Work starts ahead of upgrade to ‘outdated’ Grimsby council depot

Preparation has begun for a major update to North East Lincolnshire Council’s depot.

The council is refurbishing the site on Doughty Road, which will bring more workers into Grimsby town centre.

A new entrance will be created off Peaks Parkway at the junction with B&Q, making it easier for the public to access.

The work, which began its early stages on Monday, will bring all the council’s services from the Gilbey Road site into one place.

This includes waste and recycling, highway maintenance, fleet management, street cleansing, security, civil enforcement, property maintenance, licensing, grounds maintenance and ecology.

Plans for the Doughty Road depot, Grimsby | Credit: North East Lincolnshire Council

Initial work will see asbestos removed from unneeded buildings before they are demolished.

Images from the planning application, which was approved last week, show what the finished work will look like.

It’s hoped the changes will boost the town centre, while reducing traffic at the Doughty Road entrance.

New grounds maintenance building, extensions to the existing garages, a new weighbridge and road surfacing will also take place in the first phase. This is due to be completed by July 15.

The depot will remain open, with contractors working to minimise disruption.

The site is shared with the council’s regeneration partner EQUANS.

Plans for the Doughty Road depot, Grimsby |
Credits: North East Lincolnshire Council

Councillor Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for Environment and Transport, said: “Doughty Road Depot is becoming outdated and needs to be redeveloped to cater for the services that will be based there.

“Bringing our depots together on one site will reduce our property maintenance costs, improve service efficiency and provide good quality facilities for the workforce.

“The property improvements will also help us improve the energy efficiency of our buildings and move toward a zero-emissions vehicle fleet.”

Energy-saving measures will be built into the new depot, such as rainwater used to clean vehicles.

It will be collected from rooftops, treated and filtered before being used in the new lorry wash and jet washing stations.

Plans also include air source heat pumps, a solar panel car park canopy, vehicle charging points and battery storage for the Council’s growing number of electric vehicles.