April 1, 2022 5.00 am This story is over 23 months old

Cleethorpes tower block site up for sale before it’s been built

New lease of life for former bingo hall
An artist impression of what the proposed One Cleethorpes scheme for Grant Street, Cleethorpes would look like Credits: Cielo Realty Limited Approved for use by all partners

The site of a former bingo hall where three huge apartment blocks are set to be built is up for sale.

The controversial One Cleethorpes project would have erected three 9, 11 and 13 storey buildings to tower over the resort. The chosen site was the former Clifton Bingo site in Grant Street.

However the land is now up for sale for £2,500,000. The listing on RightMove describes an “exciting opportunity to acquire this prime parcel of land” along with the “oven ready scheme” – suggesting the current owners now have no plans to build.

The One Cleethorpes buildings would create 30, 33 and 36 “stylish” apartments, as well as retail and parking space on the lower floors. Many of the two and three-bedroom flats and penthouses would have boasted sea views.

If built, they will be the tallest buildings in the resort, changing Cleethorpes’ skyline forever. They would also create highly-desirable housing on the run-down North Promenade.

The Pygott & Crone listing says: “An exciting opportunity to acquire this prime parcel of land extending in the region of 0.25 ha (0.62 Acres), with reserved matters consent for the development for 3 buildings comprising 30, 33 and 36 apartments and totalling c.8,400 sq m (90,500 sq ft), as well as 800 sq m (8,600 sq ft) of commercial accommodation. The development is of very impressive design, with the majority of apartments benefiting from highly sought-after sea views.”

The resort has waited expectantly since permission was granted in December 2018 to see if they would materialise. Developer Cielo Realty Ltd hasn’t made any public statements on them in that time.

Developments of this scale can often take years to get off the ground once planning permission is granted. The Covid pandemic also made construction more difficult and raised the cost of building materials.

The plans divided Cleethorpes when they were originally unveiled. North East Lincolnshire Council officers said they would be “an iconic and distinctive set of buildings” to regenerate the seafront, but many residents objected to the “hideous” designs.

Some compared them to council housing, saying they didn’t look stylish at all. Others criticised the height, and said they should have been capped at around four blocks.

For Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers, they were a crucial development that would help to create the “resort of the 21st century.” He said: “Thirteen storeys is very prominent. I would imagine some people would have reservations about that, but the principle of a new development on that site and the statement it makes about Cleethorpes is very important.”