Three infrastructure schemes designed to kickstart the region’s economy have received full funding commitments from the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
The LEP board has committed £9.5m to the projects across Hull and East Yorkshire to stimulate the Humber’s economy over the next 18 months.
The three infrastructure projects are being supported by Humber LEP’s £13.4m allocation of the Getting Building Fund, part of the Government’s New Deal programme in response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 lockdown. They will be managed by Hull City Council and East Riding Council.
The three schemes are:
Hull and East Yorkshire Highways Resilience Programme – (£2m): This programme will support road maintenance schemes in Hull and East Yorkshire, in the East Riding focusing on repairs to A-roads, while in Hull the project will support road repairs before major construction begins on the £355m A63 Castle Street scheme.
Delivering Housing Growth Programme – Ings and Wawne 2 – (£4.8m): A new spine road and electrics in Ings could see a further 310 homes built on location sooner than expected, while in Wawne a further 850 homes could be built sooner than expected with the installation of a new spine road and drainage, adding to existing new homes currently being built on both sites.
Hull and East Yorkshire Cycle Route Delivery Programme – Phase 1 (£2.7m): A programme of cycle infrastructure upgrade and provision of new cycle facilities which will focus on provision in Hull and East Riding along the A1079 Beverley Road and the route from Cottingham to the city centre.
The schemes meet the Government’s aim of a green recovery, in line with the Humber’s aims to become net-zero by 2040.
The Humber LEP’s allocation of the Getting Building Fund will unlock almost £193m investment in the area.
Breaking news: Three infrastructure schemes totalling £9.5m designed to kick-start the region’s economy receive full funding commitments at Humber LEP Board #GettingBuildingFund https://t.co/ClihsSPiQE pic.twitter.com/6qRrhjlRsW
— Humber LEP (@HumberLEP) September 21, 2020
Three more schemes supporting business in the region, set to be confirmed shortly, are the RaisE Business Centre and Innovation Hub (£1m), the Managed Workspace Programme A – Grovehill (£500,000), and the Managed Workspace Programme B – BeSpoke Business Resource Centre and Boulevard 4 (£500,000).
The £1.5m Growing Hull and East Yorkshire programme, which offers grants to SMEs that are looking to grow and create jobs, was formally approved in August and is now receiving applications here.
Councillor Stephen Brady, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “We are delighted that this funding has been secured and in order to successfully recover from this pandemic, we need to ensure our city has reliable and extensive transport connections. For this to work, we need reliable rail and road links now, more than ever.
“Improving transport connections is vitally important. A sustainable and strategic transport network not only builds an accessible city for everyone, but can support the region’s growth as we work towards supporting our residents and businesses to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic.”
The business case for each project has now been developed and assessed to make sure the schemes provide value for money and are deliverable in the timescale and parameters set out by the Government.
