Sagar Street Refurbishment Scheme
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Overview
The Council has secured £23.9m of funding from the UK Government’s Towns Fund for Castleford.
This external grant funding will be used to deliver a series of projects (Castleford Riverside, Castleford Boho (Sagar Street), Heart of Castleford and Castleford Connections which will create a distinctive riverside market town.
The completed projects will bring more businesses, visitors, and opportunities into our town centre, creating attractive new areas for everyone to enjoy.
We’ve carried out extensive public consultation on the design of the Town Deal projects, which have received endorsement from the Castleford Together Town Deal Board which is supporting the Council to drive this work forward.
At the time of approval of the external grant funding, the projects were very much at concept design stage with estimated costings, since this time further detailed design and consultation with the Castleford Together Town Deal Board has been required to reflect the on the ground position with the projects.
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, improved surfacing, additional greenery, 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
The Mechanics Institute on Sagar Street, most recently known as Kingdom Hall, is the subject of a recent planning application. If approved, this will enable the building to be refurbished as part of regeneration work being delivered by the Castleford Towns Fund Programme.
Design options for improvements to the public realm are being coordinated with the wider work planned as part of the Heart of Castleford Project.
The budget for this is still available and the current deadline to spend the funding is end March 2027.
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
- Summer 2025: Occupier identified for the former Mechanics Institute
- Winter 2025 to Autumn / Winter 2026: Refurbishment of the former Mechanics Institute (dependent on agreed works)