Additional £20m for National Coalfields Programme

English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency has announced an additional funding package of up to £20m for the National Coalfields Programme. The money will pay for the regeneration of a number of coalfield sites in addition to the 101 currently in the programme. 
  
Margaret Ford, Chairman of English Partnerships announced the additional investment, on top of the existing £386m commitment to the programme, at the Coalfield Communities Campaign’ (CCC) annual conference today (20 September) held in Dunfermline.

In her speech Margaret Ford said, “This additional money will ensure that even more former colliery communities can benefit from this programme. We are in the ninth year of our existing programme and so you would expect our results to be good – but they are in fact stunning. Achievements we can all be very proud of.

“The National Coalfields Programme has grown from 57 sites in 1996 to 101 sites – a staggering 77% increase. We are now underway or have reached completion on 61 sites, made a start on five more and a further seven are approved and waiting to start.”

The funding will allow additional sites to be tackled by the programme. These will be selected from the current reserve list* and a number of sites previously put forward by the CCC will be reconsidered.

Margaret Ford also announced the approval from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) of almost £10m, from the existing £386.5m ring-fenced budget, for Frickley colliery in Yorkshire. The reclamation of this 84.3 ha site will act as a catalyst

for change for the surrounding area including an area of low demand housing adjacent to the site. English Partnerships is working with Wakefield Council to identify ways in which the agency can assist in the rejuvenation of housing as well as considering opportunities for leisure facilities.

This site exemplifies the potential of the coalfields programme to ensure the greatest regenerative impact is felt in communities by investing in projects that are beyond the boundary of the site and where there are positive linkages with the development of the coalfield.

The conference also provided an opportunity to launch the latest coalfields initiative ‘Creativity in the Coalfields’. English Partnerships has been working with CCC, Coalfields Regeneration Trust, Land Restoration Trust, Arts Council England and CABE (Commission for Architecture in the Built Environment) to produce guidance on how to involve leading landscape architects, designers, artists and crafts people in the regeneration process with the intention of engaging local people and celebrating local pride and identity. A brochure providing more information can be downloaded from www.englishpartnerships.co.uk.

To date £300m has been invested in the Coalfields Programme, which has levered a further £300m of private sector investment. The programme continues to deliver significant achievements in coalfield communities; delivering jobs, homes and quality open space.

Achievements include:

1,780 ha of brownfield land brought back into productive use
923 ha of new public open space has been created
658,546 sq m of commercial floor space
13,800 new jobs (4.4 new jobs for everyday of the programme)
1,000 new homes

In year nine of an original ten-year lifetime (now extended to 2012) the programme continues to gather pace. More sites are underway than the original 57 sites that came into the programme in 1996 and this has been achieved a year earlier than originally planned. The 61 sites, where work has now begun or is completed, will produce 70% of the total jobs target.