Today marks the first anniversary of the Conservatives taking the reins of North East Lincolnshire Council – a Conservative majority for the first time in the borough’s history.
Here, leader Councillor Philip Jackson reflects on the last twelve months:
It’s exactly a year since, at the North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) annual general meeting on 21 May 2019, the Conservatives officially took the reins of the council. This was the first time in its history that NELC had been under majority Conservative control.
It’s been a very busy year for the new administration. We have delivered on, or are in the process of delivering on, most of our manifesto pledges. Where we haven’t, we’ve not forgotten them and will make sure we pick them up again in the year ahead. We recognise that there are still many challenges to address in North East Lincolnshire, but there are also a raft of opportunities and we’re determined to make it a better place for everyone to live, work and visit.
Who would have thought last May that, twelve months on, we would be in a Covid-19 emergency? I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the residents of NEL for the way they’ve complied with Governments guidance in the last two months. This has undoubtedly contributed to us having one of the lowest infection rates in the country. I also want to pay tribute to NELC staff who have worked so hard and flexibly delivering front line services with little or no disruption whilst still taking on a raft of extra responsibilities around looking after the vulnerable and supporting local businesses.
However, we’re now at a point where we need to start rebooting our economy, both nationally and locally, if we are to generate the wealth needed to continue funding key public services like the NHS and local government. In North East Lincolnshire, we took the first small steps last weekend by trialling measures for a Covid-secure resort in Cleethorpes. In the weeks ahead we will be working to restore as much of the area’s economy as possible and getting people back to work, safely of course.
Tourism is clearly a major and growing part of the local economy. There are also several other positives, too: the growth of the renewable energy sector; the continuing strength and innovation we’re seeing in the food processing sector; the continued contribution the chemical sector makes; and the growing importance of the Ports of Grimsby and Immingham. With regard the latter, we’ll be working tirelessly with partners like the Lincolnshire and Humber Local Enterprise Partnerships, neighbouring councils and Associated British Ports to ensure we submit a powerful business case to Government for Freeport status which could provide a huge boost to our local economy.
Whilst there’s currently considerable and very visible regeneration activity within the resort of Cleethorpes, Grimsby town centre has been very much left behind and is too reliant on retail, especially post-Covid. We need to diversify the town centre economy and make it a more attractive location to both visit and live. On the back of the pioneering Greater Grimsby Town deal, we’re working on submitting Future High Street Fund and Stronger Towns Fund grant applications to Government for schemes that could potentially transform the town centre. We’re also shortly expecting the submission of the planning application to convert the long-derelict Grade II listed West Haven Maltings into an Onside Youth Zone facility, which will be a great boost for the Garth Lane area and kick-start the town centre regeneration.
Speculation continues, as it has for many years, about a new community stadium; when and where it might be built. This would undoubtedly be a great regeneration opportunity, as well as providing a new home for Grimsby Town Football Club and a range of facilities for the whole community. We will continue to work with interested partners and potential investors to try to bring a scheme to fruition.
As I mentioned earlier, we have delivered on many of our key manifesto commitments, including the retention of Tollbar roundabout and the removal of the Scartho Road bus lane, both of which we campaigned on extensively before and during the election campaign. Later this year you will start to see major improvements in the way in which we collect waste and recycling, making it easier and more convenient for households and, we expect, boost our recycling rate.
Other current issues that we need to resolve or continue to campaign on include the Suggitts Lane crossing issue, restoration of a direct London rail link, an upgrade of the A46 to improve our north/south road connectivity, a western relief road to take traffic away from out urban areas and the provision of a museum facility capable of displaying the borough’s substantial collection of heritage artifacts, most of which are currently locked away out of view.
The environment and climate change are both high on the political agenda and the Council is now committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050 at the latest. A good start has already been made with initiatives like LED streetlighting, solar panels on buildings and the introduction of electric vehicles. We have adopted a strategy to do much more and we’re currently working with partners on a possible grant application to Government for funding towards an electric bus fleet in North East Lincolnshire.
Education and skills are key to equipping local people, both young and older, to take advantage of new jobs that are coming into the borough. This is something that requires more focus in the year ahead and beyond.
Local government reorganisation is back on the agenda with Government keen to promote devolution of powers and funding and improve efficiency and effectiveness. We are once again talking to our neighbouring councils about a potential Lincolnshire devolution deal. Whatever arrangement we might move too, it will still be essential to maintain economic collaboration across the Humber in key business sectors like renewable energy, ports and logistics and chemicals.
For the first time in our history, North East Lincolnshire has a Conservative-controlled council, two Conservative MPs and a Conservative Government down in Westminster committed doing more to assist northern towns and coastal communities: blue on blue on blue! We are all working hard together to make the most of that alignment and get the very best for our area.
We have made good progress in our first year but there’s still much to do. We are up for the challenge and look forward to working with and for the people of Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Immingham and surrounding villages to build a stronger economy and stronger communities.
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