in nets and investigate them close-up under a microscope. 

They included everything from caterpillars to crickets, and Josh and a team of NELC ecologists then gave the children a lesson in how and why these insects are so important to our environment.

                                                   

Josh - enthusing young people

Said Josh said: "Hopefully we’ve enthused people about the wildlife that can be readily found on their doorsteps and maybe even encourage some young wildlife rangers of the future."

An equally upbeat note was sounded by NELC's portfolio holder for the environment, Cllr Henry Hudson: "We are so lucky to have so much natural beauty on our doorstep here in North East Lincolnshire.

"It is not just the wonderful beach and the nature reserve, but also the many fabulous parks that provide outdoor spaces for everyone to enjoy."                                  

On insect safari near Cleethorpes leisure centre

In one fell swoop . . . 

It won't bite, and it definitely won't sting . . . 

                          

    

Grimsby's great Corporation Road Bridge fiasco - now it's the lawyers' turn to take their slice of the action

                                                 

The council is hopeful that repairs will resume later this summer 

LAWYERS for both parties are now understood to be sifting through the rubble of the failed Corporation Road Bridge repairs relationship between North East Lincolnshire Council and the main contractors, Spencer Group.

The council’s responsible portfolio holder, Cllr Stewart Swinburn, said this week: "A legal process is underway."

Although he also went on to refer to the prospect of  "litigation", Cllr Swinburn did not go into detail because of the legal sensitivities.

"It's a complex situation," he told a Facebook question-and-answer session with the public.

No replacement contractor has yet been appointed, but the portfolio holder for highways  insisted: "We are well on the way to making an announcement..

"We are working urgently but the council is  mindful of its responsibility to follow the correct procedures in respect of the legal, safety and technical aspects.

"While no date for a restart has yet been set, we are targeting a resumption in late summer."

Proposed Cleethorpes salmon 'farm' could face competition from rival venture in Wiltshire

 

The site earmarked for the proposed Cleethorpes salmon farm. Will it really create 80 'well-paid' jobs?

HOPES of a jobs bonanza from the proposed indoor salmon 'farm' in Cleethorpes may be misplaced.

In presentations about the project, prospective developer Aquacultured Seafood Ltd has indicated that up to 80 posts could be in the offing.

And, at last month's full meeting of North East Lincolnshire Council, leader Cllr Philip Jackson enthused that the operatives would be "well paid".

But now another firm, Coldwater Salmon Ltd,  has emerged as a potential competitor.

It intends to set up a similar venture, then run it with . . . just three staff.

Coldwater has taken over the 25-hectare Barford Fish Farm, near Salisbury, in Wiltshire, which was established some 40 years by the 8th Earl of Radnor.

Historically, the farm bred and reared trout for release into English rivers.

Its water recirculation system is not dissimilar similar to that proposed in Cleethorpes by Aquacultured, but using the River Avon as opposed to the Humber.

However, before it can proceed on the first stage of its proposal to convert from trout to salmon, Coldwater must secure planning consent to install a giant steel canopy over 0.72 hectares of the existing fish farm.

It says this is essential to prevent bacteria and other contamination - notably from bird droppings - entering the ponds and spoiling the taste of the fish.

Wiltshire Council planners are expected to determine the application later this year.

The Grimsby News says: At least in its first phase, the Wiltshire project is not as expansive as the one proposed locally, but the fact that just three jobs are envisaged inevitably sparks doubts about whether the Cleethorpes venture would really bring as much of an employment windfall as some are claiming. Margins are slim in livestock food production, and there is already an over-supply of salmon to British shops and restaurants. High staff wages would inevitably  weaken profit margins for  Aquacultured's directors. And that is always assuming, of course, that they can raise the £75-million required to get the Cleethorpes facility up and running in the first place.

Portfolio holder has a bit of a downer on Cleethorpes Boating Lake's 'messy' honkers and quackers

                                      

Barnacle geese resting up on a grassy bank of the boating lake 

A SENIOR member of North East Lincolnshire Council has blamed the  long-established population of ornamental geese for - literally -  making a mess of Cleethorpes Boating Lake.

During a cabinet question-and-answer session on Facebook, the authority's portfolio holder for the environment, Cllr Henry Hudson, claimed: "Each bird deposits 2lb of droppings a night.

"I use the term 'droppings' to be polite - some of them are the size of a small dog."

Cllr Hudson was responding to a question from a member of the public, Diane Roberts, who protested that Lakeside  - the boating lake and its surrounds -   had become "neglected".

In particular, she cited the poor state of the bandstand and areas where concrete has become loose.

But the portfolio chose to target the geese for Lakeside's shortcomings.

He went to offer an assurance that the council was exploring ideas, including part re-wilding, with a view to making Lakeside more "self sufficient".

He expressed optimism for a bright future within the next two or three years for the site where feeding the geese, swans, ducks, gulls  and pigeons has long been a popular activity with all age groups.

