A pledge by the Prime Minister put local people in control of millions of pounds of Government cash has been welcomed by North Lincolnshire Council leader Rob Waltham. Rishi Sunak announced 55 towns across the UK are to be given £20m in endowment-style funds over ten years to invest in local people’s priorities – and Scunthorpe is on the list. “This latest commitment from Government is backing Scunthorpe town centre with hard cash,” Cllr Waltham said. “This money, deliverable over a decade, will make a long-term difference to the heart of Scunthorpe and the benefit will be felt by everyone who visits.” The funding will involve using the Towns Board to devise a long-term plan addressing the issues local residents find most important. This could be everything from tackling anti-social behaviour, improving transport infrastructure, establishing more green spaces and re-purposing empty high street shops. “There’s no doubt that the high street, like every single one across the country, faces challenges,” said Cllr Waltham. “But, along with the rest of the government support we’re building a new brighter future and one which includes a town centre that is backed by everyone.” Scunthorpe was selected to receive the Long-Term Plan for Towns cash after a list of towns across the UK was drawn up according to levelling up need and levels of deprivation. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Towns are the place most of us call home and where most of us go to work. But politicians have always taken towns for granted and focused on cities. “The result is the half-empty high streets, run-down shopping centres and anti-social behaviour that undermine many towns’ prosperity and hold back people’s opportunity – and without a new approach, these problems will only get worse. “That changes today. Our Long-Term Plan for Towns puts funding in the hands of local people themselves to invest in line with their priorities, over the long-term. That is how we level up.”

More affordable homes are due to be built across North Yorkshire through a new partnership to help people get on the housing ladder. Work on the first of a series of developments under the new scheme, which involves North Yorkshire Council’s property company, Brierley Homes, and Broadacres Housing Association, has begun. Brierley Homes is a private house-building company wholly owned by North Yorkshire Council, while Broadacres is a not-for-profit housing association based in Northallerton and operating across the North of England. By pooling their knowledge, experience and resources, they hope to help meet the demand for affordable homes. The initial scheme is at Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, and will be called Laverton Oaks. Brierley Homes is delivering the scheme following an agreement to buy the land from Broadacres. It will feature 33 houses, of which 13 will be affordable homes. They will be built to the highest specifications and feature energy-efficient construction techniques. The scheme is scheduled to be completed within two years. Details on further projects will be revealed in the coming months. Brierley Homes Managing Director Stuart Ede said: “This announcement is the result of 12 months of hard work and negotiations between ourselves and Broadacres on this and other schemes. “It is an exciting partnership between two North Yorkshire companies that will deliver high-quality housing in areas of greatest need. “Work will begin at Kirkby Malzeard shortly and we can’t wait to welcome new owners once the development is complete.” Broadacres’ director of development and investment, Helen Fielding, said: “Working in partnership with Brierley Homes, we are pleased to be able to provide 13 much-needed affordable homes in this part of rural North Yorkshire. “It’s important that we continue investing in even more affordable housing across the county, ensuring our rural communities remain sustainable for local people now and in the future. “We see working closely with Brierley as a major step towards achieving this.” The news was welcomed by executive member for housing, Cllr Simon Myers. “North Yorkshire is a beautiful place in which to live, work and raise a family. However, the affordability gap between earnings and house prices is the largest in England outside the South-East,” he said. “This presents huge problems for those who aspire to own their own homes and for those who rent. Anything we can do to help them is to be welcomed.”

Exclusive new visuals have been released to showcase a bird’s eye view of the £300 million West Bar development in Sheffield city centre will look when it’s finished. A virtual fly-through has captured the extent of considerable new business and residential accommodation as well as extensive public realm to be delivered for the local community.  It also shows how the award-winning scheme effectively interacts with the surrounding built environment within the ‘heart’ of the West Bar business area which currently employs circa 5,000 people and has around 2,000 residents. The fly-through demonstrates the scheme comprising up to 1 million sq ft of new space on a gateway site into Sheffield City Centre. It also highlights the proposed bustling retail and leisure spaces within West Bar Square which will be set within a high-quality public realm. West Bar is already starting to dominate the skyline on the city’s northern gateway with construction of the first phase of three towers almost at their peak.  No.1 West Bar Square will provide 100,000 sq ft of Grade A office space offering the largest floorplates in the city with significant ESG credentials.  A further two buildings are on track to deliver Soho Yard – a 368 unit build to rent scheme which will be owned and managed by scheme funder Legal & General. West Bar Sheffield is being delivered by Urbo (West Bar) Ltd, a joint venture between Urbo Regeneration and Peveril Securities, in collaboration Sheffield City Council on a seven-acre brownfield site.  After twenty years in planning, the much-anticipated mixed-use scheme is being brought forward following a ground-breaking deal to secure £150 million funding from Legal & General.  This agreement represents the largest single city centre investment deal that Sheffield has ever seen. On the Inner Ring Road between Sheffield’s Kelham Island, Cathedral and Castlegate neighbourhoods, it will include a million sq ft of mixed-use space including over 500,000 sq ft of office accommodation with amenities, public realm and hundreds of apartments and the project expects to create up to 8,000 new jobs when completed. Peter Swallow of Urbo (West Bar) said: “We were delighted to reveal this fantastic new footage at the recent Sheffield Property Association gathering where we were joined by our delivery partners including Sheffield City Council, principal contractor Bowmer + Kirkland, 5plus Architects and Asteer Planning. “West Bar is a leading example of what can be achieved through effective public and private sector collaboration. To achieve what we have, with the difficult economic headwinds, to make the scheme commercially viable and deliverable was especially challenging.  It has involved many years of site assembly work, negotiating with landowners and tenants over 100 separate property titles within the development boundary.  We worked hard to secure alternative and improved premises for these occupiers such that zero jobs were lost through the process. This was backed by a full compulsory purchase process including a full CPO Public Inquiry and ultimately secured 100% freehold ownership with vacant possession, paving the way for our deal with Legal & General. This is a rare and excellent example of best practice approach to area-wide urban regeneration.” Animation studio, Dematerial, led by Will Priest worked closely with Urbo and 5plus architects to produce the CGI film of this new piece of Sheffield city centre.

Hull-based contractor Geo. Houlton & Sons is poised to start on the creation of an assisted living centre in the city Netherhall on Wawne Road will see the former Hull City Council corporate office converted into the facility by Hull-based care specialist Urban Wave Ltd. Planning consent has been obtained by the developer for 10 apartments in the historic Netherhall and eight supported living bungalows in its grounds to create an assisted living centre for people with disabilities. The project follows the successful scheme which the developer built in 2021 close to Sewell Group Craven Park in east Hull and will be run by the same experienced operator, Eden Futures. It not only creates much-needed provision, but also retains and improves an historic building and will create local jobs. Councillor Linda Chambers, portfolio holder for adult services at Hull City Council, said: “It is pleasing that this project can now get under way. Netherhall is a fantastic location and it will be brilliant to see this historic property given such a worthwhile new purpose. “It will create a much-needed assisted living facility for people with complex needs, allowing them greater independence, as well creating local jobs.” Netherhall was openly marketed by the council, inviting informal tenders, with Urban Wave ultimately being successful. Urban Wave Ltd submitted its plans for the site in September 2022 and features the erection of two new bungalows as well as the conversion of the old hall and stable block.