Monthly Archive 31 December 2025

North East Lincolnshire has marked a year of major investment, community spirit and transformational change. As 2025 draws to a close, the Council is celebrating the standout achievements that have shaped the borough over the past 12 months.

A service transformed

In July, Ofsted awarded North East Lincolnshire’s Children’s Services an overall Good rating. In the words of inspectors in their major report: “A whole-service transformation has been achieved. Children’s Services are largely unrecognisable from what they were in 2021.”

Inspectors further noted this was one of the fastest improvements seen nationally. This success reflects the dedication of staff, leaders and partners, committed to the Council and partner’s mantra of ‘Our Children, Our Future’.

A year of skills, careers and opportunity

2025 saw thousands of residents benefit from new skills and employment initiatives.

The new Careers Café quickly became a popular drop‑in for people exploring their next steps, while Council teams and partner organisations were out across the borough offering guidance to residents and young people. The Grimsby Auditorium Skills Fair also inspired Year 10 students with guidance from over 60 exhibitors. Meanwhile, other events like the Women into Manufacturing and Engineering Day and the Parents Careers Evening provided hundreds of families and residents’ support.

With growing demand and great feedback, both the Skills Fair and the Parents Careers Evening will be back in 2026, bringing even more opportunities for local people to plan their futures.

Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA) formation

A moment in the history of local government across Greater Lincolnshire took place in February when an official letter from Government confirmed the creation of the GLCCA.

The correspondence, from the then Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon OBE MP, declared that he had signed the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority Regulations 2025, which created the GLCCA and devolved functions to it. The Minister said: “I would like to thank you and your officers for your hard work in enabling us to deliver this landmark agreement for the people of Greater Lincolnshire.”

This landmark occasion was followed by the first meeting of the new authority’s board in March, with the election for the new Mayor – Dame Andrea Jenkyns – held on the first day of May.

Standing together against VAWG

Building on its White Ribbon accreditation, the Council continued raising awareness of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). More than 200 people joined the ‘Reclaim These Streets’ walk in Cleethorpes in March, lighting up the night with glow sticks and torches to spark conversations about safety and community responsibility.

Cleethorpes’ first Coastal Ranger

This year the Council welcomed Cleethorpes’ first-ever Coastal Ranger, Josh Forrester, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Josh has quickly become a familiar face along the shoreline, leading coastal walks, nature days and community engagement activities.

His work helps protect the borough’s internationally important coastline and the thousands of migratory birds and wildlife that depend on it.

Major restoration continues

The former Top Town Market area was cleared, paving the way for a new five-screen Parkway cinema, food outlets and a modern market hall. Redundant units on Osborne Street were demolished to prepare for future redevelopment.

On Osborne Street, the redundant units opposite the rear of the former Argos loading bays have been demolished, prepping the way for redevelopment in 2026-7.

Meanwhile, Horizon, the Onside Youth Zone completed construction, with doors being opened to children and young people of our borough from early 2026.

Award winning teams

There was big success earlier this year as our health visitors and infant feeding team scooped the UNICEF Gold Award as part of a joint Northern Lincolnshire collaboration for their commitment to mums and their babies locally.

The Northern Lincolnshire Baby Friendly Initiative Group was set up to support women, providing help and advice during pregnancy and post-birth around feeding and building a close and loving relationship with their baby.

At the time, Janet Burrows, head of Public Health Nursing at NELC, said: “This is a great achievement and testimony to the hard work of everyone who has made a positive contribution on this journey.”

Old faces, new places

Grimsby Town Market relocated to a new temporary home in Freshney Place in May, ensuring much-loved traders could continue serving customers during redevelopment. The farmers’ market also found a new home in Riverhead Square, growing significantly throughout the year with stalls offering local produce, gifts and handmade goods.

These highlights represent just a fraction of the progress made across North East Lincolnshire in 2025. The Council is proud of the achievements delivered in partnership with residents, businesses and community groups and is excited to build on this momentum in the year ahead.

North East Lincolnshire Council wishes everyone a safe, happy and hopeful New Year as we look ahead to 2026.

Article and image from NELC.

Residents are being asked to have their say on Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) being introduced in Immingham.

