Heritage grants awarded to former House of Fraser building in Grimsby

Two heritage grants, worth over £110,000 in total, have been awarded to look at improving the frontage of the former House of Fraser building in Victoria Street, Grimsby. North East Lincolnshire Council has said it has secured a £62,043 project development grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and a £50,000 development grant from Historic England.

This will fund a conservation architect and other heritage specialists to work with the council to prepare key documents, like designs and cost schedule, that will form the basis for future funding bids for improvement works. It will also fund a programme of engagement activities this year and next.

The council bought the former House of Fraser addresses at 9-29 Victoria Street in December 2023 at a cost of £350,000, with a view to seeing them fully repaired, and brought back into use as part of wider town centre regeneration. The long-term goal will be to consider future occupation by tenants, carry out conservation repairs to ensure it is watertight and resilient to the impact of climate change, and look at possibly replacing the current 1970s shopfront with one inspired by the Edwardian Guy & Smith shopfront of 1913.

Repairs would include the likes of the roof, structural repairs where necessary, and repairs to the brick courtyard to the rear of the building. As part of the project, called “Window to 1913: Restoring 9-29 Victoria Street, Grimsby”, there will be a range of activities concerning the building’s heritage. These will include an exhibition, and heritage skills activities to encourage community understanding of the space.

“When we bought these buildings, we were looking to the future of the town as a whole,” said council leader Cllr Philip Jackson (Conservative – Waltham Ward). “These buildings form a major part of Victoria Street and we always wanted to make sure that these were fully repaired and brought back into use.”

The council leader noted North East Lincolnshire’s selection by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as a Heritage Place, adding as such heritage-led regeneration is “at the forefront of council policy for Grimsby town centre”. Being a Heritage Place means the borough is one of 20 places that can bid for £200m heritage funding.

Cllr Jackson continued: “It has always been the council’s intention to secure support for the full conservation and repair of the building, and this is what we’re doing – to make it something we should be proud of.” Helen Featherstone, the North England director at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “North East Lincolnshire Council have already done some fantastic work in highlighting some of the wonderful architectural heritage in Cleethorpes and we are delighted that we can support them to develop this project for the former of House of Fraser building in Grimsby.

She added, “The area remains a priority for the Heritage Fund through our Heritage Places initiative, which will leave a legacy for all to enjoy.” David Walsh, principal adviser for partnerships for Historic England said they were delighted to support the council “to help revitalise Victoria Street.

“The aim is to reinstate some wonderful shopfronts which, together with the new leisure and market development next door, will help give Grimsby the high quality street scene it deserves.” The former House of Fraser site reflects over a century of department store culture and Grimsby’s commercial evolution.

This includes its addresses at various points being the home of clothing and furnishing store, Guy & Smith, named after its 19th century founders, Joseph Guy and his son-in-law Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith was originally employed as a shop assistant by Mr Guy before marrying Mr Guy’s daughter, and forming a partnership with his father-in-law.

Guy & Smith kept gradually expanding until 1938. In 1969, it ceased to be an independent company and merged with House of Fraser. The store was completely rebuilt in 1971 with 100,000 sq ft floorspace. In July 2020, Grimsby’s House of Fraser closed down.