How Cleethorpes' parking problems could have been a thing of the past

In early 1939, Sir George Moody proposed the idea of a massive air raid shelter being built under the cliffs at Cleethorpes and this led to alternative suggestion that the shelter could be built close to Blundell Park and double as a car park for supporters on match days. These reports from the Grimsby Telegraph tell the story and given that matchday congestion seems to have been a problem for nearly eighty years and that Cleethorpes is crying out for parking, it seems a shame that the scheme never happened:

GRIMSBY TELEGRAPH – 16 FEBRUARY 1939

AIR RAID SHELTER IN CLIFF AT CLEETHORPES

An air raid shelter, built in under the cliff at Cleethorpes, and capable of holding five or six thousand people.

This was visualized as a possibility by Sir George Moody, speaking last night at Cleethorpes Borough Council.

Nearly every Borough in the country was doing something for the protection of people, Sir George said. He felt that now work was in progress on the cliff, an opportunity was afforded to burrow into it to make a shelter.

“Some provision should be made, and we should get a Government grant of at least 50 per cent,” he added.

Sir George and any other member of the Council who wished was invited to attend the next meeting of the A.R.P. Committee.

EVENING TELEGRAPH – 17 MARCH 1939

HUGE AIR RAID SHELTER NEAR BLUNDELL PARK?

Cleethorpes Suggestion

The possibility of the construction of a huge deep bomb-proof shelter near Grimsby Town Football Club’s ground at Blundell Park, to be used in peace time as a car park chiefly for motorists attending matches, is being mooted.

It is an alternative suggestion to the one that visualized such a shelter under the cliff at Cleethorpes, and which, for the present, at any rate, has been shelved.

The “Telegraph” understands that the fact that the Home Office has not yet pronounced a definite decision on deep bomb-proof shelters, was one of the main reasons for the Cleethorpes A.R.P. Committee deeming it advisable not to take action at present in connection with the suggested communal shelter under the cliff.

This suggestion emanated from Sir George Moody, and was made at last month’s meeting of Cleethorpes Town Council.

ACTION POSTPONED

Acting on the advice of the A.R.P. Committee, the Council has now postponed any action in the matter, but not without a protest from Coun. Marklew, who is of the opinion that recent pronouncements made by the Lord Privy Seal om deep bomb-proof shelters are not applicable to a town of the geographical situation of Cleethorpes.

Captain N.T. Thurston, County Assistant A.R.P. Officer, is of the opinion that while a big shelter under the cliff could no doubt be made bomb-proof, the situation is not entirely the best that could be chosen.

He pointed out to a “Telegraph” reporter that the population in that area was comparatively sparse.

“Supposing”, he said, “that a shelter to hold 5000 or so was made there, it might prove rather a source of danger than of protection, because immediately there was a warning you would probably get a stampede from all parts of the borough, towards the spot. Many people would, perhaps, be left out in the street, or be unable to reach the shelter in time.”

MORE SUITABLE SITE

Captain Thurston has suggested that a more suitable site for a deep bomb-proof shelter might be found in the North or Sidney Ward, somewhere in the vicinity of Blundell Park, but he has strong doubts about it ever materializing owing to a possibility of the cost being prohibitive and possible engineering difficulties.

He pointed out that it would be in the centre of a thickly populated district, and, as such, if it ever came about, would be more beneficial in the event of an air raid.

Councillor Marklew is convinced that if such a shelter was built it could be utilized to serve a very useful purpose in peace time as a car park for use particularly by motorists attending football matches.

CAR PARK NEED

A car park is urgently needed for Blundell Park, he declares, drawing attention to the congested nature of the narrow streets in the vicinity when matches are being played.

“A certain member of the committee,” he told Cleethorpes Council the other night, “urged me to remember the fact that we cannot dig deep enough anywhere in Cleethorpes owing to the water. My answer to this is to point to the case of a new hotel built some months ago.

If we can dig deep enough to provide protection for barrels of beer we ought not to experience any difficulties in affording protection to the general public.”

STEEL SHELTERS

Following on the news that Grimsby is soon to receive its supply of steel shelters for erection in the gardens of individual houses, Cleethorpes expects to be getting near the top of the list of towns to which the shelters are soon to be dispatched.

Captain Thurston is personally of the opinion that these would constitute the best, and perhaps the only form of shelter which Cleethorpes could manage to acquire.