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The Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council has again outlined the benefits of the Freshney Place Leisure Scheme – hitting back at an insinuation that it is a ‘dodgy capital scheme’.

Cllr Philip Jackson made his comments during the latest Full Council meeting at Grimsby Town Hall in response to a question raised by resident James Brooks, and reiterated how the Government has unequivocally backed the scheme by giving the council the money to purchase Freshney Place as an asset to drive regeneration.

He also pointed to the recent budget, in which the authority received £20 million towards the scheme in the second round of Levelling Up funding – a further demonstration of the Government’s support of the Grimsby Town Centre Strategy.

Cllr Jackson also once again reiterated that the Freshney Place scheme is not a burden to the taxpayer in North East Lincolnshire.

Mr Brooks did not attend the Full Council meeting, so Cllr Jackson was unable to address him directly.

Instead, Mr Brooks’s question was read out to the chamber: “North Lincolnshire has announced a council tax freeze for next year in order to help its residents cope with the cost of living crisis. North East Lincolnshire Conservatives had planned to raise council tax by the maximum permitted but at the last minute used reserves to make the increase more politically friendly but is still struggling to balance the books. Instead of using Freshney Place rental income to finance high-cost borrowing on dodgy capital schemes, would it not have made more sense this year to use that income to help struggling residents by keeping their council tax bills as low as possible?”

Cllr Jackson said: “Firstly, I want to clarify the North Lincolnshire situation. While it may have frozen the council tax part of its precept, it increased its Adult Social Care precept by 1.75%, and that is the increase its residents will see on their council tax bills.  Neighbouring Lincolnshire County Council also raised their precept by ‘the maximum permitted’, to use Mr Brooks’s words.

“Mr Brooks implies that the Freshney Place Leisure Scheme is a ‘dodgy capital scheme’ – his words, not mine.  Nothing could be further from the truth. I would remind Mr Brooks that the Government gave us the money to purchase Freshney Place as an asset to help us drive regeneration in Grimsby Town Centre. The Government further demonstrated its support for, and confidence in, our Grimsby Town Centre Strategy. In the budget, we received a second tranche of round two Levelling Up funding – £20 million towards the Freshney Place Leisure Scheme.

“Freshney Place actually generates a positive financial return for the council, nett of all associated costs. In 2023/24, it will contribute £1.5 million to the council’s coffers. The income from Freshney Place and its redevelopment more than offsets any borrowing costs for the new development. This positive financial position is further enhanced by the additional £20 million Levelling Up monies and is based upon detailed financial due diligence and modelling from our professional advisors which suggests that the yield will grow over time. Importantly, there will be no burden for the council taxpayer in North East Lincolnshire; quite the opposite, in fact.

“We received very positive feedback from Government on our Freshney Place Leisure Scheme bid. Here is what they said: “This bid had a strong strategic fit.  A key strength of this bid was its stakeholder engagement. A variety of relevant stakeholders had been engaged, in addition to various public engagements, which shaped the bid’s development. Having built upon extensive engagement undertaken to inform various projects preceding this LUF bid, which all tied into the bid’s proposals, engagement continued to take place and bid-specific consultation was evidenced, demonstrating the ongoing local support for the scheme. The case for investment and the market failure were articulated well, with local challenges and barriers to growth coherently outlined. This included credible evidence to demonstrate the declining retail performance of the town, in addition to outlining the lack of leisure opportunities and an evening economy in the town centre. The bid’s proposals were well positioned to address these, and as such, the Theory of Change was realistic and flowed from the interventions. This bid demonstrated strong alignment with local policies and strategies.  The bid outlined good alignment to funding streams such as Grimsby’s Town Deal and the local allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.  A compelling case was also presented for the bid’s impact on Levelling Up, which was also complemented by a rationale to the positive contribution this bid would have on four of the Levelling Up Missions.”

“Doesn’t sound like a ‘dodgy capital scheme’ to me.”

Two more major milestones have been completed this week in the progress towards a new leisure offer and market hall at Freshney Place.

