Gateway plan for city closer to approval

A £42M project to create a ‘South East Gateway’ to Wakefield city centre has been described as a “fantastic scheme” that will “make a real difference”.

Councillors have been told that around 1,400 temporary construction jobs and 632 permanent jobs will be created if the plans to redevelop swathes of brownfield land around the city’s Waterfront go ahead.

According to West Yorkshire Combined Authority, a total of 3.3 hectares will be made available for development by being bought up and cleared for demolition, “thereby acting as a catalyst for regeneration”.

The plans, which would see some 700 homes built over a decade, form an important part of the city’s ongoing regeneration and will complement the scheme to convert the nearby Rutland Mills into a retail and leisure complex. Officials also want to carry out flood protection, drainage and other work to help with the Rutland Mills scheme.

This week, West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Investment Committee agreed to progress the project onto the next stage, where a business case will be drawn up.

Councillors were told that of the total project value of £41.55m the combined authority will make a contribution of £6.505m.

Committee member Denise Jeffery, a Wakefield councillor, said: “It is a fantastic scheme, it’s something we’ve been waiting for for a long, long time. It will make a real difference. It has been 12 years waiting for this to happen.”