Residents have often campaigned on local issues that matter to them and Big Local North Cleethorpes has support the residents themselves
When? Various campaigns from 2016-2024
Partners: The local residents themselves
It has always been important that Big Local groups do not engage in political lobbying or other activities that could be seen as political. It is also important that conflicts of interest are managed carefully around activities from the group. So when local residents have a campaign or protest that is important to them, Big Local North Cleethorpes has been keen to help support them and their cause without doing it in the wrong way or falling foul of the rules.
Over the past decade we’ve occasionally helped promote petitions important to residents, but we’ve also more actively supported a couple of very emotional and important resident-led campaigns.
The ‘Northern Route’ Right of Way
The first campaign back in 2016 was led by local resident and Big Local member Robert Palmer. Residents wanted to challenge a Right of Way issue across an area of waterfront land known as the Northern Route across the New Clee Sidings. The route is a popular recreational area for local people, identified in the North East Lincolnshire Local Plan as a Local Wildlife Site, but the right of way was challenged by the land owner Associated British Ports (ABP) who claimed the site forms “An integral part of the Port of Grimsby”.
The disagreement culminated in a Planning Inspectorate Hearing held in November 2016 where the arguments for the historical right of way over the land were made by Robert Palmer. The Inspectorate eventually found in favour of ABP despite various appeals.
This was a passionate issue for local residents and Big Local’s role was simply to support residents as they took the issue forward, even though the outcome was ultimately not what they had hoped for.
The Suggitts Lane rail crossing
At the end of Suggitt’s Lane in the heart of the Big Local area, there was a long established self-operated pedestrian rail crossing that provided a link between Northern Cleethorpes and the North Promenade. In March 2019, Network Rail announced that the crossing was to be closed citing safety grounds and a number of incidences of ‘unacceptable behaviour’. The decision was taken without local consultation and angered a significant group of local residents that regularly use the crossing to access the North Beach and promenade. The only alternative access available was via a nearby pedestrian bridge which is inaccessible for people with disabilities and considered hazardous for people with small children, or a detour of over a mile via the town centre.
Big Local North Cleethorpe was particularly concerned about this decision because of the investment that had already been made up to 2019 on the North Promenade with initiatives such as the social enterprise Moon on the Water and the Cycle Hub and in light of the Big Local plans to renovate the North Beach and ‘Dog Leg’ site. Many residents on the Big Local Steering Group in the end joined other residents in forming an action group – the Suggitts Lane Campaign Group – to contest and lobby against the decision. Action included a parliamentary lobby and various petitions and protests that attracted media attention. Big Local was able to support the action group with expertise and support via the Big Local Development Worker and use of the Community Hub at 82 Grimsby Road for meetings.
Even Boris Johnson got connected into the issue at the time (as a then MP) and promised some action! And in the end, although back in 2019 we were not hopeful of progress, Network Rail ultimately proposed a new, accessible bridge crossing would be installed at Suggitts Lane to replace the original crossing.
Plans were proposed and a community consultation took place. Big Local helped support the consultations and finally, on 18th March 2022, three years after the crossing closed, a new bridge opened and once again the two sides were connected.
We’ll never know how much the campaigning influenced the final decision to build the bridge, but we know it was better that the campaign happened and Big Local supported it rather than letting the whole issue pass.
Once again access to North Beach, North Promenade and the ‘dog leg’ open land site can be gained via Suggitts Lane.
In March 2022 Lynn Sayles, leading member of the Suggitt’s Lane Campaign Group said:
This is the end of a long journey and for many local people a journey that has been so very worthwhile. The lack of a safe crossing for this community over to the seafront has restricted the freedom of people who simply cannot walk the longer way around. Parents and carers with young children and those with mobility problems have been badly impacted and we are so pleased today to be able to see they now have their freedom back – freedom to walk across this bridge and enjoy the real benefits of living by the water.
An onshore Salmon Farm
In 2023 proposals were released for the construction of an onshore Salmon Farm on land behind North Beach and near to Grimsby Town Football Club – much to the dismay of local residents nearby.
AquaCultured Seafood Ltd wanted to build the new facility to produce up to 5000 tons of fish each year. Planning applications went in and were open to consultation and response and ultimately were approved late in 2023.
(Note that as of January 2025 – the end of Big Local, the Salmon Farm has yet to start construction as a result of a range of ongoing legal challenges).
Once again Big Local North Cleethorpes helped support local residents with their campaigning and challenging of the construction. Big Local expressed no opinion on the development but helped residents with promoting their campaign; printing materials; using our meeting space and so on.
Whilst the outcome of the campaign is not settled, Big Local was pleased to have been able to support residents on a matter that concerned them.
Big Local North Cleethorpes did have a vested interest in this new project as there had been a proposal for Big Local to undertake an environmental improvement project on the piece of open space behind North Beach known as the ‘dog leg’ or ‘pocket park’ site.
Once the Salmon Farm planning proposals were put forward, it was no longer possible for North East Lincolnshire Council to explore options with Big Local as this piece of land was allocated towards possible future environmental mitigation work by the developers should the planning be approved and the development started.
Pocket Park
This was less of a challenge style campaign, but one in which local residents came together because they believed something needed to be done.
The ‘Pocket Park’ or ‘teardrop’ site sits along the rear of North Beach between the ABP land and Suggitts Lane crossing. It’s well used by residents and dog walkers and it serves the community as a green amenity. However, it is owned by the Council and residents believed it could be better served by environmental development for the community.
Rather than raising a campaign, residents here were supported by Big Local North Cleethorpes to come together to form a resident led action group to come up with proposals and plans for the development of the site – which Big Local would then try and support financially.
This story was ongoing for a few years and you can read the whole story here.
In the end, other factors meant that this Pocket Park did not come to fruition during the Big Local timescales.