This comes in the wake of the announcement yesterday that the Council was allocated money in the Chancellor’s budget to help deliver the scheme. 

Following the approval of the planning application last month, Parkway Cinemas have now signed the lease for the new 5-screen cinema at the scheme.

Richard Parkes, director of Parkway Cinemas, said that whilst internet shopping had seen a change in buying habits and how town centre is used, it was still evident that people wanted to get together socially, and cinemas were benefitting from that.

“The new Grimsby cinema will be very different to the one we have in Cleethorpes. There is more than one type and style of restaurant, more than just one type of pub – cinemas are the same. A town centre cinema will have a different feel and style to a big seafront cinema, even if they’re offering the same sorts of films, it’ll be a different experience.

“We’re really pleased to be able to get this over the line, and look forward to working on creating something special for the people of Grimsby.”

Separately, Morgan Sindall Construction has been selected from a national framework of suppliers to deliver the next phase of the leisure scheme. The construction team will work with the Council to finalise the build plans over the coming months.

In the summer, once the plans have been approved, the company will continue to work on the scheme, starting with the demolition of the existing frontage of the former BHS unit, and Flottergate Mall at Freshney Place, creating a new market hall for Top Town Market and then constructing the leisure scheme.

Ben Hall, Morgan Sindall Construction’s Area Director, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be working with the Council on the Freshney Place refurbishment. We believe this project will be a real game-changer for Grimsby and will breathe new life into the shopping centre. Throughout the build programme, we will deploy our Intelligent Solutions approach, which sees us utilise cutting edge technology to create unique, sustainable and inspiring places for our customers.

“We are also looking forward to bringing employment opportunities to local people, and in working with local schools and colleges to introduce young people to the construction industry.”

Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of the Council, said:

“This is a time of real rejuvenation for the town centre, with the schemes from the Town Centre Masterplan being delivered – not just Freshney Place and the associated market and leisure development, but the other schemes like Riverhead, alongside the creative and heritage elements.

“We’ve seen from Freshney Place that the footfall is increasing, with shoppers coming to purchase rather than browse, and most of the units in the centre are now occupied.

“The work that we are doing will hopefully encourage people to use the town centre more, to make it a thriving heart of our borough and reverse the long-term decline of years gone by.”

Article and image from NELC.

Levelling Up, regeneration and the exciting opportunities for the future of North East Lincolnshire… with the Government’s confidence in the Grimsby town centre strategy the “icing on the cake”.

These are the topics highlighted by the leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Cllr Philip Jackson, during his Leader’s Speech at the most recent Full Council meeting at Grimsby Town Hall, described as “exciting times for both Grimsby town centre and Cleethorpes.”

“It was pleasing to see reference to our key relationship with the Department for Levelling Up in the prelude to the Chancellor’s Budget speech,” he told the chamber. “The Government’s aim is to develop a further 20 Levelling Up partnerships across the country, modelled on the ‘deep dive’ that the Department for Levelling Up undertook in partnership with this council last year. That deep dive cemented an already credible working relationship between our officers and senior civil servants and it also raised awareness of our borough’s challenges and opportunities at the senior ministerial level.  

“It is the strength of that relationship that led to us unlocking key infrastructure investment in our A180 bridge network; that enabled us to work closely with DEFRA to resolve significant strategic issues affecting our seafood sector; that has cemented our working relationship with Homes England; and that enabled us to have frank and honest dialogue with the Cabinet Office leading to the rapid implementation of revised Border Control Post arrangements to ensure that local trade and commerce was supported. This type of working relationship is not common to all or every local authority and we should recognise that. Our engagement continues as we strive to work together to support positive and lasting change in Grimsby and the wider borough.

“Moving on to the Levelling Up Fund bids and some background on the second round of the bidding, the outcome of which was announced last month. There were 526 bids, valued at more than £8 billion, submitted to the Government for the £2.1 billion of available funds. Only 111 of those 526 bids were successful – around one in five. No local authority was successful in more than one bid and many local authorities received nothing. Therefore, we did very well indeed with our successful bid for Cleethorpes. 

