Hobson & Porter lands £10m Horizon Youth Zone project
The construction firm will start preliminary works at Garth Lane in Grimsby this summer, with completion in 2025 targeted for the scheme.
National youth charity OnSide is delivering the project in partnership with North East Lincolnshire Council at a disused site, which houses the listed 19th century buildings West Haven Maltings and Migar House.
The project is included within the Greater Grimsby Town Deal. Other key supporters include Historic England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Ørsted, St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation, The Youth Investment Fund and private donors.
Business development director at Hull-based Hobson & Porter, Joe Booth, said: “We can’t wait to get started on-site on this hugely beneficial project that is going to make such a difference to so many people in and around Grimsby.
“OnSide have a phenomenal track record elsewhere in the UK of operating these facilities and the positive impact they have on communities is unparalleled. This is a very intricate, exciting project which plays to several of our strengths; not least listed, heritage building restoration, educational buildings and the creation of sports and leisure facilities.
“Our track record in Grimsby has been incredibly strong in recent years and we are delighted to be playing our part in turning the tide for investment in the town.”
The site includes two listed buildings. Credit: via Candid PR
Expected to open in early 2025, the youth centre will be open to young people aged between eight and 19 (up to 25 for those with additional needs), seven days a week, for just 50p a visit. Members will have access to an indoor climbing wall, four court sports hall, training kitchen, music room with a recording studio, fully equipped gym, dance and drama studio, 3G kick pitch, arts and crafts room, enterprise and employability suite.
Horizon Youth Zone is an independent charity with a private sector led board, and once opened, it will be part of the OnSide Network of 14 Youth Zones nationwide, supporting over 50,000 young people annually.
Jason Stockwood, chair of the Horizon Youth Zone, said: “As chair of Horizon and someone who grew up in Grimsby, I am so proud we have reached this incredible milestone. It won’t be long before Grimsby’s young people can see the heritage buildings transformed into a space which they truly deserve. The project will also help support the wider regeneration of Grimsby Town Centre.”
Hobson & Porter is also working on the Grimsby Hub project for RWE, a new operations and maintenance centre, which includes an extension to the existing Triton Knoll offshore wind farm operations base located at Grimsby’s Royal Dock; and a £5.5m flagship engineering training centre in Stallingborough on behalf of Humberside Engineering Training Association.
Other OnSide centres include those developed in Warrington and Crewe, which secured planning consent in June.
