A FAMILY of allotment holders are concerned that any plans for a new football stadium could impact on their son's burial site.
Ursula Kiedyk is a regular user of the Peaksfield Allotments, located at the end of Weelsby Avenue, along with her husband Anthony, where they grow vegetables.
The mother-of-two, who lives in Legsby Avenue, lost her son Connar two years ago following an accident at home, when he was aged nine.
He was a regular user of the family's allotment, and is buried just metres away at the crematorium across the road.
Ursula said they feared the future of the allotment site was uncertain – despite assurances allotment holders would be protected and, at worst, moved to another area of the site.
She said: "Connar enjoyed his time at the allotments and especially growing dwarf beans. They were his project and he loved having them steamed at home with his dinner.
"We and other family members visit his grave and walk around the remembrance garden and have strong feelings that a football stadium next to a cemetery and operational crematorium is just wrong."
The football club was given a 12-month exclusivity agreement by North East Lincolnshire Council's Cabinet to allow it to put together plans for the new 14,000-seater stadium on land off Peaks Parkway.
The land includes council-owned allotments and Grimsby Town director John Fenty revealed during the club's annual general meeting earlier this year that allotments are protected, under Section 8 of the Allotments Act 1925.
To remove them would require permission from the secretary of state. But Mr Fenty insists the need for planning permission would not turn out to be a stumbling block towards the club's long-standing dream of a new home.
He said: "Allotment holders will be protected and at worst most likely be relocated to another position on site with improved facilities."
Ursula added: "We don't want to lose the allotments and we especially don't want to put up with rowdy supporters near the crematorium. It is a beautiful and peaceful place, it is not ideal at all for a big stadium being next to it.
"You can't move down here as it is when there are big events, it's just going to be even worse with football matches every week.
"There's people been coming here for 20 or 30 years, some even longer. The logistics in them moving really is problematic. Where are we going to move anyway? And what are the facilities going to be like?
"It's been good therapy after Connar's death and we can take our anger out on the soil!"
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