As demolition work begins on a 1960s car park in Grimsby, renewed calls are being made to preserve the public artwork embedded in the structure. The Abbey Walk car park is being knocked down after North East Lincolnshire Council said structural damage had made the building unsafe.
The car park was closed in May 2024 after inspections revealed serious defects, including water ingress into structural supports. The council later decided to demolish the building and replace it with a surface-level car park, designed with foundations that could allow for additional storeys in the future as part of a broader plan to develop a multi-functional transport hub.
On one side of the car park are concrete relief sculptures created by local artist Harold Gosney, which campaigners say are at risk of being lost. The Grimsby, Cleethorpes and District Civic Society has been campaigning to save the artwork, arguing that digital preservation alone is insufficient.
In March last year, a conservation team used 3D technology to scan the artworks and create digital models so they could be reprinted in the future. However, Angela Greenfield from the civic society said, “We’re hoping some of the sculptures will be saved. 3D scans don’t cut it. They’re a scan, not the piece of art.”
She added, “We’re not optimistic any real effort is going to be made and that is completely wrong. They’re important and Harold Gosney is a renowned sculptor. He’s celebrated in every other part of the country and yet in Grimsby that he’s connected to we just dispose of his artwork.”
A council spokesperson said the situation was complex. “At a meeting with Harold Gosney last year, the artist confirmed the panels were cast in situ with metal bars running through them which were integral to the car park structure, which is likely to make removal of the artwork incredibly difficult,” the spokesperson said. “Since last year, we have digitally preserved the artworks, 3D scanning and taking high quality pictures of the artwork on the ground floor too. Once work has started, the contractors will be able to investigate whether or not some of the original artwork can be saved.”
Demolition is expected to take around 12 weeks.
Concerns have also been raised by local councillors. The North East Lincolnshire Labour Group has called for the “artistic and historical significance of Abbey Road Car Park” to be properly recognised before redevelopment proceeds. The group noted that the building was listed by Art UK as a structure of artistic merit from the 1960s because its architecture incorporated Gosney’s sculptures.
The Labour group warned against moving forward without proper consideration of heritage and community impact, stating: “These pieces form part of the area’s cultural fabric and represent an important moment in post-war civic design.”
They added: “Too often, opportunities to protect and celebrate local heritage have been missed. Residents are increasingly frustrated at being surrounded by building sites and unfinished projects, with little sense of continuity or place. People want to see things that are familiar and important to them.”
Instead of complete removal, the group has urged the council to preserve some of the sculptures and integrate them into the new development. “We believe there is a clear and positive opportunity to recycle and reuse one of each of the original sculptures within the proposed new transport hub,” the group said. “The planned single-storey car park could incorporate these works into its design, ensuring that the site’s artistic heritage is not lost but carried forward in a modern and meaningful way.”
Highlighting the artist’s legacy, the group added: “Harold Gosney is one of the oldest living artists in the United Kingdom, and his contribution to local history, heritage, design and public art is significant. Retaining and reusing his work would be an important act of recognition and respect, as well as a celebration of local creativity.”
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