From early January, the multi-storey Abbey Walk car park will be carefully dismantled and will no longer feature in the skyline of Grimsby.
The car park was closed in May 2024 following the discovery of structural defects. Water ingress into key structural supports made the car park unsafe to use.
The demolition of the car park was approved in September 2024 to make way for a surface level car park, with foundations designed to allow for additional levels in future years if needed.
The demolition needs to be done carefully due to the site’s constraints, such as the railway on one side of the site, and large office buildings at the other.
An experienced local contractor, GBM UK, has been appointed to undertake the demolition works in the new year.
Timescale
From Monday 5 January, for approximately 12 weeks, contractors GBM will be on site, taking the car park down to ground level.
Access arrangements
To make sure there is a safe working area to demolish the multi-storey car park, Abbey Walk will be closed between Osborne Street and the entrance to Garden Street car park.
Traffic from the north can use either Doughty Road or Garden Street. Through traffic from the south should use Doughty Road or Duchess Street to access the town centre. Pedestrian access along the road will be maintained at all times.
If you are visiting a business on Abbey Walk you will need to access it on foot. Access to businesses on Garden Street is not affected.
Working hours
Working hours will be varied through the contract.
From 5 January to 30 January, there will be daytime working from 7am – 6pm. The demolition will start in the centre of the car park, then turn right, and demolish towards the railway line.
From the end of January to 20 February, work will be carried out overnight for 21 consecutive days, to demolish the railway end of the car park and the spiral. This is to coincide with permissions from Network Rail, when overnight trains will not use the line for safety. The overnight demolition work will be carried out from 10pm to 8am.
From 23 February, work will revert to daytime working (7am to 6pm) to completion.
The demolition of the car park is being funded through various sources, including money from Central Government and the Greater Lincolnshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
For more information about the Abbey Walk project, visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/building-our-future.
History
Before the demolition starts, let’s have a look at some of its history of the site!
Abbey Walk car park has been a feature of Grimsby’s skyline for more than 50 years.
The site is within the Central Grimsby Conservation Area, and is also close to several locally listed and Grade II listed buildings.
The car park is in the oldest part of Grimsby. Originally open fields, with close access to the dock and the Haven, it was developed at some point following the introduction of the railway to Grimsby.
By 1889, the site of Abbey Walk car park was lined with Victorian buildings, including multiple shop premises and residences.
By 1946 a number of cars and other motor vehicles can be seen on the streets and the Bull Ring and Old Market Place are both being used for ad hoc parking.
Through the Second World War, multiple buildings in the immediate area of Abbey Walk were damaged by bombs. But it’s not until 1952 that the first car park can be seen on Abbey Walk. The use of cleared bomb sites for parking was a common phenomenon in the immediate post-war years but this appears to be the only one in this part of Grimsby that was utilised. It was replaced in 1969 with the multi-storey car park we see there today.
To read more and see lots of historical photos, visit the scheme page.
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