September 20, 2022 11.46 am This story is over 26 months old

Grimsby’s Central Hall to host new North East Lincolnshire Council listening event

Council leader and his fellow cabinet members are going out on tour

Grimsby’s Central Hall to host new council listening event this week

Housing improvements, efforts to combat vandalism and littering, new CCTV outside schools, Grimsby Town Centre and culture, heritage, and events.

What is important to you in North East Lincolnshire and do you want to give your leading councillors your views and ideas?

Council Leader, Cllr Philip Jackson and his fellow Cabinet members are going out on tour again for another of their popular listening events.

This time they will be going to Grimsby’s Central Hall, which is just off Freeman Street. On Thursday, September 22 from 5pm until 7pm you can visit the Hall, where tea and coffee, along with a chat with our most senior councillors, will be waiting for you.

This is the latest in a series of such events held and, says Cllr Jackson, they are proving a good way of giving open access to the Cabinet members for people to come along and present ideas and issues.

In the past topics raised have included rogue pavement parking, making urban cycling safer, creating community wildlife areas, getting rid of dumped rubbish, cleaning up the River Freshney, and the issues with the closure of the Suggitt’s Lane rail crossing in Cleethorpes.

A new footbridge has since solved the Suggitt’s Lane issue, a new CCTV operation has been announced to improve safety, the River Freshney in Grimsby Town Centre has been dredged and our parks and some of our open spaces have been planted out with wildflowers.

“As with the other sessions, this won’t be any sort of decision-making forum, but we’re keen to make sure we’re accessible to the public and we hope people will take the opportunity to come and discuss some of the key things either already going on or planned for the area.”

Cllr Jackson also emphasised the events would not replace or impact on ward surgeries currently held by councillors from across all the area’s political parties.

“Ward surgeries are very important for allowing residents to talk directly and raise specific issues with their local councillor to take up on their behalf and are a key part of a councillor’s work,’’ he said.

“These listening events are more of an opportunity for the public to come and talk to us about borough-wide matters – and also share some of their ideas with us if they want – so we can continue to work with them to realise the ambition and aspirations we all have for North East Lincolnshire.’’

Cabinet members to attend:

Cllr Philip Jackson: Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economy, Net Zero, Skills and Housing – with responsibility for economic strategy, regeneration, inward investment and growth, business support and local enterprise, all aspects of housing, net zero, decarbonisation, the NEL Carbon roadmap and the green agenda, strategic economic collaboration, skills and employability. The leader will be representing Cllr Margaret Cracknell, Portfolio Holder for Children and Education.

Cllr Stan Shreeve: Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care – with responsibility for adult social care, health and adult social care commissioning and provision, public health and health inequality, health and care partnership, collaboration and integration.

Cllr Stephen Harness: Portfolio Holder for Finance, Resources and Assets – with responsibility for financial strategy and corporate governance, revenue budget and capital programme, digital strategy, inclusion and development, shared services and commercial development, financial inclusion, assets (corporate, commercial, community) and estate management.

Cllr Stewart Swinburn: Portfolio Holder for Environment and Transport – with responsibility for planning, development control, highways and transportation, traffic management, parking and regulation, waste, recycling and environmental management, neighbourhood services, street scene, parks, open spaces, climate change related policy implementation affecting the natural environment.

Cllr Tom Furneaux: Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and the Visitor Economy – with responsibility for tourism and the visitor economy, leisure, sport and recreation, including the playing pitch strategy, culture, Borough heritage, museums and the arts.

Cllr Ron Shepherd: Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities – with responsibility for all aspects of local authority enforcement and regulatory services, environmental health, port health, food safety, pollution control, trading standards and licensing, community safety and anti-social behaviour, voluntary and community sector, equalities, diversity and inclusion, emergency planning and civil contingencies.