Grimsby chosen to be part of Government's "High Street Accelerator" pilot scheme

Government launches new High Street Accelerators pilot to help communities and councils join up on long-term regeneration

Government has announced that Grimsby has been nominated as one of 10 towns is to take part in a High Street Accelerator pilot scheme to help improve the town’s future.

As previously reported, Grimsby is one of 55 town centres across the country that were allocated ‘Long-Term Plan’ money from the Government to help transform Grimsby Town Centre into a central hub where people and families can visit and enjoy.

The £20million scheme, with money to be spent over the next 10 years, will look at tackling issues like anti-social behaviour, graffiti and other things that will help people feel and be safe when visiting the town centre.

Ahead of the start of this programme, the Government has invited selected town centres, including Grimsby, to take part in a pilot programme to build on the work of the town centre task force, which has been meeting over the last six months, to agree a long term vision for the town centre, and an allocation of £237,000 to put initial interventions in place.

Work to improve the town centre’s safety and security is already underway, with the opening of a Youth HAVEN on Osborne Street that will operate until the Horizon Youth Zone opens, and improvements to business security, graffiti removal and supporting the evening economy.

Projekt Renewable now open at Fisherman’s Wharf, the new OnSide Horizon Youth Zone  scheduled to complete in 2025, and an NHS Community Diagnostic Centre in Freshney Place next year, all of which will attract more people and families into the town centre.

Cllr Jackson said: “Working with local businesses, we will now be able to build on the good work that is already taking place to look at improving our urban heartlands in the decade ahead.

“We have been working extremely hard with partners across both the public and private sector to build relationships especially within Grimsby Town Centre so we can grow the area in the right way. This work has been running alongside our plans to regenerate and transform our place, as has been well reported.

“For our plans to succeed and be sustainable it is vital that we look at ensuring people can feel and be safe and this announcement will allow us to accelerate schemes and actions to help us realise that ambition as the physical redevelopment takes place.”

If you’re interested in taking part in the town centre task force, contact enquiries@InvestNEL.co.uk.