Stafford community leaders are celebrating a constructive start to 2025 after receiving a long-awaited confirmation from the Government. It was announced more than a year ago that £20m was being awarded to an ambitious project to create hundreds of new homes, business space and a multi-storey car park on previously developed land around the town’s railway station.
But Stafford Borough Council faced a lengthy wait during 2024 for confirmation that the funding would go ahead. The project was unable to proceed until the authority had received a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) from the Government’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The confirmation of funding had been expected to be sent in June, but the following month saw a General Election. The confirmation was put back until after the new Labour Government’s first Budget, which did not take place until the end of October.
Stafford MP Leigh Ingham, who was elected to represent the area in July, secured a meeting with Alex Norris, Minister for Democracy and Local Growth, in late 2024 to help speed up the process. And this week it was announced that the funding would go ahead for the station gateway scheme.
Ms Ingham said: “The Gateway project will bring great value to Stafford, creating housing, leisure, and commercial space, while being an important part of our town centre regeneration. I’m delighted to confirm the Minister’s support, which will help ensure that funding can be drawn down and the project can progress efficiently.”
The Stafford Gateway project involves Staffordshire County Council and Network Rail as well as the borough council. Aidan Godfrey, leader of Stafford Borough Council, said: “It is great to now have confirmation that we will be receiving this money and demonstrates the confidence the government has in us, and our partners, to deliver growth for the area.
“We have consistently demonstrated our ambition for Stafford town and attracted significant investment, and interest, in the borough. We are perfectly placed by road, rail and air for new businesses to flourish and the Stafford Gateway will be a thriving, vibrant new community within the town where people want to live, work and visit and all sustainably connected to the railway station.”
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Philip White said: “The Stafford Gateway scheme will play an important role in the county town’s ongoing regeneration bringing investment, new homes and employment opportunities. It’s great news that the funding has now been confirmed by the government which means the scheme can progress.
“We’re committed as a county council to see our towns become more vibrant and grow as places to live, work and visit. The area around the station is a prime location for this type of redevelopment and we’re pleased to contribute as a key partner.”
The news comes just days before a separate project to improve the entrance to the railway station is due to begin. This work will include road resurfacing, providing more disabled parking near the building and a larger relocated public short-stay car park.
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