Middlesbrough Council to consider strategy for town centre overhaul
Plans include Capital&Centric’s 2,000-home scheme at Middlehaven, the removal of redundant retail and office space, and the development of a major new theatre.
The council’s executive will meet next week to discuss the findings of work undertaken by the Middlesbrough Place Leaders Partnership, which has brought together organisations from the public, private, and voluntary sectors to develop a long-term vision for the town.
Members will be asked to endorse the council’s role in delivering the wider Middlesbrough Place Strategy, approve its town centre element as the authority’s formal Town Centre Strategy, and back an Investment Prospectus designed to help secure external funding for a series of regeneration projects.
The overarching strategy aims to make Middlesbrough “the most creative place for young people to live, learn and realise their future,” with a focus on reshaping the town in response to changing demographics, economic trends and the evolving role of town centres.
Central to the plans is an Investment Prospectus that sets out a series of projects intended to “fundamentally change the underlying structure” of Middlesbrough and its town centre.
The prospectus would be used to lobby government, commercial funders, and trusts for investment, while also providing developers and investors with a clearer picture of the town’s long-term regeneration priorities.
Among the proposals is Capital&Centric’s development of a new community comprising more than 2,000 homes at Middlehaven, alongside plans for another new neighbourhood at Gresham.
The developer is working with Middlesbrough Council alongside architects MVRDV and shedkm to deliver the scheme on brownfield sites surrounding the Old Town Hall, with the first phase currently progressing through early design stages, backed by £3.6m of the council’s Towns Fund allocation from government.
Meanwhile in Gresham, developers iMpeC and Buccleuch Property are jointly managing a £200m scheme that was originally due to deliver more than 1,500 homes and a new city gateway, alongside Middlesbrough Development Corporation. The Crown Square scheme has, however, been on hold since October due to viability concerns, with six options being considered to revive the project.
The strategy also identifies the need to remove redundant retail floorspace and concentrate premium retail activity around the Hillstreet Centre, while significant amounts of “end-of-life” office space could also be demolished or repurposed.
Other projects include the creation of major new urban spaces to replace redundant commercial floorspace and improve connectivity across the town centre.
The Investment Prospectus also includes proposals for a major new theatre on the Civic Centre site and a hotel at Gurney House, which would build on the existing cluster of accommodation in the area.
A cultural department store concept, known as the House of Art, is also included, alongside ambitions to make the town centre a “creative canvas” that is more playable and attractive to young people.
Transport improvements feature in the plans, including high-quality bus “Super Stops” and a new Taxi Hub.
Outside the town centre, the prospectus identifies opportunities for major new housing at Newham Hall, while also proposing support for the commercial acquisition of empty residential properties.
The plans also include the establishment of an Academic Centre of Excellence for Surgery at James Cook University Hospital.
However, the report stresses that the projects are aspirational and could evolve as funding is secured and priorities change.
It adds that the Investment Prospectus is intended to provide a “menu of options” for potential funders and investors, creating a coherent package of interventions designed to reshape the town’s economic foundations.
If approved, the Town Centre Strategy and Investment Prospectus would become key tools for the council and its partners as they seek to turn the wider Place Strategy into deliverable regeneration projects.
Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke said: “Attracting investment and visitors to the town centre are crucial for our future. This bold series of developments would represent the most significant investment in Middlesbrough for a generation and can give people hope and optimism about what comes next.
“The strategy has been developed with our partners and informed by the needs and aspirations of young people. It’s been 18 months in the making and is all about making Middlesbrough thrive for the benefit of everyone. I’m excited about what we can achieve together.”
