Northern Lincolnshire will receive £38.1m in Levelling Up Funds to transform the fortunes of two towns.
The successful bidders for round two of the government’s Levelling Up Fund were announced just before 11pm on Wednesday, January 18. North Lincolnshire Council has been successful with a project focused on Barton, while North East Lincolnshire Council’s Cleethorpes Masterplan has been given government backing too.
The councils have not managed to persuade the government to award all the cash they sought. But there were at least 525 different bids for Levelling Up Funds in round two, which gave out a total of £2.1bn to councils across the UK.
Demand for the cash was oversubscribed. Analysis in September by the Local Government Chronicle found that 83 bids from 44 councils sought £1.6bn alone.
Below are more details as to the Levelling Up Fund bids that northern Lincolnshire will receive government funding this time for.
North Lincolnshire – ‘Barton Principal Town Regeneration Project’
North Lincolnshire Council have been successful in bidding for £19.7m to improve Barton’s transport. As any drivers or bus passengers will know, the town’s historic centre can produce traffic blockages.
The regeneration project will pave the way for the Barton relief road, directly connecting the A15 with the A1077 near Wren Kitchens and creating a bypass around the town. “Improvements to the A1077 to alleviate congestion in the town centre” will be funded, along with 14km of new cycle lanes.
“Mass improvements” to the town’s railway station are also part of the successful bid. These will include new cycle parking, an extension of the car park and bus shelter upgrades.
The council bid for £70m in total, including for projects in Scunthorpe and Brigg. But these other bid elements were unsuccessful.
North East Lincolnshire – ‘Cleethorpes Masterplan’
North East Lincolnshire Council is to get £18.4m for the regeneration of Cleethorpes seafront. The funding is to support the delivery of the council’s masterplan for the coastal resort.
Award-winning designer Wayne Hemmingway MBE put together the Cleethorpes Masterplan, revealed last year, after thousands of residents’ views were heard. Issues identified included sorting out congestion and parking, better linking up hospitality and shopping, making staycations a better prospect and transforming Market Place.
“This is absolutely brilliant news for the resort, which is fast becoming the jewel in the crown along the east coast of our country and is attracting growing numbers of people who want to not only visit here, but live here too,” said Cllr Philip Jackson, the council leader. “Over the last few years, we have seen the start of the Cleethorpes transformation, with the Coastal Communities Fund work and that around the heritage properties on Alexandra Road. This successful LUF bids means that transformation can continue.”
“Over the last few years, we’ve secured in excess of £70-million into North East Lincolnshire, underpinned by an ambitious vision for the growth and regeneration. We’re working hard to make sure that the money spent in this borough is to the benefit of everyone living and working here.
“The changes we continue to spearhead in the resort, and which we can now continue with the support of the LUF monies, are also vital when it comes to reflecting the aspirations of our residents and visitors, for our young people to enjoy positive futures, and in our ability to attract new and retain good businesses in an attractive coastal town.”
The Market Place’s current use as mostly a car park was a frustration of residents. The £18.4m funding granted will allow the council to follow through on its masterplan idea to pedestrianise the area and make space for outdoor dining. The regeneration of Pier Gardens is also explicitly mentioned as a project to be supported by the cash grant.
Two bids of £20m each to support the regeneration of Grimsby town centre and the development of a Grimsby transport bid did not make the cut. Both councils missed out when the first round of Levelling Up Funds were dished out in 2021. North Lincolnshire Council put through then project bids totalling £90m, while North East Lincolnshire Council’s bid for £50m including for a Grimsby West relief road was also turned down.
But in round one, a smaller £1.7bn pot of money was distributed and about two-thirds of all bids were unsuccessful. In round two, across the UK £672m has been awarded to develop better transport links, £821m for community regeneration projects, and £594m to restore local heritage sites.
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Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
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