‘This is a great time to live’ Goole councillor says amid hopes for £25m fund share
TIME FOR TOWN TO TAKE PRIDE AND THRIVE
A GOOLE councillor has said a bid for millions of pounds in government regeneration funding is an opportunity to rid itself of its “forgotten town feeling”.
Cllr Nick Coultish said the challenge for Goole’s bid for up to £25m from the national Towns Fund was making sure that residents’ views are taken on board.
The Goole North councillor added the bid came as he and other elected officials were encouraging residents to take pride in the town.
The comments follow East Riding Council’s cabinet’s decision to forge ahead with the Goole Town Deal. They also come as Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the town on Monday.
The Goole Town Investment Plan, which would be spent on infrastructure and building projects, is set to be submitted by January 2021.
Cllr Coultish said the deal was an opportunity for Goole to become a regional centre after years of being held back.
Cllr Coultish said: “It’s fantastic to hear that East Riding Council is fully on board with us for Goole.
“The bid presents a challenge for us to make sure all voices in the town are heard.
“We’ve been keen to make sure residents understand that this money is for them.
“Other towns might zoom ahead with their bids, but we want to see all the options first.
“We’ve already generated a report based on comments Facebook and the gov.uk site.
“Residents should also look out for stalls in the town centre where they can tell us their ideas.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Goole and everyone has their own ideas on how the money should be spent.”
Cllr Coultish said the bid had to include proposals on planning and regeneration, skills and enterprise and connectivity to be successful.
Cllr Coultish said: “Some ideas we’ve had already are improvements to West Park and improvements to Goole Railway Station. It will be up to the Goole Town Deal Board to decide.
“We also want to improve connectivity for new businesses we hope to attract to the town.
“Now we’re trying to encourage people to talk Goole up rather than being pessimistic about the future.
“There’s been a forgotten town feeling, but residents are now starting to understand that people do care about it.
“Some of the older residents who big on live in terraced streets have felt that for a long time with antisocial behaviour, but we’re becoming one big community now.
“We see that with littering going down, people are showing the town more respect.
“We’ve got more visitors and businesses coming in and better leadership in our schools.
“There’s nothing to be pessimistic about, this is a great time to live in Goole.”
The comments come as East Riding Council received more than £162,000 in government funds to help draw up the Towns Fund bid.
The Government chose Goole and 100 other northern and Midland towns to be candidates for its Towns Fund, launched in November 2019.
The fund is based on a pilot scheme in Grimsby which received around £67m in 2018 for infrastructure and house building.
Cllr Jane Evison, East Riding Council’s local economic growth portfolio holder, said the funding would allow Goole to become the town it always deserved to be.
Cllr Evison said: “It deserves to be an urban centre of major strategic importance to the region and beyond, with a diverse and sustainable base which provides a secure, healthy and hospitable environment.”
Goole Town Deal Board chair Joseph Richardson said a robust and evidence based bid would be submitted and added it was not a “done deal”.