“We received £18.4 million for three projects in the resort as part of the Cleethorpes Masterplan. This will enable us to move forward with plans for a new, iconic building on Sea Road, the improvement and modernisation of Pier Gardens and a major upgrade of Cleethorpes Market Place. These projects will help transform Cleethorpes from an already good to a great resort, levering in further private investment. Indeed, more details of the proposed exciting redevelopment of the derelict Pleasure Island site have recently been announced.

“The icing on the cake was the Government further demonstrating its support for, and confidence in, our Grimsby Town Centre strategy.  In the Budget, we received a second tranche of round two Levelling Up funding – £20 million towards the Freshney Place Leisure Scheme. The council has now entered into a lease agreement with Parkway Cinema, which will occupy the cinema unit within the new scheme. In addition, the council has also entered into a Pre-Construction Services Agreement with Morgan Sindalls regarding the construction of the scheme. The PCSA will refine and finalise both design and costings for the construction phase. Members will be aware that E-Factor has started on the transformation of St James’ House into a business and conference centre and work has begun on the refurbishment of Riverhead Square.

“The Cabinet recently gave approval to move forward with the first phase of a brownfield town centre housing scheme that will see the development of about 130 new green homes in the Garth Lane area of Alexandra Dock, with the scope for future phases to further develop the wider dock area, in line with the Grimsby Town Centre Masterplan. The council continues to work closely with Onside, which are developing the new Horizon Youth Zone at the West Haven Maltings site. Onside has secured significant investment from several funders, including the council, that will enable work to commence in the next few weeks. Exciting times for both Grimsby town centre and Cleethorpes.

“We recently hosted a visit from Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is clear from the visit and feedback that we have a strong and credible story to tell about how the arts, culture and heritage are integral to our regeneration ambitions. As we now also have a National Portfolio Organisation designation and as we continue to engage jointly with the Arts Council, Heritage Lottery and Historic England, our platform for celebrating our past, recognising the opportunities that lie ahead, and securing further investment is firmly established.

“Turning to Children’s Services, following our latest monitoring visit, which took place in February, Ofsted has published its letter confirming that improvements are continuing to be made as part of the council’s transformation plan. While the overall improvement plan is still in its infancy and there is still much to do, Ofsted has acknowledged that we are realistic in our outlook and about the challenges facing the service. The recent visit focused on our support for children with long-term experience of the care system, and young people and care-leavers aged 16 to 17 and 18 to 25.

“I am pleased to say that the inspectors noted a strengthened leadership, renewed policies and strong relationships between children and young people and their personal advisers. The work that our advisors do was highlighted as a strength, with young people benefitting from frequent visits, practical advice and support, and consideration of their abilities, meaning that they are moved towards independence at a pace that works for them.

“While staff turnover remains a challenge, Ofsted inspectors were clear that leaders are addressing this. They commended the well-managed induction package for new social workers and talked about how leaders ‘recognise the need to increase political and corporate understanding, scrutiny and continued investment, to ensure that there are the right conditions and infrastructure to drive the whole service improvements that are required’. The letter highlighted some things that we can do as corporate leaders to further support our care-experienced young people, and some areas that are already being looked at.

“There is still much to do to address the long-standing, deep seated issues within Children’s Services.  We have an improvement plan and we are pressing on with that, with help from our partners and from Ofsted. Young people are being threaded into a lot of our ambitious regeneration plans – the work that we’re doing to develop Cleethorpes to bring in businesses and create jobs, the work that we’re doing in Grimsby town centre, with the Onside Youth Zone.

“Our application to the Department for Education for a new 150-place Free Special School, focused on children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, has been successful. This is a big step forward in developing local capacity and in-borough provision to support children and families. We have also been successful in securing a £1 million grant from the Department as part of the Delivering Better Value in SEND national programme.