The PSPOs are intended to deal with persistent anti-social behaviour in a local area that is detrimental to the community’s quality of life.

They do so by imposing conditions on the use of that area to ensure everyone can use and enjoy public spaces without experiencing nuisance and annoyance.

The Council introduced PSPOs to parts of North East Lincolnshire in July 2019 to target anti-social behaviour and irresponsible dog ownership. Now, residents are being asked for their thoughts on the introduction of a PSPO in the town.

The consultation comes following calls from residents for more to be done regarding Anti-Social Behaviour across Immingham.

Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “The Council hopes the introduction of a PSPO for anti-social behaviour could make the town a safer and more welcoming place for residents and visitor.

“However, we want to hear the views of as many people as possible and encourage those who have a view to take part in the consultation to make sure their voice is heard.”

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector, Claire Jacobs, added: ‘’We remain committed to working closely with our partners and the community to tackle concerns around anti-social behaviour. Public Space Protection Orders are one of several tools that can help create safer and more welcoming public spaces. We will continue to support efforts that address these concerns.”

If you would like to know more about PSPOs then please visit this page Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) | NELC.

This consultation will close on Friday, 13^th February, 2026. To leave your thoughts, please visit – external sitehttps://tell-us.questionpro.eu/PSPO-Immingham

Article and image from NELC.

There has been a reduction in crime of over 5% on the Nunsthorpe over the past two years thanks to the efforts of an initiative led by the Council, Humberside Police and partners.

Clear, Hold, Build was first launched in 2023 to help tackle organised crime in the area with a focus on a coordinated and determined effort to disrupt organised crime and build community resilience.

Through numerous raids, arrests and community engagement events, organisations involved have been working together to help reduce all types of crime such as Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and assault.

Overall, crime reduced by 5.1% between 2022 to 2025, other noticeable reductions include:

• Public Order – reduced by 53.6%
• ASB nuisance – reduced by 35.1%
• Road related offences – reduced by 30.4%
• Violence/assault – reduced by 13.8%

The initiative is underpinned by the national 4P approach to tackling serious and organised crime (Pursue, Prevent, Protect, and Prepare), focusing on tackling criminal activity, supporting vulnerable individuals and strengthening the community.

North East Lincolnshire Council have supported numerous events such as the Nunsthorpe Clean Up event, ran by Lincolnshire Housing Partnership and Oasis Hub, where residents helped clear over 20 tonnes of waste.

In addition, Humberside Police have increased their visibility through youth clubs, street surgeries, and school programmes such as Mini Police, which aim to build trust and raise awareness among younger people.

CCTV has also been improved in certain areas of Nunsthorpe to ensure residents feel more secure in the area they live and work.

With significant progress being made in numerous areas, Clear, Hold, Build is now moving into the build phase as organisations look to ‘build tomorrow together’.

Included in this will be the development of Nunsthorpe as a “Garden City”, blending urban and rural living to create a better place for residents. This will be developed through the creation of Nunsthorpe in Bloom, supported by Grimsby in Bloom.

Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “The reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour is a clear indicator that Clear, Hold, Build is achieving exactly what it set out to do.

“Every organisation involved is playing their part to make the Nunsthorpe and surrounding areas a safe and welcoming place for those who live and work there.”

He added: “However, this isn’t the end. We will continue with the excellent work we have already carried out to ensure the area is in the best position it can be.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Claire Jacobs said: “The Clear Hold Build initiative has enabled us to take a more coordinated and intelligence-led approach to tackling organised crime and safeguarding vulnerable people on the Nunsthorpe Estate.

“Through close partnership working and regular engagement with residents, we’ve been able to respond to concerns, disrupt criminal activity, and support those most at risk.

“Our teams have executed several drug warrants in the area, targeting addresses linked to organised crime and acting on information provided to us by the community.

“These actions not only help remove harmful influences but also play a vital role in identifying and protecting individuals who may be at risk of exploitation, including those living in cuckooed properties. We have also responded to concerns raised by residents through platforms like HumberTalking and My Community Alert.

“Operations such as Op Yellowfin have also addressed anti-social behaviour and illegal vehicle use, while multi-agency meetings ensure we remain aligned and responsive to emerging issues.

