Number of options being drawn up for the future of a major empty shop in Grimsby

Details have emerged about the council’s plans for the House of Fraser building it bought a couple of weeks ago.

The former House of Fraser premises has been an empty eyesore in Grimsby town centre for four years, ever since the department store chain fell into administration. North East Lincolnshire Council has bought it as part of its Freshney Place shopping centre regeneration plans.

Council leader Cllr Philip Jackson told full council at Cleethorpes Town Hall on Thursday, December 14, of the falling sales value of the building and the council’s under market rate purchase. He also gave detail about how the council will try to bring it back into use.

The council bought the House of Fraser building for the sum of £350,000. A local authority pension fund owned it before and in April 2017, the building was put on the market for offers in excess of £12.75m. Fast-forward to earlier this year and its value had fallen by an astonishing level, to offers in excess of £500,000.

Cllr Jackson emphasised how integral the building was to Freshney Place’s footprint, before adding:

“This pragmatic purchase ensures that we can embrace it as part of our ambitious plans for the repurposing, redevelopment and regeneration of Grimsby town centre.

“The danger of us not intervening to purchase was that a private sector buyer would probably have either left it empty or run it into the ground; either way, it would have continued to negatively impact on our plans for the town centre.” The council’s cabinet report document from when the purchase was agreed on November 30 warned that “given the substantial reduction in values” it was “more likely there was a very real risk” of out-of-town cash rich investors buying it. These could have had no plans to address outstanding repairs to the ageing structure and sought to “exploit the opportunity”, posing knock-on risks on Freshney Place and High Street rental tone and yield. 

“Together with our Freshney Place asset managers, an appraisal of potential uses is being prepared, alongside engagement with Historic England, Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and Homes England,” continued Cllr Jackson at full council. “We enjoy positive relationships with all these organisations, and the intention is that a business case and potential funding bids will be developed with the aim of bringing, as a minimum, the ground floor back into beneficial and viable occupation. 

“That would be along the same lines as has been followed in Freshney Place, where diversification and prudent rental models are bringing significant benefits.” The council bought Freshney Place for under £17.1m in August 2022 to keep on the road its western end redevelopment plans. These include a five-screen Parkways Cinema, food hall, and market relocation. The completion of the redevelopment is aimed for in 2025.

During his leader’s statement to full council, Cllr Jackson also welcomed planning approval for a £120m onshore salmon farm planned in Cleethorpes, which has encountered some residents’ opposition. “This pioneering development is an exciting opportunity for our area.  It will bring more well-paid jobs and prosperity to North East Lincolnshire, making us a leader in this technology, and further bolstering our thriving seafood processing sector, providing locally sourced salmon with a significantly lower carbon footprint.”