County Durham awarded £1.37m funding to revive the “heart” of local town centre

Darlington Borough Council has welcomed a funding boost of £1.37m aimed at transforming the heart of the town centre.

The investment secured for Skinnergate and the Yards comes from the Towns Fund, a £3.6bn government pot which aims to level-up funding and opportunities for communities nationally and deliver long-term growth.

Groundwork NE & Cumbria has been commissioned by the council to provide engagement and design services.

On Thursday November 11, between 5-7pm, the council and Groundwork will hold the first virtual consultation for stakeholders to review streetscape design inspirations and provide feedback via Zoom.

Proposals include looking at how Skinnergate and the Yards operate as a public highway and how it looks and feels as a place.

The Towns Fund programme manager, Chris Mains, said: “We are keen to hear from those who live and work in Darlington and want to hear their views on the current ideas to make sure we work together and achieve the best we can.

Groundwork programme manager, Lucy Chapman, said: “We are delighted to be facilitating the public debate about refreshing Darlington town centre and our team has been working in partnership with the council to prepare concept designs and carry out wider public engagement.”

Councillor Alan Marshall, cabinet member for economy said: “This funding will enable the delivery of ambitious regeneration plans drawn up by our Towns Board. The role of the high street has always evolved.

“We want to support that change and make sure that they are at the beating heart of the local community with high quality housing and leisure in addition to shops and restaurants.”

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