Planning consent for the remodelling of Grimsby’s Freshney Place shopping centre to welcome a new cinema, market hall and further leisure facilities has been granted.
North East Lincolnshire’s planning committee approved the application, made by the authority that recently took ownership of the site. The stressed sale saw it bought out of administration last August, following the collapse under previous owner Capreon.
Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of the council, said: “This is good news, and we can now press on with our major plans to improve the town centre, to make them more attractive for people to live and work in.
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“We have been working in the background with professional advisers to look at the stores within both Freshney Place and the market that are likely to be affected, and have been having discussions with them individually about potential relocation within the centre while the works are ongoing.
“We are also looking at how we can use any empty space within Freshney Place in different ways – potentially bringing more of a community focus to the centre to help balance out the changes to retail habits.”
As previously reported, Parkway Entertainment Group will become an anchor tenant, and has pledged to provide a venue to complement its flagship site in Cleethorpes.
The plans also feature a new entrance to the centre, which will be lined with units for leisure and eateries, and an entrance to a new and transformed Market Hall.
Work to deliver the scheme is likely to begin in the summer, initially stripping out vacant units before demolishing the former BHS building in early 2024 to make way for the new market hall.
The market will continue to operate from its current base until the new location is ready.
Having missed out on further funding support, the local authority is understood to be confident new tenant activity will support any borrowing to deliver the scheme.
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