Plans to revive Cleethorpes in Bloom
The group's won awards in the past including the 2012 Champion of Champions Gold Award
Plans are afoot for the revival of the previously much-vaunted Cleethorpes in Bloom. Cllr Bob Callison, who led the group for 21 years, confirmed the news as he celebrated £2,000 funded planting of four landscape beds where Trinity Road meets Sandringham Road in Cleethorpes.
Cllr Callison is providing advice to the new in Bloom group, but steered clear of being a member this time due to his role as a councillor. Cleethorpes in Bloom won the RHS Britain in Bloom Gold Award four times between 2009 and 2015, and even won the 2012 Champion of Champions Gold Award.
In 2018, there was a changing of the guard as several lead organisers, including Cllr Callison, chose to take a step back after a number of years on the in Bloom committee. The group has risen again, with new greenfingered members and a new focus on sustainability. From next year, it is set to take its first steps towards regaining its former award glory.
“From next year onwards, we would be entering awards,” said Cllr Callison. “In time we can enter the local competition, the regional and if we’re successful, then the Britain in Bloom.
“I’ve some ideas about how some of the corporate companies can get involved in this,” he added, hinting at future possibilities for businesses to back Cleethorpes in Bloom’s revival renaissance.
Cllr Callison represents Croft and Baker Ward in North East Lincolnshire Council and was celebrating the makeover of four landscape beds in Cleethorpes, close to Thrunscoe Primary and Nursery. “Residents have been campaigning for 10 years for this,” said Cllr Callison, who detailed that the beds were a dumping ground before for weeds, litter and glass bottles.
“They look absolutely perfect. The neighbours have already said what a relief and what a change they’ve made to the area.”
Three quarters of a tonne of material was removed by Cllr Callison and some of his employees, who volunteered to help out. A tonne of good quality topsoil was then added to each landscape bed. “We’ve really looked at it from a sustainable project and to benefit the wildlife. The type of planting we’ve got for here is sustainable plants that will grow and nourish.”
Ward funding from 2021 for the makeover was ringfenced with Cleethorpes in Bloom the designated cause. Approximately £1,500 has been spent already on more than a dozen species planted and 1,000 daffodil bulbs sowed in October. The remaining £500 is in reserve, likely to be used to top up on soil.
While the beds will undoubtedly peak in early Spring with the daffodils’ blooming, other plants in the bed include:
Fuchsia bushes (x8)
Corladeria Pampas grasses (x9)
Holly (x4)
Phoirmium Tenax Palms (x5)
Berberis Shrubs (x3)
Callas Lilys (x2)
Rosmarinus herb shrubs (x8)
Cotoneaster (x4)
Aucuba (x4)
Azaleas
The plants were sourced from Pennells in Cleethorpes and Louth garden centre, with species chosen for their hardiness and prickly nature to reduce damage from passers by picking at them. Lincolnshire Housing Partnership (LHP) are the caretakers of the land and gave permission for the work to happen. They have also promised to help maintain it, including future work on the surrounding brickwork, Cllr Callison reported.
He added his thanks to his fellow ward councillors, Cllr Oliver Freeston and Cllr Graham Reynolds, for supporting the landscape beds too. “We want to help everybody we can, that’s what ward funding is for,” he added.