“Turning to the wider regional economy, hardly a day goes by without some announcement about new net carbon-zero plans or investments in and around our two Ports of Grimsby and Immingham or across the wider Humber footprint. In January, I attended the launch of the Humber Energy Board’s Humber 2030 Vision – decarbonising the UK’s largest industrial cluster. Last week, Maritime UK chose the Port of Grimsby to launch its Offshore Wind Plan, focusing on maximising the value of offshore wind to the maritime supply chain. Earlier this week, I was at the House of Commons for a Humber Westminster gathering of local authority leaders, MPs and key private sector representatives from around the estuary where Levelling Up minister Dehenna Davison confirmed that the full business case for the Humber Freeport is in the final stages of government approval. To take full advantage of all these exciting developments and opportunities, North East Lincolnshire and our geographical neighbours must do all we can to ensure we have the right infrastructure and that our workforce has the appropriate skills.

“That leads me to devolution. As members will know, the Government is keen to progress this agenda and I have received ministerial confirmation that government officials will now engage with officers to discuss Greater Lincolnshire devolution. The Chief Executive is engaged in initial discussions. This is just the beginning of what I hope is a process leading to formal negotiations for a Greater Lincolnshire devolution deal. Our focus will be to ensure that communities and businesses benefit from any devolution deal, while we also continue to highlight the strategic significance of the Humber economy to the UK and beyond. As I have previously stated, any formal decisions in respect of devolution will be considered and debated in the council chamber.”

North East Lincolnshire Council has confirmed it is carrying out improvements at more than 20 of its play parks so more children can stay safe, active and enjoy playing outdoors.

Twenty-eight parks will be refurbished and upgraded over the next 18 months thanks to an £800,000 investment from the Council.

The most pressing works are repairs to existing equipment, followed by a fresh supply of spare parts and finally new and replacement equipment and surfaces.

Plans to refurbish and upgrade some of the borough’s existing play parks were first announced in June 2021 with the works estimated to take three years to complete.

Since then, the Council has carried out public consultation to ask people where they’d like to see play parks improved and a procurement exercise to identify suppliers and contractors to carry out the work.

Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment and transport at North East Lincolnshire Council, said:

“Most people love their local parks and play areas and we are working hard to improve them so more children can enjoy playing outdoors.

“We want more children to have the facilities where they can be safe, active and enjoy playing outdoors.

“It’s more than 10 years since we’ve seen this level of investment in our play parks and I’m looking forward to seeing the works get underway soon.”

The play parks earmarked for repair and refurbishment include:

1. Ainslie Street
2. Albion Street
3. Alden Close
4. Bradley Woods
5. Butt Lane
6. Capes Recreation Ground
7. Carver Road
8. Duke of York Gardens
9. Grant Thorold Park
10. Haverstoe Park
11. Kingston Gardens
12. Mount Pleasant
13. Musical Garden, King’s Road
14. Neville Turner Way
15. Nunsthorpe Recreation Ground
16. People’s Park
17. Pilgrims Mount
18. Quantock Park
19. Rose & Crown
20. School Walk
21. Sidney Park
22. Sixhills Street
23. Sussex Rec
24. St Christopher’s Playing Field
25. Sussex Recreation Ground
26. Sutherland Park
27. Weelsby Woods
28. Wingate Parade

Members of the Council’s Communities Scrutiny Panel were given an update on the project at their meeting in February.

Read the full report at https://democracy.nelincs.gov.uk/meetings/communities-scrutiny-panel-10/

Article and image from NELC.

North East Lincolnshire Council is introducing a new public space protection order (PSPO) covering parks, beaches, the sea front and other council land.

Cabinet members met on Wednesday 8 March to discuss the proposals. They made changes to two elements of the PSPO after listening to feedback from scrutiny panel members and comments made during a public consultation.

The new PSPO allows the Council to place restrictions in specific areas to curb behaviour that could be detrimental to the environment or other people.

New signs carrying details about the restrictions will be put up at key locations in Cleethorpes and parks in North East Lincolnshire.

Many of the activities covered by the proposed PSPO could result in damage to parkland or could harm the protected environmental habitat along the coast or put wildlife at risk.

