Wakefield city gateway to ‘make a real difference’ to the city region Posted on: June 11th, 2018 Wakefield City Centre is set to be transformed as the South East Gateway project continues to take shape. The scheme, which centres around the area where The Hepworth Galley and Kirkgate Train Station sit, will ‘make a real difference’ to the area and drive tourists and locals into the city centre. Known as South East Gateway the ‘fantastic scheme’ will be a central part of the Transforming West Yorkshire Conference where Merran McRae, Chief Executive of Wakefield City Council, is set to speak. The development is likely to give a huge boost to the economy – with around 1,400 jobs being created during the construction phase, and over 600 permanent roles once the redevelopment of the brownfield land is complete. In total 3.3 hectares will be made available for development acting as a catalyst for regeneration – in similar fashion to the regeneration of the Westgate area of Wakefield which recently saw a new train station and more. Proposals also highlight the need for housing in the region – and this will be tackled by the development of 700 homes – which will complement the scheme to convert the nearby Rutland Mills into a retail and leisure complex. That scheme, being led by City and Provincial Property will also be taking centre stage when they present the plans for the scheme – which recently got the thumbs up – at the Transforming West Yorkshire Conference. The South East Gateway project took a step forward next week as West Yorkshire Combined Authority gave the thumbs up to add the scheme to their Investment Programme – which will now see a business case drawn up. The total project value is around £41.55m and the combined authority will make a contribution of over £6.5m. Cllr Denise Jeffery said of the scheme: ”It’ll make a real difference. It’s been 12 years in the waiting. We have ambitious plans for our district and the regeneration of the south east gateway is an important part of this. It’s the part of the city that includes the waterfront, home to The Hepworth and Rutland Mills which is being redeveloped. This is the cultural and creative heart of the city and these new plans will provide a real boost to the local area – creating over a thousand new job opportunities, increasing the training opportunities available in the creative sector and bringing more visitors into the city providing an estimated £1.5m extra in the local economy each year.” Join us to hear more about the exciting development opportunities in the region at our Transforming West Yorkshire Conference next week.
