Thousands of new homes, jobs and green spaces are set to be created in the town of Castleford – with plans to completely transform the region. The area, known as the Aire River Growth Corridor, could see 4,500 new homes built over the next 15-20 years with a total of £750m in investment being pumping into the area.

Castleford, a town within the district of Wakefield, is set to be a key focus of our Transforming West Yorkshire event in June – with Wakefield Council set to share details on the plans and how industry professional and businesses can get involved.

The transformation is set to cover 230 hectares of former industrial land, including the former Hickson & Welch and Nestle sites which have remained derelict for several years. These two sites are earmarked for a hotel, retail and business development and community facilities as well as housing – with around 1,400 being built on the outskirts of the town centre.

Councillor Denise Jeffery, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth and Regeneration at Wakefield Council said: ”The Castleford Masterplan supports our big ambitions to regenerate the town and to plan for the future. This will provide homes for families in the district, help to boost our local economy and create various jobs for people in the area. It is a very exciting time for the town and we want as many people as possible to have their say by taking part in the consultation.”

The plans reveal how the former industrial sites will be transformed and how the town centre could be revitalised – with green open spaces. It aims to create a town centre free of vehicles whilst creating better links between neighbourhoods and more opportunities for walking and cycling in the area.

£42.5m of public funding is expected to be a catalyst for the area’s redevelopment – and the council have submitted a bid for £17.5m of Home Englands Housing Infrastructure Funding to help accelerate house building, which have reached the second phase. Plans are also being made to submit a bid for funding to West Yorkshire Combined Authority for a £25m road improvement scheme to tackle congestion and Wakefield Council also hope private organisations and developers will then invest around £750m in the area longer term.

The economic benefits for the former mining town could be exceptional, with the creation of 650 full time jobs, plus a further 6,750 posts during the 10-20 year construction period. The masterplan comes as a ten-year plan is put together to shape the future of neighbouring town Pontefract, also within the Wakefield district. The Pontefract plan aimed to promote the town as a visitor destination, whilst also addressing transport connections to the wider Wakefield and West Yorkshire district.

Join us for the Transforming West Yorkshire event to hear more about these and many more exciting projects.