Grimsby’s pioneering ‘Town Deal’ has taken on a dual meaning while being acutely interwoven, as one of the figures involved in the Government pilot has emerged as a potential buyer of the football club.
Tom Shutes - present for the signing off of the ambitious package of regeneration improvements by both Lord Hanley and Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry on the port last July - is looking to succeed seafood industry entrepreneur John Fenty as the Mariners’ figurehead.
Described as a businessman and philanthropist, his grandfather was immersed in the town’s fishing heritage, and he is playing a significant but low profile role in the deal - an aspirational first that has been lauded by both the Prime Minister and Business Secretary, as Grimsby seeks to capitalise on being at the forefront of a new industry - offshore wind.
READ MORE: {}
Regeneration and property development appears to be a specialism, with charities also linked to physical improvements of areas.
Majority shareholder Mr Fenty, who built his fortune through Five Star Fish, taking it from a transport company and smaller acquisitions to a company bought out by a business with multi-national interests, has revealed interest has reached a new high, with directors understood to have been briefed on the situation on Friday.
Negotiations are continuing without a formal deal yet being on the table, though sources close believe it could be wrapped up by the time places are taken at Blundell Park for the 2019/2020 kick off.
Speaking on Radio Humberside this morning, Mr Fenty confirmed the interest, exclusively revealed by Grimsby Live over the weekend. He said: “Over 12 months we’ve been a party to ideas and his interest in Grimsby and wider Grimsby – that’s the football club and wider Grimsby.
“At this stage, we don’t have anything tangible that we can put on record.
Most Read
“We can consummate the fact there is definite interest – these kind of things can fizzle away very quickly or they can come to a conclusion very quickly.”
The 141-year-old club is preparing to embark on its fourth season back in the English Football League, having spent six years in non-league.
With a new stadium a core part of wider town regeneration proposals, with a site off Freeman Street identified and another at Grimsby Docks, there is significant synergy, with Mr Fenty stating he is ready for his tenure to come to a close, after 19 years in the boardroom.
London-based, Mr Shutes has a strong interest in the art world, he and his wife are co-founders of Our Place in the World in partnership with the Royal College of Art and Unltd, a challenge for social entrepreneurs, whose next theme will be The Future of Place: Grimsby.
The challenge is a call out to startups, students and the local community to submit business plans, ideas and social enterprises that will contribute to the town’s regeneration.
As part of his plans for the town, he wants to build the New National Centre for Sustainability in the Built Environment (NSCBE) in partnership with the University of Lincoln and Grimsby Institute.
Both are also part of proposals for the Town Deal regeneration, with higher education a theme for Garth Lane.
It was a key plank in the launch of the Industrial Strategy 'dubbed Town Deal 1.0' when it was included in the document launch back in November 2017.