North East Lincolnshire Council has said contractors will attempt to save one copy of each Harold Gosney relief from the ground floor of the Abbey Walk car park during its demolition.
The structure is being taken down after sustaining structural damage and is set to be replaced with a ground-level car park, which will form part of a new transport hub. Initial works, including demolition and creation of the new car park, are expected to cost around £3 million.
Work to demolish the structure began this week, and several of the artworks have already been destroyed. The reliefs have metal bars running through them, making them integral to the structure of the car park and therefore difficult to remove.
Campaigners, including the Grimsby, Cleethorpes and District Civic Society, have long fought to save the artworks and continue to urge the council to preserve at least one of each version. They have argued that the 3D scans taken by the council are not a suitable replacement.
In an update this week, Councillor Stewart Swinburn said efforts would be made to save some of the reliefs on the ground floor.
He stated: “As the work started, the contractors have confirmed that the reliefs do indeed have metal bars running through them, and weigh between one and two tons each. Copies of the reliefs on the ground floor have been earmarked, and once the demolition team reach the ground floor, they will be able to see whether it might be possible to save one copy of each of them for permanent preservation.”
Part of the Gi Grimsby News team since 2020.