The planning application for a new market hall, a cinema and other leisure facilities at the Western end of Freshney Place in Grimsby has been approved in today’s Planning Committee. Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “This is good news, and we can now press on with our major plans to improve the town centre, to make them more attractive for people to live and work in. “We have been working in the background with professional advisers to look at the stores within both Freshney Place and the market that are likely to be affected, and have been having discussions with them individually about potential relocation within the centre while the works are ongoing. “We are also looking at how we can use any empty space within Freshney Place in different ways – potentially bringing more of a community focus to the centre to help balance out the changes to retail habits.” The leisure development will house a new cinema, with local and regional operator Parkway Entertainment Group coming in as an anchor tenant and pledging to provide a great venue to complement its offer in Cleethorpes. The plans also feature a remodelled entrance to the centre, which will be lined with units for leisure and eateries, and an entrance to a new and transformed Market Hall. Work to deliver the scheme is likely to begin in the summer, initially stripping out vacant units before demolishing the former BHS building in early 2024 to make way for the new market hall. The market will continue to operate from its current base until the new market has been built.

Life in parts of Lincolnshire is being enhanced thanks to young lives being turned around with the help of funds from Freemasons which support the efforts of YMCA youth workers. A team of six youth workers based at The Showroom on Tritton Road in Lincoln work with more than 2,500 young people aged between five and 25 to encourage positive behaviour, saving Police time in dealing with crime and council funds in putting right damage caused. The work isn’t exclusively Lincoln-based; the team also works on RAF bases and the Lincolnshire coast, in areas of high deprivation. And although funding for local youth work has been cut by 91% – more than £1.1bn – in recent years, positive outcomes are still being achieved thanks to donations like the £39,600 just given by the Freemasons’ charity the MCF. Says Head of Youth Services Leo Copsey: “‘We’re so grateful for this significant amount of funding from the Masonic Charitable Foundation – it represents and supports the core aims of our youth delivery, the impact of which is recognised by schools and local authorities. With a grant of this size, we can reach an additional 400 young people through our interventions.” But it pays dividends, says Leo. Opening The Showroom for young people for a couple of hours every weeknight after school and before they eat an evening meal reduces the window of opportunity for them to get involved in mischief and anti-social behaviour in areas where fierce pride in their own postcode areas can generate a gang culture and violence. Opening hours will be extended in February to include 10am to 4pm on Saturdays. The positive outcomes achieved are significant. As Leo explained: “Undoing ten or more years of bad or absent parenting takes a lot of work. One young man used to be arrested two or three times a week because a night in the cells was better than being at home, and he was in school less than ten minutes a day. He’s now in a different school, attending much more regularly, and hasn’t been arrested for a long time. The YMCA supported him in making that change, and it’s the kind of change your funding helps to deliver.” At The Showroom there are traditional youth club activities alongside sports and the ‘softer’ activities like photography, art, and music. Monday sessions and our bespoke support packages are all free, and the young people attending do so out of choice. PGM Dave Wheeler said: “Our donation to activities at The Showroom clearly has a huge positive impact, but charity isn’t just about giving money. Lots of Freemasons ask what they can do for the communities in which we live. Getting involved with initiatives like the work done by the dedicated YMCA professionals at The Showroom would be a great place to start.”

Students from Grimsby Institute swapped their classroom for an A&E Department as they volunteered to take part in an NHS emergency planning exercise. The Level 3 Uniformed Public Service students arrived at Lincoln and Pilgrim hospitals and acted as casualties who had been involved in a chemical spillage accident as part of a recent United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) emergency planning exercise. Hospital staff then enacted well-rehearsed plans that saw the students assessed outside of the Emergency Departments and directed to a purpose-built unit where they were guided through the decontamination process. ULHT Head of Emergency Planning, Nick Leeming, said: “Our teams receive regular updates and training so that they are prepared for any emergency. It is great for them to have the opportunity to practice their response to these types of incidents using all of our equipment and facilities, with the help of volunteers.” Hospital staff came into work especially for the exercise, donned full protective suits and guided the students and lecturers through the process. Grimsby Institute Lecturer, Cain Matthews, said: “The students are learning about emergency planning and response and so to have this opportunity to be involved really is so valuable for them. Seeing all of the effort that goes into planning and preparing for such emergencies has been a real eye-opener and something they will always remember throughout their studies and future careers.” Josh Gude was one of the students who took part at Lincoln County Hospital. He said: “It was really good to be involved, you really felt the sense of urgency. It was great to have an insight into what happens behind closed doors in these kinds of emergencies.” Nick added: “Thank you to Grimsby Institute and all of the students and lecturers who have supported us. We all hope that we never need to use these units, but I know how much our staff appreciate being able to practice and have these exercises so that they can build on their experience.”

