We contributed to a major redevelopment at Cleethorpes Railway Station to help bring a building back into use
When? investment by Big Local 2018. redevelopment opening of Cycle Hub 2019. reuse as TickArt office 2024
In 2018 the Cycle Hub CIC based in Grimsby was wanting to setup a new venture at Cleethorpes Railway Station. The former station master’s office at Cleethorpes railway station started a major redevelopment that would see it transformed, brought back into use and opened as a Cycle Hub for commuters and the community.
The vision from Cycle Hub was to provide a facility that would allow people to hire, park and repair bicycles in Cleethorpes for the first time.
There were a lot of development parties involved in this project with the end objective that the Cycle Hub CIC would be able to lease the building.
The redevelopment project itself cost around £500k and was a partnership effort. Network Rail contributed £340k to the project and £50k came from the Railway Heritage fund.
However, £20k was also contributed by Big Local North Cleethorpes to the project with the very specific purpose of building a proper cycle ramp to permit easy access to the station concourse for cyclists and community alike.
The access ramp provides access with bikes to the station concourse, but also benefits other users such as those with wheelchairs or pushchairs.
John Mooney, Development Worker for Big Local, said at the time
It is brilliant. We gave £20,000 for a ramp so that riders can go from the station onto the North Prom without having to use steps. Since the ramp has been in place we’ve also had plenty of feedback that disabled uses, families with children and pushchairs and everyone else is having a much easier time accessing the station. We already know that local businesses have even noticed the effect. Our small investment to this project has already had a huge impact before the Cycle Hub even opened!
Janine Walker, managing director of the Cycle Hub for Grimsby and Cleethorpes, said she was thrilled to be opening the new facility and encouraged people to use it for hiring bikes, parking bikes and for repairs.
It is wonderful how some of the old features have been retained including the ticket master’s window and lights
Redevelopment of the old Ticket Office
Redevelopment to support cycle hub and help bring a building back into use. We contributed £20k to the £500k development to ensure access ramp in place…
Access Ramp
Our contribution and allowed cycle hub users to benefit along with everyone else and available to this day
Comments from local residents interviewed after the ramp was in place:
People can now walk straight down the platform and out with their cycles & wheelchairs & straight out. That ramp has been really useful.
TickART office
The next stage of the journey at the Station followed the eventual closure of the Cleethorpes Cycle Hub. Due to a combination of events (and covid), Cycle Hub CIC decided to focus on the Grimsby Station Hub and to close the Cleethorpes Station one. For a few years the building remained unoccupied.
At the end of 2022/early 2023, We Are Fish and local artist Lynsey Powles had a vision to use the now empty building. Big Local North Cleethorpes supported their efforts to work with the Station Manager, Network Rail and Transpennine Express to see if they, as a community venture, could lease the building.
It took over a year to arrange, but in 2024, the lease (on terms favourable for a community enterprise) was agreed between all parties and the building was reopened as the TickART office.
Read the whole story about the TickART office here.
The Big Local North Cleethorpes investment of £20k in the ramp has provided a last legacy for anyone using Cleethorpes Railway station and will continue to do so for many years to come.