Work is progressing well on Goole’s Town Deal, individual project confirmation documents have been agreed by the Board, signed by the Chair and East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Chief Executive Caroline Lacey.  A spending profile has also been produced for the period to 2026 and a monitoring and evaluation plan has been prepared. Goole expects to hear soon if the documents submitted to the central Town Deals department meet with approval leading to the final sign off from Government.

Early work to make Goole Market Hall watertight by repairing the roof, carrying out structural repairs, clearing the interior of the building and levelling the floor have led to consideration of potential early meanwhile uses for the market hall.  This includes how the building could be used as a town centre anchor for consultations and exhibitions during the Town Deal business case phase to market test community events driven by third parties and develop investor interests towards the reinvention and commercial viability opportunities in Goole Town Centre.

The interior of the market hall requires something of a spruce up before it can be considered fit for any meanwhile uses.  It has no running water and needs a few coats of paint as a minimum, but the opportunity is there to consider.

The idea links with a recent Covid 19 Town Centre Recovery Plan developed by The Retail Group on behalf of East Riding of Yorkshire Council.  A series of short, medium, and long term actions were identified to enhance and animate the town centre.  These include bringing empty units back into life including meanwhile uses, improving customer experience and helping business adapt to meet customer needs.