Contract awarded for the Market Place project in Cleethorpes
Council announces contractor for transformation of Market Place, Cleethorpes
Last updated 23 hours ago
Works to transform Market Place, Cleethorpes, are to begin in mid-May. North East Lincolnshire Council has announced Hessle-based CR Reynolds has won the contract to carry out the works.
The project is one of three schemes backed by £18.4m Government Levelling Up Fund cash, which was announced in January 2023, with the others being a new tourism-focused building in Sea Road and the rejuvenation of Pier Gardens. The changes to Market Place have been designed by landscape architects, Gillespies, and envision mostly pedestrianising the space.
It will no longer be a through route for traffic. Works will begin on Monday, May 18.
This will initially involve setting up the site for the contractor. This will take a few days, but Market Place’s public parking spaces will be removed from the project’s start.
Prior to construction, there has been work in the background to finish detailed designs. This has included finishing the designs to change the road layout to modern safety standards, and widening some paths to make accessible for wheelchairs, prams and buggies.
At the heart of the transformed Market Place will be a flexible space in the middle. This will be available to be used for markets, events or for spill out space from the surrounding cafes, bars and restaurants. The design also includes permanent seating in it.
Traffic management will be in place when the first major piece of work occurs. This will involve the temporary closure of Cross Street to vehicles, so that this area can be worked on.
Vehicles will be able to access Market Place from St Peters Avenue, exiting at Market Street or Osborne Street. Access to Cosgrove Street will be from the southern end, Albert Road / De Lacy Lane. Entry to Cosgrove Street from Market Place will be closed throughout the project.
The council has advised to watch out for signs which will provide information on how to get around the area. This will change throughout the scheme as areas are finished.
Market Place will be the last of the three Levelling Up Fund-back regeneration projects in the resort to see work on site. The transformation of Market Place is taking up the smallest proportion of the Government cash, with almost exactly £4.5m assigned to it.
Like the Pier Gardens and Sea Road building schemes, the idea has stemmed from the Cleethorpes Masterplan, which was extensively consulted on. However, the Market Place project has been the most controversial of the three.
At the end of local elections night last week, Reform UK’s group leader Cllr Oliver Freeston (Croft Baker Ward) mentioned opposition to it as a policy of the party’s new significant contingent of councillors. Businesses at or very close to Market Place have raised concerns over the loss of the car parking space, and so too did councillors late last year, given that Market Place car park has been the only free public car park.
After its transformation, there will be dedicated bays for Blue Badge holders in Market Place. A new council car park, Victoria Car Park, opened behind the Old Vic, off Alexandra Road, Cleethorpes, in October, with its operating hours 8am to 6pm, every day. Plans to in future offer up to 30 minutes free parking on a trial basis at this car park were discussed back in March.
Victoria Car Park is available for short and long stay parking and when it opened, High Street Car Park was turned into a short-stay, up to two hours-only facility. There are also short stay spaces close to Market Place opposite the corner of Sainsbury’s, which remain available.
This year’s budget saw a Labour amendment receive backing, which included up to two hours free parking at weekends and bank holidays at a car park each in Grimsby and Cleethorpes, including Cleethorpes Civic Offices Car Park.