Hull City Council has announced that it has awarded a grant through its levelling up funding, to ensure that a new retail opportunity can be of benefit to the city.
Plans to regenerate the West Street Arcade in the centre of Hull will be supported by £205,000 worth of funding and will allow ten new shops to be brought into the arcade. This will not only be of benefit to shoppers, but also the wider community thanks to the employment opportunities that can be provided.
The building was previously dilapidated and has received planning permission for a full restoration, as well as a rear extension, with permission for both plans being granted in 2021 and 2022 respectively. The project to restore and extend the building will be supported through the grant, with two floors of retail space being created across 450 square metres. Work to rewire the building will also take place, alongside installation of fixtures and fittings and the replacement of all of the windows in the building.
Assistant Director for Major Projects, Culture and Place at Hull City Council, Garry Taylor spoke about the allocation of funding. He said:
“It will help to bring back into use vacant units, in turn providing local jobs and is another great example of excellent regeneration work done in the city centre.”
The levelling up bid was successful in 2021, with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities awarding £19.5 million to Hull City Council as they look to support infrastructure and deliver a regeneration package for the city centre. The grant scheme that this funding comes as part of was created with £7.5 million of the council’s allocation, with the plans being that it would encourage further projects that will bring unused floorspace into use and create more employment opportunities.
Not only will these plans deliver key wins for the council, such as increasing employment, but it will also allow the city centre to offer more diverse businesses to the community.
