Skip to main content

Grimsby town centre public spaces

Across Grimsby Town Centre, work has been ongoing for a few years to revamp and develop new public spaces to create areas where people want to use.

Just have a look at some of the changes that we’ve completed already, and with more to come our town centres are changing!

A photo of Garth Lane footbridge and seating area
Garth Lane
St James Square from the air
Murmurations installed in Grimsby's St James' Square
Murmuration
The start line for the pancake race at St James' Square.
The start line for the pancake race at St James’ Square.
St James Square

Our major schemes

An underused space in the centre of Grimsby has been transformed into a new public space.

The new designs were drawn up by Arup Landscape Design, and incorporate input from local people, including children and young people, from recent consultations and engagement, in terms of what they want to see in the area.

The new designs incorporate a lot more green space and planting, as well as providing new seating, lighting, security and a flexible event space with improved infrastructure to support future events and activities. There is also space for outdoor café seating at the entrance to Freshney Place. The remodelled area in the centre of Grimsby was funded as one of the projects included in the Town Deal, the money for which was secured in 2020.

New plans for the future of one of Grimsby’s most important historical areas, Garth Lane were approved by the Council’s Cabinet in 2020.

Funding from the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (HLEP) and The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government supported delivery of the project.

The Garth Lane project has now been completed, and the area has been transformed with new artwork, improved public spaces, new lighting and seating. New tiered landscaping has also been created from the bridge down to the river basin and work to improve the water quality and protect wildlife is underway.

The project is part of the Town Deal, which aims to reconnect Grimsby town centre with its waterfront. Other plans are already underway for the Garth Lane site and West Haven Maltings, including the new Youth Zone.

WORK has finished on the £1.5m transformation of Grimsby’s St James’ Square, with plans that centre on creating a family-friendly space in the heart of the town.

The St James’ Square public realm works in the local Heritage Action Zone are part of a wider scheme to unlock the potential of Grimsby town centre, which is being supported with approximately £3.4m from the Government’s Local Growth Fund. This was secured by the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (Humber LEP) as part of the Government’s commitment to the Northern Powerhouse.

The main work involved a new planting scheme to open the Square up, new lighting, CCTV, street furniture, notice boards and planned landscaping with The Fisherman’s Memorial Statue remaining as a key feature.

The project, which started in 2020, with construction firm CR Reynolds as contractors, has seen the Square’s complete reinvention. It has included new Scoutmoor Yorkstone paving, new landscaping and trees, a central labyrinth, and unique lighting which will incorporate a sound system for events. New lighting for the Minster has been installed that will enable visual effects to be projected onto the building.

The work has also included creative and bespoke art installations, made possible as part of the Grimsby Creates programme. This umbrella brand for cultural activity over the next three years has support from the Cultural Development Fund, (CDF), which is funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and administered by Arts Council England.

Completed as part of this, is the etched paving, with words and phrases to reflect Grimsby’s past, present and future. Grimsby-based Our Big Picture Ltd commissioned artist Adrian Riley to research and design the two etched pathways that you will be able to see.

Additionally, the totally unique Murmuration creation now adorns Wilko’s wall. The work of Grimsby-born, Annabel McCourt, is made up of copper silhouettes, which she has created from the pictures of scores of local people, taken during lockdown.

Latest regeneration news

Published

Last updated

Is there anything wrong with this page?