Cinema giant secured as anchor tenant for £20m job-boosting leisure development

Contracts have been signed which will see film giant Cineworld become anchor tenant of a new £20m town centre leisure development.

Freshney Place Shopping Centres has signed the land contracts with North East Lincolnshire Council for a proposed new leisure development in Grimsby, which will create around 350 construction jobs and a further 130 long-term roles.

The project recently received detailed planning consent for the new complex offering a nine-screen cinema and seven restaurants.

The development is to be built as an extension to the Freshney Place Shopping Centre in the town’s Riverhead area which will be regenerated by the council.

“This is an exciting time for Freshney Place,” said development director Maurice Fitzgerald on behalf of the centre owners.

“The proposed new £20m scheme is an extension to the existing shopping centre, and will be known as Freshney Place Riverhead. The development will house a brand-new cinema, as well as seven new restaurant units which will be home to a host of leading national operators new to Grimsby.

“This is the culmination of nearly three years hard work and input by the owners on behalf of Freshney Place Shopping Centres where we have worked closely with the council and its officers.”

The development site comprises a redundant ex bus station area adjacent to the Freshney Place Shopping Centre, with the proposed development designed to complement and work with the centre.
In January, the centre opened an expanded 47,000 sq ft Primark store.

The development team is aiming to start work on the scheme within the next six months.

The scheme was designed by Leslie Jones Architecture.