Planning application submitted for Grimsby Youth Zone

Exciting plans for a state-of-the-art £8.5million OnSide Youth Zone have been submitted to North East Lincolnshire Council.

Expected to open in 2022, the Youth Zone will be located in the former West Haven Maltings and Migar House buildings, the submission of a planning application marks a huge milestone for the charity.

Grimsby Youth Zone will be a purpose-built facility for the town’s young people aged 8 – 19, and up to 25 for those with additional needs. Providing a safe and inspiring place for young people to spend their leisure time.

Open seven days a week, the Youth Zone will offer 20 activities each night ranging from sports such as football, martial arts and indoor climbing to creative arts, dance, music, drama and employability training – all for just 50p per visit.

Grimsby Youth Zone is being developed in partnership with national charity OnSide Youth Zones, North East Lincolnshire Council and the business community, and is keen to work in partnership with existing local providers.

OnSide Youth Zones is a national charity which creates state-of-the-art youth centres across the country, the network of fourteen open Youth Zones currently provides over 50,000 young people with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.

As part of the Grimsby Town Deal, £3.75 million was awarded by Government, with an element of it supporting the Youth Zone’s £8.5million capital costs to kickstart major regeneration plans for the town centre.

The Youth Zone’s annual running costs will be supported by North East Lincolnshire Council, local businesses and philanthropists, trusts and grants as well as young people’s membership and entry fees.

Grimsby Youth Zone Chairman, Tom Shutes said: “Young people are at the very heart of the New Town Deal which is why we have all worked tirelessly to bring OnSide to Grimsby.

It’s an exciting day for us because the plans have been submitted to the Council and for the first time everyone will get to see what an extraordinary facility we are planning to deliver for the community. Should planning consent be granted, Grimsby Youth Zone will be a spectacular addition to Grimsby’s current youth provision.

We are especially grateful to Council Leader Philip Jackson, and previously Ray Oxby, for their tireless support of the project. Co-Chairman Jason Stockwood and I would like to pay tribute to Rob Walsh and his entire leadership team at the Council for their creativity in helping to bring the project forward. I genuinely hope that the planning application will be successful and that we can get on with work to deliver an OnSide Youth Zone as soon as possible.”