Vision to link town centre and Garth Lane uni site
A NEW link between Grimsby’s Riverhead and Garth Lane is being drawn up to connect the heart of the town with new waterside developments.
Part of the £88 million Grimsby Town Deal will be spent on creating a public access - such as a bridge or underpass - connecting the Riverhead area with the north side of the river.
Members of North East Lincolnshire Council economic scrutiny panel heard officials are studying the best way to overcome Frederick Ward Way so that people can get from the heart of the town to Garth Lane and Alexandra Dock safely.
The vision of a new link brings to life a plan proposed in 2007 when Henry Boot Developments suggested building a road bridge from Frederick Ward Way on to Garth Lane to link with Fisherman’s Wharf. Prestigious waterside flats and a retail park were planned when Debenhams was linked to the multimillion development.
The Grimsby Telegraph has already revealed the plans for a university campus and youth centre. Youth charity OnSide aim to open their first youth zone in the Yorkshire and Humber region in Grimsby by 2021.
Already works are being carried out on West Haven Maltings to pave the way for the new youth centre. The new OnSide Youth Zone will be built using the existing West Haven Maltings thanks to an extra £3.75 million Government grant, announced in July.
On Garth Lane a new university campus will be built. North East Lincolnshire Council investment manager Chris Duffill told councillors the University of Lincoln and Grimsby Institute were working to create an “enhanced higher education offer for the borough.”
He said it would be an institute of technology delivering technical qualifications.
Mr Duffill said: “We are working with the Humber LEP to look at connecting Garth Lane with the rest of the town centre. Frederick Ward Way is a bit of a barrier. We are working on a project on how to address this.”
He said people going from the town centre would be able to access the new facilities on Garth Lane and on to The Fishing Heritage Centre and Sainsbury’s thanks to the new link.
The Grimsby Town Deal, announced in July last year, plans to create educational and leisure opportunities, with long-term targets of establishing 5,400 further jobs and building 7,700 homes, as well as adding £216 million a year to the local economy with the help of a £36 million Government grant and matched private and council funding. Another aim of the huge funding deal is to create a walkway extending from St James’ Square through the town centre and along the waterside to the Kasbah on Grimsby Docks.
Following the additional grant funding for West Haven Maltings, the leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Councillor Philip Jackson said: “This is all around what we can do to attract more people into the town centre and increase footfall and create a visitor location and a work location for many more people. We will also look to build homes in the town centre.” The leader added: “We have a water front that, in other places, is made use of. But here, until now, we have turned our back on.” After announcing a £1.2 million grant to attract business to The Kasbah, Clive Fletcher, Historic England’s principal advisor for historic places, said “We are looking for more connectivity to the town centre. Over time, the road network separated the town and docks but ultimately, we are looking at a link all the way from St James’ Square to the docks.”
Graeme Bassett, spokesman for Grimsby, Cleethorpes and District Civic Society recalled the days when there were two underpasses linking the town centre with Garth Lane. “It is like we are going back to how it was before. People used to go through the underpass to get to the other side of Frederick Ward Way. But I think a footbridge over to Riverhead would work well,” he said. North East Lincolnshire Council is expected to announce details of a bridge or underpass or another link over the river before the end of the year.