“The reduction in crime figures over the past two years is making a positive impact and reflects the collective effort of officers, partners, and residents.

“While there’s still work to do, we’re optimistic about the direction we’re heading and remain committed to building on this momentum and continuing this work to make Nunsthorpe a safer and more resilient place for everyone.

“If you have concerns or information about crime in the area, please speak to an officer or contact us report via our non-emergency number 101.”

Article from NELC.

North East Lincolnshire Council is asking residents to nominate parts of their wards to take part in  ‘green space trials’.

In 2024, a petition was brought to Full Council regarding the use of Glyphosate as a treatment for weed control. Following on from this, councillors agreed to look at the phasing out of the chemical and investigate possible alternatives.

Now, the Council is asking residents for spaces they think may be appropriate and benefit from the trial. This would include roads, streets and areas of open spaces where various options can be considered such as more suitable weed killers or completely stopping spraying weed killer altogether.

The various trials include a range of methods used by other councils around the country that have also explored stopping the use of Glyphosate.

Suggestions include using no weed control measures – which can be applied to open spaces, but not footpaths and highways – using a weedkiller with a lower percentage of Glyphosate or carrying out a programme of manual weeding.

During the trial, the areas will be monitored and the findings reported back to the Community Scrutiny panel for a recommendation to be given to cabinet.

If you believe there is an area in your ward that would benefit from the trial, please contact your ward councillor by Monday, 5 January. To find out who your ward councillor is, please visit Find Councillors by name and party | NELC

Article and image from NELC.

A CROSS-PARTY committee of North East Lincolnshire councillors has been formed, as work continues to support a bright and thriving future for our libraries.

The Library Services Select Committee met for the first time in November and held its second meeting this week, (Monday 1 December).

Made up of elected councillors, it will examine the findings of the recent public consultation, consider current service arrangements, look at the future of Grimsby Central Library and contribute to an over-arching strategy to shape how the council develops library services into the future.

As it looks towards future meetings, the committee is inviting interested parties or individuals to share information that they think is relevant. The committee is particularly interested in how libraries can become community hubs, providing a wider range of services.

Committee Chair, Cllr Steve Holland (Independent), said: “As fellow committee members and I re-examine all the evidence and work that has already taken place to look at our libraries and their future, we are keen to make sure that we don’t miss any opportunities for improvement that will ensure our libraries have a secure and exciting future. We are particularly keen to hear ideas that would offer a wider range of services.

“The consultations that were carried out indicate that most people want to have thriving public libraries and see them as very important. What we need to do now as a cross-party group, with the help of the whole community, is to suggest practical ideas that will contribute positively to creating a service that can grow and thrive,” he added.

The two-phase public consultation, held over the last two years, focused on Grimsby Central Library and those in Cleethorpes and Waltham and attracted more than 2,300 responses. The results are online here: Past consultations | NELC There was also a petition presented to Full Council.

A decision was then made and approved by the council’s Cabinet. North East Lincolnshire Council Leader Cllr Philip Jackson, and Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and the Visitor Economy Cllr Hayden Dawkins, said after taking in peoples’ views, Cleethorpes Library would stay in its present location, and there would be no change at Waltham. 

They also explained how their desire was to keep Grimsby Central Library in its Top Town building, but full repair costs were needed. As work continues to assess the full renovation, there is a pop-up library in Freshney Place.

Following the consultation and a Full Council debate, it was also agreed to set up the Select Committee.

Supporting the aims of the committee, Cllr Dawkins said: “As a Cabinet, we have always said that we need to look at how we grow our libraries into vibrant multi-use spaces that can entertain, engage, and inspire people of all ages. We cannot stand still and the views of people who took part in the public consultation reflect that vision.  What we now need to do is build a strategy that supports that, and I look forward to seeing how the work of the new Select Committee progresses.”

People who wish to make representations to the Select Committee, should email Democracy@nelincs.gov.uk providing their contact details and – in no more than 150 words – outlining the organisation they represent (if that is the case), the main points they wish to raise and whether they would be interested in addressing the Select Committee in person.

Article and image from NELC.