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Voters on what matters most ahead of local elections

Sarah SandersonEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire political reporter
News imageBBC Hair salon owner, Sam Cowan, is staring into the camera. He has short light brown hair and a moustache. He's wearing a black t-shirt with a gold necklace and he's standing in his hair salon. Behind him is the signage for his business, which is called Audacity, along with a large green plant and a white roman-style decorative bust.BBC
Sam Cowan, who runs a hair salon in Cleethorpes, would like to see improved parking in the town

Parking, housing and youth facilities are some of the top concerns for voters in Cleethorpes, Waltham and Immingham.

People living here will vote for a third of the councillors at North East Lincolnshire Council on 7 May with a single seat available in each of the 15 wards.

The authority is currently led by a Conservative minority administration and has been under no overall control since 2024.

Traders, business owners and residents have told BBC News about the issues that matter most to them.

Sam Cowan, the owner of Audacity Hair Salon on Cambridge Street, Cleethorpes, wants to see parking improved after seeing a number of his customers having to leave appointments to top up the meters.

"They don't want to be walking down the street with foils on, putting more money on the car park," he said.

"The car park is a great asset to the area, but the times on there aren't the best. I think the actual bay parking on the streets could be extended longer too."

News imageSarah Jane Watson is the Managing Director of Visit Cleethorpes which is an online platform which promotes tourism to the area. She has short blonde hair and is smiling into the camera. Sarah Jane is wearing a grey top with a hood along with a dark coloured padded body warmer. She is stood on Sea View Street in Cleethorpes which has a range of independent shops and a cafe culture.
Sarah Jane Watson, managing director of Visit Cleethorpes, would like to see Sea View Street pedestrianised

The popular coastal town of Cleethorpes attracts many tourists but is also home to a large number of residents and businesses.

In addition to parking problems, there are also calls to pedestrianise the Sea View Street area which is home to a number of independent businesses.

Sarah Jane Watson is the managing director of Visit Cleethorpes – an online platform which promotes tourism.

She said: "We posted a vision online that the businesses have for the street, to pedestrianise it, to have flower baskets, to have tables and chairs outside, to create a really welcoming place for the community to come and for businesses to thrive and survive.

"Within 24 hours we had 1,800 positive reactions to that plan. People saying it's amazing so that would be something we'd be keen to move forward."

News imageMan staring into the camera by the roadside in Waltham, North East Lincolnshire. He is wearing glasses, a grey sports cap along with a pink t-shirt and blue casual jacket. Across the road behind him are trees and a flower bed.
Raymond Compton in Waltham would like to see more consultation when it comes to new housing developments

Less than five miles from the hustle and bustle of Cleethorpes is the village of Waltham, where the issue of housing developments is the hot topic.

Raymond Compton has lived here for five years and described it as a "smashing place" but is concerned developers are putting the character of the village "at risk".

"The amount of building that's going on here is taking more people than I think the actual village can handle.

"It won't be long before they call it a town."

Martin, who has lived in Waltham for 20 years, agrees: "It's mainly the amount of housing that's going up in the area, it just seems to be going up everywhere now."

"The traffic coming through the actual village itself, it used to be a very quiet little village, but nowadays there is a lot of traffic."

News imageMichelle Cornock is a resident in Immingham. She is smiling into the camera as she talks about local election issues. She has red hair tied up into a pony tail and she's wearing a black jumper with a love-heart necklace. She is sat in a cafe, at a table with her back to the wall.
Michelle Cornock believes more youth facilities are needed in Immingham

In another part of North East Lincolnshire, the Pelham Coffee Shop, on Pelham Road, Immingham, will double up as a polling station.

Between sips of tea, Michelle Cornock chats about a number of issues ahead of the elections including better facilities for young people.

"When I was younger, there used to be youth clubs, loads of things for kids to do, but there isn't anything anymore," she says.

Michelle also wants to see the roads repaired more quickly which is something her friend, Freda Tanswell, agrees with: "The potholes are so bad at the minute and it's not good for our cars.

"I hit a pothole, and it (my car) did end up getting repaired. Wherever you go, there are potholes in and around Immingham."

Local elections will be held on 7 May and a full list of candidates for North East Lincolnshire Council can be found here.

Listen to highlights fromLincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch thelatest episode of Look North.

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