The new PSPO restricts activities on council land such as fires and barbecues, unauthorised caravanning and camping, unauthorised metal detecting, paragliders, jet skis and sky lanterns. Restrictions also apply to fishing in some council lakes and ponds and to bait digging without a permit.

The Council invited people to give their views on the proposals during a public consultation in December 2022 and January 2023.

A total of 328 people completed the survey and 98 per cent said they believe that our parks and open spaces, including the beach and seafront, should be safe and clean for all to use.

Cllr Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for Safer and Stronger communities at North East Lincolnshire Council, said

“Our environment is unique and it’s important that we take these steps to look after it.

“As well as being one of the most popular resorts on the East Coast, Cleethorpes is also an internationally important habitat for wildlife. We need to strike a balance between the two.

“Most people respect places like parks, woodlands and the beach, but unfortunately a careless minority behave in a way that can harm the environment and put wildlife at risk.

“We’re not trying to be dictatorial with these new restrictions, we wouldn’t need to introduce them if everyone behaved in a socially responsible way.

“We’re lucky to have beaches, parks and other open spaces to visit and enjoy in North East Lincolnshire and we’re bringing in these measures to protect them for everyone to enjoy.”

One of the changes made at cabinet related to metal detecting. The original proposal was for an outright ban, but at the meeting this was changed to prohibit metal detecting without prior approval.

Under UK law, it is illegal for anyone to use a metal detector on a designated area. This includes Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Scheduled Monuments. The Cleethorpes coastline is an SSSI and is protected in law. The Council is currently working on an application process for metal detecting, similar to those used by other local authorities and landowning organisations.

What is a PSPO?

The Council can make a PSPO on any public space within the area if it is satisfied that the activities carried out, or likely to be carried out, in a public space:

• have had, or are likely to have, a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality
• is, or is likely to be, persistent or continuing in nature
• is, or is likely to be, unreasonable
• justifies the restrictions imposed

The PSPO can prohibit people from doing certain things in an area, requires specified things to be done by persons carrying on specified activities in an area, or do both of those things.

A PSPO can last for up to three years, but this time period can be extended if necessary. It is an offence for a person, without reasonable excuse, to:

• do anything that the person is prohibited from doing by a PSPO;
• or fail to comply with a requirement to which the person is subject under a PSPO.

A fixed penalty notice (FPN) may be issued to a person who breaches this order by acting in a way that is prohibited. The FPN will be offered as an opportunity to avoid prosecution in the Magistrates’ Court by paying a Fixed Penalty of £100.
Should anyone fail to pay or wish for the breach to be challenged in court, the matter will be dealt with through the Magistrates Court. A person who is found guilty of an offence, is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the court’s standard scale of fines (currently £1,000).

Visit https://democracy.nelincs.gov.uk/meetings/cabinet-19/- external site  to see the full report.

Article from NELC.

Work is due to start on site at Riverhead in Grimsby next week (Monday 20 March) to create a new open space in the centre of town.

Since the hoardings went up, the main contractors have since been secured, and the build programme finalised. Additionally, work has been going on behind the hoardings to remove old trees, clear out old pipework and cables, and prepare the site for the start of the works.

In the coming months, the existing square will be completely re-remodelled, funded as one of the projects included in the Town Deal, the money for which was secured in 2020 and is ringfenced for specific projects.

The scheme will see the existing area changed to incorporate a lot more green-space and planting, as well as providing new seating, lighting, security and a flexible event space with improved infrastructure to support future events and activities. There will also be space for outdoor café seating at the entrance to Freshney Place.

Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of the Council, said: “This scheme will create a much more pleasant area for our residents and businesses and encourage more people to use the town centre. It’s part of our wider town centre ambitions that will also see, subject to planning permission, the western end of Freshney Place remodelled to introduce more leisure activities to the area.

“It’s vital for our borough that we look at Grimsby Town Centre with a real determination to attract families and people of all ages, so we can bring vibrancy back and make it a place where people want to visit at all times of the day.”

