Key appointment to drive forward multi-million pound town revitalisation
Plans to improve Castleford and unlock its full economic and housing growth potential are set to take a step forward.
Senior Wakefield councillors will be asked at a Cabinet meeting on 21 July to approve the next stage in appointing a strategic regeneration partner.
The partnership will deliver the council’s long-term vision for the town to attract investment, bring forward regeneration opportunities and create lasting benefits for residents and businesses.
Councillor Matthew Pinder, Wakefield Council’s cabinet member for district regeneration and regional growth, said: “We have big ambitions for Castleford, its residents and businesses. We will deliver the projects they were promised – and have waited patiently for – but we’re also thinking bigger.
“We want to create new schemes that will provide long-term improvements for the local community. By working with a strategic regeneration partner, we can unlock new investment and deliver high-quality regeneration on a bigger scale.
“We want to see the kind of projects that will transform the town, boost the local economy and create new opportunities for residents.
“I want to see Castleford prosper, and thanks to the strong transport links that the town enjoys, it makes it the ideal place for regeneration and investment which I am excited to play my part in delivering for the community.”
A report to Cabinet says the council has identified a preferred Strategic Regeneration Partner (SRP) to work alongside it to deliver the vision.
If approved at the Cabinet Meeting the newly appointed SRP will focus on revitalising the town centre and riverside, while creating new opportunities for residents, businesses, and visitors.
The council says it has agreed the key principles that will guide the partnership and is taking steps to formally appoint the SRP.
Cabinet members will be asked to agree for senior officers to finalise the agreement and move the process forward.
As plans develop, individual proposals for projects will be brought forward for approval.
Significant funding has already been secured to support Castleford’s transformation. This includes £23.9m from the government’s Town Deal programme, which is helping to deliver improvements to the riverside and town centre.
In addition, the town has been awarded a further £20m through the government’s Pride in Place programme.
Following government approval of the regeneration plan, a formal agreement is soon to be completed which will guide how this Pride in Place funding will be used over the first four-year investment period, from 2026 to 2030.
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