East Marsh Transformation Gains Pace

Organisations are working together to ensure that the transformation of Grimsby’s East Marsh continues to gain pace.

The latest development sees the construction of a temporary car park on part of the land once occupied by the now-demolished high-rise blocks. It will be used by employees at the Care Plus Group HQ on Kent Street. They were displaced from their old parking area due to the imminent demolition work at the north end of Freeman Street.

As a result, LHP agreed to free up the land, which used to be the site of Tennyson and Bevan Houses for use by the Care Plus Group. To date, LHP has no long-term plans for the whole of the high-rise site and while options for future use are left open, security fencing will remain.

Project manager Rachel Munoz said: “We feel it is important to work with the local authority and partners to achieve genuine regeneration of the area. In the mean-time, we want to keep the site tidy and safe so the fencing will remain in place.”

Meanwhile, internal work has started, and initial exterior work has begun on the demolition of a stretch of Freeman Street from the old House of Holland building through to the disused seven-storey former council office block Freeman House and nearby Cox’s Fish and Chip Shop.

Contractors from Bloom Demolition arrived on site three weeks ago and have been preparing to take down the fish and chip shop. At the other end of the block, asbestos removal needed to be completed, followed by wood, metals, glass and other recyclable materials before the wholescale demolition started.

As reported, this work has been instigated by The Enrolled Freemen of Grimsby – the land-owners – who wish to see a rebirth of the once-famous street and have plans for a modern eco-friendly office building with green spaces and housing to replace the redundant buildings.