Council celebrates successful bid for investment in Middlegate Estate

Revealed in yesterday's Budget, the funding will come from the Estate Regeneration 2021 Funding Opportunity, which forms part of the Government's wider £100 million Brownfield Land Release Fund delivered through the One Public Estate programme.

The funding opportunity aims to improve the quality of living environments and opportunities for those communities living within social housing estates.

The money granted for the Middlegate Estate will ensure the old and worn multi-use games area (MUGA) on the estate is removed, an upgrade of the existing play equipment and other exciting works to be enjoyed by residents of all ages.

To ensure the bid was successful, the application had to demonstrate a requirement for grant funding, that it enjoyed both community and political support, and would provide added value to the estate. Funding must be spent or committed by the end of March 2022.

Cllr Andy Grant, chair of the housing and neighbourhood committee, said: "As chair of Middlegate Estate Regeneration Members Working Group, it gives me great pleasure to share that we have been successful in our Estate Regeneration Funding Bid for the Middlegate Estate in its entirety, which is almost £860,000, as announced as part of the Budget yesterday.

"The bid and our positive outcome is a showcase of the hard work put in from the Members Working Group and officers. This is another example of investment happening in the borough, which we hope will be the first of several within this ward."

Cllr Robinson-Payne, member of the Middlegate Estate Regeneration Members Working Group, said: "We are delighted that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities Ministers have chosen the Middlegate estate as one of the small number of estate regeneration projects they will be funding across the country.

"This funding will help improve the communal space on the estate and give residents of all ages somewhere safe and fun to enjoy time spent outside."