The environment has been a thematic area for Big Local North Cleethorpes from the outset. We’ve supported a wide range of ‘green’ projects over the years
When? 2014-2024
‘Green’ and environmental projects have been a key theme for Big Local North Cleethorpes since the outset in 2013. Improving the green aspects of the area and also getting local residents (especially young people) engaging with their environment has been a focus.
There have been some substantial projects attempted – clearing up North Beach and Chapmans Pond regeneration in particular. But there have been many smaller and regular projects too.
North Beach Cleanup
North Beach was a bit neglected and often dangerous when Big Local got started in 2013. A project was proposed and budget allocated to invest in the cleanup of the beach to improve it for the community. Many years were spent investigating the legal ownership of the beach, but ultimately the project could not proceed due to an inability to resolve these ownership issues.
Chapmans Pond
Another large ambition for Big Local was to investigate whether the Chapmans Pond area could be somehow brought into community ownership or developed for community benefit. Big Local worked closely with the owner and other partners to investigate options and plans, but this was another ambitious project that didn’t manage to progress whilst Big Local was running and Chapmans Pond currently remains in private ownership with unknown timescales for future development possibilities.
Whilst these ambitious projects didn’t progress, there has been plenty of green activity that has been more successful.
North Promenade Planters
A simple approach to brighten up the street scene along North Promenade was to place large planter pots along the prom. Initially Big Local invested in 26 bright bedding plant planters – half of which were funded by local businesses too. Later on the planters were replaced with potted palm trees for a better long-term investment.
These planters continue to be placed around North Promenade year after year.
Read about the planters initiative
Issacs Hill Roundabout
Big Local also sponsored a display of hanging baskets on Issacs Hill roundabout for a couple of years. This brightened up the ‘entrance’ route into Cleethorpes and helped promote the work of Big Local North Cleethorpes at the same time.
See the Issacs Hill project here
Street Scenes
And Big Local North Cleethorpes worked with partners, the Council and environmental agencies to see whether improvements along Grimsby Road could introduce more planting or trees. Whilst little progress was made (and you can read the story here), this was an important piece of partnership working. However, Big Local did manage to invest in some lamppost hanging baskets and some street planters in local streets where resident groups were able to maintain them.
Sidney Park work
There was another significant ambition to support development and improvements in Sidney Park. An effort was made through events such as SidFest and through a Sidney Park Watch to try and engage with residents around Sidney Park to improve it. Proposals were outlined to perhaps even develop a new community building on the Park, but in the end this met with quite a lot of resistance from existing park using groups, so ultimately Big Local developed a community hub at 82 Grimsby Road instead.
However, Big Local North Cleethorpes was able to invest funds to support local resident park groups including family events; family feasts; litter picks and more. Physical improvements such as benches and paths were invested in, and several of the groups in the park, such as Junior football were supported.
Cleethorpes in Bloom was supported to get a grant to create a mini park within the park, and a Green Influencers group was also established to help keep the park green and tidy.
Read more about Sidney Park here.
Green Influencers
Green Influencers started as a VANEL led programme supporting young people to engage with the environment, but over time a total of five groups were involved with Green Influencers in the North Cleethorpes area. At Reynolds Family Hub, Big Local helped to significantly improve the outdoor garden space used by the children, and this went on to become one of the first local Green Influencers Groups. Since then, three local schools have come on board, one community allotment created a Green Influencers group and another was run in Sidney Park.
Read all about the hugely successful Green Influencers programme here and the redevelopment of the Reynolds gardens here.
Pocket Park
Another green ambition raised by local residents was to redevelop and improve a piece of open land at the back of North Beach known as the teardrop or pocket park area. Big Local North Cleethorpes supported residents to form a group and to develop and cost out plans. Big Local set aside a budget to help seed fund such a project, but in the final few years of the Big Local programme it was clear that this project would not be able to proceed for various legal reasons. The plans remain prepared should the land become available again to develop.
Read about the Pocket Park project here.
Other projects
Smaller Green projects have been undertaken through the Big Local North Cleethorpes programme:
A Heritage Green Route was prepared to get people out and about exploring around the green spaces of North Cleethorpes.
We developed our yard at 82 Grimsby Road ourselves into a ‘plant pot garden’ for use by visitors to the community hub and to support young people and volunteers.
A Green Grow Box scheme helped share growing advice and actual boxes of produce with local residents to help connect them better to their own environment. A couple of videos showcasing this feature on CleeTV.