THE former Winter Gardens site is to finally be redeveloped – seven years after the venue was demolished.
Plans to build 25 new homes on the site – 21 three-bedroom dwellings and four more two-bed maisonettes on the one-acre strip of land in Kings Road, have been approved.
Many have clamoured for the site – which has been used as a car park since 2009 after the old building was demolished two years earlier – to be developed, describing it as an "eyesore on the gateway to the resort".
The developer, Winter Gardens Ltd, has pledged to inject £3.5 million, creating homes with "high design credentials" worthy of the site's prime location on Cleethorpes seafront.
Winter Gardens Ltd is owned by two local families, the Ramsdens and Lovelles, who already had permission to build 47 apartments over six storeys – plans which underwent a rethink following further market research.
North East Lincolnshire Council's Planning Committee approved the new plans yesterday, despite several concerns being raised by residents.
Elizabeth Cheatham, who lives nearby, said: "I have two major concerns. I live adjacent to where the front entrance will be, and I am worried about the disturbance caused by residents parking their cars outside my home.
"My second concern is regarding the weekly bin collection, which will be located near my window. That's not good for hygiene and will bring bad smells, especially in the summer, all within six metres of my window."
Parking was the main concern among those who objected to the plans, as they were unhappy that only one parking space had been provided for each property.
Others were worried about the loss of light to nearby properties and that the area was in the midst of a flood zone.
But planning officers reassured councillors that these issues had been addressed.
Councillor Terry Thurogood (Labour, Croft Baker) said: "I am anxious to see the site developed. The council has already given permission for 47 homes to be built. If it was deemed acceptable then, I don't see why we should vote against it now.
"We all suffer from refuse problems to an extent, it's one of those problems we have to suffer with."
Councillor Phillip Jackson (Conservative, Waltham) added: "I was part of the council when the first plans were approved, and I was disappointed to see they did not go ahead.
"It is an important location and a prime site for development, and has been in need of regeneration.
"But I do share the concerns over the parking spaces. One space for each property might not be enough and there isn't a great deal of on-street parking nearby."
Andrew De Freitas (Liberal Democrat, Park) added his concerns.
He said: "I am very disappointed that a huge development of this nature has allowed such a decline in parking standards.
"To have a shortfall in visitor parking is not acceptable and very disappointing indeed. I know it is desirable to have the area developed, but lowering the standards concerns me.
"That area suffers quite a lot when there are events near the seafront, so I would like to see sensible development with adequate parking."
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