Townscape Heritage Project

About the project

A VISION to preserve the buildings that helped to make Cleethorpes one of England’s busiest and best seaside resorts is being realised, thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The Townscape Heritage, (TH) Project, supported by £1.9m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund with a further £1m from North East Lincolnshire Council, has an ambition to ensure the resort’s unique heritage features are restored for a new generation to enjoy.

The council, working with its regeneration partner ENGIE and project manager Carol Heidschuster, believes that such work will significantly enhance Cleethorpes and lead to a growth in visitor numbers and, therefore, the economy of North East Lincolnshire.

Centred on Alexandra Road and Sea View Street, grant funding is available to help property owners to restore the historic shop fronts and buildings, some of which are listed. Carol, with an extensive background in such project work, is also working with various stakeholders to look at potential new uses for The Empire.

This former theatre, which has also been a cinema, was a hub for live entertainment during the resort’s heyday – matched, of course, by The Pier.

The Victorian balconies along Alexandra Road are also being looked at as part of the overall scheme, along with public realm work – some of this has already started with new paving on the retail side of Alexandra Road funded as part of the project. Once complete this work will complement the paving improvements on the Pier Gardens side of the road, which was supported separately by the Coastal Communities Fund.

What will the investment bring?

This investment will help to breathe new life into historic buildings and public realm within the Cleethorpes Central Seafront Conservation Area by offering;

• An opportunity for historic building owners/occupiers to apply for generous grants to repair their properties, allowing historic details, like shop fronts, iron balconies and windows to be repaired or reinstated
• Improvements to some public areas
• An opportunity for students, building owners and contractors to learn traditional building conservation skills
• A chance to learn about the history of the area, through local exhibitions, guided tours and volunteering opportunities

What areas of the town are included in the scheme?

The NLHF Townscape Heritage programme focuses on conserving and enhancing historic buildings on Alexandra Road and Sea View Street which form the Cleethorpes Central Seafront area. There are a total of 78 buildings within the focus area which are eligible to apply for grant funding (see map). The eligible properties have been assessed and categorised as high, medium, reserve and low priority.

What can the grant be used for?

• Repair of original shop fronts and balconies (80% of the cost)
• Reinstatement of lost historic architectural features, for example, shop fronts, windows, doors (80% of the cost)
• Repair of original architectural features, for example, windows, doors, rainwater goods (65% of the cost)
• Roof works, but only where condition requires it (65% of the cost)
• Works to facilitate bringing long term vacant floor space back into use, for example, creating separate access or introducing utilities (50% of the cost)

Who can apply for a grant?

• The property must be within the designated project area.
• You must own or lease the property.  If you lease the property, it must have at least 10 years left to run without a break clause.
• If you don’t have a long term lease or own the property, the application must be made jointly with the owner of leaseholder.

Properties with multiple interested parties should ensure that all parties are involved in the application process.

Please note that applications will not be considered for works which have already been commenced or completed before a grant has been formally offered and accepted. Therefore, applicants should not start works before the application has been approved and any conditions discharged (both grant and planning conditions) and a grant has been offered. The grant agreement may take a few months therefore this should be factored into the programme.

How do I apply for a grant? 

The application has a two stage process.  The expression of interest aims to check eligibility and will be assessed by the Townscape Heritage Manager.  If the proposed project seems to be eligible, the applicant will be invited to complete a full application.  Applications are considered by a panel using a scoring matrix. For grants over £100,000 these will be referred to the Councils Cleethorpes Town Centre Improvement Board for a final decision.

Stage 1 – Expression of Interest

Once you have checked if your property is within the eligible area, you can apply for a Cleethorpes Townscape Heritage Grant by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) form to Carol Heidschuster, Townscape Heritage Manager, New Oxford House, 2 George Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN31 1HB or alternatively send it via email to carol.heid@nelincs.gov.uk

Before submitting your EOI, we strongly recommend that you read the Appendix 1 – Application Guidance and supporting Appendix 2 – Technical Guidance.  These documents will provide you with all the information you require on eligibility, grant intervention rates, scope of works and supporting documentation that you will be required to submit with your application should it be successful.

Stage 2 – Full Application

The Townscape Heritage Manager will help put together the application and guide you through the process until completion of the works.

The grant is paid upon proof of works being completed and paid for, but can be made in stages if different elements of works are being undertaken.

How do I get involved in courses or volunteering activities?

If you are interested in learning about the history of the area, traditional building skills, or would like to get involved with a volunteering programme to undertake Heritage Assessments on buildings in the Seafront area, please get in touch with carol.heid@nelincs.gov.uk.

---