Latest news with #TownDeal
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Town's regeneration projects face further delays
Several multimillion-pound regeneration projects in Long Eaton have been delayed by several months. Erewash Borough Council was given £25m of government funding to rejuvenate the town more than five years ago. However, all but one of the projects are still in their pre-construction phases. Funding for all of the schemes in the Town Deal must be spent by March 2026 or it faces being pulled back by central government. They must be completed in full by March 2027. A meeting of the Long Eaton Town Board heard that construction of the listed building next to Long Eaton Town Hall has been extended by four months because of defective designs, with completion now set for August rather than April. The Stable Block building is set to become a modern working hub with new office and workshop space. The Britannia Mills Bridge, which will form part of an improved pedestrian and cycling network, now faces a six-month delay and will begin in September this year, with completion set for March 2026. Starting works at Broad Street Bridge, connecting West Park with the town centre over Erewash Canal, also faces delays. Work was originally mooted to begin in January but has been delayed again from July to August while further cost benefit analysis is completed but with no knock-on delay to completion expected. The project to revitalise Long Eaton's high street has faced "unexpected queries" from Derbyshire Highway Authority, according to the council, resulting in delays. Completion of works, estimated to cost about £10m, will not happen until July 2026, instead of June. This date however has been bought forward than the original October 2026 estimate for completion. Work will begin in September this year. Meanwhile the former Galaxy Row cinema, where demolition work began in May, has also faced another round of delays. It will begin its development stage in September this year, a month after the time it was originally mooted to be finished. The latest slowdown will see the project, which will see the site turned into shops and flats, now expected to be completed in December 2026 instead of October. A project to improve lighting in West Park to encourage walking and cycling was completed last year. The leader of Erewash Conservatives Wayne Major said the delays were "a real concern". "While it's positive that there's now some leeway from government on deadlines, that flexibility should be used to get projects over the line, not to drift further behind. "Keeping to budget and timeline is essential if we're going to make the most of this funding." A spokesperson for Erewash Borough Council said: "The Town Deal continues to be a massive project for the borough council. Like almost all the other such schemes across the country we have had challenges to overcome along the way. "The conditions set by the Towns Fund is for all projects to be in contract by the end of March 2026 – with projects completed by the end of March 2027. We are well on track to achieve this." Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Demolition begins at town's historic cinema Plans for £10m town centre revamp unveiled Erewash Borough Council
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Glastonbury Town Deal chair Dr Lynne Sedgmore resigns
The chair of the Glastonbury Town Deal board has resigned after a damning audit into a government-backed regeneration project in the board has been overseeing 10 projects, delivered by Somerset Council and other organisations, funded by £23.6m from the government's Towns an independent audit the council confirmed in May that it would not provide further funding towards the upgrade of the Red Brick Building C (also known as The Life Factory) - leaving local contractors in limbo and the work Lynne Sedgmore CBE, who chairs the advisory-only board, has now resigned from her position for "personal reasons", alongside another board member. In her resignation letter to council chief executive Duncan Sharkey, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Dr Sedgmore said: "I genuinely believe it is best for the board, in the context of continuing and increasing unsubstantiated public attacks on me, that I stand down." She added: "During my time as chair, I have willingly given considerable time, energy, skills, commitment and dedication to the effectiveness of the board. It has been a privilege to serve Glastonbury in this way."There has been significant progress on all but one town deal project (The Life Factory), and the two projects completed this year have been a huge success. There are many more successes to come before final completion in March 2026. Accusations 'without foundation' "I am on the receiving end of personal and professional attacks in the public domain suggesting financial impropriety. While the accusations are without foundation, this is damaging to the board as well as to myself."My resignation is not connected to any form of inappropriate fiscal accountability, on my part or that of the board."Dr Sedgmore had served as chair since October 2021, following the death of original chairman Robert McKenzie, a community representative who has sat on the board since its inception in 2020, has also vice chair and Glastonbury mayor Councillor Michael White will act as temporary a statement issued on Tuesday, the board said it was hopeful that additional funding could be secured urgently to complete the Life Factory project and pay outstanding creditors.A spokesman said: "Having read the SWAP report, we understand the rationale for this decision by the council as the accountable body. However, we remain very concerned about the impact this decision will have on our community."Somerset Council has previously said no more funds will be available for the Life Factory after the audit made clear that despite almost £3m being spent, the project cannot be delivered "in time with the Grant Funding Agreement".Duncan Sharkey, the council's chief executive, said the authority "accepts the [report's] findings that our level of oversight and monitoring could have been strengthened".
BBC News
19-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
New canopy replaces bandstand in Loughborough park
A large new multi-use canopy has been opened in a park in structure has been placed in Southfields Park and has replaced its existing, smaller Borough Council said the canopy would offer shelter to park visitors and be used to host outdoor design includes a central structure along with further covered canopies surrounding its perimeter. The canopy is one of 11 projects intended to improve the area as part of the Loughborough Town Deal initiative, which is backed by £16.9m of government cash. Council cabinet member Jennifer Tillotson said: "The new structure brings a huge improvement to the park and the surrounding area. "It will make the open space more accessible for visitors and will mean more varied events will be able to take place."Loughborough Town Deal chairman Martin Traynor said: "It is important that the Town Deal continues to invest in parks, open spaces and the town centre in Loughborough to attract more visitors, and footfall and this is another example of that."
