Building targeted by vandals to be demolished

A former YMCA building that has been repeatedly set on fire and vandalised is set to be demolished.

The building, on Peaks Lane, Grimsby, has been vacant since 2021 when the YMCA moved to Freeman Street.

Demolition was now the "best course of action", according to a structural engineer's report carried out after talks between the council and owner of the site.

James Sawkins, councillor for the Waltham Ward, said: "It's clear this building has been a target for all kinds of anti-social behaviour."

The Peaks Lane site was home to the YMCA for 48 years before they moved.

The venue has a main multi-storey concrete building, a sports hall and a toilet block.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the site was put up for sale in 2022, and an outline planning application was granted a year later to convert the site into a care home village, but the plans did not progress.

The council has now started the legal process to ensure the building is taken down.

The owner has implemented round-the-clock manned security and new fencing to deter trespassers in the meantime.

Sawkins said: "I am pleased to say the owner is fully on board with what needs to be done to prevent the risk of a really serious incident here."

North East Lincolnshire Council said "a bright future" was possible for the 4.4-acre site, once the building complex had been demolished.

Council leader councillor Oliver Freeston has spoken on social media about the push the new council administration was making regarding vacant and neglected buildings in the borough.

"This is one of many buildings we are looking into across the town, and what we want to see is owners held responsible – but also how, as in this case, we can work with them to identify issues and look at solutions," he said.

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