Bid for £17.5m funding for housing scheme reaches the next stage

Progress has been made on a funding bid for £17.5m to help create up to 4,500 new homes in Castleford.
Coun Denise Jeffery.Coun Denise Jeffery.
Coun Denise Jeffery.

Wakefield Council’s application for cash from the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund has reached the next stage.

The house-building, along the River Aire, will form part of a masterplan for the town, which could see three quarters of a billion pounds invested into the area for new homes and jobs during the next 15 to 20 years.

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The former Hickson and Welch chemical works and Nestle site is earmarked for 1,400 houses, as well as a hotel, retail and businesses space and community facilities.

Coun Denise Jeffery, pictured, the cabinet member for economic growth and regeneration at Wakefield Council, said: “It’s great news for Castleford that our bid to access funding to support the building of thousands of new homes and create new jobs is on track and has now moved another stage forward.

“This will also support our ambitions to boost the economy which will bring benefits for the whole district.”

Public funding of up to £42.5m is expected to be a catalyst for the area’s redevelopment. As well as the £17.5m housing bid, the council plans to submit a funding bid to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for a £25m Castleford Growth Corridor road improvement scheme to tackle congestion in the area.

A consultation on the masterplan took place in February.