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Having secured a £25 million slice of the Government’s Town Deal funding, Goole’s future is looking very bright indeed, but what will the money be spent on and who’s involved in making the decisions? We spoke to local businessman Joseph Richardson, Chairman of the Goole Town Deal Board, to find out more:
Q: What is the Goole Town Deal?
A: Back in 2019, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, as it’s now known, launched a Town Fund to encourage economic regeneration and deliver vital infrastructure in towns across the UK, with the aim of bringing them back to life.
In response to this, Goole submitted an ambitious Town Investment Plan, setting out a series of deliverable objectives aimed at stimulating long-term economic growth. The plan is bespoke and unique to Goole, evaluating the town’s strengths and resources, as well as the complexities and challenges it faces.
In June 2021, we received confirmation from the Government that Goole was one of 101 towns nationally to secure a share of the Town Deal funding, having been allocated £25 million.
Q: What’s the role of the Goole Town Deal Board and who’s involved?
A: The Board includes Brigg and Goole MP Andrew Percy and a wide variety of public, private and voluntary sector organisations with a shared commitment to regenerating Goole and growing its economy. They include East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Goole Town Council; Goole Civic Society; the Environment Agency; Hull and East Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership; Hull and East Yorkshire SMILE Foundation; major employers such as Associated British Ports, Croda and Siemens Mobility; and other local businesses, including Beal Homes, Link Agency and Jos Richardson and Son. East Riding of Yorkshire Council is the accountable body.
Having produced the Town Investment Plan, the Board is now responsible for ensuring that the strategic vision for the town is clear and capable of achieving its objectives within the timescales specified by the Government.
Q: Tell us more about what’s in the Town Investment Plan?
It’s a weighty, evidence-based document that sets out what the Board wants to achieve for Goole. Objectives include economic growth, giving all of the town’s residents equal access to training and job opportunities, improving connectivity to and around the town, building a sense of pride in Goole and making its town centre a hub of activity. There are also objectives around making Goole a place where both people and businesses want to settle, and an environmentally responsible town.
In 2026, Goole will be 200 years old and it would be wonderful to celebrate that milestone with a real sense of optimism for the future by using Town Deal funding to build on the town’s rich heritage and the economic investment that’s already taking place. We want Goole to be reinvigorated; a town fit for the 21st century.
Q: But how does the Board plan to achieve all this?
A: The Town Investment Plan identified a series of projects that would help to achieve the Board’s objectives for Goole and had to submit a business case to the Government for each one. Projects include the refurbishment of the Market Hall, which, sadly, closed in 2019 despite a public campaign to save it, and a Public Realm project that will enhance the town centre with high quality lighting, soft landscaping and improvements aimed at promoting walking and cycling. There will be a Property Activation Fund to encourage landlords, developers and tenants to carry out improvements to buildings in the town centre and bring empty or under-used properties back into use. There’s a project that involves refurbishing East Riding Leisure Goole and enhancing the leisure offering there, and another aimed at regenerating the Victoria Pleasure Ground so that it can be enjoyed by as many local user groups as possible.
Goole is highly vulnerable to flooding and the Environment Agency was already intending to re-enforce flood defences along the Dutch River. A contribution from the Town Deal means that this work can now go ahead sooner than planned and will incorporate a ‘greenway’ corridor to enable pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy the great outdoors. There are plans to create an enhanced transport hub and arrival/departure experience at Goole Station and, of course, improve the subways. One of our flagship projects is called Opportunity Goole, which is what you might call a ‘one-stop shop’ aimed at giving everyone easier access to information on the Town Deal, local job opportunities, business support and more. This new service will be located in Goole Library and we’ll be announcing more information about it very soon.
Q: What has happened so far?
A: During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government made some early funding allocations to towns involved in the Town Deal process, which had to be spent by a strict deadline. Goole was given £750,000 and this was used to carry out urgent repairs to the leaking roof at the Market Hall, helping to halt its decline, and install energy efficient floodlighting at the Victoria Pleasure Ground.
The Board had originally planned to provide Old Goole with improved broadband capability using Town Deal funding but, as a result of us highlighting the issue, Open Reach agreed to fund it instead. It’s a win-win situation as it means that the Board’s objective has been achieved and the money that would have been spent on that can now be allocated to other projects.
Q: Is it correct that some of the organisations involved are providing match-funding?
A: Yes, It’s anticipated that total amount of money invested in Goole will be far higher than the £25 million Town Deal funding allocation because many of the partner organisations involved are providing match-funding towards the cost of the various projects that the Board has identified. Plus, the improvements that will be taking place will undoubtedly generate even more investment in the town, and that’s before you factor in the social value in terms of the benefit to people’s health, wellbeing and prosperity.
Q: How long will it take?
A: It may seem like not much has happened since the funding announcement was made in 2021 but a huge amount of work has been taking place behind the scenes to develop business cases for each of the projects and ensure that they all work well together. The Board sees the projects as individual pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that will come together to have a transformative effect on the town centre. The Board has a shared responsibility to ensure that the Town Deal delivers great results for everyone who lives and works in Goole, and it’s not one that we take lightly.
The business case process is almost complete so, as we move into 2023, the delivery phase will begin, which is very exciting. We’re required to complete the projects by March 2026 – what a wonderful way to mark Goole’s bicentenary year!
Q: Will local people be able to have their say?
A: As the delivery phase begins, the many organisations involved in the various projects that will be delivered with Goole Town Deal funding will be identifying opportunities for local people, business owners and other stakeholders to be involved and informed every step of the way. There will be plenty of opportunity for local people to help shape key aspects of each of the projects as they develop through a series of community engagement events and activities. Watch this space!