Grimsby car park demolition threat to sculptor’s artworks

Kerry Henderson, a member of Grimsby, Cleethorpes and District Civic Society’s executive, described Abbey Walk, with its relief artwork, as “quite an iconic-looking car park”.

In a freedom of information request seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, she asked: “Is there a business case for knocking it down, can the artwork be saved, and why are we reducing the car park spaces in the town when the town’s on the up?”

Ms Henderson told the BBC the artwork was “very important”.

“Art is subjective,” she said. “People have different views on it, but it is of its time and sometimes I think we look back on buildings that we have lost and think ‘oh, I wish we still had that’.

“This is from the Sixties and I think it’s going to be something in the future, if we just get rid of it, that we might hope we’d saved.”

A council report acknowledged the artworks “are considered of historic interest by some local groups”.

The report said that while options would be considered, the reliefs may be too expensive or not safe to successfully remove.