A Grimsby-based development group is expecting to seek planning permission within weeks for a transformational £57m project after completing the purchase of the former Pleasure Island site in Cleethorpes.
YPG Fab 2 – owned by Adrian Smith and Ming Yeung – say the new venture will regenerate the site and the wider area, attracting tourists from across the UK, creating hundreds of permanent jobs and triggering further inward investment in leisure and business activities.
Public opinion measured through a survey at www.cleethorpesconsultation.co.uk is overwhelmingly in favour of the project with more than 95 per cent of respondents agreeing that there is a need for regeneration, more than 70 per cent supporting the mix of holiday resort, leisure and retail uses and just over 69 per cent in favour of the proposals generally.
Among the aspects welcomed by the respondents are the commitment to create jobs and tidy up the area, the variety of facilities available and the site’s status as a destination, attracting visitors and building footfall to benefit the wider area.
Adrian said: “The vision is for a spectacular development with all-weather facilities which will offer year-round appeal to attract thousands of visitors and bring hundreds of jobs. We estimate it will attract £13.2m of new visitor expenditure per annum.
“As people who have spent all our lives in Grimsby we are dedicated to improving the area. We have a strong track record of regenerating key local sites and we have already committed millions of pounds to this project even before submitting the planning application.”
Since closing in October 2016 Pleasure Island has become derelict with buildings neglected, walkways overgrown with weeds and the lake an eyesore. The new project would deliver 250 holiday lodges in sought-after lakeside and beachfront locations, a 146-bed hotel, restaurants and leisure facilities including a family gaming centre.
The modern design of the lodges has been likened to a “Center Parcs-on-sea” concept with stylish, open-plan designs, loft suites and private terraces. The site will have direct links to the beach with the aim of using the lake and the sea for water sports which currently take people away from the local area.
A Lidl food store of around 1,900 sq m and a petrol station with electric vehicle charging facilities will serve the development and the local community, as will the restaurant and leisure facilities. The hotel, complete with conference facilities, will add to the area’s business offer.
Adrian Smith and Ming Yeung have built up a strong track record of regeneration in the Grimsby and Cleethorpes area. Adrian led the conversion of a former brewery into stylish apartments at The Cooperage and the renovation of The Imperial Hotel.
Ming Yeung masterminded the redevelopment of the former Birds Eye Wall’s site in Ladysmith Road to provide 250 new homes and has delivered multimillion pound regeneration projects in Liverpool including the Hilton Garden Hotel, Russell Hotel and Magistrates Boutique Hotel as well as a series of stylish dockside residential developments. The investors are partners in a specialist leisure sector business Seaside Getaways Limited, which is based in Liverpool.
Adrian said: “This will be our most ambitious project yet and the sheer scale of it has prompted hugely positive feedback and a few questions. Our response is that Pleasure Island is a fantastic location and a transformation waiting to happen as we turn a run-down, brownfield site into a modern, high quality and relevant destination.
“It has been empty for too long, it is a poor advertisement for Grimsby and Cleethorpes and we now have a golden opportunity to change that. The landscaping aspects of the new development will improve access to the award-winning beach and sand dunes and the whole project will bring wider environmental benefits for visitors and the local community. The facilities which will feature in the project will provide the sort of rain-or-shine attractions which people currently have to go elsewhere to enjoy.
“By incorporating a Lidl store, patrol station and restaurants we will ensure that the site can appeal to visitors year-round, which means that as many as possible of the new jobs will be permanent rather than seasonal.
“We’re looking forward to submitting a detailed planning application in September at the latest, showing people more of what this project can do to transform our area and making a start on remodelling the lake during the autumn. Because of our background we have the architects, quantity surveyors, site managers and more who will ensure this project is delivered on time and on budget.”
