Plans to improve Grimsby Town Centre including Freshney Place shopping centre move forward
Work is expected to start this summer
Last updated 1st Feb 2023
A £30.9m plan to redevelop part of Lincolnshire’s largest indoor shopping centre with a leisure scheme including a five-screen cinema has been given planning approval. Initial work is expected to start this Summer.
North East Lincolnshire Council bought in August for £17.1m Freshney Place shopping centre in order to be able to carry through a proposed redevelopment of the western end of the centre. A five-screen cinema to be run by Parkway Cinemas, food hall, market relocation and a leisure unit are all planned as part of the scheme. There has been public and business consultation along the way too, shaping the plans.
On Wednesday, February 1, the application for the redevelopment and partial demolition of the western end of Freshney Place came before the council’s own planning committee.
Concerns were expressed about the viability of the cinema, the funding for it and the leisure scheme leading to yet more fast food outlets. But councillors agreed unanimously to grant planning permission.
Council leader Cllr Philip Jackson has welcomed the decision and said of businesses affected: “We have been working in the background with professional advisers to look at the stores within both Freshney Place and the market that are likely to be affected, and have been having discussions with them individually about potential relocation within the centre while the works are ongoing.
“We are also looking at how we can use any empty space within Freshney Place in different ways – potentially bringing more of a community focus to the centre to help balance out the changes to retail habits.”
Under a special regulation, planning applications moved by a council can be approved by it. Independent Cllr Steve Holland, a vocal critic of the scheme, called the decision in to ensure it was not handled by planning officers only.
He was not able to attend, but a written statement was read out on his behalf. He said a group think can occur and it was “imperative” that such high profile projects are discussed by councillors in public to demonstrate a strong democratic process.
Cllr Holland’s statement argued that the food aspects of the development went against the council’s public health strategy against obesity and in the context of life expectancies falling back. Using public money to drive forward fast food areas seemed to him the antithesis of promoting healthy communities.
“Local public opinion seems to be fairly set against the use of public funds for a cinema,” Cllr Holland suggested. He also argued that a similar scheme centred around a cinema in Wakefield had made little difference to retail businesses there.
After Levelling Up Fund disappointment for Grimsby in January, the council plans to fall on its contingency of borrowing against Freshney Place rental income to fund the development. This was an “illogical approach” and in Cllr Holland’s view, the rental income could be better used to fund improvements to children’s services or reduce council tax rates.
Other criticisms levelled by him were that he felt it would impact Freeman Street market and other areas, and the application appeared to lack enough assessment of its carbon impact. With reference to removed definite plans for a bowling alley in the leisure unit, Cllr Holland said the scheme was based on “speculation rather than sound economics”.
Several Conservative councillors, including Cllr Henry Hudson, expressed disappointment with Cllr Holland’s opposition. “We need this kind of investment,” said Cllr Hudson, adding that Parkway Cinema want to run the proposed cinema.
“I have been here for 32 years in Grimsby and this is by far the biggest investment in the town centre since I’ve been here,” said Conservative Cllr David Hasthorpe. The town centre was crying out for the investment, particularly for the night-time economy, and it had been “neglected for too long”.
He was “astounded” that Cllr Holland questioned the cinema’s viability. Parkway Cinema were experts in running such venues and “they’re not going to set something up to compete against themselves” in Cleethorpes.
Cllr Hayden Dawkins, Conservative, took particular issue with the possible fast food outlets criticism. He derided it as grounds for refusing permission and said the council is not a dictatorship to simply refuse people the choice.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Steve Beasant expressed some limited sympathy about concerns for the impact on Freeman Street market and the frequency of fast food places in Grimsby. But he supported the scheme and praised the architecture design of the relocated market, to be at the former BHS store site. “I hope we never see shutters on there because that would really spoil it.”
Planning officers indicated the plan is to avoid the need for shutters on the market if possible. “I do have concerns around this development in its entirety,” said Labour opposition leader Cllr Matthew Patrick.
He felt opening a new cinema at the heart of a town centre regeneration may be “old hat”. There were no specific planning considerations which meant he would oppose the Freshney Place development, but his support for permission was not to say he approved the scheme entirely. In particular, he still had concerns about how the council will fund it.
Originally, North East Lincolnshire Council had £17.3m from the Future High Streets Fund for the redevelopment. But this was effectively re-used to buy the shopping centre after it went into receivership last year.
“I believe this is a good, concrete proposal we can perfect,” said Labour Cllr Kevin Shutt, who said the town centre had to move on from its 1980s look. He also argued the scheme’s critics had not put forward alternatives to regenerate the area.
Now granted approval, work is expected to begin on the Freshney Place leisure scheme in Summer with the stripping out of vacant units. The former BHS store will then be demolished early next year to make way for the new market hall.