The new designs, approved at the Council’s Cabinet meeting in November, were drawn up by Arup Landscape Design, and incorporated input from local people, including children and young people, from recent consultations and engagement, in terms of what they want to see in the area.

The works on Riverhead are being managed by Equans on behalf of the Council and will hopefully be complete by the end of the year.

Article and image from NELC.

In the Chancellor’s budget today, North East Lincolnshire Council’s bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund to support the remodelling of Grimsby Town Centre has been approved.

This is on top of the successful Levelling Up Fund bid for Cleethorpes Town Centre announced last month.

The £20million, secured for Grimsby Town Centre, will be used for the Freshney Place Market Hall and Leisure project, which received planning permission earlier this year.

As reported, North East Lincolnshire Council now owns the Centre and wants to recreate it as a multi-use venue with a variety of retail, cinema, and leisure for the whole community. The multi-million-pound scheme at its western end is a major step towards that aim.

Philip Jackson, leader of the Council, is now confident that this major step change for Grimsby’s urban centre will help shape the future of the town.

“We’re delighted that Government has worked with us to help us deliver our plans for Freshney Place and the new market, and securing the LUF money for the scheme is fantastic.

“In the feedback we received on the bid, Government said that they understood our plans, and the strategic fit of the purchase of the shopping centre with the future plans for the town. They also praised the work we’d done to involve local people and businesses on the plans to date.

“Our ambition is real, and matches that of the people of the borough who have engaged with us, and helped us shape the future of our town.”

The work done at Freshney Place to deliver the new market, cinema and leisure space will be complemented by the plans for the Riverhead area, which is due to start on site next week, the OnSide Horizon Youth Zone, and St James’ House – with St James Square and Garth Lane already benefiting from significant investment. 

The projects announced in the budget, additional to the Round 2 allocations, were described as “high quality” and will commence delivery later this year. The budget goes on to say that investment has been targeted towards the left-behind places in the Levelling Up White Paper. 

Article and image from NELC.

Proposals for a new housing development in the centre of Grimsby will be taken forward following today’s Cabinet meeting.

Council Leader Philip Jackson has demanded an apology from the local Liberal Democrats party for misleading residents in North East Lincolnshire.

He criticised the party for circulating a four-page leaflet that wrongly claimed: “Now this year the Conservatives are set to raise our bills again by a shocking 4.98% – just 0.01% short of the maximum allowed before a local referendum is triggered.”

“This is wholly wrong and incorrect,” said Coun Jackson, “and it is very wrong of the Liberal Democrats to distribute such a leaflet about a week before the budget was discussed by North East Lincolnshire Council. This is misleading local residents, and I demand that they should circulate another leaflet correcting the mistake and apologising to residents for the inaccurate information.”

Coun Jackson brought the leaflet to the council chamber at Grimsby Town Hall and publicly made his comments during the recent budget-setting meeting, where a total increase of 3.98% for council tax and adult social care – one percent lower than anticipated – was approved.

Coun Jackson told the chamber: “As an administration, we are very aware of the cost-of-living challenges currently faced by our residents, so I am sure a smaller rise in council tax will be very much welcomed, especially when around three quarters of upper tier councils are levying a full 5% overall increase for 2023/24. 3.98% is also less than half of the current official inflation rate of 10.1%.

“This budget very much focuses on our children and young people. As well as investing in the transformation and improvement of children’s social services, we continue to be ambitious in the regeneration of the borough, delivering physical transformation which will encourage growth in business, raise aspiration and improve community confidence. We must continue to enable growth and investment in key industry sectors which will drive future employment opportunities, especially for our children and young people. We want them to be able thrive here in North east Lincolnshire, with good jobs and careers available without them having to leave the area.

“Through the capital investment programme, the council is continuing to take a more commercial approach and projects will make a significant contribution to our strategic objective of enabling the growth of a strong and sustainable local economy. Growth of the local economy will also provide more income for the council by way of business rates, council tax and new homes bonus, making us more sustainable and enabling the delivery of better local services. Indeed, in 2023/24 we have seen the council tax base grow by 503 band D equivalents, yielding an additional £900,000 in council tax.  We have also been awarded £296,000 in New Homes Bonus.

