Sagar Street Refurbishment Scheme
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Overview
The Council has secured £23.9 million from the Government’s Towns Fund to help transform Castleford.
This funding will support a range of projects, including Castleford Riverside, Castleford Boho (Sagar Street), Heart of Castleford, and Castleford Connections. Together, these projects will help create a vibrant and distinctive riverside market town.
Once complete, the projects will help attract new businesses, bring more visitors into the town centre, and create new opportunities for local people. They will also deliver attractive public spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy.
Local people have helped shape the plans through extensive public consultation, and the projects have been endorsed by the Castleford Together Board, which continues to work closely with the Council to support their delivery.
When the funding was first approved, the projects were at an early concept stage, with costs based on initial estimates. Since then, further design work, site investigations and detailed discussions with the Castleford Together Board have helped refine the proposals and ensure they reflect the realities of delivering the projects on the ground.
Supporting Sagar Street
We’re working with businesses on Sagar Street so that it is a high quality, safe, and pedestrian-friendly link between the riverside and the town centre.
This means nicer shop fronts and plans to bring Kingdom Hall (the former Mechanics Institute) back into use.
We will do this by:
Supporting businesses with Shop Improvement Grants
Great businesses are critical to the success of Sagar Street. Grants are available so that buildings match all of our ambitions for the area.
Refurbishing Kingdom Hall, the former Mechanics Institute
This is Castleford's oldest intact building, so it’s an important part of our town's rich heritage. We want to restore the building and bring it back into use. A regenerated space will provide new opportunities for residents, businesses and visitors.
Impact
This project will create a safe and inviting environment. People will be able to travel more easily between the town centre and the riverside. Town centre visitors will be able to explore an improved retail environment, and new businesses will be attracted to Sagar Street.
Progress Update
Supporting businesses with Shop Improvement Grants
Half of the 20 shopfronts on Sagar Street have seen improvement work carried out, worth more than £92,000 in total. Work has used a range of heritage colours that complement each other, and the transformation of Sagar Street is well underway. With more upgrade work expected to be delivered before the end of the Town Deal programme.
Refurbishing Kingdom Hall, the former Mechanics Institute
Planning consent has been granted for the regeneration of The Mechanics Institute on Sagar Street, most recently known as Kingdom Hall. This will allow the building to be refurbished as part of the work being delivered by the Castleford Towns Fund Programme.
Timeline
June 2023 to March 2027: Ongoing delivery of Shop Improvement Scheme
Spring / Summer 2025: Submission of planning application for improvement works to the former Mechanics Institute / Kingdom Hall
2027 Refurbishment of the former Mechanics Institute to start (dependent on agreed works)
2028 completion of all work