Freshney Place: Council approves plan to buy shopping centre

The council plans to increase the leisure facilities at Freshney Place

A shopping centre in Grimsby will be bought by the local authority after plans were given the go ahead..

Freshney Place Shopping Centre is to be purchased by North East Lincolnshire Council, a move it said was "vital" to the success of the town centre.

The plans, which were backed by the council's cabinet in June, have now been passed by the full council.

The shopping centre, which makes up 60% of the town's retail space, went into receivership earlier this year.

Council Leader Philip Jackson said: "We needed to take this course of action to make sure we can continue to deliver our transformation of the urban heart of Grimsby.

"If we didn't agree to buy the centre, it could be bought by someone who is unwilling to invest and the decline of the heart of our town centre would be devastating."

External asset managers will be appointed to run the centre day-to-day, the council said.

The announcement comes as local cinema company, Parkway, revealed plans to open a venue in the town.

The multiplex will be built as part of a redesign of the western end of Freshney Place, which will also involve the redevelopment of Top Town Market.