Council plans to brighten up a Grimsby town centre street, making it greener and “as vibrant and welcoming as possible”, are taking shape.
North East Lincolnshire Council was awarded £500,000 Government Levelling Up Fund cash last May to bring new life and greenery into the town centre. The focus will be on Victoria Street.
Hanging baskets have already been installed on lamp posts in recent weeks. But much more is planned, including positive message displays, living walls, festoon lights to improve the street’s visibility at night, and possibly leisure facility improvements.
“The initial phase of this project has been completed with the planters and hanging baskets brightening up Victoria Street for all visitors,” said a North East Lincolnshire Council spokesperson. The council will collaborate with Grimsby in Bloom to continue to change the plants throughout the seasons “to ensure the street is as vibrant and welcoming as possible”.
“Included in this phase is our work with Littlecoates Primary School who are currently designing signs with positive messages to be displayed at the main entrances to the street. The final part of this phase will involve installing a number of living walls to brighten up the street and provide more biodiversity.”
“Phase two, currently being finalised, will involve creating more flower beds along the street, looking at the possibility of expanding leisure facilities and installing festoon lighting to improve visibility during the evenings. The final phase will be concerned with making the area environmentally sustainable to ensure that the work carried out is there for years to come.”
One of the new hanging baskets in Victoria Street, Grimsby.
(Image: LDR)
The plant life and greenery focus is a requirement to be able to use the Government cash, and the first phase had an original completion time of by the end of March. A pocket park at West St Mary’s Gate is also proposed as part of the works.
£123,000 is allocated to be spent on the festoon lighting. Studiotech was awarded the contract in late November. ‘String’ type lighting along the pedestrianised areas around Victoria Street and Old Market Place is planned. This would have provision to extend into the new public space created by the Freshney Place leisure scheme redevelopment, and would provide all-year round lighting, with colour change options.
(Image: LDR)
The lighting plans are a response to public feedback that it would have the biggest positive impact on the Victoria Street’s street scene. The Grimsby town centre developments come at the same time as neighbouring North Lincolnshire Council moves forward on how it will spend its £500,000 cash award from the same initiative. There are plans for a ‘green corridor’ in Scunthorpe High Street.
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