GRIMSBY’S former YMCA building on Peaks Lane is to be demolished by North East Lincolnshire Council, with costs to be recovered.
Announcing the decision Council Leader, Cllr Oliver Freeston, said: “Over the last few months, officers have worked hard to engage with the landowner, who has ultimate responsibility for the building and the site, and both those officers and I do recognise the complexity of the circumstances involved.
“As it has not been possible to agree a way forward, we have had to act and I am pleased that we have found a way to make the area safe while ensuring that the costs can be recovered under the legal notices served.
“In these circumstances, this is the very best outcome for the people here in North East Lincolnshire. We are acting in the interests of safety, and for the residents and organisations that have had to put up with this concern for far too long.”
This news follows a structural engineer’s report released earlier this year, which advised complete demolition after continued arson attacks and vandalism.
The owners initially arranged increased 24-hour security; however, that security has since been withdrawn. Since the security provision was removed, the local authority in partnership with Humberside Police, has continued to monitor the site to help safeguard the public.
The building, empty since the YMCA’s move to Freeman Street in 2021 when the organisation sold the site, is made up of a main multi-storey concrete building, a sports hall and a toilet block with covered connections between them all. It is planned that, once the 4.4-acre site is cleared, an appropriate new use can be found for it.
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