New estimated completion date for Freshney Place leisure scheme

The planned Freshney Place leisure scheme is now earmarked for completion in 2026.

The regeneration project's final designs and costings were pencilled in to be decided by North East Lincolnshire Council's cabinet on November 13, before full council sign-off. However, there is no Freshney Place item on the published agenda.

The council bought the shopping centre in August 2022 to help secure it, with an eye already on redevelopment plans. The scheme, involving a five-screen cinema, a food hall and proposed the relocation of the market, got planning permission almost two years ago, in February 2023.

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Preliminary works such as surveying have taken place since, businesses have relocated from the western end due for demolition, and Grimsby Top Town Market stallholders have tried to emphasise to prospective customers they remain open at its current site. But there has been no significant update on the scheme this year, as final designs and associated costs have been worked out over a number of months.

In the council's forward plan of key decisions, the leisure scheme was due to be on the cabinet's decisions list for this month's scheduled meeting. But the agenda, legally required to be published a week before, contains no final design and costings report.

The council's finance performance report for Q2 of the 2024/25 financial year is on the agenda, though. And it confirms what has looked likely for some time - that an original planned completion of the scheme by late 2025 will not occur.

Instead, it states 2026 as the date for construction completion, though adds: "This is indicative subject to further due diligence." The report also details that Stage 4 design packages for the leisure scheme have been "completed and costed".

A council spokesperson has reiterated comments made in August, that it is "currently in the final phase of detailed design and costing before the scheme is put through the democratic process in the coming months. Our next major update will be at that point." At present, there is no fixed date for when it will appear before cabinet.

Leisure scheme 'cost inflation'

The finance report also hints at likely pressure on the assigned budget to the scheme. £30.9m was approved as the budget for it back in 2022, up 13 per cent or £3.6m from original estimates. Although the rate of inflation is now relatively modest, it was as high as 6.7 per cent in September 2023, based on the consumer price index (CPI).

The Q2 finance performance report identifies "cost inflation" as among current issues or challenges with the Freshney Place leisure scheme project. Labour and materials availability round off the current challenges linked to the project.

Planning, design, surveys, fees, vacant possession, and more, mean £6.8m has already been spent on the Freshney Place leisure scheme. The finance report also suggests a construction contractor would be appointed next month.

While no major update has occurred with the leisure scheme for a while, construction began earlier this year on an NHS community diagnostics centre (CDC) within Freshney Place. As part of wider town centre regeneration plans, the council also moved to purchase the vacant House of Fraser unit in Victoria Street South last December.