Grimsby riding the crest of a wave as town centre of famous fishing port is transformed: Paul Sargent

Spearheaded by the local council, Grimsby’s town centre is being transformed with one of the biggest single investments in its history.

In a move that puts community and leisure at the centre of its regeneration, the town’s Freshney Place shopping centre is being redeveloped into a thriving multi-use destination that will cater for residents’ needs while attracting further investment.

Now under the ownership of North East Lincolnshire Council, the shopping centre is Grimsby’s most significant regeneration project, totalling £50 million, and will establish the destination as a key asset for the local economy.

The redevelopment is proving pivotal to the transformation of this historically under-invested town – it’s already received national-level backing with more than £20 million secured from government funding – and is helping to shake off negative perceptions, building confidence in the reimagined offer as a viable investment opportunity.

Transitioning from a traditional retail environment to one that blends healthcare and non- retail uses with leisure and lifestyle, the development is broadening the town’s appeal beyond shopping and reversing decline. A new NHS Community Diagnostic Centre, recently opened as part of the development, is projected to drive over 100,000 annual visits alone – demonstrating how health infrastructure can boost relevance and footfall for town centres.

Utilising leisure as a catalyst, the Freshney Place development scheme includes a brand-new cinema as well as food and drink outlets, injecting fresh life, attracting evening and weekend visitors, enhancing dwell time, appealing to new demographics, and encouraging cross-spending in nearby small businesses.

Work began on the development in January and is already injecting confidence into central Grimsby. Despite downward national trends in retail, Freshney Place boasts almost 95 per cent occupancy and a growing pipeline of interest from national brands, especially in the new leisure extension.

Major brands such as Costa Coffee and Warren James have renewed leases or relocated within the scheme, reflecting confidence in the direction of travel.

The backing of the local council signals a strong commitment to the area’s future. It fosters a cohesive, collaborative approach to the town’s transformation underpinned by a shared community objective - to drive a better future for Grimsby.

Acting as a catalyst for other projects, the area’s wider regeneration plan includes 123 new houses and apartments due to be built within five minutes’ walk of the town centre, a new OnSide Youth Zone “Horizon” for the area’s young people, to be completed this year and a newly opened centre for small businesses in the town centre. A temporary market, new public spaces, living walls and planters installed in the town centre are also helping to improve aesthetics and build a sense of community pride.

The result is real community cohesion with all sorts of people and groups being reunited to stimulate sustainable, long- term, local economic growth.

It would appear the town once renowned for its fishing heritage is riding the crest of a new wave.

Paul Sargent is the Founder and CEO of Queensberry.