Grimsby to have £5m transport overhaul

Date: 6/11/2012

Councillors in Grimsby have approved a £5.15 million transport scheme to help boost the local economy and aid passengers' travel around the town.

Improvements will begin in the spring on Riverhead Square and Station Approach, with the bus station being repositioned to fit inside the former.

It will also include an expansion of the Freshney Place shopping centre, meaning transport and commercial ventures will be more closely linked.

Jason Longhurst, Head of Development at the Council, said: "We've worked closely with a number of local businesses, community transport groups and other organisations, including Stagecoach and Grosvenor, the owners of Freshney Place, to develop the proposals, so we're confident what will be delivered will be a major asset for the town centre and the people and businesses using it."

A cycling hub for both parking and hiring bikes is to be incorporated into the new station in order to encourage local people to use greener forms of transport.

The idea of the scheme is to provide a more joined up public transport system throughout the town, which will link the bus station up with other infrastructure.

Some of the bus stops in Grimsby will be moved and electronic passenger information signs installed, so that people can better plan their journeys.

More streets will be incorporated into the one-way system and the direction of some routes will even be reversed as an overall approach is taken.

The changes will be funded by a combination of a £4.3 million government grant and money from North East Lincolnshire Council.

Grimsby has been awarded one of the largest grants anywhere in the country, making it a significant coup for the town.

Councillor Peter Wheatley, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, said: "The funding we received has allowed us to design a number of significant improvements to the public and sustainable transport networks, which will help to encourage development, create jobs and improve levels of accessibility."

Posted by Nick Anderson

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