Plans for North East Lincolnshire to buy Grimsby’s Freshney Place shopping centre have been approved.
Local authority councillors gave the proposal their backing after leader Philip Jackson told how the purchase was “vital” to ensure a healthy future for the town centre. He had warned that other potential operators could just oversee further gradual decline.
Full council gave its backing to the plan, which will see funds already secured from government to transform the western end diverted to make the acquisition. A further bid to Westminster will now be lined up, with Cleethorpes-based Parkway Entertainment Company revealed as the prospective new operator.