Scottish Sun
17-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Britain's ‘cheapest seaside town' set for shipping container VILLAGE and new ‘beach base' in huge £25m revamp
Homes in the seaside town sell for just £20,000 SANDS GOOD Britain's 'cheapest seaside town' set for shipping container VILLAGE and new 'beach base' in huge £25m revamp THE UK's 'cheapest seaside town' is set to undergo a £25 million makeover, including a "shipping container village." The north Yorkshire town, where homes sell for just £20,000, was allocated the huge sum by the Tory government four years ago, with all projects set to be completed by next year. 2 Redcar is getting a £25 million revamp Credit: NNP 2 The town is the cheapest seaside resort in the UK to buy property Credit: NNP Amongst the exciting new projects coming to Redcar, is a new family entertainment centre events space and state of the art town library, on which £17.4 million is being spent. In order to make way for the new facility, the former M&S and Goodwins buildings are being demolished, with work reportedly nearing completion. Unfortunately, due to high inflation Catherine Clennett, who chairs the Redcar Town Deal board has revealed that some planned projects have had to be scrapped, in order to cut costs. One project that will no longer be taking place is the painting of houses on Newcomen Terrace in bright pastel colours, to give the road a 'Balamory' feel. However, it is hoped that funding may become available for this and other projects in the future. In an annual report published on behalf of the board, it was revealed that the family entertainment centre should be completed by early 2026. The report read: "The venue will attract residents and visitors into Redcar town centre all year round, significantly increasing the number of people using the area. 'This will, in turn, increase business for the many town centre shops and other organisations and add a new dimension to the area to enhance the retail offer.' A total of £2.4 million of the funding has also been used to create a 'clean energy education hub' which will provide young people with the skills to gain work opportunities at Teesworks, the UK's largest industrial zone. A new shipping container village, described in the report as a "beach base" received £880,000 of the funding and opened last August. BBC's The Mighty Redcar shows what life is like for young people in the town The 'village' has plenty of food and drink opportunities and is also intended to be a hub for watersports. Another £4.9 million is being spent on giving the town clock, which sits at the end of the high street a "major facelift." The revamp will include new paving, stylish seating and the addition of plants and trees to the area. Councillor Alec Brown, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, who is on the Town Deal board, said: 'We all want to see a fantastic Redcar for the future which provides families with a better quality of life and the Town Deal projects will help provide this.' Workington, Cumbria is another seaside town that has been given £25 million in investment, in a bid to boost job opportunities and revamp the area. Cumberland Council has revealed its latest plans for the Port of Workington, just a few miles from the Lake District National Park. These include millions of pounds worth of investment into real estate, infrastructure and roads. Leader of the council, Councillor Mark Fryer, said: 'The Port of Workington can be a catalyst for growth in Cumberland; it is a strategic location in west Cumbria with a huge amount of untapped potential for job creation, green energy production and more. 'Want to partner with other organisations and the private sector to help unlock the potential for this site and we're actively talking to parties at the moment to bring in that crucial investment "A huge amount of work has already been done, or is underway, to improve vital infrastructure at the port and we believe it is ideally placed for the right businesses to come on board. "If you are a business who is interested, come and talk to us.'
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Britain's ‘cheapest seaside town' set for shipping container VILLAGE and new ‘beach base' in huge £25m revamp
THE UK's 'cheapest seaside town' is set to undergo a £25 million makeover, including a "shipping container village." The north Yorkshire town, where homes sell for just £20,000, was allocated the huge sum by the Tory government four years ago, with all projects set to be completed by next year. 2 Redcar is getting a £25 million revamp Credit: NNP 2 The town is the cheapest seaside resort in the UK to buy property Credit: NNP Amongst the exciting new projects coming to Redcar, is a new family entertainment centre events space and state of the art town library, on which £17.4 million is being spent. In order to make way for the new facility, the former M&S and Goodwins buildings are being demolished, with work reportedly nearing completion. Unfortunately, due to high inflation Catherine Clennett, who chairs the Redcar Town Deal board has revealed that some planned projects have had to be scrapped, in order to cut costs. One project that will no longer be taking place is the painting of houses on Newcomen Terrace in bright pastel colours, to give the road a 'Balamory' feel. Read more UK news stories However, it is hoped that funding may become available for this and other projects in the future . In an annual report published on behalf of the board, it was revealed that the family entertainment centre should be completed by early 2026. The report read: "The venue will attract residents and visitors into Redcar town centre all year round, significantly increasing the number of people using the area. 'This will, in turn, increase business for the many town centre shops and other organisations and add a new dimension to the area to enhance the retail offer.' Most read in The Sun A total of £2.4 million of the funding has also been used to create a 'clean energy education hub' which will provide young people with the skills to gain work opportunities at Teesworks, the UK's largest industrial zone. A new shipping container village, described in the report as a "beach base" received £880,000 of the funding and opened last August. BBC's The Mighty Redcar shows what life is like for young people in the town The 'village' has plenty of food and drink opportunities and is also intended to be a hub for watersports. Another £4.9 million is being spent on giving the town clock, which sits at the end of the high street a "major facelift." The revamp will include new paving, stylish seating and the addition of plants and trees to the area. Councillor Alec Brown, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council , who is on the Town Deal board, said: 'We all want to see a fantastic Redcar for the future which provides families with a better quality of life and the Town Deal projects will help provide this.' Cumberland Council has revealed its latest plans for the Port of Workington, just a few miles from the These include millions of pounds worth of investment into real estate, infrastructure and roads. Leader of the council, Councillor Mark Fryer, said: 'The Port of Workington can be a catalyst for growth in Cumberland; it is a strategic location in west Cumbria with a huge amount of untapped potential for job creation, green energy production and more. 'Want to partner with other organisations and the private sector to help unlock the potential for this site and we're actively talking to parties at the moment to bring in that crucial investment " A huge amount of work has already been done, or is underway, to improve vital infrastructure at the port and we believe it is ideally placed for the right businesses to come on board. "If you are a business who is interested, come and talk to us.'
