“COUNTDOWN TO A NEW START”; AND A “FRESH START FOR THE EAST MARSH”

The Grimsby Evening Telegraph are reporting today, that the “Countdown to A New Start” for the East Marsh as now commenced; it is a positive step forward which will result in the demolition of one hundred houses on Guildford Street.

The remaining houses will be radically revamped, and it is hoped that as soon as the Guildford Street site is cleared new low density housing will be built which will radically transform the area; giving a “Fresh Start to the “East Marsh”. It is a one in life-time opportunity, in these difficult time and we need to make the best of the situation.

As reported in the Grimsby Evening Telegraph and on this website, the residents have been consulted on number proposals for the Guildford Street area, which would include a new street layout, home zone, and new low density housing to replace the existing housing; along with plans to revamp the housing that will not be part of the demolition.

The latest move in the development has been met with joy from councillors and the East Marsh Community Group, which wants to see new “aspirational” housing on the site.

Councillor Tony McCabe (Liberal Democrat, East Marsh) said the work is likely to begin in March, with work crews dismantling house interiors on half the closed off area.

He said: “We identified with the public just how far things had gone in terms of dereliction and boarded up properties and decided something practical needed doing. We got external funding from the Homes and Communities Agency, and we added money to that – which totalled £7.9 million. We used this to buy up the properties, and to cover the costs of people moving to new accommodation.”

Councillor Steve Beasant (Liberal Democrat, East Marsh) said: “It’s absolutely fantastic that we have moved a step closer to the demolition of Guildford Street.

“We are over the moon”

He said it would eliminate anti-social behaviour in the area. As reported, the boarded up homes had been a target of arsonist in recent months, which had been a cause of concern.

He added the next step would be the development of the site, full details of which have not yet been revealed.

“It’s a great opportunity to see what can then be developed on that area,” he added.

“This will be determined by what residents want to see put into place.

“But it will based on low density housing, aspirational housing – and build up people’s life chances – rather than a mish mash.”

John Harrison, Chair of East Marsh Involve said: “Everybody I have spoken to has seen the demolition as a way forward. It’s a start of a wider development of the East Marsh, which is definitely overdue.

“I have lived here since 1979, and back then it was quiet nice, respectable street, made up of families from the fishing industry.

“In the last in the last twenty years it has been in decline – although this will see the area climb back.

“I would like to see good affordable housing here; be it for the first-time buyer or the elderly.”

Alan Burley is the community development worker in the East Marsh. He said: “At the beginning of the process the residents didn’t trust anyone. They had heard it all before, and been consulted before, and had lost faith.

“Now residents are seeing things happen, they are happy to be part of the process.”

RESIDENTS HAVE HAD THEIR SAY; DURING THE ‘BIG CONVERSATION’ ON THE DEVELOPMENT BRIEF FOR GUILDFORD STREET

Residents were to today given the chance to shape of a multi-million pound regeneration of an area of Grimsby’s East Marsh; a consultation event was held at the Grimsby Neighbourhood Centre as part of the Community Engagement Week.

Local residents were asked to express their views on three options which have now been put forward for the future of Guildford Street.

As reported, 100 homes will be demolished as part of the £7.9-million revamp of one of Grimsby’s most deprived areas.

The redevelopment of Guildford Street is part of a 10-year plan to regenerate the area.

Members of North East Lincolnshire Council’s cabinet have now supported a draft development plan for the council-owned site, listing the three options.

Councillor Geoff Lowis, portfolio holder for regeneration and strategic housing, said: “We want our residents to be involved throughout each stage of the Guildford Street development and we are pleased that they have been giving feedback on this latest phase.”

All three options for Guildford Street propose demolition of 100 homes to be replaced with between 70 to 80 new ones.

Option One: Maintains the existing alignment of the street and includes a pedestrian access from Castle Street and amenity areas.

Option Two: Would see four and a half blocks of houses divided by pedestrian zones.

Option Three: Is similar and provides space to expand the SureStart community facility on the western side of Guildford Street.

Councillor Steve Beasant. (East Marsh Ward) who attended the event, said: “It is great that we are moving forward with this project; early in the New Year things should really begin to develop. However, there is still a long way to go, but hopefully in a few years time this area will be radically transformed.”

GUILDFORD STREET DEVELOPMENT BRIEF IS THE BEGINNING OF A FRESH START FOR THE EAST MARSH

A draft Development Brief has been prepared that considers the potential to redevelop the section of Guildford Street between Wellington Street and Cope Street. Following this consultation exercise, the Council intends to adopt the Brief as a Supplementary Planning Document that will form part of the North East Lincolnshire Local Development Framework. The Adopted Brief will then provide a basis for assessing future planning applications for the Guildford Street site. The Brief will not provide a prescriptive solution for the site’s redevelopment; it will set out a series of design principles which should be followed when more detailed proposals are being prepared.

This consultation invites comments on the content of the draft Brief. The preparation of the draft Brief has been informed by consultation, but the design principles and potential options have not been subject to public ocnsultation previously. This is your opportunity to shape the future development of the site by commenting on the draft Brief.

