Cathedral Quarter Transformation: Your questions answered

After sharing the plans for the Cathedral Quarter, several key themes have come up in people’s feedback. We’ve gathered more information on these below.

Residents and businesses

Looking after the residents in the Vico properties, The Ridings, and the wider businesses is our top priority.

Vico residents

Tenants who want to stay in the city centre will be given support to do so. New homes in the city centre will be built in the first phase of the redevelopment.

Every tenant received a hand delivered letter. The Vico Homes team has been there to answer questions, and support is still available whenever anyone needs it.

These residents will be the first to get any updates about their housing.

Business tenants

Businesses have been given similar assurance. If they choose to stay in the city centre, they will be supported to do so. Leases will move over automatically. And tenant rights will stay the same.

We’re already working with several businesses – including Reel and Morrisons – to secure their future in Wakefield.

Financial help will also be available. In the coming weeks, a management company will be appointed to manage the centre. They will work with businesses to agree the exit process.

Our City Centre Masterplan – the timeline

In 2021 Wakefield Council put forward the draft City Centre Masterplan for public consultation. With several opportunities for residents to provide feedback, it sets out our vision over the next 20 years. Including:

supporting high quality changes to the city centre
encouraging new mixed-use development
tackling the decline in retail and business areas
promoting Wakefield as a great place to live, work, create and visit

After am open and transparent final consultation, the masterplan was adopted in 2023.

The plan makes it clear that The Ridings and Kirkgate area need major regeneration. This means the work happening now isn’t sudden. We’ve been planning it for a long time.

In 2022, business leaders urged Wakefield Council to buy The Ridings.

We made the difficult decision not to go ahead. The funding wasn’t available, and the financial risk was too high. We are now in a very different position:

We’re doing it now because:

We now have over £18 million of Government funding to kick‑start this once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity
Our expert partner, Muse, has a strong track record and experience bringing together the funding needed
The need for change is greater than ever - The Ridings is only 40% occupied, despite major private‑sector efforts
It has only four remaining national retailers, and two are leaving regardless of who owns the centre. There is no going back.
For many years Councillors of all parties, the local media, and the public have asked the Council to intervene more directly in the city centre. The news about the departure of M&S brought comments like ‘The Ridings is dead……….it has been for a long time’.

And we’re following a blueprint for how funding is accessed for projects of this type and scale. The same approach followed by public and private sectors, right across the country, including some of our nearest neighbours like Barnsley. The proposal we’ve put forward will utilise the funding we’ve got available to kick start the transformation.

Public consultation

This is now your time to shape the city’s future.

The CGIs we’ve shared are early ideas to show what might be possible. They are not final designs. The detailed design work will only begin after the public consultation.

This design process will run through most of the year and will take place in three phases, starting in March.

There will be lots of chances for people to share their views. Our partner, Muse, will begin the first phase of public consultation in March, with more phases throughout the year.

Parking, access and amenities

Parking won’t be reduced. On the CGIs, you'll see a proposed new multi-storey on George Street.

Accessibility, toilets, walkability and safety will all be designed into the plans, with your help.

Please keep checking this web page for updates.