Darlington submits “ambitious” £20m Levelling Up bid to Government

A bid has been submitted to the Government for £20m to accelerate levelling up across the borough and complement plans to improve our most deprived ward.

Levelling Up Darlington is a package of proposals with a focus on the Northgate area of the town, but that will create opportunities across the borough. The bid includes regeneration proposals for housing, opening up urban green space and improvements to highways and public transport in the area, combined with revitalising the area’s heritage assets.

The bid has been made to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund Round 2, a £4.8bn fund announced in the Spring Statement that will support town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects and cultural heritage assets.

If successful, the bid would build on the work already underway to develop the £35m Rail Heritage Quarter around the Head of Steam Railway Museum ahead of the 2025 Bicentenary celebrations of the Stockton and Darlington Railway and the successful £23.3m Towns Fund bid, which also includes a regeneration project for Northgate.

Councillor Jonathan Dulston, leader of Darlington Borough Council, commented: “Northgate has the potential to be one of our great cultural assets, it is home to many of our heritage treasures and one of our key gateways. The proposals we’ve put together are ambitious but realistic – we know we can deliver.

“At the same time it is also the most deprived ward in town and it is imperative that we act to close the inequality gap that exists by providing better homes, job opportunities and transport links.

“This is a once in a generation chance to transform this part of town, to pull people out of deprivation and to breathe new life into neglected streets, buildings and urban spaces.”

Councillor Andy Keir, cabinet member for local services, added: “This package of proposals is wide-reaching and ambitious. We want to achieve great things and with the help of this funding to supplement projects that are already ongoing in Northgate and around the Rail Heritage Quarter, we fully believe we can do that.

“For too long Northgate has been overlooked and put on the ‘too difficult’ pile – we aim to change that totally with this funding bid to the Government.”

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