Consultation
Copies of the draft Brief are available for inspection at the following locations, during their normal opening hours:

• The Customer Access Reception, Civic Offices, Knoll Street, Cleethorpes
• The Customer Access Reception, Municipal Offices, Town Hall Square, Grimsby
• Grant Thorold Library, Durban Road, Grimsby
• Renaissance Shop, 33 Victoria Street, Grimsby

The Council will be holding a drop-in event where you can come along and see the draft Brief

The event will take place at:

The Grimsby Neighbourhood Centre, Weelsby Street, Grimsby on Thursday 10th December 2009 from 12 Noon to 7pm

The draft Brief can also be downloaded by clicking on the following link: Guildford Street Draft Development Brief (5820KB PDF file) (You will need Adobe Acrobat Viewer to view this document; this can be downloaded from the Downloads page.) You can also comment on the document via the online Consultation Portal. To find out more about the Consultation Portal click on the following link: Getting Involved To go directly to the Consultation Portal click on the following link:

Online Consultation Portal

Comments can also be sent to:

Donna Riley, Project Manager, Fresh Start East Marsh, St James House, St James Square, Grimsby, DN31 1EP, or via email to donna.riley@nelincs.gov.uk

All comments should be received by the Council by 5pm on Monday 18th January 2010.

WHERE ARE YOUR KIDS TONIGHT? KEEP THEM SAFE, AND OUT OF TROUBLE

On June 4, this year Humberside Fire and Rescue Service wrote an article for this website, titled: ‘Where are Your Kids Tonight?’

The article had the desired outcome, because arson attacks in the Guildford Street area decreased dramatically; unfortunately there was an unfortunate incidence last Friday night which engulfed five derelict properties. The consequences could have been tragic, if anyone had been living next door.

It is important that you know where your children are playing tonight, tomorrow, and everyday. Guildford Street is not area for young people and children to be playing – it will soon be a demolition site.

Please take time to read the article below which was written by Humberside Fire Service on June 4, and look at the photograph to see the damage caused to the properties concerned.

In the past weeks (late May) there has been a massive increase in the number of fire calls to properties in and around the East Marsh area, which not only pose a danger to local residents and attending fire crews, but also to the perpetrators of this anti – social behaviour. Humberside Fire & Rescue Service are working with agencies throughout North East Lincolnshire in an effort to reduce the number of calls to arson attacks on derelict properties within East Marsh by engaging with youth groups, youth offending teams, police, Shoreline Housing and local ward councillors to reduce this anti social behaviour.

We need to do this before somebody is killed in an arson attack.

This area is without doubt one of the worse areas in the town.

The question I am asking you is:

Where are your kids tonight?

Are they out playing with matches and lighters? Having a laugh with their mates?

The question we need to ask is when does having a laugh with your mates become anti-social behaviour?

When your children arrive home in the evening do they smell of petrol, or do they have scorch marks on their clothes, do they smell of smoke? These are tell tale signs that you can spot. You can help us to bring down these figures and help make your community safer for all.

Your local fire station is on call 24 hours a day 365 days a year, they are ready to respond to any emergency call, and will arrive within minutes ready to put their lives in danger to save others. You can save a life quite easily by being aware of what your children are doing, and putting a stop to this.

You can contact us confidentially by calling or texting 07940 737141 and leaving us information relating to deliberately lit fires in your area.

EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT EAST MARSH INVOLVE: EVEN THE BBC!

Next Tuesday (July 28), East Marsh Involve will meet at the Grimsby Neighbourhood Centre at 6pm – all residents are welcome to attend.

North East Lincolnshire Council’s Communication Team have prepared the following press release which will hopefully appear in the local media, so hopefully East Marsh Involve will be a well attended meeting – look forward to seeing you there:

East Marsh residents are being invited to a meeting about regeneration plans in the area.

The meeting to discuss plans to regenerate Guildford Street and the surrounding area has been called by East Marsh Involve, an action group set up to inform residents.

Speaking at the meeting will be the council’s executive director of regeneration Marc Cole and

Councillor Steve Beasant, portfolio holder for community safety and public protection.

The meeting, which will be held at the Grimsby Neighbourhood Centre, Wellington Street, next Tuesday at 6pm, will give an update on an earlier consultation event held to discuss plans for the area.

Residents will have an opportunity to have their say on what they want to see in the area, which is set to undergo a 10-year transformation worth nearly £8m. The first phase of the work involves substantial work on Guildford Street which will see properties renovated or removed.

For more information contact Councillor Steve Beasant on (01472) 314183.

I am pleased that media release appears to be working; we have already made it onto the BBC website with the article below:

Regeneration meeting in Grimsby

“Residents in Grimsby are being asked for their views on an £8m project to regenerate housing in the town.

A public meeting will be held on Tuesday to discuss the proposals by North East Lincolnshire Council.

The authority plans to renovate or remove a number of properties in the Guildford Street and East Marsh areas as part of the 10-year project.

The meeting at the Grimsby Neighbourhood Centre has been arranged by action group East Marsh Involve.

It was set up to inform residents about the regeneration plans.”

FOUR HOUSES DAMAGED BY FIRE ON THE EAST MARSH – WHERE ARE YOUR KIDS TONIGHT?