“The net zero and decarbonisation agenda is also a key council priority, reinforced by the council’s adopted 2030 net zero ambition and underpinned by our approved Carbon Roadmap. We are committed to reducing our own carbon footprint alongside our continued support to our key sectors and the reduction in the borough’s overall carbon footprint. To facilitate this, we are proposing an ambitious property rationalisation programme to deliver efficiency savings, reduce our carbon footprint, support new ways of working, drive footfall in Grimsby town centre by focusing our staff accommodation there, and generate capital receipts that can be applied to support our wider transformation programme.

“Turning to children’s social care, we still have a long way to go to be able to provide the right support to vulnerable children and their families. What has become apparent over the past year is the chronic and long-standing nature of the deep-rooted problems within our children’s services and the need to improve our early help offer. We also have far too many children in the care of the local authority but we are, at last, starting to see this number being safely reduced. The 2023/24 budget will ensure that we continue to provide the finances to support and transform children’s services in North East Lincolnshire. We have about 45 new permanent social workers, which means, over the next few months, we will be able to significantly reduce our reliance on expensive agency social workers, as well as providing an improved and more stable service to our children and families. We are also working hard to repatriate children who are currently out-of-area. This is better for the children and their families as well as saving money.

“Turning now to regeneration and the proposed capital programme. The council is committed to affordable capital investment and prudential borrowing will be undertaken for the right investments. A significant project may add to financing costs in the short term but, on completion, generate revenues which contribute positively to our bottom line.”

Councillor Jackson went on to remind the chamber of the grant funding the borough has received for regeneration in Grimsby and Cleethorpes, which is reflected in the future years’ capital programme:

• £20.9m Towns Fund for six project is Grimsby town centre.
• £3m towards Corporation Bridge refurbishment, work which will continue well into the next financial year.
• £7.5m towards two new schools.
• £8.4 m towards the repair of the three bridges and resurfacing of the A180 between Pyewipe and Riby Square.
• £3.4m from the Environment Agency for the Grimsby and Immingham Flood Alleviation Scheme.
• £17.4m FHSF monies used, with Government approval, to purchase Freshney Place.
• £18.4m Levelling Up funding for three projects linked to the Cleethorpes Masterplan.

“In Grimsby town centre, the regeneration of Riverhead Square has now commenced, and work has begun on converting St James’ House into a business and conference centre,” Councillor Jackson continued. “We have planning consent for the Freshney Place leisure scheme, incorporating a cinema to be operated by the Parkway group, and a new market hall and food hall, as well as other potential leisure and food and beverage offerings. This is all part of the wider Grimsby Town Centre Masterplan, designed to breathe new life into a diversified town centre. Incidentally, it’s good to see that next year’s budget includes a £1.5m contribution from Freshney Place, nett of costs and charges. Work is also about to commence on the Horizon YouthZone project which will bring the long-derelict West Haven Maltings back into use.

“In Cleethorpes, the £18.4m Levelling Up funding will enable us to commence work on three projects that feature in the Cleethorpes Masterplan: the refurbishment of Pier Gardens and Cleethorpes Market Place and the construction or a new, iconic building on Sea Road, which already enjoys planning consent. These projects will help to inject further confidence into an already high-performing resort, attracting extra private sector investment and helping Cleethorpes become an all-year-round resort.

“The 2023/24 budget also provides the investment we need to maintain first-class frontline services. This includes continued improvements in the waste collection and recycling services introduced by this administration, with recycling rates continuing to improve. 

“I want to thank officers for putting together the nuts and bolts of this budget, finance and business plan against a very challenging backdrop, both locally and nationally. It is both balanced, in all senses of the word, and ambitious.”

ANTISOCIAL Behaviour and how to tackle the root causes in North East Lincolnshire is under the spotlight at a major conference today.