The geese  also perform a useful function by grazing the grass so it does not need to be mowed.                                    

Keeping the grass trim - Grey Lag Geese are the commonest bird at Lakeside 

Bill for repairs to Grimsby's Corporation Road Bridge soars to well over £7-million - and still rising

 

Cabinet members likely to be quizzed about Corporation Road Bridge during Facebook Q&A session

THE bill for repairing Grimsby's Corporation Road Bridge has already reached in excess of £7-million with no sign of the structure being complete, let alone re-opened, in the near future.

When work started in summer 2022 , the budget was put at £5.1-million with likely completion by August 2023.

But by April this year, the bill was already £7,301, 921 - with North East Lincolnshire Council being warned that it might soar substantially higher. 

It was this point that the authority bit the bullet and fired the main contractor, the Hull-based Spencer Group.

Since then, it has been working with an experienced consultancy, Pell Frischmann, which has been carrying out its own assessment of what still needs to be done ahead of the appointment of a new contractor. 

NELC's cabinet is likely to be quizzed about the bridge when it holds a live question-and-answer Facebook session at 6.30pm tomorrow evening (Friday).

 Also likely to be raised are questions about repairs to Grimsby

s central library. about the extensive use of  Glyphosate poison across the borough's gardens, roadside verges and other green places and about three stalled Levelling-up projects in Cleethorpes - revamp of the market place, reconfiguration of Pleasure Gardens and construction of an amenity building on Sea Road. 

                                                               

Gull's eye view of a stretch of the impressive  problematical bridge which is currently 'celebrating' a centenary since it was built 

Council cabinet members optimistic about Grimsby leisure scheme after demolition site walkabout

You can almost smell the dust! Contractors welcome council cabinet members to the western end of Freshney Place where former shops are to be replaced with restaurants, coffee shops,  a cinema and more

IT'S full steam ahead on demolition of  the western end of Freshney Place ahead of redevelopment of this part of Grimsby with a cinema, cafes, restaurants, a food hall and an indoor market.

The Bullring shops have now literally bitten the dust as well as most  of the upper floors and frontage of the former BHS store.

With the former market hall having been taken down earlier this year, the site is now being cleared and the rubble being taken off site for crushing. 

According to North East Lincolnshire Council, much of this rubble  will be returned to site to form some of the foundations for the new buildings.

The temporary result of the work is that a view has opened up from the Bullring directly through to Frederick Ward Way and beyond!

Council Leader, Cllr Philip Jackson, and cabinet colleagues joined GMI on a visit to the site this week, and are said to have been "delighted" with  progress so far.

"It’s a massive project for us and for the town," beamed Cllr Jackson. "The work that GMI are doing on site is fantastic. 

"We know there is still a lot to do, but the Freshney Place leisure scheme will transform this end of Grimsby."

"There is a way to go yet, but we have anchor tenants signed up  and have agreed to progress legal work to secure leases with others whose identities will be announced in due course."

Revised plans for Pier Gardens rejig include installation of walling to 'segregate individual areas'

                                                              

NELC keen to see refurbishment start this September

CONTRACTORS have until August 26  to bid for the tender to carry out a much-delayed revamp of  Pier Gardens in Cleethorpes as proposed by North East Lincolnshire Council.

There has never been any conspicuous  clamour for redevelopment of the gardens but the council has almost £8-million to spend on the project, courtesy of aLevelling-up grant from Whitehall.

So far, the only works carried out - both controversial - have been the destruction of a hedge maze and the relocation to sites in Grimsby and Immingham of some of the shrubs.

At the boundary of the gardens at the rear of the proposed Sea Road amenity building, a row of whitebeam trees have been felled and removed.  

                                        

Anyone remember the hedge maze - an early casualty of regeneration works?

The project  has been revised since the original public consultation.

In its current form, it proposes the installation of  terraced walling "throughout the scheme in order to segregate individual areas within the site".

Also specified are the following:

* Introduction of hard and soft landscaping, with areas of paving, resin bound gravel, herbaceous planting, amenity planting and new trees. 

* Installation of  items of street furniture such as  benching, seating, children’s play and water play items, along with interactive public realm elements, bins and cycle stands. 

"There are a number of electrical and water services to be installed, with overhead and  low-level lighting, pop up power supplies, water feeds, drinking water points and footwash facilities."

NELC's briefing notes to potential bidders states: "The scheme for this 1.2-hectare linear park  is to  re-develop this area of land, in order to improve the space. 

"Once complete, Pier Gardens will provide a range of activities for all age groups, ranging from passive to interactive. 

"These activities are accessible for all abilities and at all times of the year and cater for the needs of the community in addition to attracting visitors."

Once bids have been evaluated and a contractor appointed, NELC wants works to start on October 13 this year and be completed by about the same date next year.

                                   

With hard surfacing proposed, an uncertain future beckons for some of the existing lawns and shrubs in Pier Gardens