FOUR houses were damaged by fire in a suspected arson attack in Grimsby's Guildford Street.

The blaze, which tore through the unoccupied properties on Saturday evening, has prompted fire chiefs to warn about the dangers of entering vacant buildings.

Humberside Fire and Rescue watch manager Stuart Axcell believes the fire may have been started by youths who had entered one of the homes – prising their way in through boarded-up doors and windows.

He said: "It is only a matter of time before somebody is hurt. "I believe there has been a number of fires in unoccupied properties on this street and the message from us is clear, people shouldn't be entering them."

Four crews from Grimsby's Peaks Lane and Cromwell Road fire stations extinguished the blaze and used a hydraulic platform. Residents reported seeing smoke pouring through the roof of the four properties for more than an hour.

One homeowner, who was too afraid to be named in case her property is targeted, said: "The house where the fire started is empty now, but it was set on fire last year when there were people living in it.

"I've never seen so much smoke in my life. It was coming out of the roof and you couldn't see down the road."One of the window boards blew off one house and the firemen had to kick in a door to put it out."

The fire gutted one property, while the other three were damaged by smoke and heat. Watch manager Neil Knight confirmed the fire had started on the first floor of one of the properties. He said: "I came to a fire at one of the houses last year and two dogs died from smoke inhalation.

"We would discourage anybody from entering empty properties because they are in a state of disrepair. "As reported, a consultation is being carried out into the possible demolition of properties on Guildford Street for the redevelopment of the area.

Following a number of fires in the street – the last on May 18 – Humberside Fire and Rescue Service has been fitting smoke alarms to the homes that are still occupied.

Anybody with any information about the fires on Guildford Street should call Humberside Police on 0845 6060222 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

More information on smoke alarms can be found at www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/smokealarms.php

If you are a resident and would like a home fire safety check, call (01472) 372500

At the North East Lincolnshire Council’s Community Consultation Event residents were asked whether they were in favour of 100 Guildford Street homes being razed to the ground as part of a proposed £7.9-million redevelopment.

Scores of East Marsh homeowners attended a consultation meeting at the Grimsby Neighbourhood Centre on Tuesday afternoon – just before the East Marsh Involve.

Local residents were shown a number of altenatives of how the street layout could be improved, suggestions included: demolition of 100 houses and building a new meandering road; creating open spaces; introducing pedestrianised areas and create thoroughfares to neighbouring Victor and Weelsby Streets.

As reported, North East Lincolnshire Council is in the process of purchasing the 100 run-down properties in the street – and residents are now being consulted on how the area should be redeveloped.

Mike Haynes, NELC’s interim program manager for the redevelopment, said: “We want to find out from the community how they think the street should be changed.

“We have come up with some suggestions of our own based upon the whole or partial demolition of the existing properties, and we hope these will stimulate some interesting views.”

John Harrison (59) lives in the area of Guildford Street where homes will be given improvement grants.

He said: “Our end of the street is pedestrianised already and it causes no end of problems with anti-social behaviour.

“To start with, I thought the only option was to knock all the other homes down, but after hearing some of the council’s ideas I think the regeneration may be a good thing.“

East Marsh Councillors hope the Guildford Street Conultation will inspire residents to provide the council with their vision for the street.

Councillor Jon-Paul Howarth said: “There are some exciting proposals already and this is just a start of the consultation.

“Once the community starts getting a feel for the project, I hope it will inspire them to say how we can make a change in the right direction.”

Councillor Steve Beasant added: ”I’ve always said that two thirds of the housing should be knocked down and the rest should remain – it needs a new lease of life!

“But the whole point of the consultation is that we have to listen to what residents want and find a solution.

“I like what I have seen so far, but I don’t think the right solution is yet on the drawing board. I have confidence in the local residents to come forward with an attractive and inspirational plan.”

The results of the initial consultation will be used to formulate a draft redevelopment brief.
FIND OUT MORE: Contact the redevelopment team on 0845 8492000.

RESIDENTS GET A NEW SAY ON THE REGENERATION OF THE EAST MARSH

THE call has gone out for residents of Guildford Street and the East Marsh to have their say over its future development - by attending an event on Tuesday, March 31.

North East Lincolnshire Council and community group East Marsh Involve will co-host the consultation event at the Grimsby Neighbourhood Centre, at the corner of Wellington Street and Weelsby Street, between 4pm and 7pm.

Residents will be able to meet their local councillors, members of the East Marsh project team and representatives from Halcrow, who are putting together a development brief for the area.

The development brief will consult residents on what they want to see in the area, set to undergo a 10-year transformation worth nearly £8m.

The first phase of the work involves substantial work on Guildford Street which will see properties renovated or removed.

Madeleine Bell, the council's deputy director for strategic housing, said: "The residents of the East Marsh are the main players in this exciting regeneration opportunity. We want them to decide what the area should look like in the future.

"With this in mind, I would urge them to attend the consultation event to find out more about the opportunities available as the development brief moves forward."

To find out more, contact Mike Haynes at mike.haynes@nelincs.gov.uk or on (01472) 325067.