A woman who set fire to her neighbour’s flat after a disagreement has been sentenced to six years in prison following her appearance at court last week. Janie Peckitt, aged 57, of Haycroft Street in Grimsby appeared before Grimsby Crown Court on Wednesday 25 January for sentencing after pleading guilty to arson with intent to endanger life and the assault of an emergency worker at an earlier date. On Wednesday 10 August 2022, Janie Peckitt had an argument with a resident at a neighbouring property. Following the altercation, Janie made attempts to confirm which address the neighbour lived at so she could seek revenge by setting fire to the premises. Armed with lighter fluid on Thursday 11 August 2022, she sent pictures to associates asking for an alibi in an attempt to cover her tracks for the reckless crime she was about to commit at a premises on Macaulay Way in Grimsby. Janie doused an item in lighter fluid and posted it through the door of the neighbour she believed to be living there. Unbeknown to her, it was in fact the home of an elderly man who did not know who Janie was. Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured as a result of the incident and Janie was arrested at the scene. Detective Constable Jak Shephard, leading the investigation, said: “This was a reckless attack which could have caused significant consequences to an innocent member of the public. “I hope the sentence will provide Janie with some time to reflect on her unforgiveable actions and provide the community with some reassurance that nobody else will come to harm at the hands of this woman.”

A massive new expansion to Lincoln County Hospital’s Emergency Department is about to open to treat the sickest emergency patients. The new 2,000 square metre Resuscitation Department (resus) is the area within the Emergency Department where patients will be taken if they need life-saving treatment immediately. It contains eight treatment cubicles, all fitted with patient hoists and the latest equipment needed to provide life-saving support for patients. The cubicles also have adjoining rooms where staff can safely put on any additional protection to care for patients with infectious conditions, such as flu and COVID-19. They can then safely remove any of the masks, aprons and gloves in the same rooms before returning to areas with other patients and staff. The new Resus Department also includes a central hub for the team looking after patients, containing monitors and other technology. One of the new innovations is the fact that ambulance crews will bring patients into the department over a weighbridge, which will enable the Resus Team to work out and administer correct levels of medication to patients more quickly. There is also a dedicated room where loved ones can spend precious time with those who have passed away in the department. The new department replaces the existing four resus bays in the hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) – doubling the number of cubicles available and with each cubicle over 20% larger than previously. The new building has been built alongside the current ED, in an area where the old ambulance bays and parking for the Lincolnshire Heart Centre used to be. It also houses staff rooms, office and training rooms, as well as a plant room to house all of the pipework, infrastructure and air handling units needed for the new department. Directly outside of the unit are the new ambulance bays for the ED, with entrances directly into the resuscitation and majors areas. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust Chief Executive, Andrew Morgan, said: “I am so pleased to be able to say that we now have a Resus Department at Lincoln County Hospital that is the right size and environment for our teams to provide the care that is needed for our sickest patients. “The resus bays and nurses station alone are more than five times bigger than what the team has been using. We also have the additions of staff rooms, training areas, a family room and all of the state-of-the-art equipment and technology throughout. “I would like to thank all of our teams, patients and visitors for their co-operation during the disruption caused by the building works. It has enabled us to create a department where we can see and treat our patients quicker and ensure that everyone is getting the level of care that they require. It will also make sure the department is not only fit for today, but also for the future.” This is the latest phase in the transformation of the Emergency Department at Lincoln County Hospital. The first phase saw a £3.5 million new Urgent Treatment Centre built alongside the existing ED in March 2021. A new paediatrics area has also been created within the Emergency Department with its own dedicated waiting room and treatment cubicles to care for the youngest patients and their families. Additional treatment rooms for mental health patients have also been created. Staff are already using new staff areas when they are taking their breaks. Andrew added: “What we have managed to achieve here has been done during a global pandemic and while we were recovering from an arson attack that caused massive disruption for many months to the department. It has been a huge team effort and our teams have done an amazing job creating a new state-of-the-art department while also continuing to care for our emergency patients. “I would also like to thank all of our partner organisations, our contractors and our dedicated teams for making this possible. I am so proud of everyone involved and what we have managed to achieve together.”

Bellway has begun building 96 energy efficient homes at a new housing development in Ancaster.

The Willows is one of the first developments being delivered by the housebuilder’s Eastern Counties division where all homes will be fitted with environmentally friendly air-source heat pumps instead of gas boilers.

Construction work is now under way at the site off Wilsford Lane after South Kesteven District Council granted planning permission for the development in 2022.

The development will comprise 67 properties for private sale, including a range of three to four-bedroom houses, as well as 29 affordable homes for local people through shared ownership or low-cost renting.

There will also be a public open space, a play area and a green edge with a footpath around the site.

The heat pumps, which run on electricity instead of natural gas, consume significantly less energy and will enable homeowners to minimise their fuel bills and reduce their carbon footprint.

Rhiannon Jones, head of sales for Bellway Eastern Counties, said: “This development marks a significant step in our push for greater sustainability because it will be one of our first sites to exclusively feature homes supported by an eco-friendly heating system.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to future proof our homes, we are also providing electric vehicle charging points for all residents at The Willows to enable the switch away from petrol and diesel cars.

“We are expecting the development to be particularly popular with families due to the site’s proximity to Ancaster Church of England Primary School, which has been rated good by Ofsted and is located just half a mile from The Willows.

“Commuters will appreciate the good transport links, as the development is less than a mile from Ancaster railway station and just a 10-minute drive from the A15.”

Bellway is planning to release the first homes at The Willows onto the market in April 2023, with the first properties due to be completed later in the same year.